Summary
- Safety and any required police report come first.
- Names, insurers, policy numbers and plates are the core details.
- Photos and notes taken on the spot are hard to recreate later.
Section 1.0
Safety first
Move to a safe spot if you can and check on everyone involved. Many states require a police report for crashes above a damage threshold or with injuries; the rules vary.
Section 2.0
The details to swap
Drivers typically exchange names, phone numbers, insurance companies, policy numbers, vehicle makes and license plates. Writing them down beats relying on memory.
Section 3.0
Photos and notes
Pictures of both cars, the scene and any road signs, plus a short note of the time and weather, help explain what happened.
Section 4.0
What not to do
Avoid guessing about fault at the scene. Fault is decided later by insurers, and sometimes by courts, based on the facts gathered.
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