A car wreck can scramble your day in minutes. One moment you are driving through Danville or Pittsylvania County. The next you are dealing with flashing lights, insurance calls, and a sore neck that may not show up until tomorrow. This guide walks through practical first steps under Virginia law.
1. Get to safety and call for help
If you can move your vehicle out of traffic without creating a new hazard, do that. Turn on your hazard lights. Call 911 so police and, if needed, EMS can respond. Ask the officer for the crash report number before you leave.
2. Check for injuries and get medical care
Adrenaline can mask pain. Soft-tissue injuries and concussions often appear hours or days later. See a doctor, urgent care, or the emergency room even if you feel “fine” at the roadside. Tell the provider every symptom, and follow up if new symptoms appear.
3. Document the scene when it is safe
Photos and short notes help later. Capture vehicle positions, damage, skid marks, traffic signals, weather, and any injuries you can see. Get names and phone numbers for witnesses. Do not argue about fault at the scene.
4. Exchange information, but keep conversations short
Virginia drivers exchange name, contact, and insurance information. Give what the law requires. Avoid long explanations about speed, distraction, or who “caused” it. Those details belong in a careful conversation with your own lawyer.
5. Report the crash to your insurer, carefully
Most policies require you to report a crash to your own insurer. That is different from giving a recorded statement to the other driver’s adjuster. You can usually wait to talk at length with the other side until you have advice. Do not sign a release or accept a quick check before you understand your medical picture.
6. Know Virginia’s two big rules
The filing deadline. Under Virginia Code § 8.01-243(A), most personal injury lawsuits must be brought within two years after the cause of action accrues. For a typical car crash, that usually means two years from the date of the injury.
Contributory negligence. Virginia still follows a pure contributory negligence rule. If you are found even slightly at fault for the wreck, and that fault was a proximate cause of your injury, recovery can be barred. That is why early photos, the police report, witness names, and consistent medical care matter.
7. Preserve evidence
Keep the damaged vehicle until it has been inspected, if you can. Save repair estimates, tow bills, rental invoices, medical bills, prescription receipts, and a simple journal of missed work and pain.
8. Talk with a local injury lawyer before you settle
Talk with us
If you were hurt in a crash in Danville, Chatham, or nearby Southside Virginia, call our Danville office at (434) 792-2350 and ask for Nicole (nicole@warrenshelton.law), or book a consult with Brent online. We will tell you plainly whether we can help.
Attorney advertising. This post is general information, not legal advice. Contacting Warren Shelton PLLC does not create an attorney-client relationship. Attorneys licensed in Virginia only. Results depend on the facts and law of each case. Please do not send confidential information until we confirm we can represent you.