📋 Car Accident Checklist
Print this checklist and keep it in your glove compartment. When an accident happens, you'll know exactly what to do and document.
How to use this checklist after the scene is safe
The checklist works best when paired with a broader action plan. First stabilize the scene and get medical help if needed. Then use this list to gather evidence, preserve witness details, and avoid the mistakes that often weaken a later insurance or injury claim.
Once you finish the on-scene items, continue with our post-accident guide, compare your options in when to hire a lawyer, and use the free consultation page if the crash involves injuries, disputed fault, or an insurer that is already pushing back.
This checklist is intentionally practical: it should help you preserve the details that disappear fastest and make it easier to hand a complete story to a doctor, insurer, or attorney afterward.
What to do with the information once you leave the scene
The checklist is most useful when the information you gather is organized quickly. Save photos in one folder, write down the timeline while it is still fresh, and keep the police report number, claim number, witness contacts, and medical paperwork together. Small details that feel obvious on the day of the crash often become harder to reconstruct later.
This is also the stage where many people benefit from comparing the checklist with our insurance claim guide and the broader medical care resources. Those pages help you move from documentation into treatment, claim reporting, and case preparation without losing momentum.
If the crash involved serious injuries, unclear fault, a commercial vehicle, or pressure from an insurer, treat the checklist as the beginning of the process rather than the whole process. In that situation, a consultation can help you understand what records matter most and which next steps should happen immediately.
📱 Immediate Actions
👮 Police & Emergency
📝 Other Driver Information
👥 Witness Information
📸 Photos to Take
📍 Scene Details
🏥 Medical Documentation
⚠️ Do NOT Do
📞 Emergency Numbers
911
Local #
_______________
(818) 482-2260
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