A checklist for Colorado drivers
What to do after a car accident.
Go through these steps in order. Mark each one off when it is done.
If anyone is hurt, call 911 first.
0 of 12 steps done
01 / Right away
At the scene.
Colorado law requires every driver in a crash to stop at the scene or as close to it as possible.
Help anyone who is hurt get care. If you are not sure, call.
On a divided highway, Colorado law requires drivers to move cars that can be driven safely out of the lanes. Turn on your hazard lights.
Colorado law requires drivers to report a crash that causes an injury or any property damage right away. If police do not come to the scene, you can file a crash report online with the Colorado DMV.
Share your name, address, vehicle registration and insurance. Show your driver’s license if asked.
Photograph every car, all of the damage, every license plate and any injuries. Take photos of the other driver’s license and insurance card.
Write down the names and phone numbers of anyone who saw the crash.
02 / Later that day
Call us first.
We help you through the whole process after a crash. We can set up your first visit, help check your coverage and talk to your adjuster for you.
Report the crash and write down your claim number. Tell your insurer even if no one got a ticket.
Ask whether your policy has MedPay. It helps pay for accident-related medical care, even when the crash was your fault.
Note the time, the place and how the crash happened while you still remember it clearly.
We help with this too. At your first visit, your physician records what happened and how you were hurt in your medical record. If your insurance company ever questions it, that record is there.
Even a headache or a stiff neck can be the first sign of an injury. A headache that gets worse and does not go away needs emergency care right away.
Our providers make sure every symptom is documented and diagnosed. A diagnosis made soon after the crash ties your injuries to it in your medical record.
03 / In the next few days
Get checked by a doctor.
Some injuries take hours or days to show up. A physician exam finds them early and starts a record of your care.
Car accident injuries are our whole practice. Our physicians evaluate you and direct your treatment.
Keep your claim number, police report number, medical bills and a list of work you missed in one place.
Your next step
We can help with the rest.
Call us and tell us what happened. We can help check your coverage and set up your first visit.
You can call before you have every answer.
Reference material
Sources
Last verified 2026-11-02.
- Colorado Revised Statutes, Title 42: §§ 42-4-1601(1), 42-4-1602, 42-4-1603(1), 42-4-1606(1).
- Colorado Revised Statutes, Title 10: § 10-4-635, medical payments coverage.
- Colorado State Patrol, Crash Information: Reporting a crash and notifying your insurer.
- Colorado DMV, Report an Accident: Online crash reports when police do not come to the scene.
- CDC HEADS UP, Signs and Symptoms of Concussion: Symptoms can take hours or days to appear; a headache that gets worse and does not go away is a danger sign.
- Alektoroff K, Papanagiotou P. Radiologe. 2021;61(8):710-713: Whiplash symptoms appear with a latency of several hours.
For informational purposes only. Not legal advice.