Nobody gets behind the wheel expecting to crash, but St. Louis roads, from the congested interchanges around I-64 and I-270 to the surface streets that run through the city’s neighborhoods, produce thousands of accidents each year. When one happens, the decisions made in the first minutes and hours can determine how well you recover, financially and physically, from the event.
Most drivers have only a vague sense of what they are supposed to do after an accident. They know to call the police and exchange insurance. Beyond that, the process gets murky fast. This guide covers what to actually do, in order, and explains why each step matters.
At the Scene: The First 15 Minutes
The scene of the accident is where the foundational evidence of any subsequent claim is created or lost. How you handle the first few minutes matters more than most people realize.
Check for injuries and call 911. Before anything else, assess yourself and any passengers for injury. If there is any doubt, call 911 immediately. Do not attempt to move anyone who may have a spinal or neck injury. Even if injuries seem minor, call the police. A police report creates an official record of the crash that insurers and attorneys rely on. In Missouri, you are required by law under Section 303.040 of the Missouri Revised Statutes to report any accident involving injury, death, or property damage exceeding $500.
Move vehicles if safe to do so. If the vehicles are drivable and no one is seriously injured, Missouri law allows and generally expects drivers to move vehicles out of the active travel lane. Leaving disabled vehicles in traffic creates an additional hazard. If a car cannot be moved, activate hazard lights and, if available, place road flares or warning triangles.
Document the scene thoroughly. Before vehicles move and before conditions change, photograph everything: all vehicles from multiple angles, license plates, the positions of vehicles relative to lane markings, skid marks, traffic signals, road conditions, and any visible injuries. These photographs are evidence that cannot be recreated once everyone drives away.
Exchange information. Get the other driver’s full name, license number, insurance carrier, policy number, and contact information. If there are passengers in the other vehicle, note that. If there are witnesses, get their names and phone numbers before they leave. Bystander witnesses who have no stake in the outcome are among the most credible evidence available in disputed claims.
Do not discuss fault. Do not apologize, speculate about what caused the accident, or make any statement that could be characterized as an admission. Stick to the factual exchange of information and cooperate with the police. Anything you say at the scene can be used in subsequent proceedings.
In the Hours After: Medical Attention and Documentation
Adrenaline is a powerful masking agent. Drivers who walk away from serious accidents feeling functional have later discovered herniated discs, whiplash injuries, and, in some cases, traumatic brain injuries that were not apparent at the scene. The standard recommendation is to seek medical evaluation the same day, even if you feel fine.
This is not overcaution. It is protection. A same-day medical record that documents your condition in the hours following a crash creates a direct evidentiary connection between the accident and your injuries. A gap between the crash and your first medical visit gives insurance adjusters the argument that your injuries were caused by something else or were not serious enough to require immediate attention.
If your primary care physician cannot see you the same day, urgent care is appropriate. What matters is the record, not the setting.
In parallel, notify your own insurance company of the accident promptly. Missouri insurance policies typically require timely notification as a condition of coverage. Failing to report within a reasonable period can complicate your own coverage, even when the other driver was at fault. Document the date, time, and name of every insurer representative you speak with. For anyone dealing with a serious injury claim in St. Louis, the car accident lawyers at Bruntrager & Billings can step in at this stage to handle insurer communications before anything is said or signed that limits recovery.
Understanding Missouri’s Fault System
Missouri is an at-fault state. The driver responsible for causing the accident is legally liable for the resulting damages, and their liability insurance is the primary source of recovery for injured parties. This means the process of establishing fault is central to how your claim resolves.
Missouri also follows a pure comparative fault rule. Under this system, fault can be distributed among multiple parties in any proportion, and an injured driver can recover compensation even if they were partially at fault. If you were found 20% responsible for a crash and your total damages were $100,000, you would recover $80,000. The pure comparative system means there is no percentage of fault that eliminates your right to recover entirely, though your compensation is reduced proportionally.
Insurance adjusters and defense attorneys know this rule and use it actively. Pushing fault percentages in your direction, even on weak grounds, directly reduces what the insurer has to pay. This is one of the most practical reasons why the documentation you create at the scene matters: it is the evidence that resists those arguments.
Dealing With Insurance Adjusters
The at-fault driver’s insurance company will contact you. This will happen quickly, often within 24 to 48 hours of the crash. The adjuster’s job is to resolve the claim at the lowest defensible number. They are not working in your interest, regardless of how the conversation feels.
A few things to know before that call happens:
- You are not required to give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer. You can decline politely and tell them you will follow up through your own attorney or insurer.
- Do not accept any settlement or sign any release until the full extent of your injuries is known. Once a release is signed, the claim is permanently closed regardless of what surfaces later.
- The first offer is almost never the correct number. It is a starting position, not a fair assessment of what your claim is worth.
- Insurance companies often request access to broad medical records under the guise of verifying the injury. You are not obligated to provide records unrelated to the accident.
Your own insurer is also a party to notify and work with, particularly if you have uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. Missouri requires drivers to carry minimum liability coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. Many at-fault drivers carry only the minimum, which may be inadequate for serious injuries. Your own UM/UIM coverage is what fills that gap.
Missouri’s Statute of Limitations: Five Years, Not Forever
Missouri gives accident victims five years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit, one of the more generous windows in the country. For wrongful death claims, the deadline is three years from the date of death.
The five-year window can create a false sense of flexibility that works against injured drivers. Evidence does not wait five years. Surveillance footage from nearby businesses is typically overwritten within 24 to 72 hours. Witness memories fade. Accident reconstruction becomes harder as physical evidence at the scene disappears. The strength of a case at five years is significantly weaker than the strength of the same case handled promptly.
There is also a distinction between the lawsuit deadline and the insurance claim deadline. Insurance policies have their own reporting requirements, often requiring notice within 30 days and formal claim filing within a year. Missing those internal deadlines can compromise your own coverage even though the five-year lawsuit window remains open.
When Legal Representation Makes the Difference
Not every accident requires an attorney. A minor fender bender with no injuries and a cooperative insurer on the other side can be resolved through standard channels without legal involvement.
The calculation changes when injuries are involved, when fault is disputed, when the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured, when multiple vehicles or parties are involved, or when the initial settlement offer is significantly below what the injuries actually cost. In these situations, the imbalance between an injured individual and an experienced insurance defense team is real, and representation that understands the local courts, the local insurers, and the specific legal landscape of Missouri personal injury law produces measurably different outcomes.
The steps in this guide do not substitute for legal advice on a specific case. They are the foundation. What you do at the scene, in the hours after, and in the first weeks following a crash either builds or erodes the position you bring into any subsequent negotiation or litigation.
