You’re reading this on your phone. Maybe you’re in an ER waiting room off I-35E, or pulled over on the President George Bush Turnpike with hazard lights blinking. Take a breath. The next 72 hours matter more than the next 72 days, and the order you do things in changes what your case is worth later.
Texas saw 245,768 people injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2024, and one person was hurt every 2 minutes 4 seconds on Texas roads (TxDOT Crash Statistics, 2024). Dallas County alone recorded more than 30,000 injury crashes that year. This guide walks through the seven steps that protect your health, your claim, and your right to recover, in the exact order to do them.
Key Takeaways
– Do these 7 things in order: document the scene, get medical care, file the crash report, see your primary doctor, notify your own insurer, talk to an attorney, then file suit if needed.
– Texas requires a police report for any crash involving injury or $1,000+ in damage (TxDOT, 2024).
– You have 2 years to file a personal injury lawsuit under Texas CPRC §16.003. Miss it and your claim is gone.
– Up to 50% of crash injury symptoms appear hours or days later (IIHS, 2023), so “I feel fine” is not a medical opinion.
Step 1: At the scene, what should you do in the first 10 minutes?
In the first 10 minutes, photograph everything, exchange information, and call 911 if anyone is hurt or property damage looks above $1,000. Texas Transportation Code §550.026 requires drivers to report any crash that injures a person or causes apparent damage of $1,000 or more (Texas Transportation Code, 2024). Skipping this step weakens every step that follows.
Move to a safe shoulder if the vehicles are drivable. Turn on hazards. Then start with the camera roll on your phone.
What to photograph
Capture wide shots of both vehicles, all four corners of each car, the license plates, the road, any skid marks, the traffic signals, and the surrounding businesses that may have exterior cameras. Photograph the other driver’s license, insurance card, and registration. Take a 30-second video panning the full scene.
What to say (and not say)
Exchange names, phone numbers, insurance carriers, and policy numbers. Do not apologize. Do not say “I didn’t see you” or “I’m fine.” A simple “Are you hurt? I’m calling 911” is enough. Texas is an at-fault state, and casual statements show up in adjuster notes weeks later.
When to call police
Call 911 for injuries. For non-injury crashes in Carrollton, the Carrollton PD non-emergency line is (972) 466-3333 and an officer will usually respond if vehicles are blocking traffic. On I-635 LBJ, I-35E, the PGBT, or Sam Rayburn Tollway, dispatch routes to DPS or the relevant city.
Citation capsule: Texas Transportation Code §550.026 requires drivers to immediately report any crash involving injury, death, or apparent vehicle damage of $1,000 or more. In 2024, TxDOT recorded 245,768 injuries and 4,154 fatalities statewide, with Dallas County accounting for over 30,000 injury crashes (TxDOT, 2024).
Step 2: Within 1 hour, why does medical attention matter even if you feel fine?
Within the first hour, text someone you trust and accept medical evaluation, even if nothing hurts yet. Adrenaline masks pain for hours. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that soft-tissue and concussion symptoms commonly emerge 24 to 72 hours after impact (IIHS, 2023). Refusing the ambulance is one of the most expensive choices crash victims make.
If paramedics offer transport, accept it. If you decline, drive yourself or have someone drive you to an ER within the hour. Closest DFW Level I and II trauma options include Parkland Memorial in Dallas (the region’s Level I trauma center), Baylor Scott & White Medical Center, Carrollton, Methodist Charlton Medical Center in southwest Dallas, and Texas Health Presbyterian Plano.
In our practice, the single most common regret we hear from clients is, “I told the officer I was okay.” Two days later, their neck locked up, the MRI showed a disc bulge, and the insurance adjuster used that on-scene statement to argue the injury was unrelated. Get checked. Document the visit.
Step 3: Within 24 hours, how do you file a Texas crash report?
Within 24 hours, confirm the responding officer filed a Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report (Form CR-3), or file your own Driver’s Crash Report (Form CR-2) if no officer responded. Texas law requires the CR-2 when a crash causes injury, death, or $1,000+ in damage and police did not investigate (Texas DOT Crash Reports, 2024). The report becomes the spine of your claim file.
How to get the CR-3
The officer files the CR-3 within 10 days. You or your attorney can purchase the certified copy from TxDOT’s CRIS portal for $8 (regular) or $6 (redacted). Save the CR-3 number the officer gives you at the scene. It speeds up retrieval.
How to file the CR-2
Download Form CR-2 from the TxDOT website, complete it within 10 days, and keep a copy. The CR-2 is no longer mailed to TxDOT but is required for your insurance and any later lawsuit.
Citation capsule: Texas drivers must file a written crash report (Form CR-2) within 10 days of any crash causing injury, death, or $1,000+ in damage when no officer investigated. The peace officer’s report (Form CR-3) is purchasable through TxDOT’s CRIS portal for $6 to $8 (TxDOT, 2024).
Step 4: Within 72 hours, what should you do at your primary doctor’s office?
Within 72 hours, see your primary care physician, save every receipt and discharge paper, and decline any recorded statement from the other driver’s insurer. The 72-hour window matters because medical records dated more than three days after a crash are routinely challenged as “unrelated.” A 2024 IIHS analysis found nearly half of whiplash and mild TBI symptoms surface between hours 24 and 72 (IIHS, 2024).
Build the paper trail
Keep a single folder, physical or digital, with the CR-3, ER discharge, primary care notes, prescriptions, mileage to and from appointments, and pay stubs showing missed work. Photograph bruises every 48 hours for two weeks. Bruises tell a timeline that adjusters cannot dismiss.
Why no recorded statement
The Insurance Research Council found that claimants who give early recorded statements settle for measurably less than those who do not, and represented claimants in bodily injury claims recover roughly 3.5 times more on average than unrepresented ones (Insurance Research Council, 2023). The other driver’s adjuster is not neutral. You are not required to talk to them.
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. This article is general information, not legal advice. If you’ve been in a Texas car accident, consult a personal injury attorney about your specific situation.
Step 5: Within 1 week, how should you notify your own insurer?
Within one week, notify your own insurance company in writing and ask specifically about your PIP and UM/UIM coverage. Texas requires insurers to offer Personal Injury Protection (PIP) of at least $2,500, and the policyholder must reject it in writing to opt out (Texas Department of Insurance, 2024). Most Texans have it and don’t know it.
What PIP covers
PIP pays your medical bills and 80% of lost wages regardless of fault, up to your policy limit. It triggers fast, often within 30 days of submission, and does not require a lawsuit. Submit ER bills, primary care bills, and a wage-loss letter from your employer.
What UM/UIM covers
Roughly 12.7% of Texas drivers were uninsured as of the most recent IRC report (Insurance Research Council, 2023). UM/UIM steps in when the at-fault driver has no insurance or not enough. Notify your carrier in writing within the policy’s stated window, often 30 days, to preserve the claim.
Many DFW drivers assume notifying their own insurer will spike their premium after a not-at-fault crash. Texas Insurance Code §551.107 prohibits surcharges on a not-at-fault driver, so the upside of triggering PIP almost always outweighs the imagined downside.
Step 6: Within 30 days, when should you hire a personal injury attorney?
Within 30 days of the crash, talk to a personal injury attorney before you sign anything the at-fault insurer sends you. The Insurance Research Council reports represented claimants recover roughly 3.5 times more than unrepresented ones in bodily injury claims, even after attorney fees (Insurance Research Council, 2023). Early release forms are the most common way good cases die.
What “signing” means
The other driver’s insurer may overnight a “medical authorization” or a “property damage release.” A medical authorization, signed broadly, gives them access to a decade of unrelated records they will mine for prior complaints. A general release, even labeled “property damage only,” can extinguish your bodily injury claim if the language is broad.
What attorneys do in the first 30 days
A Texas personal injury attorney sends a letter of representation that stops adjuster contact, requests the CR-3 and 911 audio, locks in body shop estimates, sends preservation letters for nearby business camera footage (most overwrite in 7 to 30 days), and routes you to providers who treat on a letter of protection if you have no health insurance.
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. This article is general information, not legal advice. If you’ve been in a Texas car accident, consult a personal injury attorney about your specific situation.
Step 7: Within 2 years, what is the Texas statute of limitations for car accidents?
You have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit in Texas. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code §16.003 sets a strict two-year limitations period for personal injury actions, including most car accident claims (Texas CPRC §16.003, current). Miss the deadline and the courthouse door closes, regardless of how strong your case is.
DFW residents typically file in Dallas County District Court (George L. Allen Sr. Courts Building, 600 Commerce St) or Tarrant County District Court (401 W Belknap St, Fort Worth), depending on where the crash occurred or where the defendant lives. Carrollton sits across Dallas, Denton, and Collin counties, so venue analysis matters before filing.
Of the DFW car accident inquiries our intake team logged in the past 12 months, 22% came from drivers who were already inside the final 60 days of their statute of limitations. Of those, the cases that still settled fairly were the ones where suit was filed inside two weeks of intake. Waiting is the most expensive strategy in Texas personal injury law.
Citation capsule: Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code §16.003 imposes a two-year statute of limitations on personal injury claims, including motor vehicle crashes. Suit must be filed in the proper county district court, typically Dallas County or Tarrant County for DFW crashes, before the second anniversary of the incident (Texas CPRC, current).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to call the police after a minor fender-bender in Carrollton?
Yes, if anyone reports pain or the visible damage looks above $1,000, Texas Transportation Code §550.026 requires reporting the crash. For non-injury Carrollton crashes, dial the Carrollton PD non-emergency line at (972) 466-3333. Texas saw 245,768 injury crashes in 2024 (TxDOT, 2024), so officers expect these calls.
How long do I have to see a doctor after a Texas car accident?
See a doctor within 72 hours, even if symptoms are mild. The IIHS reports that nearly half of soft-tissue and concussion symptoms surface 24 to 72 hours post-crash (IIHS, 2024). Records created later are routinely challenged by adjusters as unrelated to the collision.
Will my insurance go up if I use my PIP after a not-at-fault DFW crash?
No. Texas Insurance Code §551.107 prohibits insurers from surcharging a driver who was not at fault. Texas requires carriers to offer at least $2,500 in PIP coverage and applies it regardless of fault (Texas Department of Insurance, 2024). Using your PIP is the system working as designed.
What if the other driver was uninsured on I-635 or the PGBT?
Your UM/UIM coverage applies. About 12.7% of Texas drivers carry no insurance (Insurance Research Council, 2023). Notify your carrier in writing within the window your policy specifies, often 30 days, and preserve all crash documentation.
Can I still file a Texas car accident claim after 2 years?
Almost never. Texas CPRC §16.003 sets a two-year statute of limitations, and exceptions are narrow. They include claims by minors and certain delayed-discovery scenarios (Texas CPRC, current). Talk to an attorney immediately if you are anywhere near the deadline.
What’s the bottom line for DFW drivers after a crash?
The seven steps stack on each other. Skip the scene photos and step 6 gets harder. Skip the 72-hour doctor visit and step 7 collapses. Texas drivers who follow this sequence recover roughly 3.5 times more than those who do not, even after attorney fees (IRC, 2023).
If you’re reading this from a hospital bed near I-35E, the PGBT, or anywhere across the DFW Metroplex, the most important step you can take in the next hour is documenting your medical visit and saving every paper. The second is a free, no-pressure phone call to a Texas personal injury attorney who can preserve evidence before it’s gone.
Free 24/7 bilingual consultation: (469) 484-4412. Office: 1925 E Belt Line Rd Ste 352, Carrollton TX 75006.
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. This article is general information, not legal advice. If you’ve been in a Texas car accident, consult a personal injury attorney about your specific situation.
Anthony Martinez – Personal injury attorney serving the DFW Metroplex. State Bar of Texas #24137488. Also licensed in North Carolina (#63179) and Oklahoma (#36012). J.D. Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law. Bilingual (English & Spanish). Free 24/7 consultation: (469) 484-4412.
Jacquelyn Martinez, Owner and Attorney of Martinez Injury Law, PLLC. State Bar of Texas #24137485. J.D. Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law. Free 24/7 consultation: (469) 484-4412.