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Quick answer: In the first 24 hours after a Houston car accident, your job is to protect your health and your claim. Call 911 for a police report. Get medical attention even if you feel okay. Take photos at the scene. Exchange insurance information but say almost nothing about fault. Do not sign anything from the other driver's insurance company. Do not post about the crash on social media. Call a personal injury attorney before you give a recorded statement.
Call 911 immediately, even if you think the crash is minor. A Texas Peace Officer's Crash Report (form CR-3) is the foundation of almost every injury case. If officers don't respond because no injuries were reported, you can file a blue form (CR-2) yourself with TxDOT — but an officer-prepared report carries far more weight with insurance companies and juries.
Get clear of traffic if you can. Houston freeways see dozens of secondary crashes every year when victims remain on the roadway. If the vehicles are drivable and no one is seriously hurt, Texas Transportation Code §550.022 actually requires you to move out of traffic lanes when practical.
Do not apologize. Anything you say at the scene can be used against you later — including reflexive statements like "I'm so sorry" that have nothing to do with legal fault. Stick to facts. Answer the officer's questions honestly. Don't speculate.
Photograph everything: vehicle damage from multiple angles, skid marks, debris, traffic signs and signals, the other driver's license plate, both vehicles' license plates together, road conditions, weather, any visible injuries, the other driver's insurance card.
Get witnesses' names and phone numbers. Witnesses disappear within hours. Police reports don't always capture them. You want their phone number, not just a name.
Go to an ER or urgent care, not straight home. Adrenaline masks pain. Many serious injuries — concussions, soft-tissue damage, internal bleeding, spinal injuries — don't show symptoms for 24–72 hours. A gap in medical treatment is the single biggest argument insurance companies use to reduce what they pay you.
Houston-area trauma facilities that handle the majority of crash injuries include Memorial Hermann-TMC, Ben Taub General Hospital, HCA Houston Healthcare locations, and the Houston Methodist network. If you're in Katy, Memorial Hermann Katy or Houston Methodist West. In Sugar Land, Methodist Sugar Land. In Clear Lake, HCA Clear Lake.
Tell the ER doctor everything that hurts, even if it seems minor. If you don't mention it, it won't be in the chart. If it's not in the chart, insurance will argue it didn't come from the crash.
If you don't have health insurance, do not skip treatment. Injury attorneys can connect you with doctors who treat on a letter of protection — you pay nothing out of pocket, and the bill gets paid from your settlement.
Write down everything you remember while it's fresh — where you were coming from, what you were doing, what the other driver said, what the weather was like, what time of day it was, what lane you were in.
Keep every receipt. Uber rides to the doctor, prescription co-pays, over-the-counter medications, rental car fees, damaged items inside the vehicle. All of it is recoverable if you have documentation.
Download the crash report from the Texas Department of Transportation Crash Record Information System (CRIS) at cris.dot.state.tx.us once it's available (usually 7–10 business days). The TxDOT report is usually free if you're directly involved.
Do not post on social media. Insurance adjusters and defense lawyers will subpoena your Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok accounts. A smiling photo from a family event two weeks later will be used to argue you're not really hurt.
Report the crash to your own insurance company. Most Texas policies require prompt notice. Stick to basic facts — when, where, who. Do not speculate about fault.
The other driver's insurance will call you fast — sometimes within hours. They will sound friendly. They will ask you to give a recorded statement. Do not give one without talking to a lawyer first. Recorded statements are not legally required and almost never help you. They exist to lock you into a story the insurance company can pick apart later.
Do not sign a release or settlement offer in the first 24 hours — or the first week, or usually the first several months. Early offers are almost always a fraction of the real case value. Once you sign a release, you cannot come back for more even if injuries get worse.
Do not authorize release of all your medical records. The other driver's insurance will often send a broad medical authorization asking for lifetime medical history. You do not have to sign it. Your own doctors can release only the records relevant to the crash.
The honest answer: sooner is better, but the stakes determine the urgency. If the crash is minor, everyone walks away without injury, and damage is under a few thousand dollars, you may not need a lawyer at all. If anyone went to an ER, if injuries are ongoing, if commercial vehicles were involved, if a fatality occurred, or if the at-fault driver was uninsured — call an injury attorney before you say anything substantive to any insurance company. A free consultation costs nothing. A bad early statement can cost tens of thousands in recovery.
Go to the ER, or at minimum an urgent care, within 24 hours. Adrenaline masks pain. Injuries like concussions, whiplash, and soft-tissue damage often don't present symptoms for 1–3 days. A gap in treatment is the #1 argument insurance companies use to reduce settlements. A medical evaluation also creates documentation — crucial for any claim.
No. First-day and first-week offers are almost always far below actual case value. Insurance companies know that if they can close your case before you know the full extent of your injuries, they save enormous amounts of money. Once you sign a release, you cannot come back later even if injuries worsen or new problems appear. Talk to an attorney before signing anything.
No. You have no obligation to give a recorded statement to the at-fault driver's insurance company. These statements are not required by any law. They are used to lock you into specific words that can later be used to reduce your claim. You are required to cooperate with your own insurance company, but a formal recorded statement should still be coordinated with your attorney.
Under Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code §16.003, most personal injury lawsuits must be filed within two years from the date of the injury. There are shorter deadlines in some cases — notice to a government entity can be required in as little as 90 days. Waiting until close to the deadline is a serious mistake because evidence disappears and witnesses become hard to find.
This guide is general information about Texas law, not legal advice for your specific case. Every case has different facts. For a free case-specific review, call (713) 842-9442 or start an online case review.
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