How to handle a car accident step by step

Pull over as soon as it's safe. Turn on your hazard lights. Take ten seconds to breathe before you do anything else — the urge to get out and start yelling at the other driver is strong and almost always counterproductive.

Do a quick physical inventory of yourself and anyone in your car. Headache, neck pain, dizziness, sharp abdominal pain, tingling in your hands — all of these are signs of an injury you may not feel yet because adrenaline is masking it. If anyone is hurt, call 911 before anything else. Don't try to be tough. Don't try to drive to urgent care. Don't try to 'shake it off' and decide in twenty minutes whether you need to go to the ER. Adrenaline masks injuries for 30-90 minutes, and some symptoms (concussion, internal bleeding, soft-tissue neck injuries) don't fully declare themselves for hours or even days.

If the accident is minor, no one is hurt, and the cars are still drivable, you can move them out of traffic before calling. But get out of the active roadway first if there's any chance of being hit from behind. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that a significant percentage of crash fatalities happen in secondary collisions — drivers getting out of their cars on a highway and getting struck by traffic they didn't see.

The single most common mistake people make after a car accident is skipping the police report. They exchange info, take a few photos, drive away, and figure they'll settle it between themselves. Then the other driver claims whiplash, or changes their story, or files a claim that contradicts what actually happened, and the insurance company asks you for evidence — and you have none.

A police report is the closest thing to an objective record of what happened. It documents the scene, often includes an officer's preliminary assessment of fault, and creates an official timestamp that matters for every insurance and legal proceeding that follows. Most jurisdictions require a report for any accident with injury, death, or over $1,000-$2,000 in damage (the threshold varies by state). Many officers will still come out for less.

When the police arrive, give a factual statement. Describe what you saw, what you did, and what happened. Don't speculate. Don't volunteer theories about fault. Don't apologize — apologies get interpreted as admissions. Stick to what you directly observed. If the officer asks you to sign the report, read it first and ask for corrections on the spot if anything is wrong.

Treat the scene like a crime scene photographer. The evidence you collect in the first 15 minutes will matter more than anything you can reconstruct later.

What to photograph:

- All four corners of both vehicles, plus close-ups of the actual damage

- License plates of both cars

- The street, intersection, or roadway — including any traffic signs, signals, and skid marks

- The position of the cars relative to each other if they haven't been moved

- Any debris, broken glass, or fluid leaks

- Visible injuries on you, your passengers, or the other driver (with their verbal consent, but no consent is needed to photograph your own injuries)

- The weather, lighting conditions, and any obstructions to visibility

- The other driver's insurance card and driver's license (in addition to exchanging info)

Also write down — on your phone's notes app, immediately — the time of day, the road conditions, what you were doing in the seconds before impact (signaling, slowing, etc.), and the names and phone numbers of any witnesses. Witnesses walk away faster than you'd think. Witnesses who haven't been contacted within 48 hours of an accident often become 'unreachable.'

Don't trust your memory. People reconstruct memories within hours, and insurance adjusters know how to use that against you.

You need to exchange four things with the other driver: name, phone number, insurance company and policy number, and driver's license number. Most states also require license plate exchange. Take photos of everything they hand you — their license, their insurance card, the registration. Don't write the info on a piece of paper; use your phone.

What you should NOT do at the scene:

- Don't discuss fault with the other driver. At all. 'I'm sorry, I didn't see you' is an admission that gets used against you.

- Don't agree to skip insurance. Even if they offer to pay cash, even if it seems minor. Most 'minor' accidents cost $3,000-$8,000 when you include hidden damage and delayed injuries.

- Don't let them record you on their phone. They might try. Politely decline and wait for the police.

- Don't sign anything other than the police report. If they hand you a document, say 'I'll review it with my insurance company first.'

If a bystander witnessed the accident, get their name and number before they leave. Witnesses are gold. Witnesses often have video (dashcams are everywhere now), and a witness who saw the whole thing can flip a disputed claim in your favor in a single phone call.

Here's something most people don't realize: the gap between the accident and your first medical visit is the single biggest factor in whether an insurance company pays a personal injury claim — yours or theirs. If you wait four days to see a doctor because your neck 'wasn't that bad,' the adjuster will argue your injury came from something else. If you wait three weeks, they'll deny it outright.

Within 24 hours of the accident, see a doctor. Urgent care is fine for most soft-tissue injuries. ER is the right call for any head impact, severe pain, or symptoms that worry you. Tell the doctor every single symptom, even the small ones — the slight headache you didn't think was related, the shoulder stiffness, the trouble sleeping. The medical record from this visit becomes the foundation of any injury claim, and 'I told the doctor about X' is far stronger than 'I told my spouse about X three weeks later.'

Follow the treatment plan the doctor gives you. If they prescribe physical therapy and you skip it, the insurance company will use that to discount your claim. If they tell you to follow up and you don't, same thing. The medical record is a continuous story; gaps in it become 'proof' that you weren't really hurt.

Most auto policies require 'prompt' notification of any accident — typically interpreted as within 24-72 hours. Some policies have specific deadlines. Call your insurance company from the scene or as soon as you get home that day.

When you call, you'll speak with a claims adjuster. Stick to facts: when, where, who was involved, what happened, whether anyone was hurt, whether police came. Don't speculate about fault. Don't guess at speeds or distances. Don't minimize or exaggerate your injuries. If you don't remember something, say 'I don't remember' — that's fine. The adjuster is recording the call, and anything you say becomes part of the record.

A few things insurance companies do that you should be aware of:

- They may ask for a recorded statement. You can decline or ask to do it later when you've had time to think.

- They may offer a quick settlement — sometimes within a day or two. Take it only if you've already been fully evaluated by a doctor and you genuinely think it's fair. Once you accept, you can't reopen the claim.

- The other driver's insurance company may call you too. You're not obligated to give them a statement. In fact, it's usually a mistake to do so without talking to a lawyer first.

Your insurance company is contractually obligated to defend you. The other driver's insurance company is contractually obligated to pay as little as possible. Treat the two calls very differently.

Most car accident claims don't need a lawyer. If you have clear fault, minor damage, no injuries, and the other driver's insurance is cooperating, you can usually settle directly. But there are specific situations where hiring one pays for itself many times over:

- You're injured and the insurance offer doesn't cover your medical bills plus lost wages

- The other driver disputes fault and the evidence is mixed

- The other driver is uninsured or underinsured

- There's a question about long-term injury or disability

- The accident involved a commercial vehicle, government vehicle, or hit-and-run

- The insurance company is delaying or lowballing in a way that feels wrong

Most car accident attorneys work on contingency — typically 33-40% of the settlement — and offer free initial consultations. The standard advice is: if you're facing more than a couple thousand in medical bills, talk to a lawyer before accepting any settlement. The first offer from an insurance company is almost never the final number.

Keep all receipts, medical records, repair estimates, and correspondence. Don't delete anything. Don't post about the accident on social media — insurance companies monitor claimants' public posts and will use them against you. ('Look, she's at a yoga class, so her back can't really be that hurt.')