A car accident is disorienting even when nobody is hurt. Adrenaline makes it hard to think clearly, and the decisions you make in the first few hours — what you document, who you call, where the car ends up — affect everything that follows, including whether the car is worth repairing at all. Here’s a practical rundown of what to do first, before you even get to the “repair or sell” question.
Right After the Crash: Safety First
If it’s safe to do so, move vehicles out of traffic and turn on hazard lights. Check yourself and anyone else involved for injuries before worrying about the car.
Call 000 if:
- Anyone is injured
- The vehicles are blocking traffic and can’t be moved
- There’s a risk of fire or a fuel leak
Even in a minor bump, it’s worth staying calm and avoiding an argument about fault at the scene — that’s what insurers and, if needed, police reports are for.
Exchanging Details and Documenting the Scene
Once everyone’s safe, swap details with the other driver:
- Full name and contact number
- Vehicle registration
- Insurance provider (if known)
Photograph the damage to both vehicles, the road position, any skid marks, and relevant street signs or traffic signals. If there are witnesses, ask for their contact details too. This documentation matters later — for your insurance claim, and for getting an accurate damage assessment if you end up selling the car as-is.
When You Need to Report It to Police
In WA, you generally need to report a crash to police if there’s an injury, if a driver leaves without exchanging details, or if the damage looks significant. [CHECK: current WA Police reportable-damage threshold]. When in doubt, it doesn’t hurt to report it — you can do this through WA Police’s online crash reporting system rather than waiting on the phone.
Contacting Your Insurer
Notify your insurer as soon as practical, ideally the same day. They’ll want the details and photos you’ve already gathered, and will tell you whether the car needs to go to an assessor or approved repairer before it’s moved. If the car isn’t driveable, don’t assume you have to organise towing yourself — check what your policy covers first, since some insurers arrange this directly.
What Happens to the Car Next
Once assessed, a repairer or insurer will class the car as repairable or a write-off. A few things typically influence that call and, separately, what the car is worth if you decide to sell it rather than repair it:
- Age and odometer reading
- Extent of structural versus cosmetic damage
- Cost and availability of parts for that make and model
- Whether the airbags deployed
- General condition before the crash
A car doesn’t need to be a total write-off to be worth selling rather than fixing — sometimes the repair quote alone makes that decision for you.
A WA-Specific Detail Worth Knowing
Number plates in Western Australia stay with the seller, not the vehicle — you’ll need to remove them before handover. After selling, you’re required to lodge a Notification of Disposal with the Department of Transport, which formally ends your responsibility for the vehicle.
Weighing Repair vs Sell
If the repair estimate is close to or more than the car’s value, or if you simply don’t want the hassle of a lengthy repair, selling the car in its current condition is often the more practical route. Reputable car removal buyers will take vehicles that are running, non-running, accident-damaged, or already written off.
This is where a service like Cash For Cars Perth fits in. We buy cars, utes, trucks, vans, and 4WDs across the Perth metro area in any condition — including accident-damaged and written-off vehicles — and pay up to $9,999 cash or instant OSKO transfer before the car leaves your property. We’re a licensed wrecking yard based at 5 Hantke Place, Welshpool, and can usually arrange free same-day towing, often within 2–3 hours if you call before midday.
A few things we can’t take: stolen vehicles, cars still under finance, or bodies without a chassis. You’ll need valid photo ID to sell (you don’t have to be the registered owner), and remember to lodge that Notification of Disposal once the sale is done.
If You’ve Decided to Sell
Once you’ve weighed up the repair quote against the car’s condition and decided selling makes more sense, the process itself is straightforward — no roadworthy certificate or advertising required for a wrecked or damaged vehicle sold to a licensed wrecker.
Give us a call on 0420 262 651 for a quote, any day Monday to Saturday, 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM. If the car’s driveable or not, we can talk you through what happens next and get it off your hands the same day if that suits you.