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Use this guide for safety, scene information, medical and financial records, towing and storage, transportation, repairs, total-loss questions, insurance communications, and situations involving more than two drivers.
Get emergency help for uncontrolled bleeding, trouble breathing, loss of consciousness, confusion or inability to wake, a suspected head or spine injury, a seizure, a worsening headache, repeated vomiting, weakness or numbness, or rapidly worsening symptoms. This is not a diagnostic list. Follow emergency personnel and treating clinicians.
MedlinePlus emergency guidance · CDC head-injury danger signs
Reviewed for legal accuracy by Ted A. Greve, Attorney
July 19, 2026
Do only what is reasonably safe. Emergency care and instructions from law enforcement or responders come before photographs or paperwork.
Use the scene checklist only when it is safe and lawful to do so.
Request police, fire, or emergency medical help as needed. Follow dispatcher and responder instructions. Do not make a medical diagnosis or assume that a person is uninjured.
Use hazard lights, move to a safer location when directed or reasonably necessary, and avoid standing between vehicles or in travel lanes. Do not move a seriously injured person unless responders direct you or remaining creates greater danger.
Record names, contact information, driver’s-license and license-plate information, insurer and policy details provided, vehicle owners, employers, and commercial or rideshare company information.
Photograph the overall scene, lanes, signs, signals, road and weather conditions, vehicle positions and damage, debris, skid marks, visible injuries, and nearby cameras. Record witness contact information without arguing about fault.
A crash report is useful, but it may not contain every witness, camera, vehicle record, injury, cost, or later communication.
A nearby camera may overwrite footage, a vehicle may be repaired or destroyed, and electronic or commercial records may have limited retention periods. A lawyer can evaluate whether a focused preservation request is appropriate. Do not trespass, access private accounts, or put yourself in danger.
Property expenses can grow while an injury and coverage investigation continues. Ask for written information and keep every receipt and communication.
Ask where the vehicle is, the daily storage rate, what identification or release is required, and how to retrieve personal property. Save invoices and photograph the vehicle before it is moved, repaired, sold, or destroyed.
Request written estimates and keep repair communications. Before authorizing disposal, destructive work, or transfer of title, consider whether the vehicle or its electronic data may matter to a disputed or serious injury claim.
Ask which policy or company is being asked to pay, the daily and total limits, approved vehicle class, and what event ends the rental. Keep rental, rideshare, public-transit, mileage, and other transportation receipts.
Ask for the valuation report and the comparable vehicles used. A total-loss payment may not equal the loan or lease balance. Gap coverage depends on the actual contract or policy, so request the documents before assuming it applies.
These situations may involve additional people, companies, policies, records, approval requirements, or claim systems.
Record which seat each person occupied, restraint or child-seat information, who owned and drove the vehicle, and each person’s symptoms and care. A child’s claim or settlement may require additional legal safeguards.
Report the crash promptly, preserve any plate description, witness or camera information, and ask your own insurer which notice and cooperation requirements apply to possible uninsured-motorist or other coverage.
Save the trip receipt, app status, driver and vehicle profile, screenshots, messages, company name, and whether the driver was waiting for, accepting, carrying, or delivering for a customer.
Record company names, vehicle numbers, placards, trailer information, driver details, and responding agencies. Electronic logs, dispatch records, inspections, maintenance, cargo, and onboard data may require prompt preservation.
Report systems, forms, fees, and processing instructions can change. Use the official agency page rather than a copied estimate or form name.
The full document, check, correspondence, and applicable law determine what is being resolved. Do not rely only on a subject line, check memo, or verbal description.
The full guide explains recorded statements, medical authorizations, releases, checks, early offers, denials, and official insurance-department assistance.
A focused review can identify responsible parties, coverage, missing records, evidence that may disappear, and documents that could end a claim.
Related help: Start at the Injury Help Center, review the insurance guide, or use the work-injury guide if the crash happened while you were working. You can also read how to file a police report after an accident and the North Carolina car-accident FAQs. See what representation may include after hiring a lawyer.
Tell the intake team what happened, when and where it happened, what treatment you have received, and who has contacted you about the car accident or claim. Sending a form or speaking with intake does not by itself create an attorney-client relationship. If representation is offered, attorney-fee and case-cost terms are explained in a written agreement before you decide.
These answers are general. A qualified professional must evaluate the facts of a particular medical, insurance, employment, or legal question.
Give accurate identifying information and cooperate with emergency personnel and lawful requests, but do not guess or argue about legal responsibility. Describe what you personally observed.
Follow law-enforcement and dispatcher instructions. If the vehicle creates an immediate hazard and can be moved safely and lawfully, move it to a safer location. Do not endanger yourself or others.
Ask for the valuation report, comparable vehicles, adjustments, deductible, ownership or lien information, and the written terms. A vehicle value decision is separate from whether an injury claim is being released.
Seek appropriate medical care and describe accurately when symptoms began and how they changed. Do not assume delayed symptoms prove or disprove a particular injury.
