How to act in the event of an accident

1 Act promptly. It will give you the best opportunity of finding out what happened and afford you the best protection should a claim be made.

2 Report to the relevant insurer or broker.

3 Adhere to company procedures. Your business should have established processes setting out what must be done in the event of an accident.

4 Investigate fully. Carrying out an investigation maximises your opportunity of understanding what happened.

5 Preserve all documents and evidence. Serious accidents will attract the attention of the police and Health and Safety Execu- tive.

6 Obtain witness statements. Ensure the statements contain contact details and are signed and dated by the witness.

7 Take photographs or video. It helps remove any doubt as to where an accident happened or what was involved.

8 Complete accident reports carefully. Make it clear who has completed the form. Confine comments to matters of fact.

9 Public relations. It is essential to manage carefully both external and internal communications.

10 Legal privilege. There are strict rules governing documents that have to be disclosed after an incident from those which attract legal privilege. Establish a defined 'circulation' list and to understand how the principle of legal privilege applies.

Scott Yates is a director and solicitor at Myton Law. He specialises in representing and advising companies in the aftermath of serious accidents.