We've recently had quite the experience—a car crash! We were rear-ended by someone who wasn’t paying full attention, but thankfully everyone involved is okay. This incident gives me a chance to share how car accidents are handled here in sunny Spain.
First things first: after any accident, the most important step is to ensure that everyone is safe and able to move. If someone is injured, don’t hesitate—call 112, which is the emergency number here. And if you’re worried about the language barrier, just ask if they speak English; they’ll connect you with an English-speaking operator to help explain what’s happening.
If everyone is alright, you might consider calling the police for a formal accident report. It might take a bit longer, but it creates an official record. Alternatively, you can fill out a “friendly report” (or “Declaración Amistosa de Accidente” in Spanish) with the other driver. It's a straightforward way to keep things moving along!
If you want to be prepared for any future mishaps, it's a good idea to print a copy of the friendly report form and keep it in your car. You can find it here: https://www.pelayo.com/documents/3939881/10877951/DAA.pdf/d81a0fa0-1184-f2f5-26fa-7b8ffaf8fc1a.
Once you’ve checked on everyone, if your car has taken a bit of a beating, it’s time to inform your car insurance company and provide them with the accident report. Since we had significant damage, we needed to call a tow truck, or "gruas" as they're called in Spanish. Usually, your insurance can help arrange this.
And here’s a tip: if your car is undriveable, don't forget to ask for a taxi to get you where you need to go. Also, please remember to visit a hospital after an accident, as injuries aren’t always immediately obvious. For us, we called an ambulance because our son was complaining of abdominal pain, likely from the seatbelt. My wife and son ended up going to the hospital to be evaluated.
Once the chaos settles, you’ll wait for the tow truck to arrive. If you’re in a city, it’ll be the local police; if you're out in the countryside, look for the Guardia Civil. In our case, while waiting for the taxi, the friendly tow truck staff also offered to drive me to the hospital since the taxi was quite late!
When the tow truck arrives and picks up your car, they will transport it to their station until you choose a repair shop. Don’t forget to tell your insurance company about your choice! If your car is still drivable, you can take it directly to the repair shop you prefer and notify your insurance accordingly.
After that, it’s in the garage’s hands—they’ll get an expert from the insurance to assess the damages and authorize the repairs. The waiting game begins as you anticipate your beloved vehicle’s return to the road.
As for us? We’re currently in the waiting phase for the expert to evaluate the damages. Fingers crossed our car isn’t deemed a total loss! If it is, we’ll receive a payout based on its current value, but we would be really sad to see it go, as it’s still quite functional.
We’ll keep you posted on how everything turns out!
Hasta luego, mis amigos!
