You are driving home, running an errand, perhaps stopping for coffee. Then another vehicle strikes yours. In Texas, what you do in the minutes following a crash can significantly affect your insurance claim, your medical recovery and your right to seek compensation.
Secure the scene and call for Help
First, assess yourself and everyone else in the car for injuries. If your vehicle is drivable, move it out of traffic, turn on your hazard lights and call 911.
Texas law requires you to stay at the scene, share your information with the other driver and help anyone who is injured. Leaving before you have done that is not just a traffic violation. It can lead to criminal charges.
Document everything at the scene
While you wait for police, taking photographs of both vehicles, any visible damage, skid marks, road signs and your injuries can be helpful. Getting the other driver’s name, insurance information, and license plate number is also worthwhile. If there are witnesses, their contact details may be useful later.
The police report is one of the most important documents you will have after a crash. You have the right to request a copy directly from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).
Seek medical attention right away
Even if you feel fine, seeing a doctor as soon as possible is generally a good idea. The body does not always signal injury immediately. Whiplash, internal bruising and soft tissue damage are common examples of conditions that may only become noticeable days or even weeks later.
Getting checked out early also creates a medical record that connects your injuries to the crash, which can matter a lot if you need to file a claim. That one visit, however, is usually not enough. Injuries from a crash often require ongoing care. Without it, insurance companies may use those gaps in treatment to question the severity of your injuries or whether the crash caused them at all.
Know your rights and your deadlines
Before giving a recorded statement to any insurance company, including your own, it is worth understanding what that involves. Insurers begin evaluating fault quickly, and an offhand comment can work against you.
Texas also has a firm deadline for filing a personal injury lawsuit. Generally, there is a two-year window from the date of the accident to take formal legal action. Missing that deadline can permanently bar a claim, no matter how strong the evidence against the other driver may be.
If you are unsure about your situation, speaking with a personal injury attorney sooner rather than later can help clarify your options. The sooner you understand where you stand legally, the better positioned you are to make decisions that can protect your health, your finances and your future.
