What to Do the Day of the Accident (to Protect Your ACV)
7 min read·Updated February 2, 2025
At the scene
- Photograph everything — all four corners of your vehicle, every dent and scratch, the interior, the odometer, the VIN plate, the other vehicle, the scene, road conditions, traffic signals.
- Get the other driver's full info — name, address, phone, insurer, policy number, plate.
- Get a police report — even for low-speed collisions. Insurers weight police reports heavily on liability.
Within 24 hours
- Open the claim with your own carrier, even if you intend to claim against the other driver. Your collision coverage may pay first while subrogation handles fault.
Within 48 hours
- Pull your own pre-loss photos from your phone's history — listing photos, road trip photos, anything that shows the car in good condition.
- Pull recent service records — oil changes, tire receipts, anything that supports a "Normal" or "Above Normal" condition rating.
What NOT to do
- Don't sign anything from the other driver's insurer in the first week.
- Don't accept a recorded statement on the value or condition of your vehicle until you've documented it yourself.
- Don't dispose of the salvage until your appraisal is complete.
Frequently asked questions
Straightforward claims close in 2–3 weeks. Disputed valuations or appraisal-clause cases run 4–8 weeks. The biggest delays are usually waiting on the insurer's first offer.
Get a police report, photograph the damage, save all receipts, request a copy of the insurer's valuation report in writing, and do not sign a release until you've reviewed the offer carefully.
Rental coverage usually ends when the insurer makes a 'reasonable' offer — even if you reject it. Disputing the valuation typically does not extend rental days; budget accordingly.
No. You can obtain an independent estimate. If the independent estimate pushes repair cost over your state's threshold, the vehicle must be declared a total loss.
Yes. We prepare the valuation, draft the dispute letter, and represent you in the appraisal-clause process if it gets that far. $1,000 minimum recovery or you pay nothing.