What an employee should record after an accident in a company or work vehicle, while details are still fresh.
After an accident, people are shaken and details fade quickly. A short form in the glove box guides the driver through what to collect, which helps the insurer, the business and the employee.
Safety comes first. The form is only filled in once everyone is safe and emergency services have been called where needed.
15 items. Fill it in on screen or print a copy.
A technician’s van is rear-ended at a red light. Nobody is hurt. He photographs both vehicles, takes the other driver’s insurance details and a witness’s phone number, notes rain and dusk, and calls his manager. The completed form goes to the fleet manager the same evening.
Insurers and fleet managers depend on details written while memories are fresh, and many commercial auto policies require prompt notice of any accident. When an employee is hurt, the same facts feed the workers’ compensation claim and, if the injury is recordable, the OSHA injury log.
| Driver | Hector, Evergreen Lawn Care, Olympia; license on file |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | Fleet #7 pickup with trailer attached |
| When and where | Thu May 15, 2:10 pm, Pacific Ave and 9th |
| Other party | Joyce, silver sedan, insurer and policy number recorded |
| Witness | Marco, (360) 555-0128 |
| Conditions and injuries | Dry, daylight; no injuries; police report #25-04418 |
| After | Manager Linda called 2:25 pm; truck drivable, back at yard |
Hector noted that the trailer was attached, which affects stopping distance and is something the insurer will ask about. He wrote that the sedan moved into the trailer’s lane as an observed fact rather than saying who was at fault.
Advise drivers to stick to facts and let insurers decide fault.
No. It is an internal record. A police report may also be needed.
Get medical help first and follow your workplace injury process.
According to your insurer and retention policy.
Not on their own. The driver should exchange details, report to the manager, and let the company or its insurer handle calls from the other side. A recorded statement given at the roadside can be quoted later, so drivers should simply say the company will be in touch.
OSHA’s 8-hour and 24-hour reporting rules for deaths and hospitalizations do not apply to crashes on a public street or highway, unless the crash happens in a construction work zone. An injury from the crash may still need to go on the OSHA 300 log if you keep one, and it usually starts a workers’ compensation claim.
More for the same job
EZTime’s digital HR forms collect e-signatures and keep the signed copy in the employee’s digital file, with reminders before a document expires. Book a demo to see it with your team.