Car Accident in Bahrain: What to Do and How to Claim

The first minutes after a car accident are about safety, not insurance. Once everyone is out of immediate danger, your claim depends on three things: an official accident record, accurate documents, and prompt notification to the correct insurer.

1. Check for danger or injury

Stop safely and switch on the hazard lights if you can. Check yourself, your passengers and the other parties.

Call 999 for any emergency, injury, fire or serious danger. Bahrain also operates 199 as a dedicated line for road traffic accidents. Do not stand in moving traffic, and do not move an injured person unless there is immediate danger and you are trained or instructed to do so.

2. Use the official reporting route

Bahrain's traffic accident services — reporting an accident, acknowledging responsibility for one, and viewing reported accidents — are available through the MyGov app, which now hosts the services previously found in eTraffic. It also includes an insurance company locator.

For an eligible minor accident, follow the app's prompts. If the accident is serious, disputed, involves injury, creates danger, or cannot be completed in the app, contact the authorities and follow their directions.

An official police or traffic report is normally required for a motor insurance claim.

3. Record the scene, if it is safe

Without obstructing emergency work or putting yourself in danger, photograph the position of the vehicles, the damage to each one, the number plates, the wider road with its lane markings and signs, any debris or relevant road conditions, and any other property damaged.

Note the time and location, and exchange the information required through the official process. Keep your description factual — do not speculate about the extent of damage or promise a private payment.

4. Protect the vehicle from further damage

Follow the authority's instructions on moving or towing the car, and use the roadside or towing channel in your policy where available. Taking reasonable steps to prevent further loss matters — but do not authorise permanent repairs or dismantling before the insurer has had the chance to inspect or approve the work.

5. Notify the insurer promptly

Contact the claims channel shown on your issued policy, certificate or app. If you bought through Soor, our support team can help you locate the correct policy and insurer process. Provide the official report or reference as soon as you have it — policies commonly require prompt notification, and an unnecessary delay complicates the assessment.

6. Prepare the claim documents

Requirements vary, but motor insurers commonly ask for:

• The official accident report or electronic reference
• CPR or identity document
• Driving licence of the person who was driving
• Vehicle registration
• Insurance policy or certificate
• Accident and damage photographs
• A completed claim form or online submission
• Additional evidence for theft, injury, finance or a total loss

7. Understand which policy responds

You have comprehensive cover. You may submit an own-damage claim for a covered accident. The applicable excess, repair arrangement, depreciation rules and endorsements all affect it.

You have third-party cover and caused the accident. Basic third-party does not repair your car; it responds to eligible liability for the other party's injury or property damage.

The other driver caused it. The official report and claims procedure determine how the claim is presented. Depending on the circumstances and your own cover, you may deal with the responsible party's insurer or your own comprehensive insurer.

The responsible vehicle or driver is unknown. Report it officially and speak to your insurer immediately. Own-damage cover and an unknown-party excess may apply. Never describe an accident as a hit-and-run merely to avoid an excess — false information can invalidate cover and carries legal consequences.

8. Inspection, repair and settlement

Do not assume you can choose any workshop and send the invoice later. Use the repair route approved under your policy unless the insurer confirms otherwise in writing.

9. Keep a claim timeline

Save the claim reference, the submission date, the channels or names you dealt with, the workshop details, the documents requested, approval messages, receipts and the excess payment, plus the dates of calls and any promised updates.

If a delay or disagreement arises, a clear timeline makes it far easier to resolve through the insurer's complaint process, Soor support where relevant, and ultimately the CBB complaint route once the required escalation steps are met.

What not to do after an accident

• Do not leave the scene contrary to official requirements
• Do not drive an unsafe vehicle
• Do not rely only on a private promise to pay
• Do not submit edited or misleading photographs
• Do not repair the car before the required inspection or approval
• Do not sign a blank claim or settlement form
• Do not exaggerate the damage or add old damage to the claim
• Do not ignore messages requesting documents or inspection

Keep the checklist before you need it

Save your insurer's claims number, the policy PDF and your roadside-assistance details on your phone now. If you bought through Soor, keep the issued documents and our support contact accessible.