The European Accident Statement is the document used by two drivers involved in an accident with no injuries to describe what happened, so their insurers can resolve it. It is called "amicable" because it does not require agreement on fault: it requires agreement on the facts. Each driver marks what their vehicle did, both draw the sketch, and both sign. It is the insurer, working from the statement and the evidence, that decides liability.
In Spain it is also known as the "parte europeo" or "declaración amistosa de accidente" (DAA), and it is the same form across the whole European Union. That uniformity is why a Spanish driver and a Portuguese driver can each complete the same statement in their own language, and both insurers can understand it.
What the statement contains, section by section
The form has a shared section at the top, and two mirrored columns, A and B, one per vehicle.
Shared header. Date and time of the accident. Location, with the road and municipality. Whether there are any injuries, even minor ones. Whether there is material damage other than to the two vehicles, for example a lamppost or a parked car. Witnesses, with name and phone number; the vehicles' occupants also count as witnesses and are worth noting down.
Columns A and B, per vehicle. Policyholder, with name, address and phone number. Vehicle, with make, model and number plate; if towing a trailer, its plate too. Insurer, with the policy number and whether the policy covers own damage. Driver, with name, date of birth, licence and phone number; the driver need not be the policyholder. Initial point of impact, marked with an arrow on the vehicle's outline. Visible damage, described briefly. Circumstances: the numbered boxes describing each vehicle's manoeuvre, with the total number of boxes marked underneath. Remarks, for facts that do not fit in the boxes.
Sketch. A drawing of the accident showing the road, each vehicle's direction, its position at the moment of impact, road signs and markings. It does not need to be neat. It needs to be consistent with the boxes.
Signatures. Both. A statement signed by only one driver is a unilateral declaration, not a bilateral accident statement.
The circumstance boxes, where everything is decided
The boxes describe specific manoeuvres: parked, leaving a parking space, entering a parking space, leaving a car park or private road, entering a car park or private road, entering a roundabout, driving round a roundabout, hitting the rear of another vehicle travelling in the same direction and lane, travelling in the same direction but in another lane, changing lanes, overtaking, turning right, turning left, reversing, encroaching on the opposite lane, coming from the right at a junction, not observing a priority sign or a red light.
There is only one rule: each driver marks only the boxes that describe what their own vehicle was doing. Marking extra boxes just in case creates contradictions with the sketch and with the other driver's boxes, and those contradictions are what delay resolution. If no box describes what happened, leave it blank and explain it in the remarks.
How to fill it in at the scene, in order
- Safety first. Hi-vis vest, warning signs and, if there are injuries, call the emergency services first. Where there are injuries, the police usually attend and draw up an official report; the accident statement is used for claims with no injuries.
- Photographs before moving the vehicles. The final position of both cars is the evidence most often missing afterwards. If the road needs clearing, two photographs are enough, but take them first.
- Vehicle details copied from the documents, not dictated. Number plate, policy and insurer of the other party, taken from their vehicle registration and insurance certificate, or photographed.
- Boxes and sketch, facing each other. Each driver marks their own; the sketch is drawn by agreement between the two.
- Read it in full before signing. The statement is a single document: whatever the other driver has marked in their column, you are also signing.
- Each driver keeps a copy and sends it to their insurer.
When not to use the accident statement
When there are injuries, when the other driver refuses to sign, when they show signs of having consumed alcohol or drugs, when they do not have insurance or cannot prove it, or when there is total disagreement over the facts. In those cases, call the police and note down as many details as possible about the other vehicle and its driver.
Deadline for notifying the insurer
Spanish insurance contract law requires a claim to be reported to the insurer within a maximum of seven days from when it becomes known, unless the policy sets a longer period. The sooner the report arrives, the sooner the claim file is opened and the sooner a decision is made about the vehicle.
The mistakes that cost the most
- Signing without reading the other party's column.
- Marking boxes that do not describe your own manoeuvre.
- A sketch that contradicts the boxes.
- The other party's number plate copied from memory.
- Admitting fault in the remarks: remarks are for facts.
- Filling in the report the next day, with no photographs and a version from the other party that may have changed.
- Not noting down witnesses or occupants.
What changes with the digital report
A well-designed digital report resolves most of these mistakes by construction. Vehicle data is preloaded, photographs carry a date and time, the boxes are the same as the official form, the sketch is drawn on the vehicle's outline, and the other party signs from their own phone. The resulting document is the same accident statement, as a PDF, delivered to both insurers within minutes.
With Acciparte, that report opens by scanning the vehicle's QR code, in the mobile browser, with no application to download. You can see the full journey in the guide for drivers and how it is deployed across a fleet in how it works.
This article is for information only and does not constitute legal advice. In the event of a claim involving injuries or serious disagreement, contact the authorities and your insurer.