What to do after a car crash in Texas

A car crash is one of the most stressful moments of your life. The decisions you make in the first few hours - and the first few days - can change how much an insurance company eventually pays and whether your medical bills are taken care of.

This guide is written for Texas drivers and passengers. It is general information, not legal advice for any particular case. If you are seriously hurt, call us. The initial conversation is free.

At the scene

1. Call 911 and ask for police and EMS. A police report creates an official record of the crash and the at-fault driver.
2. If it is safe, take photos of every vehicle, every license plate, the damage from multiple angles, and the surrounding area (skid marks, debris, traffic lights).
3. Exchange driver license, insurance card, and license plate information with every driver involved. Do not discuss fault.
4. Get the names and phone numbers of any witnesses. Witnesses disappear within hours.
5. Accept medical evaluation at the scene if EMS offers it. Adrenaline hides injuries.

In the first 72 hours

1. Go to a doctor, an urgent care, or the ER even if you feel OK. Soft-tissue injuries often peak 24 to 72 hours later.
2. Report the crash to your own insurance company - briefly. State the facts, do not speculate about fault, do not give a recorded statement.
3. Save every receipt: ambulance, prescriptions, rideshares, rental car, tow yard, parking at the doctor.
4. Photograph your injuries every day for the first week. Bruising peaks several days after impact.
5. Do not sign anything from the other driver’s insurance company. Do not accept a quick settlement.

In the first 30 days

• Keep all medical follow-up appointments. Gaps in treatment are used by insurance carriers to argue you healed.
• Start a simple journal: pain level each day, missed work, missed family events, sleep problems.
• Preserve the damaged vehicle until your attorney has photographed it - even if the insurance company wants it released.
• Send written requests to preserve any nearby business or traffic-camera video. Most systems overwrite within 30 days.

When to call a lawyer

Call right away if any of the following are true: you were taken to the hospital, you missed any work, the other driver had no insurance or fled the scene, a commercial vehicle (truck, delivery van, government vehicle) was involved, or the insurance company is pressuring you to settle in the first weeks.

The Texas statute of limitations for most personal-injury cases is two years from the date of the crash, but evidence disappears in weeks. The earlier we are on the file, the more we can preserve.