What to do after a car accident in El Paso

El Paso saw more than 15,000 reported crashes in 2024 alone, according to state crash data. What you do in the next few minutes after yours can shape your health and your claim for months to come. Here are the eight steps that matter most, in order.

1. Get safe and call 911

If you can, move your car out of traffic, onto the shoulder or a nearby lot, and turn on your hazards. Call 911 for any crash with an injury, a driver who won’t stop, or a car blocking the road. Dispatch will send police and, if needed, paramedics. If you’re stuck in a travel lane and moving isn’t safe, stay belted in your seat until help arrives instead of stepping out into traffic.

2. Check everyone for injuries

Adrenaline hides pain. Ask everyone involved how they feel, including passengers, and look for cuts, swelling, or anyone who seems dazed. Don’t move someone who might have a neck or back injury unless the car is on fire or still in traffic. Watch for symptoms that show up later that day, like a headache, stiff neck, or ringing in your ears, all common signs of whiplash or a mild concussion.

3. Get an officer to the scene

Inside city limits, El Paso police respond to crashes and write the report. Outside the city, in unincorporated parts of the county, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office usually handles it, and Texas DPS troopers often work highway crashes. Whoever responds, their report becomes the crash’s official record. The officer will typically talk to both drivers, note the visible damage, and record any citations before leaving the scene.

4. Exchange information

Get the other driver’s name, phone number, address, license plate, and insurance company and policy number. Give the same information back. Note the make, model, and color of every car involved, even for a small fender-bender. Stick to facts when you talk with the other driver, and skip guessing out loud about who caused the crash. That’s for the officer and the insurance companies to sort out, not something to settle in the moment.

5. Document everything

Photograph both cars from several angles, the license plates, skid marks, road signs, and any visible injuries. Get the names and phone numbers of witnesses before they leave. Write down what happened while it’s fresh, including the time and the road conditions. Wide shots that show the whole intersection or stretch of road matter as much as close-ups of the damage, since they capture things like traffic signals and sightlines that close-up photos miss.

6. Get checked by a doctor

See a doctor within a day or two, even if you feel fine. Some injuries, like whiplash or a concussion, take hours or days to show up. A doctor’s exam also creates a record that ties your injuries to the crash date, which matters later. Waiting weeks to get checked gives an insurance adjuster an easy argument: that something else caused your pain, not the crash.

7. Get your crash report

Once El Paso police or the responding agency files its report, you can request a copy. Our guide to getting your El Paso accident report walks through the fastest way to get it, including the state’s online system. Read it closely once it arrives. Officers make mistakes on scene, and a wrong detail is easier to fix early than after an adjuster has already relied on it.

8. Talk to a lawyer before you talk to their insurer

The other driver’s insurance company may call within days asking for a recorded statement. You don’t have to give one. Texas generally gives you two years to file a claim, but evidence and memories fade fast. A car wreck lawyer can talk to the adjuster for you from day one, at no upfront cost, since these cases are handled on contingency.

Following these steps won’t undo a crash, but it puts you in a stronger spot the moment an adjuster opens your file. If you’re unsure which steps still apply, days or even weeks after the fact, a free case review can help you figure out what’s still worth doing now.