Who pays to fix the car depends on who cause the accident.
You may not agree that the accident was your fault.
If you have car insurance, tell your car insurance company about the accident.
The other driver might try to make you pay the cost of fixing the damage.
- Tell your insurance company as soon as you can. They will tell you what to do next.
- If you do not have insurance and the accident was not your fault, get help from a lawyer.
- If you do not have insurance and the accident was your fault, you may have to pay to fix the other car or damaged property.
- The other person may send you a ‘letter of demand’ asking for money to fix the damage.
- If you get a letter, get help from a lawyer as soon as you can.
- Sometimes an accident might be both people’s fault. A lawyer can help you work out how much each person will pay.
 Listen |
 Look |
 Read |
 Watch |
Who Can Help? (Service Providers)
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Helpline |
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TEWLS (Top End Women’s Legal Service) |
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| Property damage
This web page has information for young people about car accidents and property damage. |
| Insurance
This web page has information for young people about car insurance. |
| Accidents
This web page has information for young people about what to do if you’ve had a car accident or been injured in a car accident. |
| What to do if you receive a letter of demand.
NT Government factsheet. |
| Letters of Demand
NT Law Factsheet. |
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Watch |
What’s the Law – Car Accidents
Video simply explaining what you should do after a car accident.
Glossary: What these words mean
| property | Property is something a person owns. It can include:
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| accident | When something happens that you did not plan or want to happen. For example, I had a car accident when I crashed into a wall. |
| fault | If you are at fault, you have responsibility for something that happened. For example, if an accident was your fault, you made it happen. |
| insurance | A way to protect people from losing money. You pay money to a company and if something happens—like an accident or injury—they pay for the costs. |
| letter of demand | A letter asking for payment because someone owes money or did something wrong. After a car accident, one person might send the other driver a letter of demand asking for money to pay for the damage to their car. |