What to Do After a Car Accident

Car accidents happen fast. One moment you’re merging onto I-64 near Clayton, and the next, everything stops. The seconds and minutes that follow matter more than most people realize, and what you do, or don’t do, in those moments can shape the outcome of your entire claim.

We’ve been helping injured people in St. Louis and throughout Missouri for years. If you’ve been hurt in a collision, understanding your rights under Missouri’s motor vehicle accident laws is the first step toward protecting yourself. This guide walks through what to do, in plain language, so you’re not figuring it out under pressure.

Stay at the Scene and Check on Everyone

Missouri law generally requires drivers involved in accidents resulting in injury, death, or qualifying property damage to remain at the scene and fulfill certain legal obligations. Leaving can create serious legal problems on top of everything else you’re already dealing with.

Once you’ve stopped, check yourself and your passengers for injuries. Then check on the other vehicle. If anyone is hurt, call 911 immediately. Be specific about injuries with the dispatcher, so the right medical response gets sent. And if you can safely move vehicles out of active traffic on I-70 or I-44 without making the situation worse, do so. If you’re not sure, leave them where they are and wait for law enforcement.

Call the Police

Missouri law requires reporting certain accidents involving injury, death, or qualifying property damage, and drivers should contact law enforcement whenever reporting requirements may apply. In practice, that threshold is easy to reach. Modern car repairs, even for what looks like minor damage, often exceed statutory reporting thresholds. Calling 911 and getting a law enforcement officer to the scene is almost always the right call.

The responding officer will document the scene, take statements, and generate an official crash report. That report becomes a foundational piece of your claim. It establishes a timeline, notes road conditions, and records what each driver said at the scene. In our experience, clients who skipped the police report faced an uphill battle when insurance companies later disputed the facts.

Within St. Louis city limits, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department typically handles accident investigations. Outside city limits, the St. Louis County Police or Missouri State Highway Patrol may respond depending on where the crash occurred.

Exchange Information the Right Way

Missouri law generally requires drivers involved in an accident to exchange certain identifying and insurance information. According to the Missouri Department of Revenue, you should collect the other driver’s name, address, driver’s license number, vehicle identification number, license plate number, insurance company name, and policy number. Get it all. Don’t rely on memory.

And photograph everything you can while you’re still at the scene. The other vehicle’s damage, your vehicle’s damage, the road itself, any skid marks, traffic signs, and the general layout of the intersection or stretch of highway. Phones make this easy now. Use yours. If anyone witnessed the crash, collect their name and contact information so they can be reached later.

One thing to be careful about: be factual when speaking to the other driver and to officers. Avoid volunteering explanations about what you were doing or why you made a particular driving decision. Statements made at the scene can surface later in ways you wouldn’t expect.

Seek Medical Attention Promptly

This is where a lot of people make a costly mistake. They feel okay at the scene, maybe a little shaken, and they decide to wait and see. A few days later, neck pain sets in. Or headaches. Or back pain that won’t quit.

Some injuries simply don’t show up right away. Soft tissue injuries, whiplash, and even some traumatic brain injuries can take time to become apparent. Getting evaluated by a medical professional soon after the accident creates documentation that connects your injuries to the crash. Wait too long, and insurance companies will argue that something else caused your condition.

Keep every record. Medical bills, treatment notes, prescriptions, follow-up appointments. All of it matters when calculating the full scope of your damages, meaning the financial compensation available for losses caused by an injury.

Report the Accident to Your Insurance Company

Notify your own insurer about the accident, generally within a reasonable timeframe. Most policies require prompt notification as a condition of coverage. Be factual in what you report, and avoid speculating about fault at this stage.

About those conversations with the other driver’s insurance company… actually, let me back up. Before you give any recorded statement to the opposing insurer, talk to an attorney. Insurance adjusters are trained to ask questions in ways that can shift fault percentages. Missouri follows a pure comparative fault system, meaning your compensation may be reduced by whatever percentage of fault is assigned to you. Even a 20 percent fault assignment can meaningfully reduce what you recover. That’s not a small thing.

Understand How Missouri’s Fault Rules Affect Your Case

Missouri’s pure comparative fault framework is actually one of the more favorable systems in the country for injured people. Even if you were partially responsible for the crash, you may still be entitled to compensation. Your recovery is simply reduced in proportion to your share of fault. So if a jury finds you 25 percent at fault and your total damages are $100,000, you could still recover $75,000.

What this means practically is that insurance companies have a financial incentive to push your fault percentage as high as possible. We’ve seen adjusters use offhand comments from the scene, gaps in medical treatment, and even social media posts to build an argument that you were more responsible than you were. Protecting the evidence, and your statements, matters from day one.

Document Everything Going Forward

Start a simple log. Write down how you’re feeling each day, what activities you can’t do because of your injuries, and how the accident has affected your work and daily life. This kind of documentation can support a claim for pain and suffering, lost wages, and other non-economic damages that don’t come with a receipt.

Photograph your injuries as they develop. Save every text, email, or letter related to the accident. Hold onto repair estimates and rental car receipts. The more organized your documentation, the stronger the foundation for your claim.

Know Your Filing Deadline

Missouri law generally provides a five-year limitations period for many personal injury claims, although exceptions may apply. That may sound like a long time, and in some ways it is. But evidence fades. Witnesses move or forget details. Surveillance footage gets deleted. The practical reality is that building a strong case gets harder with every passing month.

Wrongful death claims carry a shorter window, generally three years from the date of the person’s passing. If a government vehicle was involved, different and potentially shorter deadlines may apply.

We encourage clients to reach out early. Not because the clock is about to expire, but because early consultation helps preserve evidence, avoid missteps with insurance companies, and make informed decisions before anything is locked in.

Talk to an Attorney Before You Settle

Most people hire lawyers too late. By then, half the evidence is gone, and in some cases, they’ve already given recorded statements or signed documents that limit their options.

A settlement offer that arrives quickly after an accident should be viewed carefully. Insurers sometimes move fast precisely because they know the full extent of your injuries hasn’t emerged yet. Once you sign a settlement agreement, you generally give up your right to pursue additional compensation related to that claim, even if your condition turns out to be more serious than it appeared.

At Holland Injury Law, LLC, our attorneys and lawyers work with injured people throughout the St. Louis area, including clients from St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County, and beyond. If you’ve been hurt in a crash on I-270, on Lindbergh Boulevard, near the interchange at I-55 and I-44, or anywhere else in the region, our law firm is here to talk through your situation. There’s no obligation in having that conversation, and it often changes the outcome. Contact us through our contact page to discuss your case.