What to Do After a Car Accident in Seattle (Checklist)

Last year, there were over 12,000 reported collisions in the City of Seattle alone. That's roughly 33 crashes per day. If you drive in this city - dealing with the Mercer Mess, the I-5/I-90 interchange, rain-slicked hills in Queen Anne, or tourists who stop dead on Pike Street - an accident is not a matter of if but when.

We've been the first phone call for hundreds of clients after accidents on Seattle roads. Here's exactly what to do, step by step, based on what actually works.

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The First 5 Minutes: At the Scene

Your adrenaline is pumping. Your hands might be shaking. That's normal. Here's your immediate checklist:

1. Stop your vehicle and stay at the scene. Washington law (RCW 46.52) requires you to stop after any collision involving injury, death, or property damage. Leaving the scene - even after a parking lot fender bender at University Village - can result in a hit-and-run charge.

2. Check for injuries. Check yourself, your passengers, and anyone in the other vehicle. If anyone is hurt, call 911 immediately. Do not move an injured person unless they're in immediate danger (like a vehicle fire).

3. Move to safety if possible. If both cars are drivable and you're blocking traffic - say you're on the Aurora Bridge or the Alaskan Way Viaduct ramp - pull to the shoulder or a nearby parking lot. Turn on your hazards.

4. Call 911 (when you need to vs. when you should).

Situation	Call 911?	Why
Anyone is injured	Yes, immediately	Medical and legal requirement
Significant vehicle damage (>$1,000)	Yes	Washington requires a police report
The other driver seems impaired	Yes	Protect yourself legally
Minor fender bender, no injuries	Optional but recommended	A police report strengthens your claim
Parking lot ding, other driver present	Usually not needed	Exchange info and document it yourself

In Seattle specifically, SPD will sometimes tell you to file a report online for minor collisions. That's fine - just do it within 24 hours at seattle.gov/police. Get the report number.

5. Exchange information with the other driver.

Get this from every driver involved:

• Full name
• Phone number
• Insurance company and policy number
• Driver's license number
• License plate number
• Make, model, and color of vehicle

Be civil. Be brief. Do NOT say "I'm sorry" or "That was my fault." Washington is a comparative fault state - meaning both drivers can share responsibility, and what you say at the scene can be used against you.

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The First 30 Minutes: Document Everything

Once you've handled safety and exchanged info, grab your phone and start documenting. This evidence is gold for your claim.

Photo checklist:

• All vehicles involved, from multiple angles
• Close-ups of every dent, scratch, and broken part
• The full intersection or road scene (road signs, traffic lights, lane markings)
• Skid marks on the road
• Your dashboard showing the odometer
• The other driver's license plate and insurance card
• Any visible injuries (bruises, cuts)

Witness information: If anyone stopped to help or saw what happened, get their name and number. Witnesses disappear fast, especially on busy streets.

Make voice notes: While your memory is fresh, open your phone's voice recorder and describe exactly what happened. "I was heading southbound on 15th Ave NW, approaching the Ballard Bridge. The light was green. A gray Honda ran the red on Leary Way and hit my front passenger side." Details like this fade within hours.

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The First 24 Hours: Critical Calls and Paperwork

Call your insurance agent

This should be your first call after you've left the scene. Not the 1-800 number on your insurance card - your actual agent. We can walk you through what's covered, whether to file with your carrier or the other driver's, and what to expect next.

Our number: (425) 777-1858. We've had clients call us from the side of I-5 near Northgate, and we've started their claim before they even got home.

See a doctor - even if you feel fine

Adrenaline masks pain. Whiplash, concussions, and soft tissue injuries commonly show up 24-48 hours after a collision. If you wait a week to see a doctor, the other driver's insurance will argue your injuries aren't related to the accident.

Go to your primary care doctor or an urgent care clinic. Harborview Medical Center handles the most serious trauma cases in the region, but for moderate concerns, places like UW Neighborhood Clinics or ZoomCare work fine.

File a police report (if you haven't already)

If SPD didn't come to the scene, file your report online or at the nearest precinct. You need this for your insurance claim, and the other driver's insurer will ask for it.

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The Insurance Filing Timeline

Here's how the claim process typically unfolds after a Seattle car accident:

Timeframe	What Happens	Your Action
Day 1	Report the accident to your agent	Call (425) 777-1858
Day 1-2	File police report if not done at scene	seattle.gov/police or nearest precinct
Day 1-3	See a doctor for injury evaluation	Keep all medical records and receipts
Day 2-5	Your carrier assigns a claims adjuster	Provide all photos, docs, and the police report #
Day 3-7	Adjuster contacts you for a recorded statement	Be factual. Stick to what happened. Don't speculate.
Day 5-14	Vehicle damage inspection	Take your car to an approved shop or the adjuster visits you
Day 7-21	Repair estimate issued	Get your own estimate if theirs seems low
Day 14-30	Repairs completed, rental car returned	Keep all rental and repair receipts
Day 30-90	Injury claim settled (if applicable)	Don't settle until you know the full extent of your injuries

Important: Do not accept a settlement on an injury claim quickly. It can take weeks or months to fully understand the medical impact. Once you sign a release, you can't go back for more.

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Fault in Washington: What You Need to Know

Washington uses a pure comparative fault system. That means if you're found 20% at fault and the other driver is 80% at fault, you can still recover 80% of your damages. Even if you're 99% at fault, you can technically recover 1%.

Here's how fault typically gets split in common Seattle scenarios:

Scenario	Typical Fault Split
Rear-ended on I-5 in stop-and-go traffic	100% rear driver
T-boned running a red on Rainier Ave	90-100% red-light runner
Merging accident on SR-99	60-80% merging driver
Parking lot backup collision	50/50 or contested
Multi-car pileup on I-90 bridge in ice	Varies wildly

The police report matters, but it's not the final word. Insurance adjusters do their own investigation.

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What If the Other Driver Doesn't Have Insurance?

About 16% of Washington drivers are uninsured. That's roughly 1 in 6. If you get hit by one of them, you'll need Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage on your own policy.

Washington requires insurance companies to offer UM coverage, but you can decline it in writing. If you declined it to save $50-$100 per year on your premium - now's a painful time to find out.

UM coverage also helps with hit-and-runs, which happen constantly in Seattle. Someone clips your mirror on a narrow Wallingford side street, or dings your car at the Costco on Aurora - and drives off? That's a UM claim.

Our recommendation: Always carry UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage with limits that match your liability limits. If you carry 100/300 liability, carry 100/300 UM/UIM. It typically adds $60-$150 per six-month policy.

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Costs You Might Be Facing

Here's a rough idea of what accident-related expenses look like in Seattle:

Expense	Typical Cost
Tow from the scene	$150-$350
Average auto body repair (moderate damage)	$3,000-$7,500
Rental car (2 weeks)	$500-$900
ER visit (no overnight stay)	$1,500-$4,000
Urgent care visit	$150-$400
Physical therapy (6 sessions)	$600-$1,200
Diminished value of your vehicle	5-15% of pre-accident value

Your insurance should cover most of this, but knowing the numbers helps you spot a lowball offer when you see one.

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The Glove Box Checklist

Print this out and keep it in your car:

• Check for injuries - call 911 if needed
• Move to safety
• Turn on hazard lights
• Exchange info with other driver(s)
• Do NOT admit fault
• Take photos of everything
• Get witness names and numbers
• Record voice notes while memory is fresh
• Call your agent at (425) 777-1858
• See a doctor within 24 hours
• File a police report within 24 hours

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One Last Thing

The worst time to figure out your coverage is after the accident. If you're reading this and you haven't been in a wreck - good. Now's the time to pull up your policy and check your liability limits, your deductible, and whether you have UM/UIM coverage. You might also want to consider umbrella insurance for extra protection.

Not sure what you're looking at? Call us. We'll do a free policy review and tell you exactly where you stand. That's what we do at Good People Insurance Group - we'd rather spend 15 minutes reviewing your policy now than have you find out the hard way that you're underinsured on the I-5 express lanes during rush hour.

(425) 777-1858 or visit us at 1818 Westlake Ave N, Suite 329, right by Lake Union.