After an Accident: What to Do Before Calling Your Insurance

The moments after a collision are disorienting. Your instinct might be to call your insurance company immediately — but the first 30 minutes after a crash have a bigger impact on your claim outcome than most drivers realize. Here is what to do first.

Step 1: Make sure everyone is safe

Move vehicles out of traffic if you can do so safely. Turn on hazard lights. Check for injuries. If anyone is hurt, call 911 immediately — a police report is required for injury accidents in New York State, and it protects you legally.

For minor collisions where no one is hurt, New York State law does not require you to call police, but a police report creates an official record that strengthens your claim.

Step 2: Document before you move anything

This is the single most important step most drivers skip.

Take photos of:

• Every angle of your vehicle showing all damage
• The other vehicle's damage
• The license plate of the other vehicle
• The overall accident scene, including lane positions
• Any skid marks, debris, or road conditions
• Any visible injuries (your own)

The more documentation you have before vehicles are moved and before anything is cleaned up, the harder it is for an insurer to dispute your account of what happened.

Step 3: Exchange information — but limit conversation

Exchange:

• Full name and contact information
• Insurance company and policy number
• Driver's license number
• Vehicle registration and license plate

Do not discuss who was at fault. Do not apologize, even if you feel partly responsible — admissions made at the scene can be used against you in the claims process. Stick to factual information exchange.

Step 4: Get witness contact information

If anyone witnessed the accident, get their name and phone number. Bystander accounts carry weight with insurers, especially in disputed fault situations.

Step 5: Seek medical attention before signing anything

If you feel any pain — even minor neck stiffness or back discomfort — go to urgent care or the ER before you sign any settlement paperwork. Soft tissue injuries often worsen in the 24–72 hours after a crash. Once you accept a settlement, you typically cannot reopen the claim.

Step 6: Now call your insurance company

Once you have documentation in hand, call your insurer to report the accident. You are generally required to report accidents promptly under your policy terms, even if you don't plan to file a claim.

Key things to communicate:

• Time, location, and basic facts of the accident
• Whether there are injuries
• That you have photos and the other driver's information

Do not accept a quick settlement offer on this first call. Insurers sometimes offer fast settlements before the full scope of damage — or injury — is clear. Get your vehicle inspected first.

Step 7: Choose your own repair shop

New York State law gives you the right to choose any licensed auto body shop. Your insurer may recommend "Direct Repair Program" shops — these are shops that have agreed to insurer pricing guidelines in exchange for referral volume.

You are not required to use them.

Get at least two written estimates. Look for:

• I-CAR certification (indicates trained collision technicians)
• Experience with your vehicle make
• Clear documentation of OEM vs. aftermarket part choices

What if the other driver doesn't have insurance?

New York State requires all drivers to carry liability insurance. If the at-fault driver has no insurance, you can file through your own Uninsured Motorist coverage (UM) — required on all NY auto policies. Your insurer cannot raise your premium for a UM claim when you were not at fault.

What if I was at fault?

File through your own collision coverage (if you have it). Your insurer will pay for repairs minus your deductible. They may then pursue the other driver for reimbursement — a process called subrogation — which you don't need to manage.

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The bottom line: document everything before you move, limit what you say at the scene, seek medical attention if anything hurts, and know that you have the right to choose your own repair shop regardless of what your insurer recommends. Rochester's best auto body shops deal with insurance companies every day — a shop with experience handling direct insurance billing can be a significant help navigating the process.