Practical steps to protect your health, document the crash, and understand your rights.

A car accident can leave you shaken and unsure what to do first. You may be worried about passengers, traffic, vehicle damage, or whether you can get home safely.

Your immediate priority is safety. Once urgent needs are addressed, careful documentation and timely reporting can help protect your ability to pursue an insurance claim.

You do not need to solve every legal issue at the roadside. Focus on getting help, sharing accurate information, and preserving what you safely can.

At Anzalone & Doyle Trial Lawyers, we understand how quickly a collision can disrupt everyday life. These steps can help you approach the hours and days after a Pennsylvania crash.

• Get to Safety and Call for Help

Stop and assess the situation. If you can safely move out of active traffic, do so. Do not put yourself in danger to retrieve a phone, inspect damage, or take a photograph.

Call 911 if anyone may be seriously injured or there is an immediate hazard. Avoid moving a person with a potentially serious injury unless necessary to escape immediate danger.

Stay at the scene as legally required, cooperate with emergency responders, and follow their instructions. If your injuries prevent you from gathering information, let responders and others assist. Your health takes priority over building a claim.

• Seek Appropriate Medical Evaluation

Do not assume that being able to walk away means you are uninjured. If you have symptoms or concerns, seek prompt medical evaluation. Use emergency care when the situation requires it.

Tell the provider what happened, where you hurt, and when symptoms began. Mention relevant prior injuries so the medical record accurately reflects your condition.

Keep track of:

1. 1. • The providers you see and dates of treatment.
      • Tests, diagnoses, and recommended follow-up care.
      • Medication and equipment expenses.
      • Work restrictions given by medical professionals.
      • Changes in symptoms or everyday abilities.Follow medical advice and explain barriers to treatment. Do not choose treatment based on what you think will increase a settlement.

• Exchange Information and Report the Crash

Exchange identifying and insurance information with the other driver when possible. Provide truthful information to responding officers without guessing about details you did not observe.

Useful information includes:

1. 1. • Driver names and contact details.
      • Insurance company and policy information.
      • Vehicle registration and license plate numbers.
      • The names of vehicle owners, if different.
      • The responding agency and report number.Pennsylvania has reporting requirements for certain crashes, including those involving injury or disabling vehicle damage. If police do not investigate a crash involving injury, death, or a vehicle requiring towing, Pennsylvania generally requires a Driver’s Accident Report (Form AA-600) within five days. An insurance report does not replace this step.

• Preserve Evidence When It Is Safe

Photograph the scene from a safe place. Images of vehicle positions, damage, traffic controls, skid marks, lighting, and road conditions may help explain what happened.

If witnesses are willing, save their names and contact information. A short note about what you remember can also help before details fade.

Preserve original photographs, videos, messages, and dashcam recordings. Avoid editing the only copy of a file. Let your attorney know if nearby homes or businesses may have cameras, because recordings may not be kept for long.

Do not return to a dangerous roadway or interfere with emergency work to collect evidence.

• Notify Your Insurance Company

Report the collision as required by your policy. Give accurate information and keep a record of the claim number and the representative’s contact details.

Pennsylvania insurance claims may involve medical benefits, liability coverage, and other available protection. Your full tort or limited tort status may affect certain injury damages.

Ask what information is needed and which deadlines apply. If you do not understand a request, seek clarification. Your own policy may require cooperation, while a request from another driver’s insurer raises different questions.

Before providing a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer or signing a broad authorization, consider getting legal advice about its purpose and scope.

• Track the Effect on Your Work and Home Life

Save pay records and information about missed shifts, reduced hours, or duties you can no longer perform. Ask your medical provider to document appropriate restrictions.

Keep receipts for injury-related expenses and notes about help you need with ordinary tasks. A factual record can explain losses that are not obvious from a repair estimate or medical bill.

Be accurate and specific. “I could not lift my child for two weeks” provides more useful information than a general statement that the accident ruined everything.

• Understand Any Settlement Before Signing

A payment may come with a release of legal rights. Read it carefully and find out whether it resolves vehicle damage, bodily injury, or both.

Before accepting an injury settlement, consider whether your treatment outlook, lost income, and possible future needs are reasonably understood. Also ask whether acceptance could affect another available insurance claim.

An early offer is not necessarily unfair, but speed alone does not show whether it fits your losses. Once a final release is effective, additional symptoms do not ordinarily allow you to start the same claim again.

How Can a Car Accident Attorney Help?

An attorney can investigate responsibility, preserve available evidence, review insurance documents, and help evaluate the consequences of an offer. Legal guidance can also identify filing deadlines that continue running while insurance discussions take place.

At Anzalone & Doyle Trial Lawyers, we believe accident victims deserve answers that account for their health, families, and financial concerns. Your next step should be based on your circumstances.

Get Help After a Pennsylvania Car Accident

If you or a loved one was injured in Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, or elsewhere in Northeastern Pennsylvania, take your concerns seriously and learn what options may be available.

Contact Anzalone & Doyle Trial Lawyers to discuss your car accident, review your questions, and understand how to protect your potential claim.