What to Do After a Car Accident in Omaha, Nebraska

October 27, 2026 | By Hope Law Firm

A crash at 72nd and Dodge leaves you with choices to make in the first hour and legal deadlines that come due before you know it. Nebraska sets some of those rules, and the Omaha Police Department sets others. At Hope Law Firm, our Omaha car accident attorney team sees the same early mistakes weaken strong claims across Douglas County.

Immediate Safety Steps After a Crash on Omaha Roads

Check yourself and your passengers for injuries, then call 911. If your car still runs, move it out of traffic and switch on your hazard lights. Standing near a live lane is dangerous on fast roads like West Center Road and the I-80 and I-680 interchange.

While you wait for help, use your phone to save the details you will need later. Try to collect as many of these as you can:

• The other driver’s name, license number, and insurance card
• Photos of the damage, the road, and any skid marks
• Names and phone numbers of witnesses
• The responding officer’s name and report number

Keep your talk with the other driver short and polite. Do not apologize or guess about who caused the crash, because either one can show up later in an insurance file.

Where Should You Get Medical Care After an Omaha Car Accident?

Go to an urgent care or emergency room the same day, even if you feel fine. Nearby options include Nebraska Medicine – Nebraska Medical Center, CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center – Bergan Mercy, and Methodist Hospital. Neck, back, and head injuries may not hurt until hours or days later.

Waiting may put your health at risk, and it gives the insurance company an opening. If you wait two weeks to see a doctor, the adjuster may argue your injury was already there or came from something else. Go to every follow-up visit and keep your bills, since gaps in care raise the same doubts and lead to many disputed insurance claims.

How to Get an Omaha Police Accident Report

The Omaha Police Department handles crash reports for accidents within city limits. Its Central Headquarters is at 505 S. 15th Street, Omaha, NE 68102. Have your report number or the collision date and location ready, then choose one of the following request options:

• Online: Search the department’s accident report portal and pay by card, plus a convenience fee.
• In person: Buy a copy for $5 at the Central Headquarters front desk.
• By mail: Send the report number and a $5 check or money order to the Records Manager at Central Headquarters.

Read the report when it arrives. If a street name, date, or insurance detail is wrong, ask the department how to correct it.

How to File with the OPD Telephone Report Squad

Officers do not come to every accident in Omaha. The department’s online form covers non-emergency crimes such as theft and does not take crash reports.

If no officer investigated your wreck, call the OPD Telephone Report Squad (TRS) at 402-444-4877. Staff there take phone reports for crashes that involve an injury or a hit-and-run driver, including reports made days after the crash. For a property-damage-only crash that no officer investigated, you file the state report described below instead.

Finding Your Car at the Omaha Impound Lot

Police may order a tow to the City of Omaha impound lot if your car no longer runs. Before going, call 402-444-5782 to ask what paperwork and payment you need. Tell your insurance company where the car is, since storage fees add up each day it stays there.

What Does the Nebraska Car Accident Reporting Law Require?

The Nebraska car accident reporting law requires you to report certain crashes when no officer investigates. Under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-699, you must send a written report to the Nebraska Department of Transportation within 10 days if the crash injured or killed anyone, or caused apparent property damage of at least $2,000 to any one person.

Missing the deadline is a Class V misdemeanor. The law blocks public access to driver reports and bars their use at trial.

How Does Nebraska’s 50% Comparative Fault Rule Work?

Nebraska lets you recover money even when you share some of the blame, and your payment drops by your share of fault. The Nebraska comparative fault 50 percent rule sets the limit.

If you are found 50% or more at fault, the law bars you from recovering anything. For example, 30% of the blame on a $50,000 claim leaves $35,000, and 50% leaves $0.

Insurance adjusters lean hard on the 50% rule to deny claims. They look for anything that raises your share of fault, including:

• Driving a few miles over the speed limit
• A phone in your hand or on your lap
• A recorded statement where you guess at speeds or distances

You do not have to give the other driver’s insurance company a recorded statement. Photos, video, and witness accounts are your best answer when an adjuster shifts blame onto you.

How Long Do You Have to File a Car Accident Lawsuit in Nebraska?

Most personal injury lawsuits from a Nebraska auto collision must be filed within four years, usually beginning on the day of the crash. Some claims have less time, including wrongful death claims and claims against a city or county.

Lawsuits over Omaha car accidents are usually filed in Douglas County District Court. The lawsuit deadline is the last date on your calendar, and the 10-day report and your first medical visit come much sooner.

Call Our Omaha Car Accident Attorneys Within Days of Your Crash

The first week after a collision is when our attorneys can do the most for you. Our attorneys can order your police report, check whether a state report is due, and take over the calls from both insurance companies.

Our attorneys bring over 125 years of combined litigation experience and have handled thousands of cases. When you partner with us, you will be treated with compassion, honesty, dignity, and respect from the first call. Call Hope Law Firm today, or contact us online or call (515) 255-3559 to schedule your free car accident case evaluation in Omaha.