Car accident in Estonia: what to do step by step

First steps at the scene: safety first

Under section 169 of the Estonian Traffic Act, a driver involved in an accident must stop as quickly as possible without creating additional danger and switch on the hazard warning lights. If the vehicle has no hazard lights or is in a place with poor visibility, a warning triangle must be placed on the road. Then do everything possible to keep traffic at the scene safe: put on a reflective vest, keep people off the carriageway and never stand between vehicles.

• Stop, switch on the hazard lights and put out the warning triangle if needed.
• Assess the situation: is anyone injured, are the vehicles in a dangerous position, is fuel leaking?
• If anyone is injured, call 112 and follow the emergency centre's instructions; give first aid within your abilities.
• Write down the names and contact details of witnesses (with their consent).
• Show an identity document if the other driver asks for it.
• Do not consume alcohol or other intoxicating substances until the circumstances have been established at the scene.

When must you call 112 and the police?

The emergency centre (112) must always be notified when a person has been injured or killed. According to the Police and Border Guard Board, you should also call 112 when nobody is hurt but the drivers cannot agree on liability, or when the person who suffered the damage or the person who caused it is not at the scene – for example if you hit a parked car, a fence, a traffic sign or a lamp post and the owner is not present.

• Someone is injured or killed, or a participant wants a medical check.
• The drivers disagree about fault and liability.
• The damaged party is unknown or the party who caused the damage has left the scene.
• Damage was caused by hitting an animal or swerving to avoid one – the police must be notified immediately; after a collision with big game, notify the emergency centre even if the car is undamaged.
• For any other reason it is impossible to write up and sign a document with the details of the accident.

When can you settle without the police?

Section 169(4) of the Traffic Act allows you not to notify the police only when all of the following conditions are met: nobody was injured and no participant asks for a medical check; the drivers (or the driver and the parties who suffered property damage) agree on liability; the details of everyone involved are recorded in a way that allows later identification; the person liable for the damage is named; and the participants have put these facts in writing and signed them.

Most minor bumps in Tallinn meet these conditions and are handled without the police. But if the other driver might change their mind later, or you are unsure who was at fault, it is safer to call the police right away – circumstances are much harder to prove afterwards.

The accident report form: on paper or at avarii.lkf.ee

The simplest way is to report the accident digitally on your smartphone at avarii.lkf.ee. The service works in Estonian, Russian and English, covers accidents in Estonia involving up to five vehicles, and also cases where a vehicle damaged other property (a bicycle, scooter, fence, house or petrol pump). You enter the vehicle and accident details, add photos, and after confirmation the report is sent to the insurance company of your choice. Vehicles registered abroad can be included.

On paper, use the self-copying form 'Teade liiklusõnnetusest' – the European accident statement used across Europe, which insurers and petrol stations hand out. If you have no form, write the same details on plain paper: date, time and exact location; names, addresses and phone numbers of the vehicle owners and drivers; make, model and registration plate of each vehicle; details of any pedestrians involved; witnesses; a short description and sketch showing the position and direction of the vehicles; and the signatures of the parties, with a note of who is liable for the damage.

The more precisely the documents are drawn up at the scene, the easier the claim will be. If more than two parties are involved, fill in several sets of the form.

Photos and evidence: what to capture

• An overview of the scene from both directions, before the vehicles are moved.
• All vehicles with their registration plates and their position on the road, including skid marks and debris.
• Close-ups of the damage on every vehicle, including small scratches.
• Traffic signs, road markings, traffic lights and road conditions (snow, ice, rain).
• The other driver's licence, the vehicle registration certificate and proof of insurance – the insurer of an Estonian-registered vehicle can be looked up by plate number on lkf.ee.
• Names and phone numbers of witnesses.
• A short video if the situation allows.

Moving the vehicles and what not to do at the scene

Before the police arrive, vehicles and objects involved in the accident may be moved only if an injured person is being taken to hospital or if other traffic cannot pass – and even then only after the position of the vehicles and the traces have been marked in the presence of witnesses. If the police are not being called, photograph the positions and then clear the road.

Leaving the scene is a serious offence: section 237 of the Traffic Act punishes fleeing the scene of an accident with a fine of up to 300 fine units (a fine unit is EUR 8 under section 47 of the Penal Code, so up to EUR 2,400), detention or withdrawal of the right to drive for up to 24 months. The same section covers leaving an injured person in a helpless state without assistance. Do not leave even if the other party says 'it's nothing' – fill in the report or call the police.

Notifying the insurer: motor third-party liability vs comprehensive (kasko)

Under section 37 of the Motor Insurance Act, both the party who caused the damage and the injured party must notify the insured event immediately, either to the insurer of the party who caused the damage or to the injured party's own insurer. A notification by the injured party in a form that can be reproduced in writing (e-mail, self-service portal, avarii.lkf.ee) also counts as a claim for compensation. For ordinary vehicle damage the victim may claim either from their own motor insurer or from the at-fault party's insurer – your own insurer is often simpler.

The damaged vehicle must be kept as far as possible in its post-accident condition and shown to the insurer: under section 38, for no longer than seven calendar days after notification (15 days if the insurer asks in writing). Do not start repairs until the insurer has inspected the damage or authorised the repair. The insurer must complete the necessary steps within a reasonable time and no later than the 30th calendar day after notification, then pay or explain a refusal in writing.

Motor third-party liability insurance (liikluskindlustus) is compulsory and covers the damage you cause to others – their vehicle, property and injuries. It does not pay for your own car if you were at fault. That is what voluntary comprehensive insurance (kasko) is for: with kasko, notify your insurer as your policy requires and expect a deductible. If the other driver was at fault, your car is repaired under their liability insurance.

Uninsured, hit-and-run or foreign vehicles: the Estonian Motor Insurance Fund (LKF)

The Estonian Motor Insurance Fund (Eesti Liikluskindlustuse Fond, LKF) compensates the victim when the damage was caused by an uninsured vehicle that should have had motor insurance, or when no insurer is obliged to pay (section 45 of the Motor Insurance Act). If the vehicle's policy expired less than a year earlier and the vehicle has stayed continuously in the register, the insurer of the last policy pays.

Damage caused by an unidentified vehicle (for example a hit-and-run in a car park) is compensated by LKF with limits (section 46): damage to your vehicle is not covered unless the same accident caused serious injury or death, in which case a EUR 250 deductible applies to the vehicle damage. For other property the deductible is up to EUR 150. So for a scratched car in a car park, cameras, witnesses and a prompt police report are decisive – or your own kasko policy.

Damage caused by a foreign-registered vehicle is handled by that insurer's correspondent in Estonia; if there is none, LKF compensates. LKF's contacts and claim forms are on lkf.ee, phone +372 667 1800.

Getting the car repaired: choosing a workshop

Once the insurer has inspected the damage, the settlement method is agreed: repair at the insurer's partner workshop, repair at a workshop of your choice, or a cash settlement. Always ask what your options are and on what terms – for kasko they are in your policy, for liability claims in the law and the insurers' good-practice guidelines.

Before approving a repair, get several quotes and compare them: type of parts (original or aftermarket), labour hours, extent of paintwork and the warranty on the work. On BipFix you can register the accident at /emergencia, add photos and receive repair quotes from Tallinn workshops; our guide on reading repair quotes is at /guias.

Frequently asked questions