RESOURCE
What to do in the first 24 hours after a car accident
By Renee Alcott
5 min read
Most people have never had to think about a car accident beforehand, and the first day is a blur. These steps are general information, not legal advice for your situation.
Check on health first
Call 911 and accept medical help even if you feel fine. Adrenaline hides pain, and some injuries take days to show. A record made on the day also helps if a claim follows.
Gather what you can safely gather
Photograph the vehicles, the road, any signs and the other driver’s details. Ask witnesses for a phone number. Do not argue about fault at the scene.
Be careful with insurers
Report the crash to your own insurer as your policy requires, but think before giving a recorded statement to the other side’s insurer. A short call to a lawyer first costs nothing.
General information only
This article is general information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Attorney advertising.
Start a free case review
KEEP READING
More guides.
How contingency fees work: no fee unless we recover
A plain explanation of what you pay, and when, in an injury claim.
Read the article
Should you talk to the other driver's insurer?
Why the friendly call from the other side is not as simple as it sounds.
Read the article
Slip and fall: what property owners owe visitors
Where responsibility usually sits when someone is hurt on a property.
Read the article
FREE CASE REVIEW
Tell us what happened. We will tell you where you stand.
Free, private and with no obligation. No fee unless we recover compensation for you. If it is urgent, call 1-800-555-0142 any time, day or night. Hablamos español.
Claimright
Serious injury law, in plain English.
210 Harbor Street, Port Ellery
Free consultation, 24/7. Hablamos español.
PRACTICE AREAS
Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome, and every case is different. No fee unless we recover compensation for you; case costs may apply as described in your written agreement. Nothing on this site is legal advice or creates an attorney-client relationship.
© 2026 Claimright Injury Law.
Demo content. Claimright Injury Law is a fictional law firm.