What to Do After an Accident
The steps you take in the first days protect your health first — and your claim second. Here is clear guidance, in order.
The First Hours and Days
Get Medical Care — Even If You Feel "Mostly Fine"
Adrenaline masks injuries. Concussions, disc injuries, and internal injuries often surface days later. Being seen promptly protects your health and creates the medical record your claim will depend on. Gaps in treatment are one of the first things insurers use against injured people.
Report the Crash & Get the Report Number
Call police at the scene when possible. If they respond, get the report number; if not, you can file a report afterward, and California requires an SR-1 form to the DMV within 10 days for crashes involving injury or significant damage. We handle this paperwork for our clients.
Document Everything You Can
Photos of the vehicles, the scene, your visible injuries; names and numbers of witnesses; the other driver's license, insurance card, and plate. If a business or home nearby may have camera footage, note it — footage is often overwritten within days, and we move quickly to request it.
Notify Your Own Insurance — Carefully
Your policy requires you to report the crash to your own carrier. Stick to facts: where, when, vehicles involved. You are not required to speculate about fault or describe your injuries in detail while they are still developing.
Do Not Give the Other Insurer a Recorded Statement
The at-fault driver's insurer will likely call within days, sounding helpful. You have no obligation to give them a recorded statement, and you shouldn't — innocent phrases ("I'm feeling better," "I didn't see them") become exhibits against your claim.
Track Your Losses
Keep medical bills and receipts, a record of missed work, and notes about how the injuries affect daily life. Out-of-pocket costs — copays, prescriptions, transportation to appointments — are part of your claim.
Talk to a Lawyer Before Accepting Anything
Early settlement offers rarely reflect the full picture — future treatment, all available coverage, lost earning capacity. A free consultation costs nothing and does not obligate you to hire us or to sue anyone.
Insurance Is Calling. What Should You Say?
Different rules for different callers:
- Your own insurer: you must cooperate — report the crash, provide basic facts. Keep descriptions of injuries brief and factual while you're still being evaluated.
- The other driver's insurer: you owe them nothing. You may simply say you're represented (or that you're getting advice) and end the call politely.
- Anyone asking you to sign anything: medical authorizations, releases, and quick settlement checks can end your claim before it starts. Have a lawyer read it first.
Worried about your car while the injury claim proceeds?
Property damage usually resolves on a faster track than the injury claim — repair or total-loss valuation, rental coverage, and your deductible can be addressed within weeks. We make sure resolving the car doesn't compromise the injury claim. More on medical bills and insurance claims.