What to Do After a Car Accident in Houston, Texas

Quick Houston Car Accident Checklist

1. Check yourself, passengers, and others for injuries.
2. Call 911 if anyone is hurt, if vehicles are blocking traffic, or if the crash may need a police report.
3. Move to a safe location if your vehicle can be moved safely.
4. Stay at the scene and turn on your hazard lights.
5. Exchange names, phone numbers, driver’s license numbers, license plate numbers, and insurance information.
6. Take photos and video of the vehicles, road, traffic signals, skid marks, debris, weather, and visible injuries.
7. Get witness names and phone numbers before they leave.
8. Seek medical care as soon as possible, even if you feel sore but not seriously hurt.
9. Report the crash to your own auto insurance company.
10. Do not admit fault, guess, or give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company.
11. Save medical bills, repair estimates, towing receipts, rental car bills, and proof of missed work.
12. Call a lawyer if you were injured, fault is disputed, or the insurer pressures you to settle quickly.

Step 1: Check for Injuries and Call 911

Your first priority is safety. Check yourself, your passengers, the other driver, and anyone else involved. If anyone is hurt, call 911 right away and ask for medical help. Do not try to move a seriously injured person unless there is an immediate danger, such as fire, smoke, or traffic that cannot stop.

Some injuries do not appear immediately. Adrenaline can hide pain from a concussion, whiplash, back injury, internal injury, or soft tissue damage. If you feel pain, dizziness, numbness, confusion, headache, or stiffness after the crash, get medical care promptly.

Step 2: Stay at the Scene and Move to Safety if You Can

Texas law requires drivers to stop after a crash involving injury, death, or vehicle damage. If your car can be moved safely, move it out of active traffic and stay nearby. Turn on your hazard lights. If the vehicle cannot be moved, get yourself to a safer place and wait for help.

Do not leave the scene before exchanging information or before law enforcement clears you to leave. Leaving too soon can create legal problems and make your injury claim harder to prove.

External authority: Texas law requires drivers to stop after certain crashes.

Step 3: Call the Police and Ask for a Crash Report

Call the police after any crash involving injury, significant vehicle damage, a dispute about fault, an uninsured driver, a hit-and-run, an impaired driver, or a commercial vehicle. A police report creates an official record of the crash and may help with your insurance claim.

If the wreck occurred inside Houston city limits, HPD may respond. For non-emergency police service inside Houston, HPD lists 713-884-3131 as the non-emergency number. In an emergency, call 911.

Helpful internal link: See our guide on whether you should call the police after a car accident in Houston.

Helpful external links: HPD accident and crash report information and HPD emergency and non-emergency contact information.

Step 4: Exchange Information With the Other Driver

Exchange information calmly. Get the other driver’s full name, phone number, address, insurance company, policy number, driver’s license number, license plate number, and vehicle make, model, and color. If the driver is not the vehicle owner, ask for the owner’s information too.

Do not argue about fault at the scene. Keep your words simple and factual. Do not apologize, guess about what happened, or say you are not hurt before you have been checked by a doctor.

Step 5: Take Photos and Preserve Evidence

Photos can become some of the most important evidence in a car accident claim. Take pictures and video if you can do so safely. Photograph all vehicles, damage, the final resting positions of the vehicles, broken glass, skid marks, debris, traffic lights, lane markings, nearby signs, weather conditions, construction zones, and visible injuries.

Also save dashcam video, repair estimates, towing paperwork, medical records, and emails or letters from insurance companies. Evidence can disappear quickly after a crash, especially on busy Houston roads.

Helpful internal link: Learn how evidence and damages affect Houston car accident settlement amounts.

Step 6: Get Witness Information

Witnesses often leave before the police arrive. If anyone saw the crash, ask for their name, phone number, and email address. A neutral witness can help when the other driver changes their story or when the insurance company disputes fault.

Step 7: Get Medical Care Even if You Feel “Okay”

Do not ignore symptoms after a crash. Neck pain, back pain, headaches, dizziness, confusion, shoulder pain, knee pain, numbness, or sleep problems may become worse after the shock wears off. Getting prompt medical care protects your health and creates a clear record of your injuries.

Insurance companies often argue that a delay in treatment means the injuries were not serious or were not caused by the crash. If the collision aggravated an old injury, tell your doctor about your prior condition and explain how your symptoms changed after the wreck.

Helpful internal links: Read more about common car accident injuries in Houston and what happens when a crash aggravates a pre-existing condition.

Step 8: Report the Crash to Your Own Insurance Company

You should report the crash to your own auto insurance company promptly. Most policies require notice and cooperation. When you make the report, provide basic facts: when and where the crash happened, who was involved, whether anyone was hurt, and where the vehicles were taken.

Your own insurance company is different from the other driver’s insurance company. You may have duties under your own policy, but you usually do not have the same duty to help the at-fault driver’s insurer build a file against you.

Helpful internal link: If USAA is involved, review our guide to filing a car accident claim with USAA.

Step 9: Be Careful With Insurance Adjusters

Be careful when the other driver’s insurance company calls. The adjuster may sound friendly, but their job is to protect the insurance company. They may ask for a recorded statement, ask questions that minimize your injuries, or try to get you to accept a quick settlement before you know the full cost of your medical care.

Give only basic facts unless you have legal guidance. Do not guess about speed, distance, fault, or the extent of your injuries. Do not say you are fine if you have not been evaluated. Do not sign a release until you know the full value of your claim.

Before giving a recorded statement or accepting an offer, speak with a Houston car accident attorney.

Step 10: Keep Track of Expenses and Losses

Save every document connected to the crash. This includes medical bills, prescription receipts, mileage for medical appointments, repair estimates, rental car invoices, towing charges, proof of lost wages, and written notes about pain, sleep problems, missed activities, and daily limitations.

These records may affect the value of your claim. For more details, review our guides to the costs of a car accident and the average car accident settlement in Houston.