The moments after a crash are chaotic, and the decisions made in that chaos follow you through the entire claim. Insurance companies count on victims making mistakes at the scene and in the first days afterward. This checklist from our Iowa car accident attorneys walks through exactly what to do, step by step, to protect your health first and your legal rights second.
Step 1: Check for Injuries and Get to Safety
Check yourself and your passengers for injuries. If anyone is hurt, call 911 immediately and do not move a seriously injured person unless there is immediate danger such as fire. If vehicles are drivable and it is safe, move them out of travel lanes, turn on hazard lights, and get people away from traffic. On Iowa’s interstates and rural highways, secondary collisions with stopped vehicles are a real and deadly risk.
Step 2: Call the Police and Report the Crash
Always involve law enforcement after an injury crash. Iowa law requires it: under Iowa Code section 321.266, a driver in an accident involving injury or death must immediately notify the county sheriff, the nearest Iowa State Patrol office, or another peace officer. The law also requires a written report to the Iowa Department of Transportation within 72 hours when a crash causes injury, death, or apparent property damage of $1,500 or more, unless law enforcement investigates the crash. Beyond the legal duty, the officer’s crash report is often the single most important early piece of evidence, documenting the parties, statements, conditions, and citations.
Step 3: Document the Scene
If you are able, use your phone to capture the evidence that disappears fastest: photos and video of all vehicles and their damage, the positions of the vehicles, skid marks and debris, traffic signs and signals, road and weather conditions, and your visible injuries. Get the names and phone numbers of witnesses before they drive away. Independent witnesses can decide a disputed fault case, and they are nearly impossible to find later. Our guide on evidence for a personal injury claim explains why each item matters.
Step 4: Exchange Information, and Watch What You Say
Exchange names, contact information, driver’s license numbers, license plates, and insurance details with the other driver. Then stop talking. Do not apologize, speculate about fault, or minimize your injuries with phrases like “I’m fine.” Statements made at the scene have a way of reappearing in the insurance company’s file. Be factual with the police, and leave the fault analysis to the investigation.
Step 5: Get Medical Care Promptly, Even If You Feel Okay
Adrenaline masks pain, and some of the most common crash injuries, including whiplash and concussions, often show symptoms hours or days later. See a doctor the same day or the next day, describe every symptom, and follow all treatment recommendations. Prompt care protects your health and creates the medical record that ties your injuries to the crash. A gap between the accident and your first visit is the first thing an adjuster will use against you.
Step 6: Notify Your Insurer, and Be Careful With the Other One
Report the crash to your own insurance company promptly, sticking to the basic facts. The other driver’s insurer is a different matter. You are not required to give their adjuster a recorded statement, and you should not sign medical authorizations or accept any early settlement before understanding your injuries. Adjusters who call quickly with friendly voices and fast checks are working for their employer, not for you. Our guide on dealing with insurance companies after an accident covers their tactics in detail.
Step 7: Talk to a Lawyer Before Accepting Anything
Before you give any statement to the at-fault insurer or accept any offer, get a free case evaluation. An attorney can preserve evidence, handle the adjusters, and tell you what your claim is actually worth. This matters everywhere in Iowa, and especially in crash-heavy corridors around Sioux City and Cedar Rapids, where serious interstate and commuter collisions are common.
We’re Ready to Take It From Here
You handle your recovery. Let us handle everything else. Hope Law Firm’s attorneys bring 125+ years of combined litigation experience, more than 100 trials across Iowa, and tens of millions of dollars recovered for crash victims, including a $131 million car crash result. Consultations are always free, and you pay no fee unless we win. Contact Hope Law Firm today, and we’ll start on your case immediately.
