The minutes and days after a crash shape everything that follows: your health, your claim, and how seriously the insurance company takes you. Here is the playbook, in order.
At the scene
- Get to safety and call 911. Ask for paramedics if anyone might be hurt. In LA, a police report is your claim's backbone, so insist on one even for a 'minor' crash.
- Photograph everything: all vehicles from multiple angles, license plates, the road, skid marks, debris, traffic signals, and your visible injuries.
- Exchange information: driver's license, insurance card, plate, and phone number. Photograph the documents instead of copying them by hand.
- Find witnesses and get phone numbers. Independent witnesses evaporate within minutes and can decide a disputed-fault case.
- Say nothing about fault. Not 'sorry,' not 'I didn't see you.' Adrenaline talks. Let the evidence do it instead.
Within 24 hours
- Get examined even if you feel fine. Soft-tissue injuries, concussions, and internal injuries commonly surface days later, and a gap in treatment is the first thing insurers use to devalue a claim.
- Report the crash to your own insurer. Your policy requires prompt notice, and your UM/UIM coverage may matter more than you think.
- Start a file: photos, the report number, medical paperwork, receipts, and a daily note about pain and missed work.
Before you talk to any adjuster
The other driver's insurer will call quickly, friendly, and recording. You have no obligation to give a statement, and you shouldn't. Early recorded statements exist to lock you into answers before you know your injuries. The same goes for early settlement offers: once you sign, the claim is over forever, even if an MRI finds something new next month.
When to call a lawyer
Immediately, if there are injuries, disputed fault, an uninsured driver, or a commercial vehicle. Consultations are free, contingency fees mean no upfront cost, and the earliest days are when evidence is preserved and mistakes are prevented. The insurance company started working the file at the scene. You should not be far behind.
Questions about your situation? The consultation is free and the advice is honest. Call (310) 598-9614, 24/7.