The blue-and-yellow European Accident Statement is the document your claim is built on: two sides, numbered fields, the same structure in every language. Filled in well, it can shave days off your claim – filled in badly, it can hold things up for weeks. Let's go through it field by field.
- The statement is a document that records facts – filling it in and signing it is not, on its own, an admission of liability.
- The key fields: the vehicles' and insurers' details, the circumstance boxes, the scene sketch, and both drivers' signatures.
- Keep a blank form in your glovebox (or have the app version ready) – it's too late to go looking for one after an accident.
The details fields: accurate and legible
The statement has two columns, one for each vehicle: each side takes the driver's name and licence details, the registered keeper, the number plate, and the insurer's name and policy or Green Card number. Write legibly, in block capitals – a misspelt number plate or policy number is the most common technical hold-up. If the other party is from abroad, the field numbers help: the same numbers mean the same thing on their form.
The circumstance boxes and the scene sketch
In the middle column's numbered list of circumstances, tick with an X what happened (was parked, was turning, was changing lanes…) – only tick what's factually true, and total up the number of ticks at the bottom of the box. The scene sketch should be simple but clear: the road, the directions, the vehicles' positions at the moment of impact, shown with arrows. It's not a work of art – it's a diagram to support the assessment, and the claims assessor will reconstruct the scene from it.
The 'Remarks' field is for the finer points: anything left out of the boxes can go here – a witness's name, the other driver's verbal acknowledgement, an unusual circumstance (an icy road, an unlit object).
Signing – and what comes after
Both drivers sign the statement, and each keeps a copy (the carbon-copy form takes care of that automatically). Signing means jointly recording the facts – if liability is disputed, that goes in the 'Remarks' field, or you need the police involved. Once signed, the form must not be altered afterwards: if something was left out, it can be added later, in a separate statement, when you report the claim.
Photograph the completed statement straightaway – paper can get wet or go missing, and a photo on your phone is a reliable backup.
The most common mistakes – and how to avoid them
Five recurring mistakes: missing insurer details for the other party (ask for them at the scene – tracking them down afterwards is a hassle); an empty circumstances box ('I'll explain it verbally' leaves no record); ticks with no total added up; a statement with no sketch; and forgetting to keep your own copy. A calm, checklist-style approach guards against all of these – which is exactly why the filling-in checklist exists; it's worth printing out and keeping in the glovebox alongside the form.
Common question: what if the other driver won't sign?
The other driver refusing to sign doesn't wreck your case – it just changes how you handle it. In that situation: fill in the form one-sided (your side plus a factual description), record the other vehicle's number plate and the scene with photos, look for witnesses, and call the police – a lack of cooperation is exactly the situation police attendance is for. When you report the claim, flag that the statement is one-sided and attach the photo, witness and police package. The lesson works the other way too: your own signature isn't an 'admission' either – it's a record of facts that protects both parties. Understanding that makes you more relaxed about signing – and more relaxed if the other driver doesn't.
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