What to do after a car accident.

Move out of traffic if you can, hazards on. Call 911 even for a crash that looks minor — a police response creates the report that everything downstream refers to, and a medical response creates the first record of your condition.

Photograph vehicle positions before anything moves, then damage on all vehicles, plates, the road surface, skid marks, signals and signs, weather, and any visible injuries. Wide shots first, then close. Beyond exchanging information and answering the officer's questions, you don't need to narrate, apologize, or speculate about fault — statements made at the scene get quoted back later.

Driver's license, insurance card, and plate for every driver involved — photos beat transcription. Names and numbers for witnesses; they leave fast and are hard to find later. Ask the officer how to get the report number. If a commercial vehicle is involved, photograph the company name and any number on the door.

Adrenaline masks injury, and "I'm fine" said near a bodycam or on a recorded line becomes evidence. If you're asked how you are, "shaken up, I'll get checked out" is both true and safe.

Neck, back, and soft-tissue injuries commonly surface a day or two later, and the gap between crash and first visit is the single most common thing used against injury claims. ER, urgent care, or your own doctor — what matters is that the visit happens and the crash is in the chart.

Most policies require prompt notice, and skipping it can jeopardize your own coverage — including uninsured-motorist protection you may need. Stick to the facts of what happened; you don't need to characterize injuries you haven't been examined for yet.

Digital or paper, one place: report number, photos, the other driver's information, discharge papers, receipts. Every decision ahead gets easier when the record is in one spot, and nothing about a claim gets easier with time.

The at-fault driver's adjuster is trained and measured on closing claims cheaply and early. You are not required to give them a recorded statement, sign a blanket medical authorization, or accept an early offer — and "I'm not prepared to discuss that yet" is a complete sentence. An attorney can handle them entirely on your behalf.

Intersection cameras, nearby businesses, doorbells, and dash cams are routinely overwritten within days or weeks. Politely ask nearby businesses to preserve the window around the crash; an attorney can send formal preservation demands, which is often the most time-sensitive thing they do.

Keep the follow-up, do the referral, fill the prescription. Gaps and skipped appointments are read as "wasn't really hurt," fairly or not. If cost is the obstacle, say so at the clinic and to any attorney you speak with — there are usually options, and pretending to be fine is the expensive path.

Pain levels, sleep, missed work and shifts, activities you couldn't do, mileage to appointments. Memory fades in exactly the ways that cost people money; a dated note in your phone is enough.

Every state limits how long you have to file an injury lawsuit, and claims against government vehicles often require formal notice within months. We deliberately don't publish per-state numbers, because getting one wrong could cost someone a claim — an attorney licensed in your state can confirm yours in one call, free.

Whether it's a firm we connect you with or one you find yourself: ask what the fee percentage is, how case costs are handled, and get the agreement in writing before signing. A good firm answers those three questions without flinching.