Help, I've had an accident in Valencia: the guide to doing the right thing

A minor bump in the car, a fall at home, a small injury that turns nasty on holiday: it happens, and when you are far from home you do not always know what to do or who to call. Keep this page handy. The first reflex, whatever the problem, is 112: a single number, free, multilingual, that brings together police, fire and medical emergencies.

The very first reflexes

• Get yourself to safety and secure the scene. Put on your hi-vis vest before getting out of the car.
• If someone is injured or there is danger, call 112 immediately.
• Since 1 January 2026, warning triangles are no longer valid on the road: they are replaced by the connected V16 beacon, the only legal device to signal a stopped vehicle. You place it on the roof, it flashes 360 degrees and automatically reports your position to the DGT (Spain's traffic authority). Not having one can cost a fine (around €80).
• Breathe, and do not move an injured person unless there is imminent danger.

Car accident, no injuries

If no one is hurt and the circumstances are clear:

• Fill in the accident report form (the parte amistoso, often the standard European Accident Statement). Both parties sign.
• Exchange information: name, address, phone, insurance policy number and company, and the vehicle details (number plates).
• Take photos of the damage, the position of the vehicles and the plates.
• Notify your insurer within a maximum of 7 days (a legal obligation, even though the report form itself is not compulsory).

Call the police if you cannot agree on responsibility, if there are injuries, if the other driver has no insurance, drives off or seems to have been drinking: the Local Police (092) in town, the Guardia Civil (062) on the roads, or 112. They will draw up an atestado, an official report useful for the insurer. For everything else about the car (licence, registration, insurance), see our Valencia car guide.

Car accident, with injuries

People come first:

• Call 112 (or 061 for medical emergencies). Give the exact location and the number of injured.
• Do not move an injured person unless there is immediate danger (fire, traffic).
• Let the police draw up their atestado.
• Get yourself examined, even if you feel fine, and always obtain the medical report (parte médico). Without it, it is hard to be compensated afterwards. Compensation follows an official scale.

Getting your car towed and assessed

Once the car is off the road, two questions arise: how to move it, and who assesses the damage.

• Towing (the grúa): if your insurance includes roadside assistance, you call it and it sends a recovery truck, often free up to a certain distance. Otherwise you call a private grúa. Usually you choose the destination garage (taller).
• The assessment (the peritaje): your insurer sends a perito, an expert who assesses the damage and decides on repair or, if the cost exceeds the value of the car, on a siniestro total (a write-off).

Worth knowing, especially if you have just arrived: you can have your car assessed and repaired in Spain even if it is registered abroad. You take it to a local garage, the perito comes, and the case is settled here (with your home insurer, where relevant, via its correspondent in Spain).

And if you disagree with the assessment? Spanish law (article 38 of the Insurance Contract Act) lets you appoint your own perito. If the two experts do not agree, a third is appointed and the costs are shared. As a last resort, you can go to the Defensor del Asegurado (insurance ombudsman) or the courts.

Accident at home

A fall, a cut, a burn, swallowing a product: 112 and 061 answer for these too. In case of poisoning (a household product, medicine, plant), there is a national toxicology line open 24/7: +34 91 562 04 20. Keep it in mind if you have children.

Getting treated: tourist or resident

Access to care depends on your status, and this is the part that matters most for anglophones:

• Resident: show your SIP card (the Comunitat Valenciana health card) and an ID at A&E (urgencias). This is your route into the public system, or you use your private insurance and its network of clinics. For any query, the health information line is 012.
• Irish (EU) tourist: travel with your EHIC (European Health Insurance Card). It gives you access to public care like a local. Without it, your travel insurance takes over.
• British tourist: the UK GHIC covers visitors only, not residents, and is fine for a holiday. Travel insurance is still strongly advised for anything the GHIC does not cover (repatriation, private treatment).
• American or other non-EU tourist: travel insurance is essential. A&E will treat you regardless, but you can be billed.

Reassuringly, a life-threatening emergency is treated whatever your card or status. Always carry ID and your card (SIP, EHIC, GHIC or insurance details). If you are settling in, getting your empadronamiento and SIP card sorted early means you are covered by the public system when you need it. For the full picture, see our guide to the Spanish healthcare system.

The numbers to remember

• 112: emergencies, all services, multilingual.
• 061: medical emergencies, ambulance.
• 092: Local Police (in town). 062: Guardia Civil (roads). 091: National Police.
• +34 91 562 04 20: toxicology, 24/7.
• 012: health information, Comunitat Valenciana.

You can also find these numbers at any time in the Emergencies & useful numbers button at the top of the site.

Hospitals in Valencia

The main public A&E departments in the city include Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe (the city's flagship, in Malilla), Hospital Clínic Universitari (near Blasco Ibáñez), Hospital General Universitari de València and Hospital Doctor Peset. All have 24-hour emergency care. If you have private insurance, your insurer will also point you to private hospitals such as Quirónsalud, IMED Valencia or Vithas. In a genuine emergency, though, do not shop around: call 112 or go to the nearest A&E.

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The quick memo: someone injured or in danger, it is 112. In the car: hi-vis vest and V16 beacon (compulsory since 2026), accident report form, photos, notify your insurer within 7 days, and police (092 in town, 062 on the road) if there is disagreement or injuries. Accident at home: 112, and toxicology on +34 91 562 04 20. Care: SIP card or private insurance as a resident; EHIC (Irish) or GHIC (British, tourists only) plus travel insurance as a visitor.

Sources

• DGT: the V16 pre-signalling device
• GOV.UK: healthcare for UK nationals visiting the EU (GHIC)
• Conselleria de Sanitat: the SIP health card
• The accident report form (parte amistoso) and the 7-day deadline

Information verified in July 2026. In a life-threatening emergency, always call 112 without delay. This is an informative article and does not replace professional advice. The Daily Valencia is an AI-assisted publication with human review; our editorial team checks and takes responsibility for every article. Spotted an error? Write to us and we will correct it.