The moments immediately following a car crash are critical for both your physical safety and any future legal claim. If you were hurt, a Houston auto accident attorney can explain how these first steps affect an injury claim.
Prioritize Safety
Before all else, protect yourself. Roads are highly dangerous when you are not in a vehicle: cars, motorcycles, and trucks will fly by you in a blur. Pull your car to the shoulder or another spot away from traffic if you can. Turn on your hazard lights to warn other drivers, and if you can, place warning signs or flares to caution oncoming traffic. If your crash happened on a busy Houston road, our list of the most dangerous roads and intersections in Houston shows where wrecks happen most often.
Check Yourself and Passengers for Injuries
After you are in a safe location, check your body for injuries. If you have passengers, ask if they are alright and inspect any areas of concern. If someone is injured, do not move them unless they are in peril. Moving an injured person can unintentionally cause extreme damage, such as spinal cord or nerve injuries.
Call 911
If you or a passenger are seriously hurt, the injured must be transported to a hospital. Ensure that medical help arrives quickly by dialing 911.
Every driver involved in a crash also has legal duties: to remain at the scene of a collision, share contact and insurance details, and help anyone who is hurt. Complying with these duties demonstrates that you took the situation seriously.
When and Why to Call the Police
The officer’s report becomes the official account of the crash, noting what the officer observed and any tickets written. Calling the police for a report is recommended even for minor damage, because the absence of a police report can be used against you by insurance companies looking to minimize or deny your claim.
Collisions resulting in death or bodily injury require stopping, rendering aid, and notifying law enforcement immediately.
Report the incident to local authorities and have them file a police report. Before you file an injury claim, request your own copy of that report.
Give the authorities every possible detail about the accident so they can create an accident report. Describe only what you personally noticed, and if you are not sure how fast a car was going, how far apart the vehicles were, or whose fault it was, say so instead of estimating. Adjusters and lawyers often start with that report when they look at how a crash happened, so a clear and accurate account helps you later. If the other driver seemed drunk, our post on whether a bar can be sued after a drunk driving crash in Houston explains who else may be responsible.
Exchange Information and Document the Scene
What happens in the first 24 hours after a car accident is vital to proving your case. Write down everything that happened immediately before and during the collision while your memory is fresh. Include details like the time, weather conditions, and the sequence of events leading up to the crash.
Exchange Information
If you and the other party are not injured, it’s important to exchange details such as full names, phone numbers, emails, insurance information, and vehicle descriptions. If more than two parties are involved in the accident, you should also collect their information.
While communicating with these parties, be careful not to admit liability for the accident. Your statements could later be used to reduce or eliminate your chances of receiving compensation.
Document the Car Accident
Your next step is to document the accident as best you can. This involves speaking with the other driver, witnesses, and responding police officers.
- Identify Responding Officers: When police arrive on the scene, note each officer’s name and badge number.
- Ask for the Accident Report: Officers will file an accident report after they leave the scene. Before they depart, ask where you can access a copy of this report. Your insurance company may ask for the report when you file a claim.
- Find Witnesses: If other parties witnessed the accident, ask for their names and contact information. Witness testimony can support an insurance claim or lawsuit.
Your smartphone is one of the most powerful tools you have at the scene. Photograph each vehicle from more than one angle, along with skid marks, road conditions, nearby traffic signs and any visible injuries. These images serve as objective evidence that may prove critical when details are later disputed.
Use your phone’s timestamp feature or take a quick video walkthrough of the entire scene. Video evidence can capture details that individual photos might miss.
How to Notify Your Insurance Company
After you have documented the accident and spoken with police officers, it’s time to take steps toward compensation. Notify your insurer and supply them with photos, videos, reports, and contact information from the accident. Share the basic facts they ask for, but hold off on accepting blame or agreeing to a recorded statement until you have talked with a lawyer. If your insurer thinks you are responsible for the accident, they may deny your claim.
Where the other motorist was uninsured, there is one more call to make. Notify your own insurance company about the accident and inform them you intend to file a UM claim.
Once the claim is open, an adjuster will usually contact you, ask for records and photos, and review the damage and any injuries before making an offer. Keep copies of everything you send, and write down the date and the name of each person you speak with. Read your policy, too: it may set its own timeline for reporting a crash.
Common Questions After a Car Accident
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in Texas?
Texas gives you two years from the day of a car crash to sue, whether the claim is for your injuries or for damage to your property. Missing this deadline generally results in the court dismissing your case, regardless of its merits. A wrongful death claim is different: its clock starts on the day of the death, not on the day of the crash.
Should I see a doctor even if I feel fine after the accident?
Yes. Whiplash, concussions, and other common crash injuries can take time to show symptoms. Seeking prompt medical attention creates documentation that links your injuries to the accident, which is essential when pursuing a claim.
What if the crash seems minor?
A low-speed crash can still cause injuries that appear days later and damage that costs more to fix than it first seems. Taking the same steps after a small crash, from photos to a police report, keeps your options open.
Does it matter where the crash happened?
Yes. Filing deadlines, fault rules, and insurance requirements vary from state to state, so some answers above may not apply everywhere. Since 2004, our attorneys have helped people hurt in crashes across North Carolina and Texas.
