The minutes and hours after a car accident are chaotic. Your heart is racing, you may be in pain, and you are trying to figure out what just happened. But the steps you take during this window can shape the outcome of your entire personal injury claim. Some actions protect your health. Others preserve evidence that may become critical weeks or months down the road. Knowing what to do before an accident happens means you will not have to figure it out under pressure.
Step 1: Stop and Check for Injuries
Minnesota law requires you to stop at the scene of any collision and investigate what happened. Under Minn. Stat. § 169.09, leaving the scene of an accident involving injury, death, or significant property damage is a criminal offense. Once you have stopped safely, check yourself and your passengers for injuries. If anyone is hurt, call 911 immediately.
Do not move anyone who appears to have a neck or back injury unless they are in immediate danger, such as from a fire or oncoming traffic. Wait for emergency responders to arrive and provide medical assistance.
Step 2: Call the Police
Always call the police, even if the accident seems minor. A police report creates an official record of the crash, including the officer’s observations about road conditions, vehicle positions, and potential fault. This report becomes a key piece of evidence if you file a personal injury claim.
Minnesota law requires you to report any accident involving bodily injury or death to local law enforcement by the quickest means available. If the crash occurs on a trunk highway, notify the State Patrol. If it occurs within a municipality, notify the local police department. You are also required to file a written accident report with the Minnesota Commissioner of Public Safety within 10 days if the crash involves injury, death, or property damage exceeding $1,000.
Step 3: Exchange Information
Collect the following from every other driver involved in the accident: full name, phone number, mailing address, driver’s license number, license plate number, insurance company and policy number, and vehicle make, model, and year. If the other driver is operating a commercial vehicle or truck, also note the name of the trucking company and any DOT numbers displayed on the vehicle.
If there are witnesses, ask for their names and contact information as well. Witness testimony can be invaluable when fault is disputed.
Step 4: Document the Scene
Use your phone to take photographs and video of everything. Capture the damage to all vehicles from multiple angles, skid marks and debris on the road, traffic signs, signals, and road conditions, the position of vehicles before they are moved, any visible injuries you or your passengers have sustained, and weather and lighting conditions.
Time-stamped photos carry significant evidentiary weight. If your vehicle has a dashcam, make sure the footage is saved and not overwritten.
Step 5: Seek Medical Attention
Even if you feel fine at the scene, see a doctor within 24 hours. Many common accident injuries, including whiplash, concussions, and internal injuries, do not produce symptoms immediately. A medical evaluation creates a documented connection between the accident and any injuries discovered during the examination.
If you wait days or weeks to seek treatment, the insurance company will use that gap to argue that your injuries were not caused by the crash or that they are not as serious as you claim. Prompt medical attention protects both your health and the integrity of your claim.
Step 6: Notify Your Insurance Company
Minnesota is a no-fault auto insurance state. After a crash, your own insurance company provides personal injury protection (PIP) benefits to cover certain medical expenses and lost wages, regardless of who was at fault. You should notify your insurer promptly to initiate this coverage.
When speaking with your insurance company, stick to the basic facts: where, when, and how the accident happened. Do not speculate about fault, minimize your injuries, or agree to give a recorded statement without speaking to an attorney first.
Step 7: Do Not Admit Fault
Anything you say at the scene or to an insurance adjuster can be used against you. Avoid saying “I’m sorry,” “It was my fault,” or “I didn’t see you.” Even casual apologies can be interpreted as admissions of liability. Let the police investigation and the evidence determine fault.
Minnesota follows a comparative fault rule, which means your compensation can be reduced based on your share of responsibility. Statements made at the scene or during early conversations with adjusters can inflate your assigned fault percentage and reduce what you recover.
Step 8: Contact a Personal Injury Attorney
If you have been injured, contact an attorney before accepting any settlement offer or signing any documents from the insurance company. An initial offer is almost always lower than the full value of your claim, and once you sign a release, you cannot go back for more.
An attorney can handle communications with the insurance company, preserve critical evidence such as truck black box data and surveillance footage, and calculate the true value of your claim including future medical costs, lost income, and pain and suffering.
Protect Your Rights After a Minnesota Car Accident
The steps above apply whether your accident happened on I-35 in Eagan, on University Avenue in St. Paul, or on any road in Minnesota. If you have been hurt in a crash, contact Bennerotte & Associates for a free consultation. You pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
