📋 Table of Contents
Overview
What you do in the minutes and days after a car accident directly affects both your safety and how smoothly your insurance claim goes. Following the right order — safety, documentation, notification — protects you regardless of who was at fault.
Immediately After the Crash
Check for injuries first, and call 911 if anyone is hurt or if the accident involves significant damage — many states legally require police involvement above a certain damage threshold. Move vehicles out of traffic if they're drivable and it's safe to do so; leave them in place if there are injuries or the scene is unsafe to approach. Turn on hazard lights and set up flares or triangles if you have them.
Documenting the Scene
Exchange insurance and contact information with the other driver(s) — name, phone number, insurer, and policy number. Photograph everything: vehicle damage from multiple angles, license plates, the overall accident scene, road conditions, and any visible injuries. Get contact information from any witnesses, since their account can matter significantly if fault is disputed later. If police respond, get the report number or the officer's name and badge number for your records.
Filing Your Claim
Notify your insurer as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours — many policies specify a reporting window, and prompt notification protects your claim even if you weren't at fault. Provide the facts factually without speculating about fault, since that determination is made by the insurers based on evidence, not by what either driver says at the scene. Keep records of any medical treatment, repair estimates, and rental car costs, since these all factor into your claim.