I Was in a Car Accident Yesterday: What to Do After A Car Accident

First things first: I’m okay.

Yesterday, I was involved in a car accident about two blocks from my house. I’m definitely sore and dealing with some injuries, but thankfully I was wearing my seat belt, I was able to walk away from the accident, and I’m getting the appropriate care.

Being on the patient side of an accident has also been a pretty good reminder of something I’ve told patients for years:

Don’t take a car accident lightly.

Even if the accident doesn’t seem severe. Even if your car doesn’t look that bad. And especially if you initially think, “I’m probably fine.”

Some injuries are obvious immediately. Others may not really make themselves known until hours or even days later.

In my case, I knew immediately that I was hurt. I went to urgent care, was evaluated, and had X-rays taken. From here, I plan to follow the recommendations I’m given and put together the right team to help me recover, whether that includes chiropractic care, physical therapy, orthopedics, additional imaging, or whatever else is appropriate.

Hopefully my experience can serve as a useful reminder of what to do if you ever find yourself in the same situation.

1. Always Get Checked Out

This is probably my biggest recommendation.

After an accident, there’s a lot going on. You’re thinking about your vehicle, the other driver, police, insurance, getting home, and everything else that suddenly needs your attention.

Your body can become an afterthought.

Don’t let it.

If you’re experiencing significant symptoms after a collision—especially severe or worsening pain, weakness or numbness, confusion, loss of consciousness, a significant headache, difficulty breathing, chest or abdominal pain, or anything else concerning—seek prompt medical attention. Depending on your symptoms and the severity of the accident, that may mean the emergency room rather than waiting for an office appointment.

Even if it doesn’t seem like an emergency, getting evaluated can help determine whether imaging, treatment, or additional follow-up is appropriate.

That’s exactly what I did. I went to urgent care, had an examination and X-rays, and now I have a starting point for what happens next.

2. Don’t Assume You’re Fine Because You Don’t Hurt Yet

One of the biggest misconceptions after a car accident is that if you don’t hurt immediately, you weren’t injured.

That’s not necessarily true.

Pain, stiffness, headaches, muscle soreness, reduced range of motion, and other symptoms can become more noticeable hours later or even over the next few days.

Mine happened to start immediately, but everyone is different.

Pay attention to your body after an accident. If something new appears or your symptoms are getting worse rather than better, don’t dismiss it simply because you felt okay at the scene.

3. Document Everything

Take pictures.

And then take some more.

Photograph the vehicles from multiple angles, areas of damage, the accident scene if it’s safe to do so, road conditions, signs or traffic signals, and anything else that may be relevant.

Exchange the necessary information with the other driver and obtain the police or crash-report information when applicable.

I’d also recommend making your own detailed notes while everything is still fresh in your mind.

Write down what happened, where you’re hurting, when your symptoms began, and how those symptoms change over the following days.

Keep track of medical visits, imaging, recommendations you’ve received, medications, missed work, and significant ways the injuries are affecting your normal activities.

The goal isn’t to exaggerate anything.

It’s simply to have an accurate record of what actually happened.

4. Contact Your Insurance Company — And Be Honest

Report the accident to your insurance company and follow the appropriate process for your situation.

When discussing what happened and how you’re feeling, be straightforward and accurate.

Don’t exaggerate your injuries.

But don’t minimize them either.

If something hurts, say it hurts. If you don’t know the extent of an injury yet, it’s perfectly reasonable to say that you don’t know.

Immediately after an accident probably isn’t the best time to confidently declare that you’re “completely fine” when you haven’t even had time to see how your body responds.

Just be honest.

5. Find a Good Healthcare Team

Recovering from an accident isn’t necessarily about finding one provider who does everything.

Depending on your injuries, your care team might include a medical provider, chiropractor, physical therapist, orthopedist, imaging facility, or another specialist.

That’s essentially the approach I’m taking myself.

I started with an urgent-care evaluation and X-rays. From here, I’ll be seeing the appropriate providers and following their recommendations based on my injuries and how I progress.

If you’ve been injured in an accident, I think it’s important to find good providers who are experienced with personal injury and auto-accident cases and who communicate well with one another.

One important distinction for my patients: CARE Chiropractic & Wellness does not handle personal injury or auto-accident cases.

We’re a cash-based practice and don’t bill insurance or work on liens. If one of my patients is involved in an accident, I’d rather help point them toward an appropriate PI/auto-accident care team than try to fit their situation into a practice model that isn’t designed for it.

The priority should be getting the right care.

6. Ice, Ice, Ice

If you’ve been in my office for any length of time, you probably knew this was coming.

Ice. 🧊

For a new musculoskeletal injury, I generally prefer starting with ice to help manage pain and calm irritated tissues.

My usual recommendation is:

15 minutes on.

45 minutes off.

Repeat as needed, up to approximately once per hour.

Use a thin layer of fabric between the ice pack and your skin, and don’t fall asleep with an ice pack on.

And yes, I’m currently practicing what I preach.

There’s quite a bit of ice happening at my house right now.

7. Keep Moving — Within Reason

When everything hurts after an accident, the natural reaction can be to stop moving.

Unless you’ve been told to restrict activity because of a specific injury, I generally prefer gentle movement within comfortable, pain-free ranges rather than becoming completely sedentary.

Walk a little.

Change positions regularly.

Gently move the areas that tolerate movement.

But don’t force through sharp or increasing pain.

The goal isn’t to aggressively stretch something that was just injured or prove that you can still do everything you normally do.

It’s simply to keep the body moving safely so you don’t unnecessarily tighten up while you recover.

Your healthcare providers can give you more specific recommendations based on your particular injuries.

8. Wear Your Seat Belt — Even Close to Home

This one hits a little differently for me today.

My accident happened about two blocks from my house.

I wasn’t on a highway.

I wasn’t on a road trip.

I wasn’t hours away from home.

I was basically in my own neighborhood.

And thankfully, I was wearing my seat belt.

It’s easy to think, “I’m just running down the street,” or “I’m only going a couple of minutes from home,” and become a little less cautious because the drive feels routine.

But accidents don’t care how far you’re going.

You can be two blocks from your house and still be involved in a collision you never saw coming.

You can control how safely you drive.

You cannot control every other driver on the road.

Wear your seat belt every single time you get into a vehicle—even if you’re only going around the corner.

I’m very glad I was wearing mine yesterday.

9. Take Your Recovery Seriously

This may be the biggest takeaway from this entire post.

A car accident can put a tremendous amount of force through the body, and the effects aren’t always obvious from looking at the vehicle or even from how you feel immediately afterward.

Some people recover very quickly.

Others deal with pain, stiffness, headaches, reduced mobility, or other problems for much longer.

And some injuries can have lasting effects if they aren’t properly addressed.

That doesn’t mean you should assume every ache after an accident is going to become a lifelong problem.

But you shouldn’t ignore an injury and simply hope it disappears either.

Get evaluated.

Follow appropriate recommendations.

Pay attention to changes in your symptoms.

Do the rehabilitation you’re given.

Keep your healthcare providers informed about how you’re progressing.

And give your body a legitimate opportunity to recover.

A Different Perspective Today

I’ve spent more than 15 years taking care of people who hurt.

Yesterday gave me another reminder of what it’s like to suddenly be the person who’s hurting.

I’m sore. I’ve got some injuries that need to be addressed. But I’m okay, and I’m extremely grateful it wasn’t worse.

I’m going to approach my own recovery the same way I’d want someone I care about to approach theirs:

Get evaluated.

Don’t ignore symptoms.

Find good providers.

Follow their recommendations.

Keep moving safely.

Give your body time to heal.

And use plenty of ice. 🧊

Most importantly, wear your seat belt.

Even if you’re only two blocks from home.

Drive safely and take care of yourselves.

– Dr. Mike