Immediate anchors
Stop and make the situation safer where possible
People involved must stop and take feasible safety measures without putting themselves or others at further risk.
Injured people and police
Where someone is injured, the Road Traffic Act provides for assistance and police notification; emergency instructions take precedence over gathering papers.
Property damage and identification
The person responsible informs the injured party promptly with name and address or, if that is not possible, immediately informs the police.
Policy notice without avoidable delay
Insurance law and the policy govern notification and information duties; keep originals and answer specific requests factually.
A four-part chronology
Always adapt this framework to emergency-service and police instructions and to the actual risks at the scene.
Protect people
Stop, assess immediate danger and contact emergency services or police whenever the situation requires it.
Exchange relevant identities
Collect contact details, plates, insurers and possible witnesses without settling the final allocation of blame under pressure.
Preserve dated facts
Note location, time, observed movements and visible damage; keep original photos and documents with their context.
Notify the relevant insurer
Use the channel stated in the policy, describe facts and ask in writing which documents and next steps are required.
A checklist is not a decision
- Instructions from emergency services and police take priority over any general list on this site.
- Photos, an accident form and a notice document events but do not alone determine liability or insurance cover.
- Buying or comparing a new policy does not alter the policy that applies to an accident that has already occurred.
Future cover only
Compare future insurance needs
A new comparison does not change the policy that applies to an accident that has already happened and does not guarantee payment. It is only for preparing future cover.
Checked public and sector references
Each reference states its language. Fedlex, FEDRO and FINMA are kept separate from the SIA/SVV, which supplies sector context only; the applicable official-language law and the individual policy remain controlling.
- Fedlex — Federal Road Traffic Act (RTA, SR 741.01)English · English reference text on motor liability, registration, conduct after accidents, policy transfer and claims-history statements; official-language wording controls.↗
- Fedlex — Federal Act on Insurance Contracts (ICA, SR 221.229.1)English · English reference translation covering pre-contract information, policy scope, claim notice, information duties and termination; official-language wording controls.↗
- FINMA — You have a problem with your insurance companyEnglish · Initial contact with the insurer, FINMA’s supervisory role, and the boundary between a regulatory report and a private-law dispute.↗