What are the most important steps to take immediately after a car accident?

July 4, 2026

Admin

If you are reading this after an accident, what you are feeling right now the shock, the fear, the confusion is completely normal. A crash upends everything in seconds. Here is what we tell every person who calls us, before they even become a client.

1. Check on Everyone First
Before anything else, check yourself for pain, then check everyone else in your vehicle and, if safe, anyone in the other car. If anyone appears seriously hurt, call 911 immediately. Do not move an injured person unless there is immediate danger.

2. Move to Safety and Turn On Hazard Lights
If vehicles are drivable, move them out of traffic to the nearest shoulder. Staying in an active California freeway lane creates serious secondary collision risk. If you cannot move, stay inside with your seatbelt on.

3. Call the Police — Every Time
Even if the accident seems minor and the other driver wants to handle it privately, always call the police. A police report creates an official third-party record of what happened. Without it, a claim can become your word against theirs.

4. Document Everything You Can
While waiting for police, photograph all vehicles, the damage, license plates, road conditions, skid marks, and any visible injuries. If surveillance cameras are nearby, photograph those too that footage can disappear within days.

5. Exchange Information — But Limit Your Conversation
Exchange your name, driver license number, registration, and insurance information with the other driver as required by California law. Do not discuss fault, apologize, or speculate about injuries. Keep it factual and brief.

6. Seek Medical Attention — Even If You Feel Fine
Adrenaline can mask pain entirely. Whiplash, concussions, and internal injuries often do not appear until hours or days later. Seeing a doctor immediately creates a documented record connecting your injuries to the accident. Delays in treatment are one of the most common arguments insurers use to minimize claims.

7. Do Not Speak to the Other Driver’s Insurance Company Alone
Their adjuster will sound helpful. They are not working for you. You have no obligation to give a recorded statement to an opposing insurer. At Cohn & Swartzon LLP, one of the first things we do is take over that communication entirely.

8. Contact an Attorney Before Accepting Anything
Once a settlement is accepted, your right to pursue additional compensation is almost always permanently gone even if your injuries turn out to be more serious than initially understood. A consultation with Cohn & Swartzon LLP is always free and always direct. You speak with an attorney, not a case manager.

Call us at 888-480-3883. There are no upfront fees. Your job is to recover. Our job is to get you justice.