What to Do in the First 48 Hours After a Serious Crash

The first two days after a serious collision are disproportionately important, and almost nobody is in a condition to handle them well. What follows is the sequence we give clients who call us from a hospital room.

Get treatment, and get it documented

See a physician even if you believe you can wait. Adrenaline reliably masks injury in the hours after a crash, and soft tissue and spinal injuries frequently present clearly only after a day or two. There is also a practical dimension: any gap between the collision and your first treatment will be used later to argue the injury was not serious or was caused by something else entirely.

Preserve what will disappear

Photograph the scene, all vehicles, visible injuries, and road conditions. If a business had a camera pointed anywhere nearby, note it, because surveillance video is typically overwritten within thirty days and sometimes within seven. Get the crash report number. Write down what happened while your memory is fresh, including details that seem irrelevant.

Postpone the recorded statement

The other driver's insurer will call quickly and ask for a recorded statement. You are not obligated to give one and there is rarely a reason to do it before speaking with a lawyer. These conversations are structured to elicit statements that limit the claim later, often in ways that seem harmless as you say them.

Do not sign a release

An early payment offered in exchange for signing a release generally ends your claim permanently, including for treatment you have not yet had. If surgery becomes necessary six months later, that cost is yours. Having any offer reviewed costs nothing.