Car accidents are often over in seconds, but getting what you need to recover from the insurance companies can take months. The giants start building their side of the story before the tow truck even arrives, with adjusters trained to find reasons to pay you less.
That is why knowing what to do after a car accident in Texas — in the minutes, days, and weeks that follow the crash — matters so much. The right steps can protect your health, preserve evidence, and keep your claim worth what it should be. The wrong ones, like an innocent “I’m sorry” at the scene or a quick chat with an adjuster, can cost you everything.
This is not a general overview of car accidents. It is a step-by-step playbook for protecting your body and your settlement after a wreck in Texas. Continue reading to learn how to protect yourself, or call (713) 864-9000 or contact us online today and ask us to fight the giants for what you deserve.
What should you do immediately after an accident?
The first hour after a crash is chaotic. Adrenaline is high, cars are honking, and your phone may be buzzing. Work through these steps in order, and you will have done the most important things right.
Step 1: Check for injuries and call 911
Texas law requires every driver involved in a crash to stop at or near the scene and stay there. Leaving can turn a fender bender into a criminal charge, even if the wreck was not your fault.
Once you’re stopped, check yourself first, then your passengers, then the people in the other vehicle. Call 911 if anyone is hurt, if anyone complains of pain, if a vehicle cannot be driven, or if the cars are blocking traffic. Texas drivers also have a legal duty to render reasonable aid to anyone injured, which includes calling for medical help.
Do not move someone with neck or back pain unless there is an immediate danger, like fire. Let the paramedics handle it.
Step 2: Get out of harm’s way
Texas has a “Steer It, Clear It” law. If your car can be driven and no one is seriously injured, you are expected to move it out of the main lanes of traffic to the shoulder, a nearby parking lot, or another safe spot. Secondary crashes on Texas highways injure people every year, and you do not want to survive one collision only to be hit by a driver who never saw you.
Turn on your hazard lights. If you have flares or reflective triangles, set them out. Then take a quick photo of where the cars ended up before moving them, if you can do so safely. That final resting position can help an accident reconstruction expert later.
Step 3: Call the police and get a police report
Always call the police after a crash that involves any injury or noticeable damage. When a police officer responds, they complete the official Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report, known as the CR-3. That police report becomes one of the most important documents in your case.
Insurance companies lean on the police report to decide fault. It records the officer’s observations, statements from both drivers and witnesses, citations issued, road conditions, and a diagram of the collision. Without it, the case can quickly become your word against theirs, and insurers love that kind of fight.
Before the officer leaves, ask for their name, badge number, and the report or case number. Reports usually become available through TxDOT’s online crash report system within a week or two.
What if the police never come?
It happens, especially in minor crashes in busy areas. You may have heard that you need to file a report with the state yourself on a form called the CR-2. That is outdated advice. TxDOT stopped accepting and keeping CR-2 forms in 2017. You can still file a report with your local police department, and you should write down everything you remember while it is fresh. Your own notes and photos become your evidence.
Step 4: Exchange contact information
Texas law requires drivers to share certain information after a crash. Do not skip this step, and do not accept a promise to “just handle it without insurance.” That handshake deal falls apart the moment the other driver changes their story. Get the following from every driver involved in the accident:
- Full name and phone number
- Driver’s license number and state
- Insurance company name and policy number
- Vehicle make, model, color, and license plate number
- Vehicle owner’s name, if different from the driver
- Employer’s name, if the driver was working at the time
This last item surprises people. If the other driver was on the clock, in a company truck, or driving for a rideshare app, there may be a much larger insurance policy behind the claim. An Uber accident, for example, can involve layered coverage from the driver, the rideshare company, and its insurer, and each one will try to point at the others.
Get contact information from witnesses too. A neutral witness can be worth their weight in gold when the other driver decides the light they ran was actually green.
Step 5: Document everything
Your phone is the most powerful evidence-gathering tool you own. Use it before the scene is cleared, because once the cars are towed and the glass is swept up, that evidence is gone forever.
The table below breaks down what to capture and why it matters to your claim.
| What to photograph or record | Why it matters |
| Damage to all vehicles, from multiple angles | Shows the force and point of impact |
| License plates of every vehicle | Confirms who was involved |
| Skid marks, debris, and fluid on the road | Helps reconstruct speed and direction |
| Traffic signals, stop signs, and lane markings | Establishes who had the right of way |
| Weather, lighting, and road conditions | Rules out or identifies outside factors |
| Your visible injuries, cuts, and bruises | Documents harm before it heals |
| Nearby businesses with security cameras | Points to footage that may capture the crash |
| A short video narrating what happened | Preserves details your memory will lose |
If there are businesses nearby, note their names. Many security systems overwrite footage within days, so your attorney may need to request it quickly.
Step 6: Watch what you say
Texans are polite people. We say “sorry” when we bump someone’s cart at H-E-B. We also don’t always like to admit when we’re hurt or that we need help. At an accident scene, that instinct can hurt you.
Anything you say can end up in the police report, in a witness statement, or in the insurance adjuster’s notes. Do not apologize, guess about what happened, or downplay your injuries with “I’m fine.” Stick to facts when you speak with the police officer. You can be kind and cooperative without admitting fault.
The same goes for social media. Posting “Totally wrecked my car but I’m okay!” gives the insurer a screenshot they will happily use to argue you were never hurt.
Step 7: Get medical attention, no matter what
If paramedics come to the scene, let them check you out. Do not wave them off because you feel shaken but okay, or because you are worried about the cost of an ambulance ride. Adrenaline is a powerful painkiller, and it wears off hours after the crash, often right when you are home and alone.
If you are not taken to the hospital from the scene, see a doctor as soon as you can. When you do, tell them you were in a car accident and describe every ache, no matter how small. That note in your chart is what ties your injuries to the crash. Without it, the insurance company will claim you got hurt somewhere else.
This is the one step you cannot make up later. A gap in treatment is the first thing an adjuster looks for, and it is one of the hardest arguments to beat. We cover the injuries that tend to show up late in the next section.
Step 8: Call a Houston car accident lawyer
The at-fault driver’s insurance company already has a team working on your claim. You should have one too, and the sooner the better. Evidence disappears fast. Surveillance footage gets overwritten, skid marks fade, witnesses forget what they saw, and damaged vehicles get repaired or sold for scrap.
A Houston car accident lawyer can lock that evidence down while it still exists, take over every call from the adjusters, and keep you from saying something that gets twisted later. That lets you focus on healing while someone else handles the fight.
Calling a lawyer does not mean you are headed to court. Most claims settle, but insurance companies make fairer offers when they know the person on the other side is ready to go to trial if they do not.
For a free legal consultation with a car accident lawyer, call (713) 864-9000
What to do after a car accident for your body
Your health comes first. Your claim comes second, but the two are tied together more tightly than you might think. Insurance companies look for any gap between the crash and your first doctor’s visit. If you wait two weeks to see a doctor, the adjuster will argue something else caused your pain.
As a rule, get a full evaluation within 24 to 72 hours of the crash. Go to the ER if you have any serious symptoms, or visit urgent care or your primary care doctor if you do not.
Many crash injuries do not announce themselves right away. The chart below lists common delayed symptoms and what they may point to.
| Delayed symptom | What it may indicate |
| Neck stiffness or pain that worsens over days | Whiplash or soft tissue damage |
| Headaches, fogginess, or trouble concentrating | Concussion or traumatic brain injury |
| Back pain or numbness in the legs | Herniated disc or nerve damage |
| Abdominal pain or deep bruising | Internal bleeding or organ damage |
| Chest pain or difficulty breathing | Rib fractures, lung injury, or seatbelt trauma |
| Anxiety, sleep problems, or flashbacks | Post-traumatic stress |
Whiplash is one of the most common injuries after a crash, and a car accident neck injury can linger for months if it is not treated properly. Chest symptoms deserve special attention. Chest pain after an accident can come from seatbelt bruising, but it can also signal a fracture or a heart or lung issue that needs immediate care.
Once you have seen a doctor, follow their plan exactly. Go to every follow-up appointment, finish your physical therapy, and fill every prescription. Missed appointments are one of the first things an adjuster will use to argue your injuries were not that serious.
What to do after a car accident with insurance
Here is the truth the insurance companies do not advertise: their adjusters are not on your side. Even your own insurer is a business that makes money by paying out as little as possible. The other driver’s insurer has even less reason to be generous.
That does not mean you avoid insurance. It means you deal with it strategically.
Notify your own insurance company
Most policies require you to report a crash promptly. Call your insurer, give them the basic facts, and stop there. You do not need to speculate about fault or describe your injuries in detail before you know the full extent of them.
Texas insurers must offer Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage, and unless you rejected it in writing, you likely have it. PIP can help cover medical bills and lost wages no matter who caused the crash. Check your policy for uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage too, because plenty of Texas drivers carry only the state minimum, or nothing at all.
Be careful with the other driver’s insurance
Soon after the crash, you may get a friendly call from the at-fault driver’s adjuster. They will ask how you are feeling and whether you would mind giving a quick recorded statement. Politely decline.
Recorded statements are designed to lock you into details before you fully understand your injuries. A casual “I’m doing okay” becomes proof that you were not hurt. A guess about your speed becomes proof that you were partly at fault. You are not legally required to give the other driver’s insurer a recorded statement.
Each insurer has its own playbook. If you are dealing with one of the big carriers, it helps to know how they operate. Read our guides on GEICO insurance claims, Farmers insurance claims, State Farm claims, and Progressive claims.
Know how fault works in Texas
Texas follows a modified comparative fault rule, sometimes called the 51% bar rule. You can recover damages as long as you are not more than 50% responsible for the crash, but your compensation is reduced by your share of the blame. If you are found 20% at fault, your award drops by 20%. If you are found 51% at fault, you get nothing.
This is exactly why insurers work so hard to shift even a little blame onto you. Every percentage point they move saves them money. Even in a rear-end accident, where the trailing driver is usually at fault, adjusters will look for any excuse to argue you stopped suddenly or your brake lights were out.
Do not take the first offer
Early settlement offers are often a lowball test. The insurer is betting you need money fast and do not know what your claim is worth. Once you accept and sign a release, your claim is over for good, even if you later learn you need surgery.
Wait until you have a clear picture of your medical needs before you settle anything.
Click to contact our car accident lawyers today
Follow-up tasks after a car accident
The scene gets cleared in an hour, but your claim will take much longer. Staying organized in the weeks that follow is one of the best ways to protect what your case is worth.
The timeline below shows the key follow-up tasks after a car accident and roughly when to handle each one.
| Timeframe | Follow-up tasks |
| First 24 to 72 hours | See a doctor, notify your insurer, back up all photos |
| First week | Request the police report, talk to a personal injury lawyer |
| Ongoing | Keep attending treatment, track expenses and missed work, keep a daily pain and recovery journal, save every receipt |
| Before you settle | Confirm your full medical prognosis and future costs |
| Within two years | Deadline to file a personal injury lawsuit in most Texas cases |
Keeping a recovery journal may feel tedious, but it can be powerful evidence. Write down your pain levels, the activities you cannot do, the family events you missed, and the nights you could not sleep. Months later, when an adjuster claims your injuries were minor, those daily entries tell a very different story.
It can be helpful to have a folder (either physical or digital) with everything related to your crash:
- Medical records, bills, and prescription receipts
- The police report and your own notes from the scene
- Repair estimates and rental car receipts
- Pay stubs or employer letters showing missed work
- All letters and emails from any insurance company
When your documentation is organized, your attorney can build a stronger demand and push back faster when the insurer tries to cut corners.
Common mistakes that hand insurance companies the win
Even careful people slip up after a crash. Most mistakes are not about bad intentions. They come from trusting the process a little too much. Some of the most common errors that can shrink your claim include:
- Skipping the doctor because you “feel okay”
- Apologizing or admitting fault at the scene
- Giving a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer
- Posting about the crash or your activities online
- Signing medical authorizations that give the insurer access to your entire history
- Accepting a quick settlement before your treatment is complete
- Waiting too long to talk with an attorney
Every one of these mistakes gives the insurance company leverage. Don’t give them any.
FAQ about what to do after a car accident
What is the first thing you do after a car accident?
The first thing to do is stop your vehicle and check for injuries. Call 911 right away if anyone is hurt, if a car cannot be driven, or if the crash is blocking traffic. Your safety and the safety of everyone involved come before anything else, including your insurance claim.
Should I file an insurance claim if I am not at fault?
Yes. If another driver caused the crash, you can file a claim with their insurance company to cover your medical bills, lost wages, and vehicle damage. You should also notify your own insurer, since your policy likely requires it and your PIP or uninsured motorist coverage may help. Before you give the at-fault driver’s insurer a detailed or recorded statement, talk to an attorney.
How many days should you rest after a car accident?
There is no single answer, because recovery depends on your injuries. Some people feel better within a few days, while others need weeks or months of treatment. Follow your doctor’s instructions on rest and activity, and do not return to heavy lifting, exercise, or strenuous work until you are cleared. Pushing through pain can make injuries worse and can give the insurer grounds to question your claim.
Do I need to file a report if the police didn’t come to the scene?
Texas drivers used to file a state form called the CR-2, but TxDOT stopped accepting those reports in 2017. If no officer came, you can still contact your local police department to file a report, and you should keep detailed notes, photos, and witness information on your own. That documentation helps when you file a claim with the insurance company.
Injured in a car accident in Texas? Thiessen Law Firm is ready to fight the giants.
You don’t need a lawyer for every scratched bumper. But if you were hurt, if fault is disputed, if the other driver was uninsured, or if a commercial or rideshare vehicle was involved, the insurance company is already playing to win. You should have someone playing for you.
At We Fight Giants, we stand up to the insurance companies that treat injured Texans like line items on a spreadsheet. We handle the calls, gather the evidence, calculate what your claim is really worth, and push back when an adjuster tries to lowball you. If they will not pay what is fair, we’re ready to take them to court over it.
If you were hurt in a crash, talk with an attorney from We Fight Giants today at (713) 864-9000 or contact us online. We know how insurers operate and are not afraid to fight them. Consultations are free, and there are no fees unless we win.
More Helpful Articles by We Fight Giants:
- What to Do About Seat Belt Injuries After a Car Accident
- What Is the Average Settlement for a Car Accident?
- Do I Need a Lawyer for a Car Accident Settlement?
- Can You Sue for Internal Injuries from Car Accidents?
- How Delayed Treatment After an Accident Can Hurt Your Case
