In Texas, call 911 from the scene, get checked by a doctor the same day even if you feel fine, and photograph everything before the vehicles move. The officer has 10 days to file the crash report with TxDOT, and it can take up to 14 days to appear in the C.R.I.S. system.
The First Hour: At the Scene
Everything you do in the first hour either creates evidence or destroys it. The scene exists once.
If your car has to be towed, write down the tow company and where the vehicle is going. Storage fees accumulate daily and vehicles get released for salvage faster than people expect.
- Call 911, even if the damage looks minor. An officer’s presence is what produces a crash report, and a report is the single most useful document in the claim.
- Photograph BOTH vehicles before they are moved, if it is safe to stand where you are standing. Final resting positions, angles, and debris fields tell a story that repair estimates cannot.
- Get names and phone numbers from witnesses. Not statements – just contact information. Witnesses leave in minutes and are almost impossible to find later.
- Exchange information: names, addresses, phone numbers, insurers, policy numbers, license plates, and driver’s license numbers.
- Accept the EMS evaluation if paramedics respond. Declining care at the scene shows up in the file as evidence you were uninjured.
- Do not discuss fault with the other driver, the witnesses, or anyone but the officer. Apologies get repeated as admissions.
The Police Report: What Happens to It, and When You Can Get It
Under Transportation Code §550.062, the investigating officer must file the crash report with TxDOT within 10 days when the crash involves injury, death, or $1,000 or more in property damage. That is a duty of the officer, not you.
The report then has to be processed. It can take up to 14 days to appear in TxDOT’s Crash Records Information System (C.R.I.S.). Non-redacted copies are released only to people “directly concerned” in the crash – drivers, passengers, owners, their insurers, and their attorneys.
Note one thing that has changed: the CR-2 driver self-report form no longer exists in Texas. There is no form you file yourself to create a crash report. If no officer responded to your crash, there simply is no report, which makes witness contact information and your own photographs far more important.
In Arlington, crash reports are handled through the Arlington Police Department Records Unit at 620 W. Division St., Arlington, TX 76011, which routes reports to TxDOT C.R.I.S. Read the report when you get it. Diagrams, contributing-factor codes, and the narrative are frequently the first thing an adjuster looks at, and factual errors are worth addressing early.
Medical Care Within 24 Hours – Even If You Feel Fine
Adrenaline is a painkiller. It wears off. Neck and back injuries, concussions, and disc injuries commonly reach full intensity somewhere in the 24 to 72 hours after impact, which is exactly the window in which people decide they are fine and go back to work.
There are two reasons to be seen the same day. The first is medical: internal injuries and head injuries are time-sensitive and do not always present themselves right away The second is evidentiary. A gap between the crash and the first medical visit is the most common argument an insurer makes that an injury came from something else.
Report every symptom to the provider, including the ones that seem trivial. Headaches, ringing in the ears, numbness in a hand, legs or arms, trouble sleeping, difficulty concentrating. The medical record is built entirely from what you say and what the provider observes – a symptom you did not mention on day one is a symptom the defense says you did not have.
Keep the discharge instructions, referrals, and work restriction notes. Follow the referrals. Missed appointments read as recovery.
Hours 24 to 48: Evidence That Disappears
The second day is about capturing things that will not exist next week.
Also, save clothing and footwear from the crash without washing them, and preserve the tow and storage paperwork.
- Nearby video. Business security cameras, doorbell cameras, and dashcams routinely overwrite on a short cycle. Ask in person and follow up with a short written request that the footage be preserved.
- The vehicles. Photograph all damage in daylight before repairs begin, including the interior, deployed airbags, and seat belt marks. Do not authorize repair or salvage until the vehicle damage and condition has been documented.
- Your injuries. Bruising develops over days. Photograph visible injuries daily, with a date, as they change.
- The scene itself. Skid marks, gouges, glass, and sight lines fade. Return in daylight and photograph the approach from each driver’s perspective.
- Witnesses. Call them while the crash is fresh. A short, friendly call to confirm what they saw and that they are willing to talk is enough.
- A symptom journal. A few lines a day about pain, sleep, and what you could not do. It becomes the backbone of testimony about daily limits months later.
What Not to Do in the First 48 Hours
Most damage in the first two days is self-inflicted and avoidable.
- Do not post about the crash on social media. Photos, check-ins, and “we’re all okay” updates are collected and used to argue you were not hurt.
- Do not say “I’m fine” to the other driver, the officer, or any adjuster. Say you are being evaluated.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company. It is optional and taken before you have a diagnosis.
- Do not sign a blanket medical authorization or any release, and do not deposit an early settlement check without reading the endorsement language.
- Do not guess. Speeds, distances, and times you are unsure about become contradictions later. “I don’t know” is a complete answer.
- Do not let the vehicle be repaired or scrapped before it is photographed and, in a serious case, inspected.
- Do not skip the follow-up medical appointments. Consistency is what the record is judged on.
A 48-Hour Checklist
In order, and none of it requires a lawyer to start.
The two-year deadline in Civil Practice and Remedies Code §16.003 is a long way off, but the evidence that decides the claim is gathered in the first two days. Jim Ross Law Group offers a free consultation at 817-275-4100, in person or by phone, and there is no fee unless we win.
When
Do this
At the scene
Call 911, photograph the vehicles in place, collect witness names and numbers, accept EMS evaluation
Same day
Get medically evaluated, notify your own insurer, write down everything you remember
Within 24 hours
Photograph injuries and damage in daylight, save clothing, start a symptom journal
Within 48 hours
Request preservation of nearby video, attend ALL follow-up care, decline recorded statements from the other insurance company
Days 10-14
Look for the crash report in TxDOT C.R.I.S.
Report filing duty under Transportation Code §550.062; availability and fees per TxDOT C.R.I.S.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to call the police after a minor crash in Texas?
Call regardless. The officer’s report is what triggers the TxDOT filing duty under Transportation Code §550.062 when there is injury, death, or $1,000 or more in property damage – and $1,000 of damage is a light bumper impact on a modern car. Without an officer, there is no crash report at all, since Texas no longer has a driver self-report form.
How soon can I get a copy of my Arlington crash report?
Expect roughly two weeks. The officer has 10 days to file it with TxDOT, and processing can take up to 14 days before it appears in the Crash Records Information System. Arlington Police Department’s Records Unit at 620 W. Division Street routes reports to C.R.I.S.
What if I did not go to the hospital from the scene?
Go now rather than waiting. Same-day or next-day care is ideal, but the more useful rule is that the sooner you are seen, the smaller the gap an insurer can point to. Tell the provider the date of the crash and every symptom you have had since, so the record connects the injury to the collision.
What photos should I take at the scene?
Vehicles in their final positions before anything moves, all four sides of each vehicle, license plates, the roadway and skid marks, traffic controls and sight lines from each approach, debris, weather and lighting conditions, the other driver’s insurance card and license, and any visible injuries. Wide shots for context, close-ups for detail.
Should I move my car out of the road before taking pictures?
Safety comes first. If the vehicles are blocking traffic or there is a fire or fuel risk, move them and photograph afterward – a second collision is worse than a missing photograph. If it is safe to leave them, a few pictures from several angles before anything moves preserves information no repair estimate can reconstruct.
Do I still need to file a CR-2 form after a Texas crash?
No. The CR-2 driver’s crash report – the old blue form – no longer exists in Texas. There is no self-report to submit and no deadline for you to meet on that front. The reporting obligation now sits with the investigating officer under Transportation Code §550.062, which is why calling police matters.
What should I avoid posting after a crash?
Anything about the crash, your injuries, your activities, or your recovery. Insurers and defense firms review public profiles, and a photograph at a family event or a comment that you are “doing better” gets used out of context. Tighten privacy settings, ask friends not to tag you, and do not delete existing posts once a claim exists.
How much does a Texas crash report cost and who can get one?
A regular copy is $6 and a certified copy is $8 through TxDOT’s C.R.I.S. system. Redacted copies are publicly available, but the non-redacted version – the one with names, addresses, and insurance information – is released only to people “directly concerned” in the crash, which includes drivers, passengers, owners, their insurers, and their attorneys.
This page is for general information only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different and past results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case. Jim Ross Law Group, P.C., 2201 E Lamar Blvd #110, Arlington, TX 76006.