The first hour after a wreck, and what it saves you later

Nobody is thinking clearly straight after a collision. That is not a criticism, it is adrenaline, and it is the reason the same handful of avoidable problems land on our counter at Sure Shot every few weeks. Almost all of them trace back to something that was or was not done in the first hour, on the side of the road, before anyone involved had calmed down.

Here is what actually matters, in the order it matters, from the point of view of the people who will eventually put your car back together.

Photograph more than the damage

Everyone photographs the dent. Almost nobody photographs the things that establish context, and context is what an insurance adjuster uses to decide who pays.

Before anything moves, if it is safe to stand there, take pictures of the whole scene from four or five steps back. Get both vehicles in frame together. Get the position of the cars relative to the lane markings, the curb, the junction. Then photograph the other vehicle's number plate, and the damage on their car as well as yours.

• Wide shots of the scene from several angles, showing both vehicles in position
• Close shots of the damage on both cars, not only yours
• The other vehicle's plate, and their insurance card if they will show it
• Skid marks, debris on the road, and any traffic signal or sign that is relevant
• The other driver, if they are willing, and any witness contact details

The wide shots are the ones people skip and the ones that end disputes. A close photograph of a crumpled fender proves damage exists. It does not prove where the cars were when it happened.

Do not decide on the roadside whether you are hurt

Soft tissue injuries frequently do not announce themselves for a day or two. Saying you are fine at the scene is the kind of statement that gets quoted back at you later. There is nothing dishonest about saying you do not know yet, because you genuinely do not.

Be careful what you agree to about the repair

This is the one that concerns us directly. In the first hour you may be told where to take the car, sometimes quite firmly. It is worth knowing that in Texas the choice of repair shop is yours. Your insurer can recommend a shop, and a recommendation is often perfectly reasonable, but it is a recommendation and not an instruction.

What matters is that whoever works on the car is going to check the structure and not only the panel. That distinction is the difference between a repair and a cover up, and it is invisible from the outside once the car is painted.

Get it looked at before you agree a figure

An estimate produced from photographs, whether by an app or by an adjuster, is working from the outside of the car. It cannot see a bent radiator support, a subframe that has shifted on its mounts, or a suspension component that is no longer sitting where it was designed to sit.

That is why a real estimate involves someone looking at the car. Ours are free and take about 10 to 15 minutes, and quite often the news is better than the owner feared rather than worse. Either way you then know what you are actually dealing with before you commit to a number.

Do not wait weeks to start

Two things get worse with delay. Exposed metal at a break in the paint starts to corrode, and in a humid North Texas summer that happens faster than people expect. And parts availability is unpredictable, so the sooner a car is assessed, the sooner anything on back order is on its way.

There is no advantage to leaving a damaged car sitting on a driveway while you decide. Getting it looked at costs nothing and commits you to nothing.

What we would tell a friend

Photograph wide before you photograph close. Say less at the scene than you feel like saying. Do not let anyone rush you into a decision about where the car goes. Then get someone to actually look at it, properly, before money is discussed.

If you are in Garland, Rowlett, Sachse or anywhere nearby and you want a straight second opinion on a collision estimate, bring the car to 3578 Forest Ln or call us on (972) 494-1977. We will tell you what we can see, including when the answer is that it needs less work than you were told.