What to do in the first 72 hours after a car accident

Why the first three days matter#

Most of what decides a car accident claim is set in the first few days. Photos show the scene before cars are towed and glass is swept away. Witnesses still remember what they saw, and their phone numbers are easy to get. A doctor's note written the same day ties an injury to the crash in a way a visit two weeks later cannot. And what you say to insurers early on is written down and can follow the claim to the end.

None of this means you need to act like a lawyer. It means taking a few calm steps in the right order. NHTSA estimates that 2,422,195 people were injured in US traffic crashes in 2024, so the process is well worn: police, hospitals and insurers deal with crashes every day. Your job is to protect your health and keep a clear record.

Hour by hour: the first 72 hours#

1. Hour 0, at the scene: check for injuries, call 911, move to safety, exchange information and take photos.
2. Hours 0 to 6, medical care: get checked the same day, at an emergency room, urgent care or your own doctor, even if you feel fine.
3. Hours 6 to 24, report and record: get the police report number, write down what you remember, and report the crash to your own insurer.
4. Hours 24 to 48, a claim file: gather bills, receipts, pay information and your notes in one folder, and back up your photos.
5. Hours 48 to 72, insurers and deadlines: be careful with the other driver's insurer, check your state's deadline, and decide whether to talk to a lawyer.

At the scene#

Start with safety. If anyone is hurt, call 911. If the cars can be moved and no one is hurt, move them out of traffic and turn on your hazard lights. Stay at the scene: leaving a crash that hurt someone is a crime in every state, and state laws spell out what drivers must do. In Texas, for example, drivers must stop, check whether anyone needs help, give reasonable assistance, and exchange their name, address, vehicle registration and insurer.

Then, if you can do it safely, gather the basics:

If the other driver seems impaired, tell the officer. Alcohol-impaired driving accounted for 30% of US traffic deaths in 2023, and a police finding can matter a great deal to a claim.

Get checked by a doctor#

Get a medical evaluation the same day, even if you feel fine. Adrenaline can mask pain, and symptoms of some injuries, such as concussions and soft-tissue injuries of the neck and back, can take hours or days to appear. A same-day visit protects your health first. It also creates a record that ties the injury to the crash.

Tell the doctor that you were in a car accident and describe every symptom, even small ones. Follow the treatment plan, keep your follow-up appointments and fill your prescriptions. Gaps in treatment are among the first things an adjusterInsurance adjuster. The insurance company employee who investigates a claim, decides what the policy covers and negotiates payment. Glossary looks for when deciding how seriously to take a claim.

Report the crash and start a record#

Most states require the police to be called when a crash injures someone or does significant damage. In Texas, drivers must notify the police right away if anyone is hurt or a car cannot be safely driven, and an investigating officer must file a report for a crash with injury, death or at least $1,000 of damage. Ask the officer how and when you can get a copy of the crash reportCrash report. The official report an officer writes after investigating a crash, with the drivers, vehicles, witnesses and the officer's notes. Glossary; in Texas the report costs $6 from the state transportation department.

The same day, write down everything you remember while it is fresh: the time, the weather, the road, the direction each car was going, what the other driver said, and how you felt in the hours after. Date the note. Back up your photos to a second place.

Report the crash to your own insurance company too. Your policy almost certainly requires prompt notice, and your own coverage, such as personal injury protectionPersonal injury protection (PIP). Coverage under your own policy that pays medical bills and some lost income after a crash, whoever caused it. Glossary, medical payments or collision coverage, may pay some bills quickly whoever was at fault. Reporting the crash to your insurer is not the same as admitting fault.

Start a claim file#

By the second day, set up one folder, paper or digital, for everything about the crash. Put in it:

• the police report number and, when you get it, the report itself;
• photos, your written account and witness details;
• every medical record, itemized bill and receipt, including prescriptions and travel to appointments;
• proof of lost income, such as pay stubs or a note from your employer about missed days;
• every letter and email from insurers, and a log of every phone call with the date, the name of the person and what was said.

Ask each medical provider for your records in writing. Under the federal privacy rule, a provider must act on your request within 30 days, with one extension allowed if it explains the delay.

Keep a short daily journal of pain, sleep, missed activities and how the injury affects work and family. It feels tedious, but months later it is often the clearest evidence of what the injury actually cost youNon-economic damages. Losses without a price tag, such as pain, suffering, emotional distress and loss of enjoyment of life. Glossary.

Before you give a statement#

Within a day or two, the other driver's insurer may call. It may sound friendly and helpful, and it may ask for a recorded statementRecorded statement. An interview, often by phone, that an adjuster records about how the crash happened and how you were hurt. Glossary and permission to collect your medical records. Remember that this company's duty is to its own customer.

You can give basic facts: your name, the date and place of the crash and the vehicles involved. You generally do not have to give that insurer a recorded statement or sign a broad medical authorization, and it is reasonable to say you will follow up once you know more about your injuries. Do not accept a quick settlement before you know how badly you are hurt: once you sign a releaseRelease. The document you sign when you settle. It usually ends your right to claim more for the same crash, so read it carefully. Glossary, the claim is usually over for good.

Insurers do have to respond to claims. Many states follow a model regulation that asks insurers to acknowledge a claim within 15 days and to reply to a claimant's letters within 15 days. Your state's rules may differ.

Check your deadline#

Every state sets its own deadline for car-accident lawsuits. For an adult's injury claim it is 2 years in Texas, 2 years in California, 2 years in Florida, 3 years in New York and 6 years in Maine. If a city bus, a police car or another government vehicle was involved, check the notice rules right away: in Texas a written notice is due within 6 months, and a city charter can require less time. Look up your state in our state-by-state table.

When to talk to a lawyer#

You do not need a lawyer for every crash. Many people settle small property-damage claims on their own. It is worth talking to a licensed attorney in your state if:

• you were injured, especially if you needed more than a single check-up;
• fault is disputed, or the other insurer suggests you were partly to blame;
• a truck, a rideshare car, a company vehicle or a government vehicle was involved;
• someone died or suffered a serious, lasting injury;
• the insurer delays, denies or makes an offer you do not understand.

Most injury lawyers work on a contingency feeContingency fee. A lawyer's fee paid as a share of what you recover. If there is no recovery, there is usually no fee. Glossary, and the professional rules in most states require that fee agreement to be in writing. Before you hire anyone, check their license with your state bar. Our guide to the claim process explains what happens next, and the fault-rule explainer shows how shared blame works in your state.