The hours right after your crash
You have just been in an accident and do not know what happens next.
In the first hour, focus only on safety and injuries. Over the rest of the day, a few practical steps, taken roughly in order, cover what matters most.
In the first few minutes
Move out of the path of traffic if you can, and switch on hazard lights. Check yourself and anyone with you for injuries. Call for an ambulance if anyone is hurt or unsure.
Within the first hour
Once everyone is safe, exchange details with the other driver: name, phone number, identity card and vehicle registration. If you can, photograph both vehicles, the road and anything nearby that explains what happened. What to capture at the accident scene covers this fully.
If anyone saw the accident, ask for their name and number now. You may not get another chance.
Within the same day
Go to a police station to make your report. Malaysian law expects this within 24 hours of the accident wherever reasonably possible.[1] See reporting your accident to the police for exactly what to bring and say.
Get checked by a doctor even if you feel fine. Adrenaline is very good at hiding pain in the first few hours, and some injuries only surface the next day.
By the end of the day
Write down what you remember while it is fresh, in your own words. Start thinking about notifying your insurer. Most policies give you a short window rather than demanding it within hours, as reporting the accident to insurers explains.
Keep any dashcam footage safe before it is overwritten, using the steps in saving your dashcam and photo evidence.
What can wait until tomorrow
Vehicle inspection, detailed insurance paperwork and any conversation about a claim can wait a day. Do these after you have seen a doctor and made your report.
Why the order matters
A police report supports your insurance claim. A medical visit protects your health and your evidence. Saved photos and footage support everything after. Discussing a settlement before you have seen a doctor is a common way to weaken a claim.
What comes next
What to do after a road accident covers the following days and weeks. Making a road accident claim explains what a claim involves. If an insurer contacts you and the pressure builds, an independent lawyer can take the claim on for you.
Need a lawyer to handle your injury claim?
For people seeking legal representation. For general information, please use our guides and tools.
Common questions
I feel fine. Do I still need to see a doctor today?
Yes, if the impact was more than very minor. Adrenaline commonly hides pain for hours, and some injuries, such as whiplash or internal bruising, only become obvious the next day or later.
What if the accident happens at night and the police station is far away?
Go to the nearest station you reasonably can, even if it means the report happens a little later than you would like. What matters most is going as soon as it is safe and practical, not finding a perfect option.
Should I contact my insurer within the first 24 hours too?
It is worth starting the process early, though most policies allow a short window rather than demanding it within the same day. The full detail is in reporting the accident to insurers.
What if I am too shaken to remember details clearly?
Write down whatever you do remember as soon as you can, even in fragments, since a rough note taken today beats a polished account reconstructed weeks later. Details naturally soften with time, not sharpen.
Is there anything I should avoid doing in these first hours?
Avoid discussing or admitting fault, and avoid posting about the accident anywhere online before you have had a chance to think clearly. Both are easy to do in the moment and hard to take back afterward.
Sources
- Road Transport Act 1987, s.52 (Ministry of Transport) (accessed 2026-09-22)
Need a lawyer to handle your injury claim?
For people seeking legal representation. For general information, please use our guides and tools.