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30-day after-the-crash checklist

Every step from the scene of the crash to day 30, as tick boxes. Print it, keep it in your crash file, and check items off as you go.

Prints in black and white on Letter or A4, about two pages.

After the crash: 30-day checklist

General information, not legal advice. Your state's rules and your policy may add steps or deadlines.

Day 0At the scene

  • Check everyone for injuries. Call 911 if anyone is hurt.
  • If the car can be driven and it is safe, move out of traffic. If it isn't safe to get out, stay belted in with hazard lights on.
  • Call the police, even for a minor crash. Write down the officer's name, badge number and the report number.
  • Ask how and when you can get a copy of the police report.
  • Get each driver's name, phone, insurer and policy number, license number and plate, and the vehicle's year, make, model and color.
  • Photograph every vehicle and plate, the damage up close and from a distance, skid marks, debris, signs, signals, the road and weather, and any visible injuries.
  • Get witness names and phone numbers.
  • Stay polite. Don't admit fault or guess about what happened.

Help with this stage: Information exchange form · Evidence checklist

Day 1The first 24 hours

  • Get checked by a doctor, urgent care or the ER, even if you feel fine. Some injuries show up later.
  • Tell your own insurer about the crash. Stick to when, where, who was involved, and the damage and injuries you know about.
  • Check whether your state requires you to file your own crash report with the DMV or another agency, and by when.
  • Start a crash file (paper or digital) for photos, the other driver's details, witness contacts, medical papers and receipts.
  • Write your own account of what happened while your memory is fresh.

Help with this stage: Crash reporting rules by state · Notice of claim letter

Days 2–7The first week

  • Write down every claim number, adjuster name, phone and email (yours and the other driver's insurer).
  • If the other driver's insurer calls, you can give basic facts. You generally don't have to give them a recorded statement.
  • Find out where your car is and who is paying for towing, storage and a rental while it is out of service.
  • Keep every receipt: prescriptions, travel to appointments, rental cars, towing.
  • Note any cameras near the crash (stores, traffic cameras, doorbells) and ask for footage quickly.

Help with this stage: Recorded statements · Adjuster call simulator · Rental and loss-of-use calculator

Days 8–30The rest of the first month

  • Go to every follow-up visit, physical therapy session and specialist appointment. Gaps in treatment are a common reason insurers question injuries.
  • Keep a running log of missed work and lost pay, out-of-pocket costs, daily pain and the things you can't do, and repair estimates.
  • Request the police report once it's ready. Check names, plate numbers and the location for errors.
  • Look up your filing deadlines. Claims against a government agency often have a much shorter notice deadline.
  • Don't sign a release or accept an early offer before you know the full extent of your injuries. Ask the adjuster how the offer was calculated.
  • If you were seriously hurt, fault is disputed, a commercial vehicle was involved, or the claim is denied or delayed, consider talking to a licensed attorney.
  • If you have a dispute with your own insurer about how the claim is handled, contact your state insurance department's consumer services staff.

Help with this stage: Getting the police report · Filing deadline calculator · Expense tracker · Do I need a lawyer?

Numbers to keep in one place

Police agency and report number
Officer name and badge
My insurer, claim number
My adjuster (name, phone, email)
Other driver's insurer, claim number
Their adjuster (name, phone, email)
Where my car is (tow yard, shop)
My injury filing deadline

Printed from Wheels Accident Advice (wheelsaccidentadvice.com/printables).

By Serdar Arslan, editor · Last reviewed · How we research

How to use it

The list follows our step-by-step guide to what to do after a car accident, cut down to the actions. The guide explains why each step matters. Day counts are a rough guide, not legal deadlines. Your state may have its own reporting deadline, and your policy may require notice sooner than you expect, so check your state's page and your policy.

Keep a copy in the glovebox with the glovebox accident card and a blank information exchange form. More printables are on the printables page.

Sources

  1. NAIC: What You Should Know About Filing an Auto Claim
  2. Maryland Insurance Administration: What You Should Know About Filing an Auto Claim
  3. Texas Department of Insurance: Tips for filing a claim with your insurance company