A car accident can happen in seconds, but the decisions you make in the hours and days that follow can affect your health, your finances, and your legal rights for months or years to come.
If you have been involved in a crash in Arkansas, knowing exactly what to do after a car accident gives you the best possible foundation for protecting yourself, documenting what happened, and pursuing fair compensation.
This guide walks through each step clearly and in order so that whether you are reading this page before an accident or immediately after one, you know what actions to take and why they matter.
Step 1: Check for Injuries and Call 911
Your first priority after any collision is safety. Check yourself and your passengers for injuries before doing anything else. Avoid moving injured individuals unless an immediate danger, like fire or oncoming traffic, is present.
Call 911 immediately, both to request medical assistance and to get law enforcement to the scene.
Even if no one appears seriously injured, calling the police is important.
Arkansas law requires drivers to report accidents that result in injury, death, or property damage above a certain threshold. Beyond the legal requirement, a police report creates an official record of the crash that becomes critical evidence in any insurance claim or legal proceeding that follows.
Step 2: Move to Safety and Secure the Scene
If the vehicles are drivable and it’s safe, move them to the shoulder or out of traffic to avoid more accidents. Turn on your hazard lights and, if you have them, place road flares or warning triangles behind the vehicles to alert approaching drivers.
Stay at the scene. Leaving the scene of an accident in Arkansas before exchanging information and speaking with police can result in serious criminal charges, regardless of who caused the crash.
Step 3: Exchange Information With the Other Driver
After ensuring everyone’s safety and reaching out to law enforcement, share the following details with the other driver:
Provide your full name and contact details, the driver’s license number, the license plate number, the name and policy number of the insurance company, and the make, model, and year of the vehicle.
Please proceed calmly and refrain from discussing fault. Avoid apologizing or making any statements that could be interpreted as an admission of liability. What you say at the scene can be used against you later, so limit your conversation to factual information exchange.
Step 4: Document the Scene Thoroughly
Document everything you can before moving vehicles and while conditions remain unchanged.
Use your phone to photograph and video the damage to all vehicles involved, their position relative to each other, skid marks and debris on the road, road conditions and signage, traffic signals, and any visible injuries.
Thorough documentation of the scene is one of the most important steps in determining what to do after a car accident in Arkansas. Visual evidence is indisputable and can play a crucial role in cases of conflicting accounts or questions about liability.
Step 5: Identify and Speak With Witnesses
If there are bystanders who witnessed the crash, ask for their names and contact information before they leave the scene.
Witnesses who have no connection to either driver can provide independent, unbiased accounts of what happened. Their statements can be particularly valuable if the other driver later misrepresents how the accident occurred.
A brief recorded statement at the scene, if the witness is willing, is even better than contact information alone.
Step 6: Seek Medical Attention Promptly
Even if you feel fine immediately after the accident, see a doctor as soon as possible. Many common crash injuries, including whiplash, soft tissue damage, and traumatic brain injuries, do not produce obvious symptoms right away.
Adrenaline can mask pain in the immediate aftermath of a collision, and symptoms may not appear for hours or even days.
Seeking prompt medical attention does two things. It protects your health by ensuring that injuries are identified and treated early. It also creates a medical record that connects your injuries to the accident, which is essential when filing an insurance claim or pursuing compensation.
Step 7: Notify Your Insurance Company
Report the accident to your insurance company as soon as reasonably possible. Provide factual information about what happened, but avoid speculating about fault or making definitive statements about your injuries before you have been fully evaluated by a doctor.
Be cautious when speaking with the other driver’s insurance company. Their adjusters are trained to gather information that minimizes the payout on your claim, which means they aim to reduce the amount of money the insurance company has to pay you.
You are not required to give a recorded statement to the opposing insurer, and it is often in your best interest to speak with an attorney before doing so.
Step 8: Keep Records of Everything
From the moment the accident occurs, preserve every document related to the crash and its aftermath.
Keep copies of the police report, medical records, treatment bills, prescription receipts, repair estimates, and any written communications with insurance companies.
Keep a written record of all phone conversations, which should include dates, names, and concise summaries of the topics discussed.
This paper trail is the foundation of your claim and your strongest resource if the insurance company disputes your account or the extent of your injuries.
Step 9: Understand Arkansas Fault and Statute of Limitations Rules
Arkansas follows a modified comparative fault system. This means that if you are found to be partially responsible for the accident, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you’re 50% or more at fault, you may not get any compensation.
Arkansas also has a statute of limitations for personal injury claims. In most cases, you have three years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit. Missing this deadline can permanently forfeit your right to pursue compensation, regardless of how strong your case is.
Step 10: Consult a Car Accident Attorney
If you suffered injuries, if the other driver is disputing fault, or if the insurance company is undervaluing or denying your claim, speaking with a personal injury attorney is one of the most important steps you can take.
An experienced lawyer in Arkansas who specializes in car accidents can investigate the crash, gather evidence, negotiate with insurers, and ensure that your rights are fully protected throughout the process.
Speak to a Legal Expert
Knowing what to do after a car accident in Arkansas puts you in a far stronger position than most drivers, but having the right legal team behind you makes all the difference when the stakes are high.
At Davis Legal, we are committed to helping car accident victims in Arkansas and Tennessee protect their rights and pursue the compensation they deserve.
You do not have to figure the details out on your own.
Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your case:
Phone: 662-617-9028
