What to Do After a Car Accident
51 guides on what to do after a car accident for car accident victims.
What to do after a car accident in Wisconsin
Wisconsin runs on an at-fault system with no PIP, a three-year injury deadline, and a 51% fault bar. Here are the exact state rules, deadlines, and insurance minimums, each cited to the statute.
6 min readDistrict Of ColumbiaWhat to do after a car accident in the District of Columbia
A plain-language guide to the District of Columbia's actual car-crash rules, from the 3-year filing deadline and 60-day PIP election to the pure contributory negligence rule that can wipe out a claim.
6 min readSouth DakotaWhat to do after a car accident in South Dakota
South Dakota runs on an at-fault system with a three-year filing deadline, a unique slight-gross fault rule, and required uninsured/underinsured coverage. Here's what those rules actually mean for your claim.
6 min readUtahWhat to do after a car accident in Utah
A plain-language guide to Utah's car accident rules: no-fault PIP, when you can sue, comparative fault, insurance minimums, and filing deadlines, each tied to the statute.
6 min readWyomingWhat to do after a car accident in Wyoming
The Wyoming-specific rules that decide what your crash claim is worth: the four-year deadline, the 51 percent fault bar, minimum coverage, and why the state caps nothing.
7 min readTexasWhat to Do After a Car Accident in Texas
Texas has its own rules for car crashes: a two-year deadline, a 51% fault bar, and opt-out UM/UIM and PIP coverage. Here is what to do and what the law requires.
6 min readWashingtonWhat to do after a car accident in Washington
The Washington-specific rules after a crash: the three-year deadline to sue, pure comparative negligence, the state's minimum insurance limits, optional PIP and UM/UIM coverage, and why Washington has no cap on damages.
6 min readPennsylvaniaWhat to do after a car accident in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is a choice no-fault state with a two-year filing deadline. Here are the exact rules, numbers, and exceptions that apply after a car accident, each cited to the statute.
6 min readVirginiaWhat to Do After a Car Accident in Virginia
A practical guide to what to do after a car accident in Virginia, built around the state's strict contributory negligence rule, the two-year filing deadline, and the 50/100/25 insurance minimums that took effect in 2025.
6 min readWest VirginiaWhat to do after a car accident in West Virginia
The West Virginia-specific rules after a crash: the two-year deadline, the comparative-fault bar, insurance minimums and mandatory UM/UIM, damage caps, and where to get your crash report.
6 min readVermontWhat to Do After a Car Accident in Vermont
The Vermont-specific rules that decide a crash claim: the 72-hour DMV report duty, the state's at-fault system, required UM/UIM coverage, the 51% comparative-fault bar, and the three-year filing deadline, each cited to the statute.
6 min readNew MexicoWhat to do after a car accident in New Mexico
New Mexico handles crashes as an at-fault state with no PIP and pure comparative negligence. Here are the exact deadlines, insurance rules, and damage caps that decide what you can recover.
6 min readRhode IslandWhat to do after a car accident in Rhode Island
Rhode Island runs on at-fault liability and pure comparative negligence, with a three-year deadline to sue for injuries. Here are the exact state statutes, insurance minimums, and reporting rules that decide your claim.
6 min readOhioWhat to do after a car accident in Ohio
The Ohio-specific rules that decide a car accident claim: the two-year deadline, the 25/50/25 minimums, how comparative negligence cuts your award, and the state's damage caps, each cited to the statute.
6 min readNorth DakotaWhat to Do After a Car Accident in North Dakota
North Dakota runs a no-fault auto system with a $30,000 PIP cap, a serious-injury threshold before you can sue for pain and suffering, and a six-year filing deadline. Here is what those rules mean after a crash, cited to the statutes.
6 min readTennesseeWhat to do after a car accident in Tennessee
Tennessee gives you just one year to file an injury claim and can zero out your recovery at the 50% fault line. Here are the state's exact rules, deadlines, and dollar figures, cited to the statutes.
6 min readOklahomaWhat to do after a car accident in Oklahoma
A plain-language guide to Oklahoma's car accident rules: the two-year deadline, the 51% fault bar, the state's insurance minimums, and what you can actually recover.
6 min readNew YorkWhat to Do After a Car Accident in New York
A New York-specific guide to the rules that decide who pays after a crash: no-fault PIP limits, reporting duties, the serious-injury threshold, the 2026 fault changes, and the deadlines that can end your claim.
6 min readOregonWhat to do after a car accident in Oregon
The Oregon rules that decide your crash claim: reporting deadlines, the PIP benefits your own policy already owes you, how fault is split, and the statutes that set your clock.
6 min readSouth CarolinaWhat to do after a car accident in South Carolina
South Carolina gives you three years to sue, runs on modified comparative negligence, and requires only 25/50/25 coverage. Here are the exact rules, deadlines, and 2026 law changes that decide your claim.
6 min readNorth CarolinaWhat to do after a car accident in North Carolina
North Carolina applies pure contributory negligence, so being even 1% at fault can bar your recovery. Here are the state-specific deadlines, insurance minimums, and rules that decide car accident claims.
6 min readNew JerseyWhat to do after a car accident in New Jersey
New Jersey handles crashes differently: PIP pays your medical bills first, a tort option decides whether you can sue, and the insurance minimums changed on January 1, 2026. Here is what applies in the state, with the statute behind each rule.
6 min readNew HampshireWhat to do after a car accident in New Hampshire
New Hampshire is one of the only states with no mandatory auto insurance, and it settles crash claims on fault. Here are the exact NH rules, deadlines, and coverage requirements, cited to the statutes.
6 min readKentuckyWhat to Do After a Car Accident in Kentucky
Kentucky runs a no-fault (BRB) system with a $1,000 threshold to sue, a two-year injury deadline that can extend with PIP payments, and pure comparative fault. Here is what those rules mean after a crash, cited to the statutes.
6 min readMarylandWhat to do after a car accident in Maryland
Maryland is one of the last pure contributory-negligence states, so a crash claim can turn on the smallest detail. Here is what state law actually requires, from the 3-year filing deadline to the noneconomic damages cap, cited to the statutes.
6 min readNevadaWhat to do after a car accident in Nevada
Nevada handles crashes on an at-fault basis, with a 51% comparative fault bar and a two-year deadline to sue. Here are the reporting duties, insurance rules, and numbers that actually apply in the state.
6 min readMassachusettsWhat to do after a car accident in Massachusetts
Massachusetts runs on a no-fault system with its own deadlines and dollar thresholds. Here's what applies after a crash here, from PIP to the three-year filing deadline, each point tied to the statute behind it.
6 min readMississippiWhat to Do After a Car Accident in Mississippi
Mississippi runs on a fault-based system with a three-year filing deadline and pure comparative negligence. Here are the exact statutes, dollar limits, and deadlines that apply after a crash in the state.
6 min readMontanaWhat to do after a car accident in Montana
The Montana-specific rules that decide what a crash claim is worth: filing deadlines, the 51% fault bar, required coverage, and the state's missing texting ban.
6 min readIowaWhat to Do After a Car Accident in Iowa
What actually governs an Iowa car accident claim, from the two-year deadline and the 51 percent fault bar to the built-in UM/UIM coverage and Iowa's new hands-free law, each point cited to the statute or agency source.
6 min readLouisianaWhat to do after a car accident in Louisiana
The Louisiana-specific rules that decide your car accident claim, including the two-year deadline that just doubled and the 51% fault bar that took effect in 2026.
6 min readNebraskaWhat to do after a car accident in Nebraska
The Nebraska-specific rules after a crash: how long you have to file, how fault is split, what insurance must cover, and why the state allows no punitive damages.
6 min readMichiganWhat to Do After a Car Accident in Michigan
Michigan is a no-fault state, which changes who pays your bills and whether you can sue. Here are the exact rules, numbers, and deadlines that apply in 2026, with statute citations.
6 min readMissouriWhat to do after a car accident in Missouri
What Missouri law actually changes after a crash: an at-fault system with pure comparative fault, mandatory 25/50/25 and uninsured motorist coverage, a five-year filing deadline, and no cap on ordinary car-accident damages, each cited to the statute or ruling.
6 min readMinnesotaWhat to do after a car accident in Minnesota
A plain-language, heavily sourced guide to Minnesota's no-fault car accident rules: PIP benefits, the threshold to sue, comparative fault, filing deadlines, and the coverage every driver must carry.
6 min readMaineWhat to do after a car accident in Maine
What Maine law actually says after a crash: the six-year filing deadline, the 50/100/25 insurance minimums, mandatory UM/UIM and medical payments coverage, the equal-fault bar, and where to get your official crash report.
6 min readKansasWhat to do after a car accident in Kansas
A plain-language guide to the Kansas rules after a crash: no-fault PIP benefits, the $2,000 tort threshold, the two-year deadline, comparative fault, and why the state's damages cap isn't enforced.
6 min readIllinoisWhat to Do After a Car Accident in Illinois
Illinois runs on an at-fault system with a two-year filing deadline and a 51% comparative-fault bar. Here is what actually applies after a crash, from insurance minimums to dram shop caps, cited to the statutes.
6 min readColoradoWhat to do after a car accident in Colorado
Colorado's rules after a crash differ from other states. Here are the exact deadlines, coverage minimums, fault standard, and damage caps, each cited to the statute.
6 min readIdahoWhat to do after a car accident in Idaho
The Idaho rules that decide what a car accident claim is really worth, from the two-year filing deadline and the 50 percent fault bar to the state's insurance minimums and its 2026 caps on damages, each cited to the statute or agency source.
6 min readIndianaWhat to do after a car accident in Indiana
Indiana handles crashes on a fault basis, and its rules on deadlines, minimum coverage, and comparative fault differ from nearby states. Here's what applies specifically in Indiana, cited to the statutes.
6 min readGeorgiaWhat to do after a car accident in Georgia
Georgia has its own rules after a crash, from a two-year filing deadline to a 50% fault bar and a 2025 change that put seatbelt use back in front of juries. Here's what applies in Georgia specifically.
6 min readHawaiiWhat to do after a car accident in Hawaii
Hawaii runs a no-fault insurance system, gives you two years to sue, and raised its minimum coverage limits in 2026. Here is what actually applies after a crash, cited to the statutes.
6 min readAlaskaWhat to do after a car accident in Alaska
A plain-language, statute-cited guide to what actually changes when a car crash happens in Alaska: the two-year deadline, the 50/100/25 minimums, no-PIP fault rules, comparative negligence, and the state's damage caps.
6 min readConnecticutWhat to do after a car accident in Connecticut
A plain-language guide to what Connecticut law actually requires after a car crash: the filing deadline, the fault rules, the insurance you must carry, and how to get your official DESPP report.
7 min readCaliforniaWhat to do after a car accident in California
California runs on fault and pure comparative negligence, with a two-year deadline to sue and a 10-day DMV report most drivers never hear about. This guide covers the exact California rules, numbers, and deadlines that apply after a crash.
6 min readDelawareWhat to do after a car accident in Delaware
The Delaware-specific rules that decide your car accident claim: mandatory PIP benefits, insurer deadlines, the two-year filing limit, comparative fault, and required coverage, each cited to the statute.
6 min readFloridaWhat to do after a car accident in Florida
Florida runs on no-fault, a 14-day medical deadline, and a 2-year lawsuit window. Here is what actually applies after a crash, cited to the statutes.
6 min readArkansasWhat to do after a car accident in Arkansas
A plain-language guide to the Arkansas rules that decide your car-crash claim: the three-year deadline, the 50% comparative-fault cliff, required coverage, and uncapped damages, each cited to statute.
6 min readArizonaWhat to do after a car accident in Arizona
Arizona's crash rules in plain language: what you must do at the scene, the two-year filing deadline (and the 180-day trap for government vehicles), the insurance minimums, and how fault affects your recovery.
6 min readAlabamaWhat to do after a car accident in Alabama
Alabama's rules are stricter than most states', and one of them can wipe out a strong claim over a small mistake. Here is what the law actually requires and what your claim can be worth, cited to the statutes.
6 min read