If you or a loved one was injured in a crash caused by another driver, the car accident lawyers at Hissey Mulderig & Friend are available to answer your questions and evaluate your case at no cost.
Call us today at 1-866-806-8117 or send us a message using the free contact form on this page for a free legal consultation to find out if you qualify and start your claim today.
Steps To Follow After A Crash
Below are the steps that Texas driver may follow after an accident, from the moment of the crash through the weeks that follow, in order to protect their safety and legal rights.
Step 1: Stop, Check For Injuries, And Move To Safety
Texas law requires every driver involved in an accident to stop at the scene. Check yourself and your passengers for injuries first, then check on the occupants of any other vehicle if it is safe to do so.
If the vehicles are drivable and the crash is minor, move them out of traffic to the shoulder or a nearby parking lot. If a vehicle cannot be moved, turn on your hazard lights and get everyone to a safe location away from traffic.
On Texas highways, secondary collisions caused by passing traffic are a serious danger in the minutes after a crash.
Step 2: Call 911
Call 911 and report the accident, even if the crash seems minor. Tell the dispatcher your location, whether anyone appears injured, and whether the roadway is blocked.
When police respond to the scene, the investigating officer will prepare an official crash report, which becomes one of the most important pieces of evidence in any later insurance claim or lawsuit.
If officers do not respond — which can happen with minor crashes — Texas drivers may still have a duty to report the accident themselves, so make a note of the date, time, and responding agency either way.
Step 3: Exchange Information With The Other Driver
Get the following from every driver involved in the crash:
- Full name and contact information
- Driver’s license number
- License plate number
- Insurance company and policy number
- Make, model, and color of each vehicle
Be polite, but keep the conversation brief and factual. Do not discuss who was at fault, and do not apologize — even a reflexive “I’m sorry” can later be twisted into an admission of fault by an insurance company.
Step 4: Document The Scene
Your phone is your best tool at the accident scene. Before vehicles are moved (if it is safe), photograph:
- Damage to every vehicle, from multiple angles and distances
- The positions of the vehicles in the roadway
- Skid marks, debris, and any property damage
- Traffic signs, signals, and lane markings at the location
- Road and weather conditions
- Any visible injuries
If anyone witnessed the crash, ask for their name and phone number before they leave. Independent witnesses are often the deciding factor when the other driver later changes their story about what happened.
Step 5: Watch What You Say
Say only what is necessary at the scene — to the other driver, to witnesses, and even to the responding officer. Stick to the facts of what happened. Do not speculate about your speed, whether you were distracted, or whether you could have avoided the crash, and do not say that you feel fine.
Many serious injuries do not produce symptoms for hours or days, and statements made at the scene have a way of appearing later in insurance company files.
Step 6: Seek Medical Attention Promptly
See a doctor as soon as possible after the accident, even if you believe you were not seriously hurt. Whiplash, concussions, internal injuries, and soft-tissue damage frequently take hours or days to produce symptoms, and adrenaline at the scene can mask pain.
Prompt medical care protects your health first, but it also creates a medical record linking your injuries to the crash. Insurance companies routinely argue that a gap between the accident and the first doctor’s visit means the injuries were minor or unrelated.
Follow every treatment recommendation and attend every follow-up appointment.
Step 7: Report The Crash To Your Insurance Company
Notify your own insurance company about the accident promptly — most policies require it, and waiting too long can jeopardize your coverage. Provide the basic facts of when and where the crash happened and the information you collected at the scene.
However, you are not required to give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company, and you should not do so before speaking with a lawyer. Adjusters for the at-fault driver’s insurer are trained to ask questions designed to reduce what their company has to pay.
Step 8: Get A Copy Of The Crash Report
The official Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report is typically available within about a week or two after the accident and can be purchased online through the Texas Department of Transportation.
The report contains the officer’s diagram of the crash, statements from the drivers, any citations issued, and the officer’s assessment of contributing factors. Review it carefully for errors — mistakes in the report can usually be addressed, but it is far easier to do so early.
Step 9: Preserve Evidence And Track Your Losses
In the days and weeks after the crash, keep everything related to the accident in one place:
- Medical bills, records, and pharmacy receipts
- Repair estimates and towing invoices
- Proof of missed work and lost wages
- A daily journal noting your pain levels and how your injuries affect your routine
Do not repair or dispose of your vehicle until it has been photographed and documented, and do not post about the accident or your injuries on social media. Insurance companies review claimants’ social media accounts and will use posts — even innocent ones — to argue that your injuries are exaggerated.
Step 10: Talk To A Lawyer Before Accepting Any Settlement
The at-fault driver’s insurance company may contact you quickly with a settlement offer. Early offers are almost always far below what a claim is actually worth, because the full extent of your injuries, treatment costs, and lost income is not yet known. Once you accept a settlement and sign a release, your claim is over — you cannot go back for more if your condition worsens.
Texas law also imposes a deadline, generally two years from the date of the crash, to file a lawsuit, and important evidence can disappear long before that deadline arrives.
An experienced car accident lawyer can deal with the insurance companies on your behalf, calculate what your claim is truly worth, and make sure nothing is signed away too soon.
Injured In A Texas Car Accident? We Can Help.
While the steps above can help you preserve your right to file a claim, it is also important to secure the assistance of an experienced injury law firm to ensure that your legal rights are protected.
The attorneys at Hissey Mulderig & Friend represent car accident victims throughout Texas and are currently evaluating claims involving crashes caused by negligent, distracted, and drunk drivers. A consultation with one of our attorneys is free, and you will never pay legal fees unless we recover compensation in your case.
Find out whether you qualify or start your claim today by contacting Hissey Mulderig & Friend toll-free at 1-866-806-8117, or send us a message using the free claims submission form located at the top of this page.