What to do in the first 60 minutes after an accident
An accident scene doesn't last long, and almost everything useful later gets collected right there. Here's the short list.
The first minutes after a crash are the most confusing and, at the same time, the most useful. Everything is still in place: the vehicles, the marks on the pavement, the witnesses who stopped. Half an hour later, almost none of it exists.
1. Get safe first
If you can move and the vehicle allows it, get out of the travel lane. Turn on your hazards. If anyone is hurt or traffic is dangerous, don't move anything and call 911.
2. Call the police even if it looks minor
The police report is the document that later organizes the version of events. In many states it's the first thing the insurer asks for, and without it the discussion becomes your word against the other driver's.
Ask for the report number before you leave, or the officer's name and badge number.
3. Photograph more than you think you need
Not just the impact. Also:
- Both vehicles in full, from all four sides
- The other driver's plate and license
- The final position of the cars before they're moved
- Traffic signs, the light, and the condition of the pavement
- Any visible injury, even a scrape
Photos with your phone's date and time stamp are worth more than any written description weeks later.
4. Exchange information, not opinions
You need a name, phone, license, insurer, and policy number. That's it.
Don't argue about fault at the scene, and don't say "I'm fine." Adrenaline hides pain for hours, and that sentence stays in the report to contradict whatever the doctor finds later.
5. Find witnesses before they leave
A name and a phone number. Witnesses leave fast and are nearly impossible to track down afterward.
6. See a doctor the same day
Even if you feel fine. Neck and back injuries show up 24 to 72 hours later. On top of that, the gap between the accident and your first medical visit is the first thing an insurer will point at.
If hours or days have already passed and you didn't do all of this, it isn't lost. Write to us and we'll look at what can be rebuilt from where you are.