What You Should Have Ready Before a Car Crash Happens: A Guide for Washington Drivers

If there’s one thing I’ve learned helping people recover after car crashes, it’s this: even in mild crashes, people are rattled and aren’t thinking clearly.

That’s why preparation before anything ever happens can make a stressful situation easier to navigate.

This is the first post in my series on navigating car crashes. First, I’m covering what to keep in your car before an accident and what information you need to gather if it happens.

Be Prepared: What to Keep in Your Car

Here’s a simple checklist focused on handling the aftermath of a crash—these are the basics, what you should have at the minimum:

✅ Proof of auto insurance and registration (yours and any family members who drive the car)

✅ Contact card with your emergency contact names and numbers—just in case you’re unable to speak for yourself

✅ Phone charger or battery pack-it is surprising how long it can take for police or a tow truck to arrive

✅ Pen and small notepad (yes, even in the smartphone age)

✅ A reminder card listing what information to gather after a crash

Information to Gather at the Scene

Even if a crash feels minor, slow down, take a breath, and make sure you collect:

• The other driver’s name, phone number, and insurance information.

• Their license plate number and make/model of their vehicle.

• Photos of both vehicles, the crash scene, and surrounding area—a video also can be used along with pictures, you often catch things that a single photo doesn’t capture. Be sure to move slowly around your car, the other vehicle and the surrounding scene.

• Names and contact info for any witnesses.

• Your own notes: how it happened, what lane you were in, direction you were traveling—this is really important to write down as soon after the crash as you can. Sometimes there are details we forget as time passes.

  
  

And—this one’s important—always call the police to file a report. Even in minor collisions. You may not feel hurt in the moment, but having a record matters. I wish I could say this never happens but there are times when an obvious at fault driver denies the facts of the crash. When this happens, I have had patients end up having to pay for the repairs to their cars and for their care. If the police had been notified, the at-fault-driver has less chance to do things like this.

Who to Contact After a Crash

In Seattle, here’s the list I give my patients:

• Police—if not already contacted at the scene, call 911 they will connect you with the proper authorities

• Family or emergency contact

• Your insurance company—sometimes this can be started in your insurance app

• A healthcare provider experienced in car crash injuries (Chiropractors like myself often fit that role)

• A personal injury attorney—but here’s my professional advice: get a recommendation from your healthcare provider. I’ve had enough bad experiences with attorneys to make a standing rule in my practice, that I will not work with attorneys I do not know.

  
  

You want an attorney who knows healthcare providers in your area and is experienced with Washington State crash claims. In order to protect the providers you see after a crash, the attorney must be willing to sign a Guarantee of Payment or provide a Letter of Guarantee to the provider. I will talk more about this in another post.

If you’ve recently been in a crash and aren’t sure where to start, I’m here to help. My practice in North Seattle focuses specifically on chiropractic care after car crashes—guiding patients from that first stressful day all the way through recovery.

Reach out if you need support navigating your next steps, whether that’s understanding your injury, dealing with insurance, or getting connected with a trusted attorney.