What you do in the two days after a collision shapes the claim more than anything that happens later. Evidence is never more available than it is right now.
At the scene
Call the police and get a report number. Photograph all vehicles, the road, skid marks, signage and the weather. Get names and phone numbers for every witness — the police report often misses some.
Get checked, even if you feel fine
Soft-tissue injuries and concussions routinely present a day or two later. A gap between the collision and your first medical visit is the first thing an insurance adjuster will point to.
Be careful what you sign
The other driver’s insurer may call within a day asking for a recorded statement and a broad medical authorization. You are not obliged to give either. Decline politely and call an attorney first.
Keep everything
Bills, mileage to appointments, days missed at work, and a short note each evening on how you actually feel. Contemporaneous notes are persuasive in a way that memory is not.
