Fleet Accident Response Checklist

Use this checklist after a crash involving a fleet vehicle. First protect people and follow emergency responders’ directions. Then preserve the facts your carrier, insurer, and—when applicable—regulators will need. Do not let a paperwork step delay medical care.

At the scene

1. Get emergency help when needed, secure the scene as directed, and account for passengers and other people involved.
2. Record the date, time, location, vehicle and driver, other parties, witnesses, responding agency, and report number when available. Photograph vehicle positions and damage only when it is safe and lawful to do so. Keep personal and medical details in controlled records.
3. Notify the carrier’s designated contact and insurer according to company procedure. Do not guess at fault or make promises on the carrier’s behalf.

Same-day carrier review

Decide whether the crash meets the federal accident definition and belongs in the carrier’s register. Under 49 CFR 390.15, the register is kept for three years and includes the date, location, driver, injury and fatality counts, and the specified hazardous-material release indicator. Keep copies of reports required by a government entity or insurer. Not every minor incident meets the federal register definition, but company and insurance reporting rules may be broader.

For a driver covered by DOT drug-and-alcohol testing rules, assess 49 CFR 382.303 promptly. A fatality triggers testing; for the specified injury or disabling-damage/tow-away events, the rule also depends on a qualifying moving-violation citation and the alcohol/drug timing windows. Do not assume every crash requires a DOT test, and do not miss the applicable deadlines. FMCSA’s employer chart is a quick reference; use the regulation for the actual decision.

Vehicle and follow-up

Have a qualified person assess whether the vehicle is safe to move or dispatch. Record damage, arrange towing or repair as needed, and keep the driver’s inspection and repair workflow separate from the crash register. If a vendor handles repair, give the repair order a carrier contact who can authorize work or answer questions. For help coordinating vehicle repairs and vendors, see LBC Fleet’s outsourced fleet-management service. That service does not replace the carrier’s crash-reporting or testing decisions.

For the fields and retention rules behind the federal record, see the accident-register guide.