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The minutes after a crash are confusing and stressful. Your heart is racing, traffic is backing up, and you may not know whether you’re hurt. Yet what you do in that short window can shape your health, your insurance claim, and your legal rights for months to come.
Keep this checklist in mind, or save it to your phone, so you know what to do if it ever happens to you.
Your safety comes first. Check yourself and your passengers for injuries, then check on the people in the other vehicle if it’s safe to do so. Call 911 if anyone is hurt, even slightly.
If someone may have a neck or back injury, don’t move them unless they’re in immediate danger, such as from fire or oncoming traffic.
Georgia law requires it. Under O.C.G.A. § 40-6-273, drivers must immediately notify police of any crash involving injury, death, or apparent property damage of $500 or more. In practice, that covers almost every collision.
Inside city limits, the Savannah Police Department typically responds. Outside the city, the county or the Georgia State Patrol may handle the report. Ask the officer for the report number before you leave.
Prompt reporting matters even more in a hit-and-run. If the other driver flees, your claim may depend on your own uninsured motorist coverage, and hit-and-run claims can be harder to pursue without an immediate police report.
If no one is seriously hurt and the vehicles can be driven, move them out of travel lanes to the shoulder or a nearby lot. This is especially important on busy roads like I-16, I-95, and the Truman Parkway, where secondary crashes are a real danger. Turn on your hazard lights.
Get the following from every driver involved:
Be polite, but keep conversation brief.
Use your phone to capture as much as you can:
Nearby businesses may have cameras that captured the crash, but footage is often overwritten within days. Our guide to what evidence you need for a personal injury claim explains what matters most.
It’s natural to say “I’m sorry” or speculate about what happened. Avoid it. Georgia’s comparative fault rule can reduce your compensation if you’re found partly at fault, and casual comments can be used against you later.
Stick to the facts with police. If you suspect the other driver was impaired, tell the officer. Drunk driving crashes involve their own evidence, and a DUI accident lawyer can use the criminal case to support your claim.
See a doctor the same day if possible, even if you feel fine. Concussions, whiplash, and internal injuries often don’t show symptoms until hours or days later. Our guide to whiplash and soft tissue injuries explains why delayed pain is so common.
A prompt medical visit protects your health and creates a record that ties your injuries to the crash.
Report the accident to your own insurance company as your policy requires. Be more cautious with the other driver’s insurer. Their adjuster may call within a day or two asking for a recorded statement or medical authorizations.
You’re not required to give the other side a recorded statement. Our guide to dealing with insurance companies after an accident explains how to handle those calls.
Early settlement offers often come before you know the full extent of your injuries. Once you sign a release, you usually can’t reopen the claim.
A car accident lawyer can review the offer, preserve evidence, and track every deadline. Our guide on when to hire a personal injury lawyer can help you decide.
Founding attorney Benjamin Clary has spent 13 years helping drivers and passengers protect their rights after crashes across coastal Georgia. He holds a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating and handles every case on a contingency fee basis.
We help clients throughout the area, including those with car accident claims in Bloomingdale. If you’ve been hurt in a crash, a personal injury lawyer at our firm can walk you through your next steps for free.
Contact us today to schedule your free consultation.
