When to file an accident report

File an accident report whenever a company vehicle is involved in a collision or sustains damage during operations, no matter how minor. Even a parking lot scrape should be documented. Filing promptly protects you and your agency.

The New Accident Report form with vehicle, location, weather, narrative, and damage fields.

How to fill out the form

  1. On the dashboard, click the + button.
  2. Click New Accident Report.
  3. Fill in the fields.
  4. Click Submit Report.

The fields

  • Vehicle — pick the vehicle involved from the list. These are the vehicles your agency has on file.
  • Accident Time — when the accident happened. Defaults to now; change it if it happened earlier.
  • Street Address or Intersection — where it happened. Be specific (an intersection, a parking lot, a highway mile marker).
  • Weather — the weather at the time. Rain, snow, fog, and ice matter.
  • Road Conditions — wet, dry, icy, under construction, etc.
  • Vehicle Speed (MPH) — how fast the vehicle was moving at the time of impact.
  • Accident Narrative — a plain-language description of what happened. This is the story of the accident in your own words.
  • Vehicle Damage Summary — what damage you can see: dented bumper, cracked mirror, scratched panel.
  • Any Injuries? — yes or no. If yes, fill in the injury fields below.
  • Injuries / Medical Treatment — describe who was hurt and what treatment they got. Only shown when Any Injuries is Yes.
  • Police Report # — if a police report was filed, the report number.
  • Responding Agency — which agency responded (local police, state patrol, sheriff).
  • Witness Contact Information — names and phone numbers of any witnesses.

An example

You are pulling out of the hospital bay at 5 MPH and clip a concrete bollard with the rear quarter panel. Nobody is hurt and the damage is cosmetic. You file the report right away: Vehicle Medic 7, Accident Time now, Street Address "St. Mary's Hospital ambulance bay, east exit", Weather Clear, Road Conditions Dry, Speed 5, Narrative "Pulling out of the hospital bay, clipped a concrete bollard with the rear passenger quarter panel at low speed", Damage Summary "Six-inch scratch and small dent on rear passenger quarter panel", Any Injuries No. You submit it and your supervisor has the details within minutes.

Tip: Take photos of the damage with your phone before you leave the scene. Even though the form does not have a photo attachment field, having photos in your camera roll will help if your supervisor asks for them later.