A car accident can leave you dealing with injuries, vehicle damage, insurance calls, missed work, and questions about what you should do next. Even when the crash initially seems straightforward, decisions made in the first hours and days can affect your health and the evidence available if you later need to pursue a personal injury claim.
If you are wondering what to do after a car accident in Texas, start with your safety and health. Then focus on documenting what happened, preserving important information, and being careful when communicating with insurance companies.
After a car accident in Texas, four important steps can help protect you: report the crash when required, gather evidence, get appropriate medical attention, and understand what you are agreeing to before speaking extensively with an insurance company or accepting a settlement.
Ybarra Law Firm helps injury victims throughout Texas understand their options after serious car accidents. Here is what you should know about the steps to take after a crash and the mistakes that can make an injury claim more difficult.
Step 1: Stay Safe and Report the Car Accident
Immediately after a collision, check yourself and your passengers for injuries.
If possible, move away from immediate danger. On certain roadways, vehicles that can still be safely driven may need to be moved so they do not unnecessarily block traffic.
Call 911 when someone is injured or there is an emergency. Texas law also requires immediate notice to the appropriate law enforcement agency when a collision results in injury or death, or when a vehicle is damaged to the point that it cannot normally and safely be driven.
Even when the crash does not appear severe, having an official record of what happened may become helpful if there is later disagreement about the accident.
When Should You Call the Police After a Texas Car Accident?
A police report can document important details about a Texas car accident, including the drivers and vehicles involved, location, witnesses, apparent damage, citations, and observations made at the scene.
However, a police report does not automatically make the final determination of civil fault in a personal injury case. Responsibility may ultimately depend on photographs, witness statements, video footage, vehicle damage, electronic records, testimony, and other available evidence.
At the scene, focus on providing accurate information.
Avoid guessing about why the crash happened or making statements about who was at fault when you do not know all the facts.
Police involvement may also be especially important when:
- A driver leaves the scene
- A driver appears intoxicated
- Someone does not have insurance information
- The drivers disagree about what happened
- The crash involves significant vehicle damage
- A vehicle cannot be safely driven
- The accident involves a pedestrian, motorcycle, or commercial vehicle
If law enforcement responds, get the officer’s name, badge number, and information about how to obtain the crash report.
If you are injured, call 911 immediately for medical assistance. Your health comes first.
Step 2: Gather Evidence After the Accident
If you are physically able to do so safely, document as much as possible before leaving the scene.
Evidence that seems unimportant immediately after an accident may become valuable if the drivers or insurance companies later disagree about what happened.
The Texas Department of Insurance recommends documenting vehicle damage, license plates, street signs, road conditions, witnesses, and other accident details.
What Evidence Should You Collect?
Consider documenting:
- All vehicles involved in the crash
- Vehicle damage from several angles
- License plates
- Your visible injuries
- Traffic lights and stop signs
- Road markings
- Skid marks
- Debris
- Weather conditions
- Road conditions
- Construction zones
- Nearby businesses or homes that may have cameras
- The position of the vehicles
- The direction each vehicle was traveling
Exchange contact and insurance information with the other driver.
If there are witnesses, ask for their names and phone numbers. Witnesses may later help clarify what happened, particularly when drivers give different accounts of the collision.
If possible, take both photographs and video.
Preserve Evidence After You Leave the Scene
Do not assume someone else will preserve everything for you.
Keep your own copies of:
- Accident photographs and videos
- Police or crash report information
- Medical bills
- Medical records
- Prescription receipts
- Towing bills
- Repair estimates
- Rental car expenses
- Insurance correspondence
- Emails and text messages
- Work records showing missed time
- Receipts for accident-related expenses
The Texas Department of Insurance also advises drivers to keep accident details, photographs, medical records, bills, and other information relevant to an insurance claim.
If you were injured, preserving these records can make it easier to understand the financial impact of the accident later.
Step 3: Get Medical Attention After a Car Accident
Your health should come before the insurance claim.
Some car accident injuries are obvious immediately. Others become more noticeable after the adrenaline and shock of the collision begin to wear off.
Car crashes can result in injuries involving the:
- Neck
- Back
- Head
- Shoulders
- Knees
- Arms and legs
- Soft tissue
- Bones and joints
Concussions and other injuries may also require medical evaluation even when there is no obvious external injury.
If you are experiencing pain, dizziness, headaches, limited movement, numbness, confusion, or other concerning symptoms after a crash, seek appropriate medical attention.
What If Your Injuries Appear Later?
Not every injury produces immediate symptoms.
If you develop new or worsening symptoms after leaving the accident scene, do not ignore them simply because you felt relatively normal immediately after the crash.
When you receive treatment, explain when the accident happened and describe your symptoms accurately.
Medical records can later help document:
- When symptoms appeared
- What symptoms you reported
- Your diagnosis
- Treatment recommendations
- Medications
- Physical therapy
- Specialist care
- Future treatment needs
The Texas Department of Insurance recommends keeping medical records and bills related to treatment after a wreck.
Long unexplained gaps in medical care can also give an insurance company an opportunity to question whether certain injuries are connected to the collision.
If paying for treatment is a concern, discuss your situation with a personal injury lawyer. Depending on the circumstances, there may be different options for addressing medical care and accident-related expenses.
Step 4: Be Careful With Insurance Companies
Insurance companies are an unavoidable part of most car accident claims.
You should notify your own insurance company about the collision as required by your policy. The Texas Department of Insurance recommends reporting an accident promptly because insurance policies may contain deadlines for reporting claims.
The other driver’s insurance company may also contact you.
The other driver’s insurance company may also contact you.
An adjuster may ask about:
- How the accident happened
- What you were doing before the crash
- Your injuries
- Medical treatment
- Previous injuries
- Missed work
- Vehicle damage
Answering routine questions is different from guessing about information you do not know.
Be especially careful about giving detailed recorded statements to another driver’s insurance company before you understand what is being requested and how the statement may be used.
Do Not Rush Into an Early Settlement
You may receive a settlement offer while you are still receiving medical treatment.
A quick payment can sound appealing when you are dealing with medical bills, vehicle repairs, and time away from work. But an early offer may arrive before you know the full extent of your injuries.
Before accepting a settlement, consider whether you understand:
- Your current medical expenses
- Whether additional treatment may be necessary
- How much work you have missed
- Whether your ability to work has changed
- Other accident-related expenses
- What claims you are releasing by accepting the settlement
Once a claim is fully settled and a release is signed, you may not be able to seek additional compensation for that same claim later.
How Ybarra Law Firm Can Help After a Texas Car Accident
A serious accident can become complicated quickly, especially when liability is disputed or an insurance company questions your injuries.
A personal injury lawyer may help by:
- Reviewing how the accident happened
- Gathering and preserving evidence
- Obtaining relevant records
- Communicating with insurance companies
- Evaluating medical and financial losses
- Identifying potentially responsible parties
- Reviewing settlement offers
- Negotiating the injury claim
- Preparing for litigation when necessary
The goal is not simply to complete paperwork. It is to understand what happened, what evidence exists, how the accident affected you, and what legal options may be available.
If the crash involved an 18-wheeler, uninsured driver, intoxicated driver, motorcycle, pedestrian, or another complicated circumstance, additional evidence and insurance issues may need to be investigated.
Talk to Ybarra Law Firm After a Texas Car Accident
Knowing what to do after a car accident in Texas can help you protect your health, preserve evidence, and avoid decisions that may complicate an insurance or personal injury claim.
You do not have to figure out medical bills, insurance companies, accident evidence, and legal deadlines alone.
Ybarra Law Firm helps English-speaking and Spanish-speaking injury victims understand their options after serious accidents. Our bilingual team works with clients throughout Dallas-Fort Worth and the Rio Grande Valley and can review what happened, answer questions about the claims process, and explain potential next steps.
Whether your accident involved another passenger vehicle, an uninsured driver, an 18-wheeler, a drunk driver, or another serious collision, getting reliable information early can help you make more informed decisions.
Ready to talk? Book your FREE consultation with Ybarra Law Firm today.
How Long Does a Texas Car Accident Claim Take?
There is no standard timeline for every Texas car accident claim.
Some cases resolve relatively quickly. Others take considerably longer.
The timeline may depend on:
- The seriousness of the injuries
- How long medical treatment continues
- Whether fault is disputed
- The amount of available insurance coverage
- The number of parties involved
- How quickly evidence can be gathered
- Whether the parties can reach a settlement
- Whether a lawsuit becomes necessary
Be cautious about assuming your claim should settle within a specific number of months simply because another case did.
Every accident is different.
What If I Was Partially Responsible for the Crash?
Do not automatically assume that partial responsibility means you cannot pursue a claim.
Texas uses a proportionate responsibility system.
Under Chapter 33 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, a claimant generally cannot recover damages if the claimant’s percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent. If the claimant is assigned 50 percent or less responsibility, recoverable damages may be reduced according to that person’s percentage of responsibility.
For example, if another driver was speeding but you believe you may also have made a mistake, do not decide on your own that you have no case.
The available evidence should be reviewed before conclusions about responsibility are made.
What If I Cannot Afford Medical Treatment?
Concerns about medical bills cause many accident victims to delay treatment.
Do not ignore a medical problem solely because you are worried about the expense.
Depending on your circumstances, health insurance, personal injury protection, medical payments coverage, another driver’s insurance, or other arrangements may affect how accident-related medical expenses are addressed.
Your available options depend on your insurance coverage and the facts of your case.
A Texas personal injury lawyer can discuss medical expenses and treatment concerns while reviewing your potential claim.
What If the Other Driver Does Not Have Insurance?
An uninsured driver does not necessarily mean there are no options.
Your own auto policy may include uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, collision coverage, personal injury protection, medical payments coverage, or another form of applicable coverage.
The Texas Department of Insurance explains that uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may help with certain losses when the responsible driver does not have enough insurance.
Review your policy rather than assuming there is no available coverage.
This is also a good place to internally link to Ybarra Law Firm’s article about uninsured motorist coverage for Texas drivers.
Should I Accept the Insurance Company’s First Settlement Offer?
Not until you understand what the offer covers and what rights you may be giving up.
An early offer may come before:
- Your doctor knows whether you need additional treatment
- You know how much work you will miss
- All medical bills have arrived
- You understand whether an injury may create longer-term limitations
A settlement should be evaluated in the context of the entire claim, not simply whether the immediate amount sounds helpful.
How Long Do I Have to File a Car Accident Lawsuit in Texas?
Texas generally requires a personal injury lawsuit to be brought no later than two years after the cause of action accrues, although exceptions can apply.
The two-year period should not be treated as a reason to wait.
Evidence can disappear long before the legal deadline arrives.
For example:
- Surveillance footage may be deleted
- Witnesses may become difficult to find
- Vehicles may be repaired or destroyed
- Accident scenes may change
- Electronic records may become more difficult to obtain
Certain cases may also involve different notice requirements or deadlines.
Speaking with an attorney sooner can help you understand which deadlines may apply to your specific situation.
