Accident Report Template

The accident report – German: Unfallbericht – records right at the scene what happened: who was involved, what damage occurred, and how it came about. Filled in completely, it speeds up settlement by the insurer and prevents a later word-against-word situation. The template is free as a PDF, as a Word file you can adapt – and bilingual in German and English.

What belongs in an accident report?

Fill in the report at the scene while everyone involved is still present – the template has a dedicated field for everything:

• Place, date, and time of the accident
• Name, address, and phone number of everyone involved
• License plates of both vehicles
• The other party's insurer and policy number
• Witnesses with contact details
• Visible damage on both vehicles
• Accident sketch and a short description of the sequence of events
• Signatures of both drivers
• Additionally: photos of vehicle positions, damage, and surroundings – they complement the sketch and are hard to dispute later

Filling in the accident report – step by step

1. Secure the scene: hazard lights on, hi-vis vest, warning triangle – with injuries, first aid and emergency call 112 come first.
2. Take photos: vehicle positions from several angles, damage in detail, road, signs, and skid marks – before moving the vehicles.
3. Exchange details: personal data, license plates, the other party's insurer and policy number; note witnesses with contact details.
4. Fill in the report together: one form for both sides, factual and without assigning blame – each party keeps a copy (carbon copy or photo).
5. Record sketch and sequence of events: directions of travel, point of impact, road layout – keywords are enough.
6. Sign: both drivers; later changes only with both parties countersigning.

The European Accident Statement: what it is – and why bilingual

The European Accident Statement (Europäischer Unfallbericht) is a form with a standardized layout across Europe, handed out free by insurers: the same fields in the same order, no matter which language the form is printed in. That way both parties can fill in the same document even without a common language – each in their own language, field by field congruent. Our template is our own design covering the same fields; the bilingual version shows German and English side by side and achieves the same. Our recommendation: keep one copy in every vehicle – whether the official form or this template.

Important: the signature on the accident report is not an admission of guilt – it only confirms the jointly recorded facts. Still, never sign a document abroad that you do not understand; that is exactly what the bilingual version is for.

Accident report for Word: adapt instead of re-typing

The Word version suits companies that build the accident report into their own processes: add the company logo and an internal claim number, add fields for fleet managers, and print it as a pre-filled form for every vehicle. What ends up in the glovebox is always the printed version – at the scene, you fill it in with a pen.

Work and commuting accidents: what else is required?

If the accident happens during work or on the way to or from work, it is also a work or commuting accident (Arbeitsunfall/Wegeunfall) – and thus a matter for Germany's statutory accident insurance. The distinction matters: this template documents the traffic accident for the motor insurer. It does not replace the accident notification to the Berufsgenossenschaft: if a work or commuting accident causes more than three days of incapacity for work, the employer must report it to the responsible Berufsgenossenschaft on its official form. The completed accident report supplies the facts – sequence of events, time, place, witnesses – but the notification is filed separately.

Paper or digital?

At the scene, paper genuinely is the best choice – a pen works without battery or signal. The work starts afterwards: reporting to the insurer, workshop appointments, damage history per vehicle. In fleets, accident documentation belongs in the vehicle file – in Maxmove TMS it lives digitally with the vehicle instead of disappearing into paper binders.