After a car accident: what to do, and how you actually get paid
Most "what to do after a car accident" articles stop at the easy part — call the police, take photos — and quietly skip the question that actually keeps people up at night: will I ever see any money, and where would it even come from? This guide covers both, honestly. It is general information, not legal advice (the people who built this tool are not attorneys), but it is the stuff we wish someone had explained to us plainly.
1. In the first hours: what to actually do
The goal here is simple: protect your health first, and preserve the facts second. In rough order:
- Get to safety and check for injuries. Move out of traffic if you safely can, and call 911 for anyone hurt.
- Report it and get a police report. An official report is the single most useful document later — it records the scene while it is fresh.
- Document everything. Photos of all vehicles, the road, skid marks, and damage; the other driver's name, license, plate, and insurance; and names/numbers of any witnesses.
- Get medical care promptly — even if you feel "fine." Adrenaline masks injuries, and some (whiplash, concussions, soft-tissue damage) show up days later. A gap in treatment hurts both your recovery and your claim.
- Exchange information, but don't admit fault or guess. "I'm sorry" and "I didn't see you" can be used against you. Stick to facts.
- Notify your own insurer. Most policies require prompt notice — and, as you'll see below, your own coverage may end up being where the money comes from.
- Keep records. Every bill, a note of every missed work day, and a short pain/symptom journal. These become your economic and non-economic damages.
- Be careful with early calls. The other driver's insurer may call fast, ask for a recorded statement, or float a quick low offer. You are never required to give a recorded statement to the other side, and a first offer is rarely the last — check whether an offer is fair before you accept.
2. The uncomfortable reality: a claim is only worth what someone can pay
Here is the part the lead-gen sites don't lead with. There is a difference between what your claim is worth and what you can actually collect:
- About 1 in 8 U.S. drivers is uninsured (Insurance Research Council estimate) — and more are underinsured.
- State-minimum coverage is often tiny. In many states the legal minimum is as little as $15,000–$30,000 per person in bodily-injury coverage. A serious injury can exceed that on the first hospital bill.
- Some at-fault drivers are "judgment-proof." You can win a judgment against someone with no assets and no insurance and still collect nothing.
That's why the most useful question after a serious crash isn't only "what is my claim worth" (our calculator estimates that) — it's "where will the money actually come from?"
3. Where the money actually comes from
When the at-fault driver's policy falls short, payment often comes from a stack of other sources — your own UM/UIM coverage, MedPay/PIP, a commercial policy if the other driver was working, an umbrella policy, other responsible parties, your health insurance, UM/UIM stacking, or workers' compensation. These are possibilities to investigate, not promises — what applies depends on your policies, your state, and the facts.
Rather than list all eight here and let it go stale, we keep the full, sourced, tap-to-expand version attached to every estimate — run the calculator and scroll to "Where the money can actually come from" in your result.
4. What this tool can't do
The calculator gives you a realistic settlement range, applies the correct fault rule for your state (see by state →), and shows the reality check above. For how the math works, see About and Methodology.
What it can't do: we are not your lawyer, and this is not legal advice. A calculator can't weigh disputed liability, policy limits, the strength of your evidence, damage caps, or negotiation. For a real valuation — especially with serious or permanent injuries, disputed fault, multiple parties, or a low-balling insurer — talk to a licensed attorney in your state. Most injury lawyers work on contingency (no upfront fee). Our job is to help you walk in informed instead of blind.
← Run the free calculator · Negotiate it yourself → · Is your offer fair? → · Draft a demand letter → · See how we calculate it →
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