What to do after an auto accident.

This guide was written by our auto-claims team based on the patterns we see in 14,000+ claims a year. Updated April 2025.

The first 30 seconds

1. Make sure no one is hurt. Check yourself, your passengers, the other driver, any pedestrians. If anyone needs medical attention, call 911 immediately. Do not move people who may have neck or back injuries unless they’re in immediate further danger.

2. Move to safety if possible. If the vehicles are drivable and you’re blocking traffic, move them to the shoulder. If they’re not drivable, turn on hazards and stay in the vehicle until the situation is safe.

At the scene

3. Call the police. Even for minor accidents. A police report is critical for your claim and may be legally required depending on the state, the dollar value of damage, and whether anyone is hurt. The police report number is the single most important piece of information you can collect.

4. Document everything. With your phone: photos of all vehicles from multiple angles, license plates, the scene from a wide angle showing positioning, road signs, weather conditions, any visible injuries. Take more photos than you think you need.

5. Exchange information with the other driver. What to collect: name, phone, address, driver’s license number, license plate, insurance company + policy number, registered vehicle owner if different. What to give: the same. Do not share your home address verbally; it’s on your license, which you should photograph rather than read aloud.

6. Get witness contact info. If anyone saw the accident, get their name + phone number. Witnesses are extremely valuable in disputed-fault claims and they often disappear once the police arrive.

What NOT to say

This is the part most people get wrong. The single most damaging thing you can do at the scene is admit fault — even casually, even apologetically. “Sorry” can be interpreted as fault admission. So can “I didn’t see you” or “I should have looked”.

• Don’t apologise. Even reflexively. It can be used as evidence of fault.
• Don’t speculate about cause. Stick to facts you directly observed. “The other car came from my left” is fact. “The other driver was on their phone” is speculation unless you saw it.
• Don’t discuss insurance limits. “I have plenty of coverage” or “I’m only carrying state minimums” tells the other driver what to claim against.
• Don’t sign anything. Refer all paperwork requests to your insurance company. Police-report signatures are fine; statements to anyone else’s adjuster are not.

After the scene

7. File your claim within 24 hours. Sooner is better. Most insurance policies require “prompt notification” and waiting can give the insurer grounds to dispute the claim. Online filing is usually fastest; phone is fine for complex cases.

8. Keep records. Every conversation with adjusters (yours + the other driver’s), every medical visit related to the accident, every receipt for towing, rental, repairs. Adjusters reimburse what’s documented; they can’t reimburse what isn’t.

What we’ll do for you

Once you file with us, you’ll get a named adjuster within 4 hours. That adjuster handles the whole claim: investigates fault, coordinates with the other driver’s insurer, arranges repairs, processes payment. You don’t need to negotiate with the other side — that’s our job. If we recommend going to court, we provide and pay for the lawyer.

Median time-to-payment on auto claims is 6 days. Most claims close without dispute. If we ever lowball you, you can request an independent appraisal at our expense.

Need to file a claim right now? Start here or call 1-800-CLAIMS — staffed 24/7 by adjusters.