What to do after a car accident in Longview

Work down these eight steps in order. Your health rides on the early ones; the claim that may follow rides on the rest. None of it requires a lawyer yet, just a clear head while you’re still at the scene.

1. Get off the road before you do anything else

If your car still drives, move it to the shoulder, a nearby lot, or anywhere out of the travel lane. Turn on your hazards. Stalled in a live lane, you’re a target for the next distracted driver.

2. Call 911 for injuries, the non-emergency line for everything else

Dial 911 when there’s an injury, a car that won’t move, or a driver edging away from the scene. For a fender-bender with no injuries, Longview’s non-emergency line, 903-237-1199, gets an officer out without tying up dispatch.

3. Take photos before the tow trucks arrive

Photograph each car from more than one side, then the plates, then whatever context tells the story: the skid marks, the signage, the signal state. Scenes get cleared fast, and a photo taken today beats a memory pulled up months from now.

4. Trade information, and get more than just an insurance card

Collect the other driver’s full name, phone number, address, license plate, and their insurance company with the policy number. If anyone stopped to watch, ask if they saw it and get a way to reach them later.

5. See a doctor, even if you feel okay

Adrenaline is a good painkiller and a bad diagnostician; real injuries can stay quiet for a day or more. For anything serious, CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Medical Center runs a Level III trauma center with a 24/7 ER at 700 E. Marshall Ave. Longview Regional Medical Center, at 2901 N Fourth St, also runs an emergency department. Either way, a same-day or next-day visit puts your injuries on record close to when they happened, not weeks later when an insurer starts asking questions.

6. If it happened in a parking lot, LPD isn’t coming

Longview police don’t investigate crashes on private property, including parking lots and private driveways. Instead of waiting on an officer who won’t show, fill out the department’s self-report form. Most insurance companies treat it the same as an officer-written report for claim purposes.

7. Call your own insurer before their insurer calls you

Your own policy almost certainly has a prompt-notice clause, so your insurer hears from you before anyone else does. When the other driver’s insurer reaches out, and they often do within a day or two, you’re allowed to take your time before saying much.

8. Find out where your report is headed

Depending on who responded, your crash report lands with a different agency, and each one has its own process for getting a copy. The accident report guide walks through exactly where a Longview, county, or suburb crash report ends up and how to request it.

These eight steps build the foundation for whatever comes next. If the case turns into a real negotiation with an insurance company, a car wreck claim explains what that process looks like, and the filing clock Texas puts on all of it is measured in the statute of limitations guide.