The moments after a car accident are often a blur of confusion, adrenaline, and disbelief. What you do—and who you speak to (or don’t speak to)—during the hours that follow the crash can shape the fate of your physical recovery and financial future.
Expect insurance companies to apply pressure. Also, expect a attorney to protect and guide you, should you allow them to. Your lawyer will provide personalized advice that places you in a strong position for a fair financial recovery.
If you’ve just been in a collision, do not wait to call Alexander Law Group LLP at (408) 289-1776 for immediate guidance. Our San Jose car accident attorneys have guided countless crash survivors through the high-stakes juncture you face. We’ve seen how quickly insurers move—and how overwhelming the process can be when you’re still in pain. This guide explains what to expect, what to avoid, and why hiring the right lawyer can make all the difference in your case and recovery.
Key Takeaways – Car Accidents and Next Steps
- The post-accident process comes at you fast, as insurance companies move immediately to protect their bottom line, which can mean violating your best interests.
- Insurance adjusters may call within days, if not hours: They may contact you quickly to obtain statements, even though you may be rattled and incapable of giving a clear, reliable statement—and may be vulnerable to their mischaracterization of your words.
- Lowball settlement offers are common: Early offers may appear motivated by generosity but are often shamelessly designed to save insurers money, rather than make you whole.
- Hiring a lawyer changes the entire dynamic of your case: An experienced car accident attorney from our team will shield you from pressure, handle all communication with insurers (and other lawyers, should they get involved), and build the strongest case we can.
- A car accident case is as time-sensitive as it gets: You must act quickly to allow us to preserve evidence and comply with the filing deadline, which in California is generally two years from the accident date.
The First Hours After a Crash: A High-Risk Period for Car Accident Survivors
Right after a collision, survivors are typically still processing what happened. On the other hand, insurance companies’ representatives are clear-headed, already gathering information and devising ways to minimize their financial losses.
In the name of controlling the narrative, insurance companies may:
- Call asking for your version of events: The goal of this call is likely to record your statement in hopes that they can later use your words against you.
- Send “friendly” adjusters to check in: You may face multiple follow-ups, with each call posing the risk that you can be manipulated in a way that jeopardizes your financial recovery.
- Offer lowball settlements: Insurance adjusters bank on accident survivors being unfamiliar with the claims process and naively trusting of the insurers—that’s why they may offer you a lowball settlement offer, hoping you will accept and absolve the insurance company from further liability.
Even innocent statements like “I think I’m okay” can hurt your car accident case. Let a car accident attorney from Alexander Law Group LLP protect you from bad-faith insurance tactics. We will handle these early interactions and stop insurers from exploiting your post-accident vulnerability.
How Insurance Companies Try to Control the Narrative After Car Accidents
Insurance companies often appear to be just doing their job, or may even seem to be compassionate towards the survivor. You must be skeptical, though, because insurance representatives’ actions typically serve one purpose: reducing payouts.
Controlling the narrative around the accident and claims process is crucial to insurance companies’ (and our) purposes, and they may attempt to control the narrative of your accident through:
- Quick contact: Adjusters may reach out within days or hours of an accident, in part to catch you off guard and secure your cooperation before you hire your attorney.
- A harmless, even friendly tone: Insurance representatives know that if they speak warmly and empathetically, they may create a sense of trust that leads the accident survivor into an expensive mistake.
- Recorded statements: Once the insurance company has a claimant on tape saying the wrong thing, they have critical evidence in their possession.
- Medical release forms: These forms allow insurers to comb through your medical history and possibly dispute your claimed injuries as pre-existing conditions.
- Early settlement offers: Too many accident survivors accept early, lowball settlement offers, which may allow insurance companies to end car accident claims quickly and cheaply.
You should expect these practices after your accident. That way, you will be ready if and when they occur, and you will have Alexander Law Group LLP already in place, protecting you.
Once You Hire a Lawyer, Everything Changes
Retaining an attorney from Alexander Law Group LLP immediately shifts the balance of power. Suddenly, you are no longer on the defensive against insurance companies. We will take control, protecting and guiding you as we deal with insurance companies that have considerable financial resources on their side.
Expect your attorney from our team to immediately advance your case by:
- Immediately gathering the facts of the car accident: Your attorney will gather any police reports, witness testimony, photographs, video, and digital evidence related to the collision, obtaining the truth about how the collision happened.
- Facilitating your medical care: Expect your lawyer to arrange all the medical care you need with physicians who understand accident injuries.
- Determining your case value: Our legal team will review your financial and non-economic losses to ensure our financial demands reflect the harm you’ve suffered and might suffer in the future.
- Handle every insurer contact: We will do that for you; you won’t need to speak to insurance representatives or worry about their letters.
- Negotiate successfully or litigate: Alexander Law Group LLP is known for securing large settlements for clients, but we also prepare each car accident case as if a trial is a possibility.
The moment you secure our representation, the insurance company knows you cannot be bullied. The entire dynamic of your case may change as a direct result of your hiring us.
Understanding the Fast-Moving Timeline After a Car Accident
From the moment your crash occurs, the clock starts ticking. Here is a timeline that serves as a checklist to follow after your car accident:
- Immediately after the crash: You should get medical care, call the police, and collect basic information at the scene, all without admitting wrongdoing or even saying “I’m sorry.”
- Within 24–72 hours: Insurance companies usually begin contacting you to request statements, but you should retain Alexander Law Group LLP so you can refer those companies to us.
- Within several weeks: You will likely begin receiving medical bills, repair estimates, and documentation of other accident-related damages.
- Within several months: Important evidence such as surveillance video or witness memories can become unavailable or less reliable, which is another reason to hire your car accident lawyer from our team right away.
- Within two years: California’s statute of limitations expires for most personal injury cases, meaning you can lose your right to file a lawsuit if you have not retained an attorney and initiated any necessary legal process.
Meeting deadlines is the very least of what we will do for you. When you retain a lawyer from our team, you lose all worry about missing deadlines and losing out on time-sensitive evidence and documentation.
What Damages Can You Recover After a Car Accident?
The value of your case depends on how your injuries and trauma have affected every aspect of your life. Damages from car accidents typically fall into three main categories.
Economic Damages
These damages compensate you for tangible financial losses, which may include:
- Current medical expenses
- Future medical costs
- Lost income
- Loss of earning capacity
- Property damage-related costs
- Out-of-pocket costs related to the accident (which may include transportation to appointments and other necessary expenses related to your injuries)
Economic damages are critical, but they are not the only type of harm that occurs when motor vehicles collide.
The Emotional Side of Recovery (Non-Economic Damages)
Many lawyers are concerned about property damage and medical bills, but what clients tell us is that the most challenging part after a car accident is emotional and psychological. After an accident, you may feel like life has been divided into “before” and “after,” and in the “after,” you may experience:
- General anxiety and specific fear of being in a motor vehicle (you might even suffer post-traumatic stress disorder, which is relatively common among car accident victims)
- Frustration from physical limitations
- Financial stress (and related psychological struggles) from missed work
- A sense of isolation, as friends may not understand how deeply the trauma of the accident affects you
- Disfigurement, which can affect your identity and ability to socialize
Our attorneys have seen clients suffering through profound post-accident challenges all, and we will make it our mission to help get the medical and emotional care you need—and the financial recovery you deserve.
Punitive Damages
These damages are available in cases of gross negligence or intentional misconduct. They punish wrongdoers for reckless or malicious behavior such as drunk driving or hit-and-run crashes.
Our attorneys carefully document every form of damage to ensure you receive the maximum recovery allowed by law.
The Turning Point: When You Hire a Lawyer to Seek Accountability
You may be astounded by just how helpful our firm is. We have already discussed many of the services we will perform (from gathering evidence to fighting for your financial recovery). Still, one of our greatest gifts to clients is helping them avoid costly mistakes.
Many accident survivors unintentionally weaken their claims, but our clients don’t. Your car accident lawyer will ensure that you do not:
- Delay medical care: Skipping or postponing treatment gives insurers the chance to argue that your injuries were less significant than they truly are.
- Post about the accident on social media: Uploading photos or updates, or making other accident-related posts, may allow insurers to claim you are healthier than you report (or to contest the facts of your accident).
- Accept a lowball settlement: Signing an early release prevents you from pursuing additional compensation later, so we will ensure you only accept an offer once you truly understand its details.
- Deal with adjusters one-on-one: Dealing directly with insurance professionals puts you at a disadvantage, so it’s a situation we’re going to help you avoid.
Every client at Alexander Law Group LLP receives guidance on what to do—and what to avoid—throughout the process of their case.
Frequently Asked Questions – Car Accidents
If there is one thing our clients have in abundance, it is questions.
What should I do if the other driver’s insurance company contacts me?
You should not provide any recorded statements or discuss the accident details. Instead, you should direct all communication to your attorney from Alexander Law Group LLP.
Can I afford a lawyer if I am already struggling financially?
Yes. You can hire Alexander Law Group LLP on a contingency-fee basis, which means you pay no fees unless we recover money.
How do I know what my case is worth?
The value of your case depends on medical costs, lost income, pain and suffering, and future needs. Your attorney will calculate these factors carefully to determine fair compensation.
What happens if my injuries worsen over time?
Your attorney will ensure your case accounts for long-term complications and will not settle until your condition is evaluated correctly.
Contact a Car Accident Lawyer from Alexander Law Group LLP Right Now
California law generally gives you two years from the date of your accident to file a personal injury lawsuit, but waiting even a few weeks or months can weaken your case. There is no better time than now to hire your car accident lawyer from our team.
By contacting Alexander Law Group LLP immediately, you gain an advocate who will preserve evidence, manage deadlines, and position your case for the maximum recovery. We have helped thousands of injured Californians secure fair compensation—and we are ready to help you too.
Call (408) 289-1776 today to schedule your free consultation. Let us handle your claims (and any necessary lawsuits) so you can focus on healing, stability, and working towards the future you deserve.
