What to Do After a Transportation Accident: Claims Guide

At the Scene: Immediate Steps

Safety is the first priority. Check for injuries to yourself, your passengers, and occupants of other vehicles. Call 911 if anyone is injured or if there is significant property damage. Move vehicles out of traffic if it is safe to do so, and set up reflective triangles or flares to warn approaching traffic.

Once the scene is secured, begin documenting everything. Use your phone to take photographs of all vehicles involved from multiple angles, the accident scene including road conditions, traffic signals, and signage, any visible injuries, skid marks, debris patterns, and the positions of vehicles before they are moved. If you have a dash camera, preserve the footage immediately and note the time stamp of the incident.

Exchange information with the other driver or drivers, including name, phone number, insurance company and policy number, driver license number, license plate number, and vehicle make and model. Collect contact information from any witnesses. When law enforcement arrives, cooperate with the investigation, provide factual information, and obtain the accident report number.

Do not admit fault, apologize for the accident, or make statements about what you think caused the collision. Anything you say at the scene can be used against you later. Stick to the facts and let the investigation determine fault.

Reporting the Accident

Notify your insurance company or broker as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours of the accident. Most Transportation insurance policies require prompt notice of any accident or incident, and failure to report promptly can jeopardize your coverage. Have the following information ready when you call: date, time, and location of the accident, names and contact information for all parties involved, the police report number, a brief factual description of what happened, and the extent of injuries and property damage.

If you are an owner-operator leased onto a carrier, you must also notify the carrier immediately. The carrier's safety department will have reporting procedures to follow, and their insurance may be the primary responding policy depending on whether you were under dispatch at the time of the accident. Report to both your carrier and your own insurer to ensure all applicable policies are activated.

For accidents involving injuries, fatalities, or vehicles that must be towed from the scene, FMCSA regulations may require the carrier to file a crash report. Your carrier's safety department should handle this filing, but be aware of the obligation and confirm it has been completed.

Documentation Checklist

• ●Photographs of all vehicle damage, the accident scene, road conditions, and any visible injuries
• ●Dash camera footage covering the period before, during, and after the collision
• ●The police accident report, which you can typically obtain from the responding agency within a few days
• ●Names, phone numbers, and insurance information for all parties involved
• ●Contact information for all witnesses at the scene
• ●Written notes about what happened, recorded as soon as possible while details are fresh
• ●Medical records and treatment documentation if you were injured, starting from the date of the accident
• ●Repair estimates for your vehicle from qualified commercial truck repair facilities
• ●Towing and storage receipts if your vehicle was removed from the scene
• ●Copies of your bills of lading and dispatch records showing what you were hauling and your operational status at the time
• ●Your ELD records for the 24 hours surrounding the accident

Working with the Claims Adjuster

Your insurance company will assign a claims adjuster to investigate the accident and manage your claim. The adjuster will contact you to take a recorded statement, review your documentation, inspect the vehicle damage, and assess liability. Cooperate fully with your adjuster, answer questions honestly, and provide all requested documentation promptly.

If the other party's insurer contacts you, you are not obligated to provide a recorded statement to them. Consult with your own insurer or an attorney before speaking with the other party's adjuster. Anything you say in a recorded statement can be used to minimize or deny your claim.

For physical damage claims, the adjuster or an appraiser will inspect your vehicle and prepare a damage estimate. If you disagree with the valuation, particularly in a total loss situation, you have the right to provide comparable vehicle listings, recent maintenance and upgrade documentation, and an independent appraisal to support a higher value. Many policies include an appraisal clause that provides a formal dispute resolution process when you and the insurer cannot agree on the value.

What to Expect in the Claims Process

Simple claims involving only property damage and clear liability can resolve in two to four weeks. More complex claims involving injuries, disputed fault, or multiple parties can take several months to a year or longer. Throughout the process, stay in regular contact with your adjuster and respond promptly to any requests for additional information.

If your vehicle is being repaired, your insurer will work with the repair facility on estimates, supplemental damage findings, and payment. If the vehicle is declared a total loss, the insurer will offer a settlement based on the actual cash value of the vehicle at the time of loss, minus your deductible. If you carry agreed value or stated amount coverage, the settlement will be based on the pre-agreed value on your policy.

For cargo damage claims, your motor truck cargo insurer will investigate the cause and extent of the damage. Preserve any damaged cargo for inspection and do not dispose of it until the adjuster authorizes release. Cargo claims are resolved based on the value of the goods and the terms of the bill of lading, subject to your policy limits and deductible.