December 12, 2025 | Car Accidents, Personal Injury
Getting into a car accident can turn your day—or your life—upside down in an instant. Whether it’s a minor fender bender in a parking lot or a serious collision on the highway, those first moments after impact can feel overwhelming, confusing, and even scary.
Here’s what many people don’t realize: what you do in those critical minutes and hours following an accident can make or break your ability to get fair compensation later. We’ve seen countless cases where someone’s quick thinking and proper documentation made all the difference in their claim, and unfortunately, we’ve also seen cases where missed steps cost people thousands of dollars.
This guide walks you through exactly what to do after a car accident, step by step. Think of it as your roadmap for protecting yourself, your rights, and your future recovery. Let’s break down the six essential actions you need to take.
Your first priority is always safety. Before you even think about insurance claims or taking photos, check yourself and your passengers for injuries. If anyone is hurt, call 911 immediately. Even if you feel fine, remember that adrenaline can mask pain and injuries in the moments after a crash.
Once you’ve established that everyone is as safe as possible, you need to contact the police. Yes, even if the accident seems minor. Even if the other driver is apologetic and wants to “just handle it between us.” Even if you’re running late and just want to move on with your day.
Here’s why this matters: Many states actually require you to file a police report if someone was injured or if the damage exceeds a certain dollar amount (often just a few hundred dollars). But beyond the legal requirement, a police report creates an official, unbiased record of what happened. This becomes incredibly valuable when you’re dealing with insurance companies later.
Involved in an out-of-state car accident and not sure about your state’s specific laws? Call the police anyway. It’s better to have an officer tell you a report isn’t necessary than to skip this step and later discover you violated the law by leaving the scene. Plus, the police can help manage traffic, document the scene, and ensure everyone exchanges information properly.
Related: What should I do if my car accident Police Report is incorrect?
Once you’ve called the police and confirmed everyone’s safety, it’s time to become a detective. Your smartphone is about to become one of your most valuable tools.
Take photos of everything. We mean everything. The damage to all vehicles involved, the position of the cars, skid marks on the road, traffic signals and signs, debris, weather conditions, nearby businesses or landmarks—all of it. Take wide shots that show the overall scene, and close-ups that capture specific damage.
Why does this matter so much? Because the scene of an accident changes quickly. Tow trucks arrive, vehicles get moved, debris gets swept away, and suddenly the physical evidence of what happened is gone. Those photos you take in the moments immediately after the crash preserve the undisturbed scene. They’re your most accurate visual proof of what really happened, before anything gets moved or cleaned up.
Don’t worry about taking too many photos. In our experience, it’s impossible to over-document an accident scene. Storage is cheap, but trying to recreate lost evidence is expensive—or impossible.
Beyond photos, write everything down. Your phone’s notes app works great for this. Record:
These written notes serve two purposes. First, they help ensure you don’t forget critical details in the days and weeks ahead. Second, you can compare them against the police report later to make sure everything was documented correctly.
Related: How a Car Accident Witness Impacted Our Client’s Case
You’ll need to exchange information with the other driver involved in the accident. Be polite and cooperative, but keep the conversation focused on the basics: names, phone numbers, insurance information, and vehicle details.
Here’s what you should NOT do: don’t apologize, don’t speculate about what happened, and don’t admit fault—even if you think the accident might have been your fault. Something as simple as saying “I’m sorry” can be twisted into an admission of liability later.
Stick to the facts. “Are you okay?” is fine. “I didn’t see you” or “I was distracted” is not. The time for determining fault is later, after all the evidence has been reviewed. Your job at the scene is simply to gather information and document what you can see.
This step is more time-sensitive than many people realize. Your insurance policy almost certainly requires you to report any accident to your insurance company, and you typically have a limited window to do so—sometimes as short as 24 to 72 hours.
Here’s the critical part: if you’re in a car accident and you fail to report it to your insurer, they can refuse to pay for your damages. It doesn’t matter if you weren’t at fault. It doesn’t matter if the damage seems minor. If your policy requires prompt notification and you don’t provide it, you could be out of luck.
When you call your insurance company, provide them with the facts you’ve gathered: the date, time, and location of the accident, the other driver’s information, the police report number, and any photos you took. Be honest and accurate, but keep it factual. This isn’t the time for a detailed play-by-play or emotional storytelling.
One important note: you only need to speak with YOUR insurance company at this point. You do not have to—and generally should not—give a statement to the other driver’s insurance company yet. Their job is to protect their client and minimize what they pay out, which means minimizing what you receive. Talk to your own insurer first and get their guidance on how to proceed.
Related: How and when should I file a car accident police report in Missouri?
This is the step people skip most often, and it’s one of the biggest mistakes you can make after an accident.
“But I feel fine,” you might be thinking. “Nothing hurts. I don’t need to see a doctor.”
Here’s the reality: many serious injuries don’t show symptoms immediately. Whiplash, concussions, internal injuries, soft tissue damage—these can take hours or even days to become apparent. Your body’s stress response and adrenaline can mask pain and injury in the immediate aftermath of a crash.
Beyond your health, there’s a practical reason to see a doctor right away: documentation. If you wait several days or weeks to seek medical treatment, insurance companies will argue that your injuries weren’t that serious or weren’t caused by the accident at all. “If they were really hurt, they would have gone to the doctor right away,” they’ll say.
Getting prompt medical attention creates a clear link between the accident and your injuries. It provides professional documentation of injuries that might not show up in photos—things like pain, reduced range of motion, headaches, or psychological trauma.
You have options for where to seek treatment. If you’re experiencing severe pain, loss of consciousness, difficulty breathing, or other emergency symptoms, go to the emergency room immediately. If your injuries seem less severe but you still have concerns, schedule an appointment with your primary care doctor as soon as possible—ideally within 24 to 48 hours of the accident.
Don’t let cost prevent you from getting medical care. If you don’t have health insurance or you’re worried about upfront costs, discuss this with your attorney (more on that in the next step). There are often solutions available, and your health should always come first.
Once you’ve taken care of the immediate steps—filing a police report, documenting the scene, notifying your insurance, and getting medical attention—it’s time to think about your legal options.
Here’s the thing about car accidents: they’re almost never as simple as they seem. Even a “minor” collision can result in thousands of dollars in medical bills, lost wages, and diminished quality of life. And the other side—the at-fault driver’s insurance company—has entire teams of adjusters and lawyers working to pay you as little as possible.
A car accident attorney levels the playing field. They can review all the evidence, determine the true value of your claim (which is almost always higher than the insurance company’s first offer), and fight for the compensation you actually deserve.
Many people hesitate to contact an attorney because they assume it’s too expensive or too complicated. The truth is, most car accident lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you don’t pay anything unless they win your case. The initial consultation is typically free, so you have nothing to lose by getting a professional assessment of your situation.
An experienced attorney will help you understand:
Don’t wait too long to reach out. Every state has a statute of limitations—a deadline by which you must file a lawsuit. If you miss this deadline, you lose your right to compensation, period. In many states, this window is just two or three years, which sounds like a long time but can pass quickly when you’re dealing with medical treatment and recovery.
Beyond the six main steps above, here are a few more things to keep in mind:
Don’t post about the accident on social media. It might be tempting to share what happened on Facebook or Instagram, but anything you post can be used against you. Insurance companies and defense attorneys regularly search social media for content that contradicts injury claims. That photo of you smiling at a family gathering could be used to argue that you’re not really suffering, even if you were putting on a brave face while in pain.
Keep detailed records of everything related to the accident. Create a folder (physical or digital) where you store copies of the police report, medical bills and records, repair estimates, correspondence with insurance companies, receipts for accident-related expenses, and notes about how your injuries affect your daily life.
Be patient. The process of resolving a car accident claim can take time—sometimes months or even longer for complex cases. Don’t let pressure from insurance companies push you into accepting a quick settlement before you fully understand the extent of your injuries and damages.
Follow your doctor’s treatment plan. If you’re seeking compensation for injuries, you need to show that you took your recovery seriously. Attend all medical appointments, follow prescribed treatments, and document any side effects or ongoing issues. Gaps in treatment give insurance companies ammunition to argue that you weren’t really hurt.
Car accidents are stressful, disruptive, and often traumatic experiences. But by following these steps—calling the police, documenting everything, exchanging information carefully, notifying your insurance promptly, getting medical attention, and consulting with an attorney—you give yourself the best possible chance of protecting your rights and securing fair compensation.
Remember, the insurance companies aren’t on your side, even your own. Their business model depends on paying out as little as possible. Having a clear plan of action and, when needed, experienced legal representation, ensures that you’re not taken advantage of during one of the most vulnerable times in your life.
If you’ve been in a car accident and you’re not sure what to do next, don’t navigate this alone. Reach out to a qualified St. Louis car accident attorney who can review your case, answer your questions, and help you understand your options moving forward.
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