Almost every person who calls our office after a wreck says the same thing in the first minute: "I don't even know where to start."

That is normal. You were driving to work on US-380, or picking up the kids in McKinney, or heading home on Hwy 78 toward Lavon, and in a few seconds your week turned upside down. Now there are phone calls, a tow yard, a rental car, maybe a sore neck that showed up the next morning. Nobody hands you a manual.

So here is the manual, at least the first week of it. This is general information, written for neighbors in Princeton, McKinney, Lavon and the rest of Collin County. Your situation may be different, and that is what a free consultation is for.

Day One and Two: Get the Crash Report Information

If police came to the scene, the officer usually gives you a small slip or card with a case or report number, the agency name, and the officer's name. Keep it. That little piece of paper is how you find the report later.

Texas crash reports filed by officers are generally available through TxDOT's Crash Records Information System, known as C.R.I.S., which has an online purchase site for crash reports. You will usually need some details to search, such as the date of the crash, the county, and a name or the crash ID. Reports are not always posted right away. It can take some days after the officer finishes it. Some local police departments and sheriff's offices also provide copies directly, so if you cannot find it online, call the agency that worked the wreck.

One caution. If a stranger calls or messages you saying "your accident report is ready" and offers to help, slow down. You did not ask them to call. Get the report yourself from TxDOT or the agency.

Know the Difference: Property Damage Claim vs. Injury Claim

People often think there is one claim. Usually there are two conversations happening.

The property damage claim is about the car: the repair estimate, the rental, towing, storage fees, and if the car is a total loss, its value and what you still owe on it. This part tends to move faster.

The injury claim is about you and your passengers: doctor visits, therapy, medicine, missed work, and how the injuries affect your daily life. This part usually takes longer, because nobody knows the full picture until you have had time to be treated.

Here is why the difference matters. Settling the car does not have to mean settling the injuries. But you should read anything you sign very carefully, because a release can be written broadly. If an adjuster sends you paperwork with the word "release" on it, that is a good moment to ask a lawyer before signing.

Be Careful With Recorded Statements

Within a day or two, you may get a call from the other driver's insurance company. They are often friendly. They may ask if they can record the call "to get your side of the story."

You are generally not required to give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurance company. Your own policy may have rules about cooperating with your own insurer, which is a different situation, so read your policy or ask.

Before any recorded statement, slow down. You may still be sore. You may not know yet what the scans will show. A short "I'm not ready to give a recorded statement right now" is a complete sentence. Get their name, the claim number and a phone number, and write it down.

See a Doctor and Keep It Documented

Adrenaline hides a lot. Plenty of people feel fine at the scene and wake up the next day with neck, back or head pain.

If something hurts, get checked. Urgent care, your regular doctor, or the emergency room if it is serious. Tell the provider exactly how you got hurt and every place it hurts, even the small stuff. What goes in the medical record matters later.

Then keep going. Follow the treatment plan. Go to the follow-ups. If you stop going and then try to explain months later that it still hurts, the gap in the records can raise questions. Health comes first, and good records follow good care.

Start One Folder Today

This is the habit that helps more than almost anything else. Get one folder. Paper, or a folder on your phone, or both. Put everything in it:

• The crash report number and the officer's card

• Photos of the cars, the scene, the road, and your injuries

• The other driver's name, insurance company and policy number

• Every claim number, and every adjuster's name and phone number

• Medical visit summaries, bills and receipts

• Repair estimates, rental agreements, towing and storage receipts

• Notes of who called you, when, and what they said

• Days you missed from work and any pay stubs that show it

When everything lives in one place, you stop digging through text messages at 11 PM. And if you do talk to a lawyer, that folder makes the first meeting much more useful.

If It Was a Company Truck or 18-Wheeler

Wrecks with commercial vehicles are their own kind of situation. Collin County roads like US-380, SH-121 and US-75 carry a lot of work traffic: delivery vans, construction trucks, dump trucks and tractor-trailers.

If a work truck was involved, write down or photograph:

• The company name on the door

• Truck and trailer numbers

• The USDOT number, usually painted on the side of the cab

• The driver's name and who they say they work for

• Photos of the whole truck from a distance, not just the damage

With a company vehicle, more than one insurance company can be involved: the driver's, the company's, sometimes a trailer owner's or another business's. Questions about who is responsible for the driver can get complicated. That is one more reason to keep careful notes and to talk to a lawyer early.

When to Call a Lawyer

You do not need a lawyer for every fender bender. But it is worth a call if:

• You or a passenger were hurt, especially if you are still treating

• A company truck, 18-wheeler or commercial vehicle was involved

• The other side is blaming you, or the story is changing

• An adjuster is pushing for a recorded statement or a quick release

• Your car may be a total loss and the numbers do not make sense

• You simply do not know where to start

Also know that there are time limits. In Texas, the general deadline to file a personal injury lawsuit is two years (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §16.003). Exceptions exist, and some situations have different or shorter notice requirements, so do not wait until the last minute to ask.

You Are Not Supposed to Have This Figured Out

Feeling lost after a wreck does not mean you are doing something wrong. It means something happened to you that most people never have to deal with. The first week is mostly paperwork: the report, the claims, the doctor, the folder. Take it one piece at a time.

Our office in Princeton is a few minutes off US-380, and we also have an office in Lavon. If you have questions about your first week, call us. Consultations are free, always with an attorney, and we will walk through it with you. Hablamos español.

We also help with breach of contract and unpaid invoices, business disputes, wills, powers of attorney and probate, family law, criminal defense and immigration.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.

LEAL-CALANDRA LEGAL, PLLC | Princeton, TX

Fernando Leal-Calandra, Attorney | 214-764-6424 | https://www.lealcalandralegal.com

Free consultations, always with an attorney. Hablamos español.

General information, not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed by reading this post.