If you’ve just been in a car accident in Texas, do this first: check everyone for injuries, move to safety if the car is drivable, and call 911 if anyone is hurt or the damage looks like it’s over $1,000. Texas law requires you to report crashes that meet that threshold, and what you do in the next hour affects both your safety and any claim you file later.
1. Check for Injuries and Get to Safety
Before anything else, check yourself and your passengers. Adrenaline hides pain, so don’t assume you’re fine just because nothing hurts yet. If you can move the car without making things worse, pull onto the shoulder or a nearby lot – staying in a live traffic lane is one of the most common ways people get hurt after the initial crash, not during it. Turn on your hazard lights. If you’re stuck in the road and can’t move safely, stay in the vehicle with your seatbelt on rather than stepping into traffic.
2. Call 911 – and Know When Texas Law Requires It
Call 911 if anyone is injured, if there’s a fatality, or if the damage looks like it clears $1,000. Under Texas Transportation Code § 550.062, a police officer who investigates a crash meeting that threshold has to file a written report – and separately, drivers themselves are legally required to report a crash that isn’t investigated by police but still meets that same bar for injury, death, or $1,000+ in damage.
That $1,000 figure sounds high until you’re standing next to a dented bumper. Repair costs, especially with today’s sensor-packed bumpers and panels, blow past $1,000 more often than people expect. If you’re unsure whether your accident clears the threshold, call the police anyway – it’s a five-minute decision that protects you if the damage turns out to be worse than it looked at the scene.
3. Exchange Information With the Other Driver
Get the other driver’s name, phone number, address, driver’s license number, license plate, and insurance company with policy number. Take a photo of their license and insurance card if they’re willing – it’s faster and less error-prone than writing it down by hand. If there were passengers or witnesses, get their contact information too, even if they weren’t hurt. A witness who’s willing to talk today may be much harder to track down in three months.
4. Document the Scene Before Anything Gets Moved or Repaired
Photograph everything: all vehicles from multiple angles, license plates, the road and any skid marks, traffic signs or signals nearby, and your own visible injuries if you have any. Wide shots that show where the cars ended up relative to lanes and intersections matter more than close-ups – they’re what actually help establish how the crash happened later. If the weather or lighting was a factor, get that in frame too.
5. Get Checked Out Medically, Even If You Feel Fine
Some of the most common accident injuries – whiplash, soft tissue damage, concussions – don’t show symptoms for hours or even a day or two. Getting evaluated at the scene by EMS, or seeing a doctor within 24-48 hours if you decline transport, does two things: it catches injuries early, and it creates a medical record tying your condition to the crash date. Waiting a week to see a doctor doesn’t just risk your health – it gives an insurance adjuster room to argue your injury came from somewhere else.
6. Notify Your Insurance Company
Most policies require you to report a crash promptly, sometimes within days, regardless of who was at fault. Stick to the facts: where, when, what happened. You don’t need to speculate about fault or estimate damage costs on that first call – that’s what the claims process and any police report are for.
7. Watch What You Say and Do
A few things to avoid in the hours and days after:
- Don’t say “I’m sorry” or anything that could be read as admitting fault, even as a reflexive social nicety – it can end up in a report or recorded statement.
- Don’t accept a quick cash offer from the other driver to “handle it between us” if there’s real damage or any injury – without a report or documentation, you have no way to enforce that agreement later.
- Don’t give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company without thinking it through first. You’re not obligated to, and adjusters are trained to ask questions that narrow your claim.
- Don’t post about the accident on social media. Insurers do check, and an offhand “I’m fine, just a little sore!” can resurface later as evidence against an injury claim.
8. Get a Copy of the Official Crash Report
If police responded and the crash met the reporting threshold, they’ll file a Peace Officer’s Crash Report (Form CR-3) with the Texas Department of Transportation, generally within 10 days. This is the official record insurers and courts rely on to help sort out fault, so getting your copy matters even if you feel your claim is straightforward. You can request it through TxDOT’s online Crash Report Purchase System using the crash ID number (the officer should give you this at the scene), or your name and driver’s license number if you don’t have it.
One note on paperwork: Texas used to also have a driver-completed “CR-2” or “Blue Form” for accidents police didn’t investigate. That requirement was dropped in 2017, and TxDOT no longer accepts or stores CR-2 forms as an official filing – the CR-3 from police is the only report the state recognizes now. Some drivers still fill out a similar form for their own records or at an officer’s suggestion, but don’t mistake that for satisfying your legal reporting duty. If no officer responds and your crash meets the threshold, your obligation is to report it, not to fill out a specific form.
9. Know When to Loop In a Lawyer
Not every fender-bender needs a lawyer. But if anyone was injured, if fault is being disputed, or if the insurance company’s first offer feels low relative to your medical bills and lost time, it’s worth getting a second opinion before you sign anything. Most personal injury lawyers in Texas work on contingency, meaning you don’t pay unless they recover money for you, so a consultation costs you nothing to find out where you stand. If you’re trying to get a sense of what a claim like yours might realistically be worth first, our breakdown of average car accident settlements in Texas is a reasonable place to start before that conversation.
Also keep the Texas statute of limitations in mind – you generally have two years from the accident date to file a lawsuit if it comes to that, so there’s no need to rush a decision about legal help in the first 24 hours, but there’s also no reason to let it slide indefinitely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to call the police for a minor fender-bender in Texas?
Only if the crash involves injury, death, or property damage that reasonably appears to be $1,000 or more. Below that threshold, Texas doesn’t require a police report, though calling anyway is rarely a bad idea if there’s any disagreement about what happened.
What happens if I don’t report a crash that meets the threshold?
Failing to report a qualifying crash is a criminal offense in Texas and can carry fines or even jail time in serious cases. It can also seriously hurt your ability to recover money later, since there’s no official report backing up your version of events.
Can I still file a claim if I didn’t get a police report?
Yes, but it’s harder. Without a CR-3, you’ll lean more heavily on photos, witness statements, medical records, and your own written account. This is exactly why documenting the scene thoroughly matters so much when police don’t respond.
How long do I have to see a doctor after a car accident in Texas?
There’s no strict legal deadline tied to the statute of limitations, but from a practical standpoint, seeing a doctor within 24-48 hours gives you the strongest medical evidence connecting your injury to the crash. Waiting weeks makes that connection much easier for an insurer to dispute.
Should I talk to my own insurance company before speaking to a lawyer?
You can and generally should notify your own insurer promptly, since most policies require it. Just stick to the basic facts of the crash. If injuries or fault disputes are involved, it’s worth getting a lawyer’s input before giving any recorded statement, including to your own insurer.
This article is for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Reporting requirements and their consequences can vary based on the specific facts of a crash. Consult a licensed Texas attorney for guidance on your situation.
