The first day
- Get checked out, even if you feel fine. Some injuries, including concussions and disc injuries, show up days later.
- Tell every doctor and nurse the injury came from a car crash. It needs to be in the records.
- Get the crash report number from the police department that responded. Then buy the report online once it’s posted, usually within 3 to 30 days.
- Photograph both vehicles, the scene, and any bruises or cuts.
The first week
- Report the claim to your own auto insurer and ask for an application for no-fault benefits.
- Find your policy’s declarations page. It shows your PIP medical limit and any uninsured motorist coverage.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer.
- Start a notebook: symptoms, appointments, missed work, and chores someone else had to do.
The first month
- Return the completed PIP application. It is the written notice the one-year deadline requires.
- Ask your doctor for work and household help restrictions in writing.
- Send the insurer wage verification forms and a replacement services log each month.
- Keep every bill, receipt and mileage record.
- Talk to a lawyer before an insurer medical exam, and before you sign any release.
Write the date down. One year from the day of the crash is your last day to give the no-fault insurer written notice, unless it has already paid you.
Your records checklist
Keep one folder, paper or digital, with four sections. Almost every question an insurer asks later is answered by something in one of them. Add to it as things arrive; you don’t need everything on day one.
1. The crash
- Police report number and the department that responded
- Photos of the vehicles, the scene and your injuries, with dates
- The other driver’s name, plate and insurance card (photo is fine)
- Witness names and phone numbers
- Tow and repair paperwork
2. Your treatment
- Every doctor, hospital, therapist and pharmacy, with first visit date
- Discharge papers and work or activity restrictions, in writing
- Prescriptions and receipts for anything you paid yourself
- A short weekly note: pain, sleep, what you couldn’t do
3. Money you lost or spent
- Pay stubs from before the crash and every day of missed work
- Your employer’s contact for the insurer’s wage form
- Mileage to medical appointments (date, from, to, miles)
- Who did your chores or cared for you, and for how long each day
4. Insurance and letters
- Your policy’s declarations page, and those of anyone you live with
- Your claim number and adjuster’s name
- A copy of the application for benefits, and the date you sent it
- Every insurer letter, with its envelope
The insurer’s own forms for wages, household help and care are explained in no-fault forms. If you’re not sure which insurer is responsible, start with which insurer pays, or answer a few optional questions in the after-crash plan.
A log to print and keep
Write down everything you send or receive. If a payment is late or a bill goes missing, this page shows exactly what the insurer had and when.
| Date | What it was | Sent to or received from | How (mail, fax, portal, email) | Copy kept? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Have questions about something in your folder? Ask for a free case review; you don’t need to send the records first.
