After-accident action plan
What should I do after a car accident?
In order: make sure everyone is safe, get medical attention, document what you can, and be careful about what you agree to in the first few days. Below is the full sequence, plus where to go for each part of it.
Short answer
The short version
Safety and medical care first, documentation second, insurance third, decisions last. Most of the damage people do to their own position happens in the first week — by not being seen by a doctor, by not keeping records, or by agreeing to something before they understand it.
- Get medical attention even if you feel alright; some injuries surface later
- Photograph the scene, the vehicles, and anything relevant before it changes
- Get the report number and the responding officer's details if police attend
- Notify your own insurer — most policies require prompt notice
- Keep every bill, message, and receipt connected to the accident
Requirements for reporting an accident, and the insurance system that applies, are set by state law and differ.
The sequence
Check for injuries and get emergency help
Before anything else. If anyone may be hurt, call emergency services. Move out of live traffic if it is safe to do so; if it is not, stay where you are with hazards on.
Get medical attention, even if you feel fine
Adrenaline masks a lot, and some injuries — head injuries in particular — can present later. Being seen creates a record connecting any injury to the crash, which is difficult to reconstruct afterwards.
Document the scene while it exists
Photos of both vehicles from several angles, the wider scene, road and weather conditions, signage, skid marks, and any visible injuries. It takes two minutes and cannot be redone later.
Exchange and preserve information
Names, contact details, licence and plate numbers, and insurance details for everyone involved. Witness names and phone numbers matter as much — witnesses become unreachable fast.
Understand the role of the accident report
If police attend, note the report number and the officer's name and agency. The report is normally the first document an insurer looks for, and it carries the official account of what happened.
Notify the appropriate insurer
Your own policy almost certainly requires you to report the accident, often promptly. Which insurer handles what depends on your state's system and the coverages involved.
Pay attention to symptoms over the following days
Note what hurts, when, and what it stops you doing. If new symptoms appear, get them looked at rather than waiting to see whether they pass.
Keep everything in one place
Bills, receipts, medical paperwork, repair estimates, correspondence, and a dated note of every phone call. This is the whole evidentiary basis of a claim.
Be careful with early decisions
Recorded statements, quick settlement offers, and signed releases all have consequences that are hard to undo. It is reasonable to say you will respond in writing once you understand what is being asked.
Where are you now?
- I need the police reportWhich agency holds it and how to request a copy.
- I need to start the insurance claimWho to notify, and what they will ask for.
- I want to understand what my claim involvesThe factors that actually affect an accident claim.
- I've been offered a settlementWhat to think about before signing anything.
- I want to know how long this takesThe stages, and why timing varies so much.
First-week checklist
Tick these off as you go. Nothing is saved or submitted.
What's worth keeping
Scene and vehicle photos
Taken before anything is moved or repaired.
The accident report
Or at minimum the report number and agency.
Medical records and bills
Every visit connected to the accident.
Receipts and estimates
Repairs, rental, prescriptions, travel to appointments.
Insurance correspondence
Letters, emails, and dated notes of phone calls.
A dated timeline
Appointments, missed work, and symptom changes.
Things that vary by state
Is this something I should have reviewed?
Plenty of accidents are handled directly with an insurer without any legal involvement. Some are not. These are the factors that usually decide it.
Review is more likely to help
- Serious, lasting, or still-undiagnosed injuries
- The insurer says you were partly or fully at fault
- Several vehicles, a commercial vehicle, or a rideshare involved
- The other driver was uninsured or left the scene
- A claim has been denied, or has stalled with no explanation
- You've been offered a settlement that would close everything out
Often handled without it
- Property damage only, with no injuries
- Fault is clear and undisputed
- Treatment was brief and is finished
- The insurer is paying what the bills show
If you are unsure which side you are on, the claim assessment walks through the same factors in more detail.
Tools for this stage
Police report lookup
Help identifying which agency holds your accident report and how to request it.
Claim value assessment
Work through the factors that affect an accident claim and see what's missing from yours.
Questions people also ask
Should I call the police after a minor accident?
Many states require police or agency reporting above a certain level of damage or where anyone is injured, and the threshold differs. Even where it is not required, an official record of what happened is usually easier to rely on later than a private exchange of details.
Do I have to give the other driver's insurer a recorded statement?
Your obligations to your own insurer come from your policy. You are generally not in the same position with another party's insurer. It is reasonable to ask what is being requested and why, and to respond in writing once you understand it.
What if I felt fine at the scene and sore two days later?
That is common. Get seen, describe the accident and the timing clearly, and follow the treatment advice. A delay is not fatal to a claim, but an unexplained one is something insurers tend to raise.
Who pays for my car in the meantime?
That depends on the coverages in play, whose fault is accepted, and your state's system. Your own policy may have collision or rental coverage that responds sooner than the other driver's insurer will.
What people ask next
Sources
National Association of Insurance Commissioners
Consumer information and state insurance department directoryFederal Trade Commission
Consumer Advice
General information about handling an accident, not legal advice for your situation. See our disclaimer.