What to Do After a Car Accident in Wisconsin: A Step-by-Step Checklist

Your hands are still shaking, traffic is crawling past, and someone is asking for your insurance card. Nobody thinks clearly in the minutes after a crash. That's why a checklist helps. Save this page now so it's there when you need it. This guide covers health and paperwork steps. It isn't legal advice. For the injuries a crash can cause, see our guide to car accident injuries.

What should you do at the scene of a car accident?

Check for injuries first, then make the scene safe, then gather information. The order matters. Here's the checklist, step by step.

1. Check for injuries and get help

Check yourself, then your passengers, then the people in the other car. If anyone is hurt, call 911 right away. WisDOT's guidance² says to tell the dispatcher a few key details:

• Where you are, including the road and nearest cross street or mile marker
• Which direction you were traveling
• How badly anyone is hurt
• What happened, and how many lanes are blocked

2. Move out of traffic if you safely can

Wisconsin's "Steer It, Clear It" guidance covers minor crashes. If no one is hurt and your car can still be driven, move it out of traffic to a safe spot². If your car is disabled, don't try to push it.

While you wait, WisDOT advises staying inside your car with your seat belt fastened². Turn on your hazard lights or raise the hood to warn other drivers². Secondary crashes are a real risk, especially on a busy freeway or an icy shoulder.

3. Call the police

Calling the police is a good idea even after a minor crash. According to Wisconsin's insurance regulator³, a police report can help with an insurance claim later. If police come to the scene, they may complete the crash report for you¹.

4. Exchange information

Swap insurance information with the other driver. Wisconsin's insurance guide³ suggests collecting:

• Names, addresses, and phone numbers of everyone involved, including witnesses
• License plate numbers
• The time, date, location, and road conditions
• The year and make of each vehicle
• Any damage and injuries you can see

5. Take photos and notes

Photograph the vehicles, the damage, the road, and any signs or signals nearby. Then write down your version of what happened while it's still fresh³. A few lines on your phone is enough. Stay calm and stick to facts when you talk with the other driver.

Do you have to report a car accident in Wisconsin?

Yes, if the crash meets the state's reporting rules. According to WisDOT¹, you must report any crash in Wisconsin that causes:

• An injury to anyone
• $1,000 or more in damage to anyone's vehicle or property
• $200 or more in damage to government property other than a vehicle

If police come to the scene, they may file the report. If they don't, you'll need to complete the Wisconsin Driver Report of Crash, form DT4002¹. If WisDOT sends you a letter asking for a report, you must complete it¹.

If any driver in the crash is uninsured, extra forms are needed under the state's safety responsibility law¹. You can buy and print a copy of your crash report online through the state's crash report site¹. Your insurer and your health care providers may ask for it.

What should you do later the same day?

Watch how you feel, call your insurer, and start a simple log. Adrenaline can hide pain for hours. Concussion signs can take hours or days to appear or be noticed⁵. Keep an eye on yourself and your passengers through the evening.

Next, call your insurance company to report the crash and start a claim. Write down your claim number and your adjuster's name. Then start a short daily log. Note the date each symptom started, how you slept, and what feels harder than usual. That record is more reliable than your memory a month from now.

What should you do in the first week after a crash?

Get checked within the first few days, even if you feel fine. According to Mayo Clinic⁶, whiplash symptoms most often start within days of the injury. A quick diagnosis helps rule out broken bones or other damage that can cause or worsen symptoms⁶.

If you hit your head or notice any concussion signs, see a medical provider first. For neck, back, and joint pain, a chiropractic exam is a good place to start. Your doctor listens to what happened, checks how you move, tests your nerves, and takes X-rays if needed. Then your doctor explains what they found and talks through options. You decide what's right for you.

A few more steps for the first week:

• Keep up your daily log. Pain that starts on day two or three is easy to forget. Read why pain can show up days later.
• Keep moving gently. Normal daily activity usually helps a sore neck and back more than staying in bed.
• Keep your adjuster informed. Tell them about any new symptoms and any care you start.
• Plan your first visit. Here's what to bring to your first visit after a car accident.

Same-day appointments are available at many of our clinics, depending on the day and each clinic's hours. See why it's worth seeing a chiropractor after a car accident.

What paperwork should you keep after a crash?

Keep every crash, insurance, and care record together in one folder or phone album. Claims rely on documentation, and scattered papers are easy to lose. This table shows what to keep and why.

How does car insurance work after a Wisconsin crash?

Several types of coverage can apply, depending on your policies and who caused the crash. Here are the basics from Wisconsin's insurance regulator. This isn't legal advice.

• Liability coverage. Wisconsin drivers must carry it. The minimums are $25,000 for one person's injuries, $50,000 for two or more people, and $10,000 for property damage³.
• Uninsured motorist coverage. It's required, with minimums of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash, for injuries only³. It helps when an uninsured or hit-and-run driver hurts you⁴.
• Medical payments coverage. Insurers must offer it, but it's optional, with a $1,000 minimum³. It pays medical bills for people in your car, even if you caused the crash⁴.
• Fault. Wisconsin uses comparative negligence. You may recover damages only if your share of fault isn't greater than the other party's³.

Your health plan may also cover care. Learn more about auto accident coverage, or read who pays medical bills after a car accident in Wisconsin. For questions about a claim, talk with your insurer or an attorney.

Find out what's behind your pain after a crash

The car is at the body shop, the claim is open, and the forms are filled out. But your neck still aches when you check your mirrors, and your lower back stiffens by evening. The paperwork is under control. Your body isn't yet.

We're here to help. Chiropractic Company has cared for Greater Milwaukee since 1982, with 400,000+ patients, 1,400+ five-star Google reviews, and 20+ neighborhood clinics. Our doctors care for car accident injuries every week. We look for the cause of your pain, not just the symptoms. Your care is designed around your injury, your medical history, your daily routine, and your goals. You choose your care, and you see the same doctor as it continues.

Care is natural and drug-free. Treatment begins at your second visit, or the same day in acute cases if your doctor decides it's appropriate. Some plans add physical therapy at our Menomonee Falls, Waukesha, and West Allis North clinics, or massage therapy at Hales Corners and Oconomowoc.

We're in-network with most insurance companies and accept Medicare and auto accident claims. Eligible new patients can start with the $29 new-patient special, which includes a consultation, an exam, and X-rays if needed. *See offer terms.

Visit one of our 20+ neighborhood clinics across Greater Milwaukee: Milwaukee East, Milwaukee North, Milwaukee Third Ward, Shorewood, Glendale, Mequon, Cedarburg, Grafton, Germantown, Brookfield, Menomonee Falls, Waukesha, Oconomowoc, New Berlin, West Allis, West Allis North, Greenfield, Hales Corners, Franklin, Muskego, and Cudahy.

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