Injury guide
What to do after a car accident in Dallas
Reviewed by Nolan Ryan McConville, Texas attorney since 2016 · Updated October 2026
A crash on Central Expressway, LBJ Freeway or a neighborhood street in Oak Cliff can leave you shaken and unsure what comes next. The steps you take in the first hours and days can affect your health, your insurance claim and any later case.
This guide walks through those steps in order. It is general information, not legal advice for your situation, but it covers what most people need to know after a Dallas car accident.
At the scene
At the scene: safety first
The first minutes after a crash are about safety and your legal duties. Texas law requires drivers in a crash that injures someone to stop, exchange information and give reasonable help.
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01Right away
Stop your vehicle
Stop and stay. Leaving the scene of an injury crash is a crime.
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02If you can
Move out of traffic
If you can move your car out of traffic safely, do it, especially on a busy freeway like I-35E or I-30. Turn on your hazard lights.
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03Then
Check on everyone
Check on everyone in your car and in the other vehicles.
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04If needed
Call 911
Call 911 if anyone is hurt or if the vehicles cannot be driven.
Police report
Call the police and get a report number
Whoever responds, tell the officer what happened in plain, factual terms, and leave with a report number.
Who responds
Inside the city, Dallas Police usually respond. On some highways, a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper or a sheriff's deputy may take the report instead.
Stick to the facts
Don't guess about speeds or distances, and don't apologize or take blame. You may not know everything that caused the crash.
Get the report number
Ask for the officer's name and the report or case number. You will need it later to get the Texas Peace Officer's Crash Report, known as the CR-3.
Evidence
Collect information and evidence
If you are able, gather the basics while you are still at the scene. Your phone can do most of the work.
Driver and insurance details
The other driver's name, phone number, driver's license number and insurance information.
Vehicle details
The license plate, make, model and color of every vehicle involved.
Photos of the scene
All vehicles from several angles, before they are moved if possible, plus skid marks, debris, traffic signals, signs and road conditions.
Witnesses and cameras
Names and phone numbers of witnesses, and notes on nearby businesses or homes that may have cameras.
- The other driver's name, phone number, driver's license number and insurance information.
- The license plate, make, model and color of every vehicle involved.
- Photos of all vehicles, from several angles, before they are moved if possible.
- Photos of skid marks, debris, traffic signals, signs and road conditions.
- Names and phone numbers of witnesses.
- Notes on nearby businesses or homes that may have cameras.
Medical care
Get medical care, even if you feel fine
Adrenaline can hide pain. Get checked at an emergency room, urgent care clinic or by your own doctor as soon as you can, ideally the same day.
Hidden injuries
Concussions, whiplash and internal injuries do not always show up right away.
Report every symptom
Tell the doctor every symptom, even ones that seem minor.
Follow the plan
Follow the treatment plan. Gaps in treatment are a common reason insurers give for offering less.
Keep the paperwork
Keep copies of bills, prescriptions and any work restrictions.
Your insurer
Notify your insurance company
Your policy likely requires you to report the crash promptly. Give your insurer the basic facts: when, where and who was involved.
No detailed statement yet
You do not need to give a detailed recorded statement on the first call.
PIP coverage
Texas insurers must offer personal injury protection (PIP), with at least $2,500 in coverage. PIP can help pay medical bills and lost income regardless of fault.
UM/UIM coverage
Insurers must also offer uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage.
Ask what you have
Both apply unless you rejected them in writing, so ask your insurer about your coverage.
Other insurer
Be careful with the other driver's insurer
The other driver's insurance company may call within a day or two. The adjuster may sound helpful, but their job is to limit what the company pays.
Recorded statements
You are generally not required to give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer.
Medical authorizations
Be cautious about signing medical authorizations.
Quick offers
Be cautious about accepting a quick offer.
Learn more
The Nolan Ryan Law guide on talking to insurance adjusters after a crash covers this in more detail.
Property damage
Handle your car repair and rental
Your vehicle damage is usually handled as a separate property damage claim, through the other driver's insurer or your own collision coverage, if you have it.
Estimate and photos
Get a written estimate, and take photos before repairs begin.
Rental receipts
Keep receipts for a rental car or rideshare trips while your car is in the shop.
Possible total loss
If the car may be a total loss, ask how the insurer calculated its value.
Before it is scrapped
Do not let the vehicle be scrapped before photos are taken and, in a serious crash, before your lawyer has had a chance to preserve it.
Social media
Stay off social media about the crash
Insurers look at social media, and what you post can be taken out of context and used to argue you were not really hurt.
Photos out of context
A photo from a birthday party can be used against your claim.
Short posts count
Even a short post saying you are "doing okay" can be used to argue you were not really hurt.
Wait until it's resolved
The safe approach is not to post about the crash, your injuries or your activities until your claim is resolved.
Records
Keep track of everything
Start a simple folder or note on your phone. Those notes can matter months later.
Numbers and names
Save the crash report number, claim numbers and adjuster names.
Medical and money records
Keep medical records, receipts and repair estimates.
Daily life notes
Write down how your injuries affect your daily life, such as missed work, trouble sleeping and activities you can't do.
Deadlines
Watch the deadlines
Texas personal injury claims generally must be filed within two years of the crash (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §16.003). Exceptions exist.
Government vehicles
If a city vehicle, DART bus or other government vehicle was involved, the Texas Tort Claims Act generally requires written notice within six months.
Some cities sooner
Some cities require notice even sooner.
Easy to miss
Those shorter deadlines are easy to miss.
Fault
Understand how fault works
Texas uses modified comparative fault, and insurers know how to use it.
The 50% line
You can recover only if you are 50% or less at fault.
Reduced by your share
Your recovery is reduced by your share of the fault.
Blame shifting
Insurers often look for reasons to shift blame onto you.
Evidence answers it
Careful evidence from the scene is a strong answer to that tactic.
Next step
Talk to Nolan
If you were hurt in a Dallas car accident, Nolan can review what happened, explain your insurance options and tell you what he would do next.
Free consultation
The consultation is free, and there is no attorney's fee unless money is recovered.
Talk directly with Nolan
You will talk directly with Nolan, by phone, by video or at his offices on Pacific Avenue or LBJ Freeway.
Call Nolan
Call (214) 706-4031.
Related cases
Related practice areas
Car accidents
Truck accidents
Hit-and-run accidents
Drunk driving accidents
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