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Road Accident in India: What to Do, Who to Call, Free Treatment
After a road accident, call 112 (on a National Highway you can also call 1033). Make the scene safe and get the injured to a hospital. Under PM-RAHAT, every road accident victim gets cashless treatment of up to ₹1.5 lakh for 7 days at a designated hospital. A driver involved must also tell the police within 24 hours and inform the insurer. Anyone who helps is protected by law and does not have to give their name.
- Emergency
- 112 (any phone, free)
- Highways
- 1033 (NHAI helpline)
- Free treatment
- Up to ₹1.5 lakh, 7 days
- Police report
- Within 24 hours
- Helper's reward
- ₹25,000 (Rah-Veer)
On this page
What should you do right after a road accident?
YouEmergency services, hospital, policeTime limit
- Stop. Hazard lights on, warning triangle behind the vehicle, and step away from traffic
- Call 112 (or 1033 on a National Highway) and give the exact location
- Is anyone hurt?No: report to the police and tell your insurer
- Ambulance or helpers take the injured to the nearest designated hospital
- The hospital treats the victim cashless, up to ₹1.5 lakh for 7 days
- Driver involved: report to the police within 24 hours and inform the insurer
What to tell the 112 operator
- Where you are: road or highway number, the nearest kilometre stone or landmark, and your direction of travel. Share your live location if asked.
- How many people are hurt, and whether they are awake, breathing or bleeding heavily.
- Whether anyone is trapped, or there is fire or a fuel leak.
- How many vehicles are involved.
- Ask for the nearest hospital that gives cashless treatment to accident victims.
This checklist is our own guide, not an official script. On a smartphone you can also press the power button three times quickly to send an SOS to 112, or use the 112 India app.
What do you need to do in your role?
If you were driving a vehicle involved
- Stop. If a police officer asks, stay for a reasonable time, and give your name and address and the owner's to anyone affected who asks (section 132).
- Get medical help for anyone injured, including taking them to the nearest doctor or hospital. The law excuses you only if this is not possible, for example because of an angry crowd (section 134).
- Report to the police. Give the police the information they ask for. If no officer was there, report at the nearest police station as soon as possible, and within 24 hours.
- Tell your insurer in writing: policy number and validity, date, time and place, people injured or killed, and the driver's name and licence.
If you stopped to help
- Make sure you are safe, then call 112.
- Help as far as you are able. You can take the injured person to the nearest hospital if it is safe to do so.
- You don't have to give your name, address or phone number to the police or the hospital.
- You can leave once the patient is admitted. Ask the hospital for a note that you brought the victim in: you need it for the Rah-Veer reward.
- The hospital can't ask you to pay. Being a witness is your choice.
If you or a family member were injured
- Ask for the nearest designated hospital for cashless treatment (the 112 operator can tell you).
- You don't pay for treatment up to ₹1.5 lakh in the first 7 days after the accident.
- Keep the FIR number, hospital records and any bills above the limit. The police later give victims a form explaining their rights.
- You can claim compensation: see compensation below.
How does free treatment under PM-RAHAT work?
The PM-RAHAT scheme (formerly the Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims Scheme, 2025) gives every victim of a road accident involving a motor vehicle cashless treatment, on any category of road.
| What | Rule |
|---|---|
| Amount | Up to ₹1.5 lakh per victim |
| Period | The first 7 days from the date of the accident |
| Where | Designated hospitals: Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY hospitals that follow the National Health Authority's guidelines, and others a state adds |
| Stabilisation | Up to 24 hours, or 48 hours if life-threatening, while the police confirm the accident online |
| Who pays the hospital | The Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (insurers, or the government for uninsured and hit-and-run vehicles) |
Costs above ₹1.5 lakh, or after day 7, are not covered by the scheme. Use health insurance, Ayushman Bharat if you are eligible, or claim them as compensation.
Refused treatment or asked for a deposit? Tell the hospital it is a road accident case under PM-RAHAT. If that fails, complain to the district Grievance Redressal Officer (named by the District Road Safety Committee), then the District Collector, then the State Road Safety Council.
What are the rights of a person who helps (Good Samaritan)?
- No legal risk for helping: a Good Samaritan is not liable in any civil or criminal action if the victim is hurt by their negligence while they help in good faith (section 134A).
- No forced details: no police officer or anyone else can make you give your name, address or other personal details (Good Samaritan Rules, 2020).
- Witness only by choice. If you agree, you are examined once, at a time and place that suits you.
- No payment: hospitals can't ask you to pay, and must display a charter of Good Samaritan rights.
- Rah-Veer reward: ₹25,000 and a certificate for helping a victim get treatment in the "golden hour", up to five times a year.
What happens with the police and the insurer afterwards?
- The police register the case. The investigating officer sends a First Accident Report to the Claims Tribunal within 48 hours.
- The driver and the owner of each vehicle get forms to fill in and return to the investigating officer.
- The police later file a Detailed Accident Report with the Claims Tribunal (within 90 days). The tribunal can treat it as a compensation claim.
- Your insurer appoints a surveyor for damage to your own vehicle. Claims against you by other people (third-party claims) are handled by your insurer through the tribunal.
Keep photos of the scene and the vehicles, the other vehicle's number, witness contacts (only if they agree), and the FIR or report number.
What compensation can victims claim?
The vehicle is known
- Claim before the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal where the accident happened or where you live.
- No-fault compensation (you don't have to prove the driver was at fault): ₹5 lakh for a death, ₹2.5 lakh for grievous hurt (section 164).
- The Act sets a six-month limit to file (section 166(3)). That limit is being challenged in the Supreme Court (Bhagirathi Dash v. Union of India), and the Court has said the pending case does not stop tribunals from deciding claims. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 lets victims go to the tribunal up to 12 months after the time limit if they show sufficient cause; check whether this part is in force on the date you file. Get legal advice and file as soon as you can.
The vehicle drove away and is not traced
- ₹2 lakh for a death and ₹50,000 for grievous hurt, under the hit-and-run compensation scheme (2022).
- File an FIR first. Then apply to the Claims Enquiry Officer (the SDM or Tehsildar of the area where the accident happened), with the FIR, the medical or post-mortem report, ID and bank details.
- Cashless treatment under PM-RAHAT still applies.
- If the vehicle is traced later and you get compensation from the tribunal, the hit-and-run amount is refunded.
What can go wrong, and how do you fix it?
| Your situation | What it usually means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital asks for a deposit | Staff unaware, or not a designated hospital | Say it is a PM-RAHAT road accident case. A non-designated hospital should still stabilise the patient and transfer them. Complain to the district Grievance Redressal Officer. |
| Police ask the helper to stay or give details | The Good Samaritan Rules are not being followed | The helper can politely decline and leave once the patient is admitted. |
| Cashless treatment stopped: police did not confirm | The police did not confirm the accident online in time | Ask the hospital and the police station to complete the confirmation; then complain to the Grievance Redressal Officer. |
| Bills above ₹1.5 lakh or after day 7 | The scheme's limit | Use health insurance or Ayushman Bharat, and include the costs in the compensation claim. |
| Crowd threatening the driver | A risk of mob violence | Move to safety, call 112, and report at the nearest police station within 24 hours. |
| Driver was in hospital and missed the 24-hour report | Unable to report in time | Report as soon as possible and give the reason. |
| Insurer delays the survey or claim | A slow claim | Write to the insurer's grievance officer; if unresolved, go to the Insurance Ombudsman. |
Frequently asked questions
What number do I call after an accident?
112, anywhere in India. On a National Highway you can also call 1033. Many states run a 108 ambulance service.
Will I have to pay at the hospital?
Not up to ₹1.5 lakh per victim for the first 7 days at a designated hospital under PM-RAHAT.
Does it cover state highways and village roads?
Yes. PM-RAHAT covers road accidents on any category of road.
If I take someone to hospital, will the police trouble me?
You can't be forced to give your name or address, and being a witness is your choice. The law protects you from legal action for helping in good faith.
How much is the Rah-Veer reward?
₹25,000 and a certificate, up to five times a year.
How soon must the driver tell the police?
As soon as possible, and within 24 hours if no police officer was at the scene.
The vehicle that hit us ran away. What can we claim?
File an FIR, then apply to the SDM or Tehsildar under the hit-and-run scheme: ₹2 lakh for a death, ₹50,000 for grievous hurt.
How long do we have to claim compensation?
The Act says six months. That limit is being challenged in the Supreme Court, and the Jan Vishwas Act 2026 allows up to 12 more months with sufficient cause. Get legal advice and file as early as you can.
Is the 10-year jail term for hit-and-run in force?
No. When the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita came into force, section 106(2) was left out, and we found no later notification bringing it into force.
Sources
- Emergency Response Support System – 112 (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- PIB – launch of PM-RAHAT (14 Feb 2026) and PIB – PM-RAHAT cashless treatment (2026) (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- Gazette S.O. 952(E), 19 Feb 2026: renaming as PM-RAHAT (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- PIB – NHAI helpline 1033 (27 May 2026) and PIB – 108 and 102 ambulance services (6 Jun 2026) (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- PIB – Good Samaritan Rules (1 Oct 2020) and PIB – Rah-Veer reward (4 Jan 2026) (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 – Gazette text (Transport Department, Chhattisgarh): sections 134A, 161, 164, 166 (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- India Code – Motor Vehicles Act, 1988: sections 132 and 134 (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- PIB – hit-and-run compensation scheme (2022) (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- PIB – accident report and claims procedure (Mar 2022) (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- Ministry of Health – Standard Treatment Guidelines: Major Trauma (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- Supreme Court of India – Bhagirathi Dash v. Union of India, W.P.(C) 166/2024, order of 16 Dec 2025 (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- PIB – Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026: more time to claim compensation (4 Apr 2026) and All India Radio – Parliament passes the Bill (2 Apr 2026) (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- Ministry of Home Affairs – Lok Sabha answer on the new criminal laws (3 Dec 2024): section 106(2) excluded (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
Page history: 25 Oct 2026: first published. 25 Oct 2026: sources limited to government websites.