5 Mistakes to Avoid After a Car Accident
A car accident can throw your life into chaos in seconds. Between dealing with insurance companies, injuries, and car repairs, it’s easy to make decisions that hurt your case without realizing it. Even simple mistakes can cost you thousands of dollars or weaken your ability to recover fair compensation later.
Here are the five most common mistakes people make after a car accident — and how to avoid them.
1. Not Getting a Police Report
A police report might feel unnecessary, especially if the crash seems minor or everyone agrees on what happened. But waiting for law enforcement is one of the most important things you can do — even if it takes an hour or more.
Insurance companies rely heavily on police reports when deciding who’s at fault. Even in straightforward cases like rear-end collisions, adjusters use the officer’s report as objective proof to support their liability decisions. Without that report, the insurance company has to rely on statements from both drivers — and that gives them room to delay, dispute, or deny your claim.
Bottom line: always wait for the police and make sure you get the report number before you leave the scene.
2. Failing to See a Doctor
You can tell the insurance company you’re in pain all day long, but if you don’t have medical records to prove it, they won’t care. Insurance companies only value what they can document — not what you say.
Even if you think your injuries are minor, get checked out by a doctor as soon as possible. Many injuries — like whiplash, back strains, or concussions — don’t show symptoms right away. Delaying treatment gives the insurance company an excuse to argue that you weren’t really hurt or that something else caused your injuries.
Early medical documentation is the foundation of every personal injury claim.
3. Not Contacting Your Own Insurance Company
Many people avoid reporting the accident to their own insurer because they’re afraid their rates will go up. But this can be a huge mistake.
Your own insurance policy may include additional coverage that can help — like Personal Injury Protection (PIP), Medical Payments Coverage (MedPay), or Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage (UM/UIM). These coverages can step in if the other driver doesn’t have enough insurance to pay for your medical bills, lost wages, or repairs.
Always notify your insurer and review your policy. Failing to do so could mean leaving thousands of dollars on the table.
4. Not Documenting the Scene
Good evidence wins cases. After a crash, you should take photos of everything — your injuries, vehicle damage, skid marks, traffic signs, and even weather conditions. Get the other driver’s name, contact information, driver’s license number, license plate, and insurance policy number.
If you leave the scene without this information, it can be very difficult to track down the other driver or file a claim later. Photos and documentation not only help your lawyer prove fault, but also protect you from false claims or changing stories down the road.
5. Not Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney
It’s tempting to try handling a claim yourself, especially when the insurance adjuster seems friendly. But the truth is simple: people who represent themselves almost always recover far less money.
Insurance companies know when you don’t have a lawyer — and they take advantage of it. They’ll delay your claim, downplay your injuries, or offer a settlement that barely covers your bills. When you hire an experienced personal injury attorney, everything changes. Your lawyer has the leverage to file a lawsuit, push back against bad-faith tactics, and negotiate for the full amount you deserve.
And remember — you don’t pay out of pocket. Personal injury lawyers work on contingency, meaning they only get paid if you win.
