Summary

The minutes following a car accident in Oklahoma can be a blur of adrenaline and confusion. To protect your health and your future legal claim, it is vital to have a clear plan of action. This comprehensive guide outlines the 10 essential steps every driver should take after a collision—from initial safety checks and documenting the scene with "digital evidence" to navigating Oklahoma's reporting requirements and Good Samaritan laws.
Personal injury attorney Tim Gilpin shares important advice about legal compliance for Oklahoma car accidents, providing a checklist for documentation and how to protect your legal rights after a collision to navigate the insurance claims process.
Download our printable checklist and learn how Tulsa personal injury attorney Tim Gilpin can help you fight for the compensation you deserve.

Imagine this: It’s a beautiful, bluebird day here in Green Country, and you’re heading out on the road. You’re serious about safety, so your seatbelt is on and you’re paying attention to traffic. And then suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, a car pulls out right in front of you without giving you enough time to stop. After the jarring sound of metal grinding against metal stops and the rush of panic and adrenaline begins to subside, it’s time to start assessing the damage. 

Your next steps after a car accident will play a pivotal role in how significantly the accident impacts your life and how quickly your life gets back on track. Knowing what to do before you get into a wreck can make navigating the post-accident blur even easier. Download a copy of this checklist to keep in case of emergency, and be sure to give Oklahoma car accident attorney Tim Gilpin a call when you need help fighting the insurance company to get the compensation you’re entitled to. 

1. Check everyone for injuries

The first thing you need to do after a car accident is check everyone involved in the collision for injuries. While you’re still seated in your vehicle, check to confirm that you don’t have any impediments to your movement. If you notice any pain or mobility issues, this could indicate a more serious injury that needs to be checked out by first responders. 

Next, check yourself and your passengers for any visible injuries or pain. Post-accident adrenaline can sometimes temporarily mask pain due to injuries, so take your time to check your body for any pain by touching areas like your arms, legs, chest, neck, head, and back, checking your body from head to toe if possible. 

You also need to confirm whether anyone is experiencing symptoms of concussion or internal injuries. Check for dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, headache, sensitivity to light or sound, head fog, confusion, extreme drowsiness, a bad taste in the mouth, or any other unusual symptoms. All of these should be checked out by a first responder or physician as soon as possible — and be sure to document everything. 

After you’ve checked out everyone in your party, check to see if the other vehicle’s occupants need emergency medical treatment. Oklahoma has a good Samaritan law protecting civilians who render aid in an emergency, limiting any civil liability for folks who act in good faith to help others. 

2. Pull over and turn on your hazard lights

If there are no serious injuries and your vehicle is safe to drive off of the road, pull over to the shoulder or a nearby parking lot to get your car out of the road. If you can’t pull off of the road, turning on your hazard lights can help alert other drivers that there’s an accident up ahead to prevent a bad problem from becoming worse. 

3. Call 911 if needed

Even if you feel your car accident injuries aren’t that bad, you need to contact first responders if anyone has been injured in the collision. According to Oklahoma statute, drivers are required to report an accident to police if anyone is injured or killed.

While there’s no requirement to contact police in an accident where only property has been damaged, Oklahoma law does require a written report to be made when an accident on public property results in property damage of $300 or more if a police officer hasn’t already done so on your behalf. These reports can typically be submitted online according to your local municipality. 

4. Do not admit fault

As you go through your post-collision checklist, avoid saying anything that could be perceived as an admission of fault at any point. 

5. Exchange information with the other driver

No matter who is at fault in an accident or how much property damage appears to have been done, you need to exchange information with the other driver. This includes getting the other driver’s full name, phone number, any other additional contact information, driver’s license information, vehicle registration information, insurance policy number and information, license plate number, and the vehicle’s color, make, and model. Additionally, be sure to record the precise location of the accident. 

6. Save witness contact info

If there are any witnesses at the scene who observed the collision or who may have captured video footage of the accident, save their contact information and give them yours in return. Consider giving them an email address where they can submit any footage of the accident for your insurance claim. This helps to add a neutral third-party perspective, which can be essential if the other driver’s story starts to change at some point down the road. 

7. Document everything

Good documentation will go a long way when it’s time to file a claim with the paying insurance company, especially if you have to fight for your payout in court. If you interact with any police officers or first responders, be sure to get their names and badge numbers as well. 

Thoroughly document the collision scene and all involved vehicles, ensuring that all damage caused by the accident is well-documented in your photos. Try to get plenty of different angles showing the damage as clearly as possible, and don’t overlook interior damage pics as well. Grab both wide-angle and close-up shots, and document the position of each vehicle in relation to each other as well as any traffic signs or lane markings. You should also document any broken glass, skid marks, or debris at the scene as well as any visible injuries, 

Once you get home, move all of your photos from the accident into their own folder either on your desktop, the cloud, or a flash drive so they’ll be easy to grab when it’s time to file your claim. 

8. Find out where you can get a copy of your report

Ask the police officer where you can order or download a copy of your police report once it’s complete. As soon as you get home, prioritize adding this information to your accident documentation folder. 

9. Notify your insurance company

Policies generally require prompt notice after a collision, so you’ll want to let your insurance company know even if it’s the other guy’s fault. Contact your car insurance company right away to start your claims process and find out what’s covered. For example, some policies will offer temporary transportation while you’re waiting for car repairs. 

At the same time, be extra cautious not to even imply an admission of fault or partial fault. Instead, give as factual and neutral a breakdown of what happened as possible, sticking to the who, what, where, and when of it all. 

10. Get checked out by a doctor 

Even if you feel all right after your collision, consider checking in with your doctor, especially if you’ve got any residual soreness or symptoms. Many injuries, including internal injuries, concussions, and whiplash, are not always apparent on the day of an accident. Try to visit within 48 hours to ensure you’ve got an adequate paper trail documenting your injuries.

Contact Tim Gilpin for Help With Your Claim

Even when you’ve done everything the “right” way, problems can occasionally arise that interfere with the payout you’re owed. Whether you need compensation for lasting injuries, there’s a dispute over fault, or you’re fighting an insurance company that wants to do everything they can to pay out as little as possible, Oklahoma personal injury attorney Tim Gilpin can help. 

With more than 40 years fighting for Oklahomans, Tim is a legal pro who can help get you what you’re owed.