Nobody thinks clearly in the first ten minutes after a crash. Your heart is pounding, you’re running through everything at once, and the decisions you make right then can affect your claim for years.

That’s why it’s worth reading this before you need it.

We’re heading into the stretch of the year when accidents spike around here. More miles driven for the holidays, earlier sunsets, wet leaves, the occasional ice event, and a lot of out-of-town drivers on roads they don’t know. Take ten minutes now so you’re not figuring it out on the shoulder of I-65 in the dark.

Here’s exactly what to do, in order.

The Short Version

• Safety first, then document everything before vehicles get moved
• Call the police at every accident, even a minor one
• Exchange information, but never discuss fault at the scene
• Tennessee may require a written report to the state within 20 days if no officer responded
• Call us at 615.377.1212 before you file anything

Step 1: Check for Injuries and Get to Safety

Before anything else, check yourself and your passengers. Then check on anyone in the other vehicle if you can do so safely.

Call 911 immediately if anyone is hurt. Adrenaline masks injuries, so if there’s any question at all, get checked out. Neck, back, and head injuries frequently don’t show up until the next day.

If the vehicles are drivable and you’re blocking traffic on a busy road, move to the shoulder or a nearby lot. Turn on your hazards. On interstates and busy highways, staying in a travel lane is genuinely dangerous.

If the vehicles aren’t drivable, get yourself out of the roadway and wait behind a barrier when one is available.

Step 2: Call the Police

Call them every time. Not just for serious crashes.

Tennessee law requires drivers to report accidents involving injury, death, or significant property damage. But set the legal minimum aside for a moment, because here’s the practical reason to always call:

A police report is the single most valuable piece of documentation you can have. It establishes an independent account of what happened, who was where, and what conditions were like. Without one, you’re left with your word against theirs, and that’s exactly where claims turn into disputes.

Damage also looks deceptively minor at a crash scene. A scuff on a modern bumper routinely becomes a four-figure repair once the sensors and cameras behind it need recalibrating. What looks like a $200 scratch often isn’t.

If an officer responds, get the report number and the officer’s name before you leave.

If no officer responds to the scene, Tennessee may require you to file your own written report with the Department of Safety and Homeland Security within 20 days. Failing to file when required can lead to suspension of your license and registration, so don’t skip this step. Call us and we’ll help you figure out whether it applies to your situation.

Step 3: Document Everything Before Vehicles Get Moved

This is where most people lose money. Once the cars are moved, that evidence is gone permanently.

Take photos of:

• All vehicles involved, from multiple angles and distances, showing damage and position
• The wider scene, including traffic signals, signs, lane markings, and skid marks
• License plates of every vehicle involved
• The other driver’s insurance card and license (photograph them rather than writing the information down)
• Road and weather conditions, especially if rain, ice, glare, or darkness played a role
• Any visible injuries

Take more photos than you think you need. Video a slow walk-around while narrating what you see. It costs nothing and it’s the best evidence you will ever have.

Step 4: Exchange Information, But Watch What You Say

Get from the other driver:

• Full name and phone number
• Insurance company and policy number
• Driver’s license number
• License plate and vehicle make, model, and year
• The vehicle owner’s name if they’re not the owner

If there are witnesses, get their names and numbers before they leave. Witnesses disappear fast and they’re extremely difficult to track down later.

Here’s the part people get wrong

Don’t apologize. Don’t admit fault. Don’t speculate about what happened.

This isn’t about being dishonest. It’s that “I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you” is a reflex most decent people have, and it can be treated as an admission of liability later, even when the facts show the other driver was at fault.

Tennessee is an at-fault state, which means the determination of who caused the accident drives who pays. Let that determination come from the evidence, the police report, and the adjusters. Your job at the scene is to be calm, polite, and factual.

Describe what happened accurately. Don’t editorialize.

Step 5: Get Medical Attention If There’s Any Question

Soft tissue injuries, concussions, and back injuries commonly show up 24 to 72 hours later. Getting evaluated promptly protects your health and creates a medical record tied to the accident date.

Waiting two weeks to see a doctor gives the other side an opening to argue your injury came from something else.

Step 6: Call Us Before You File

615.377.1212. Before you call the claims hotline, before you submit anything online, before you accept anything from the other driver’s insurer.

Here’s why that call matters:

• We’ll tell you whether filing makes sense. If the repair is close to or below your deductible, a claim may cost you more in future premiums than it pays out today. In Tennessee, a single claim can raise your annual premium by several hundred dollars, and that effect can last years.
• We’ll make sure it’s documented right the first time. How a loss gets reported at the very beginning shapes how it gets triaged, scored, and routed from there. Once it’s in the system, it’s much harder to redirect.
• We’ll explain what your policy actually covers. Rental reimbursement while your car is in the shop. Medical payments coverage. Uninsured motorist coverage if the other driver has no insurance or not nearly enough. Most people don’t know what they’re carrying until they need it.
• We’ll deal with the carrier on your behalf. You shouldn’t have to be your own advocate while you’re also arranging a rental car and getting your neck looked at.

A chatbot can take your claim. It cannot tell you whether you should file one. That’s what having a real agent is for.

Step 7: Follow Through

• Keep every receipt: rental car, towing, medical bills, and anything else tied to the accident
• Keep notes from every call, including who you spoke to and when
• Don’t accept a settlement offer or sign a release before you understand what it covers
• Don’t let your vehicle be repaired before the damage is properly documented
• Respond promptly when the adjuster asks for something, because delays on your end slow everything down

What If the Other Driver Has No Insurance?

It happens more than people realize, and Tennessee has a meaningful uninsured driver population.

This is exactly what uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is for, and it’s one of the most valuable and least understood coverages on your policy. It covers you when the at-fault driver has nothing, or carries only the state minimum while your bills run far past it.

Tennessee carriers have to offer it, but you can decline it in writing. If you’ve never specifically confirmed you have it, that’s worth a phone call this week rather than after a crash.

A Note on Winter and Holiday Driving

The next two months bring more miles, more darkness, more weather, and more drivers who’ve had a drink at a holiday party.

A few things that genuinely help:

• Slow down well before bridges and overpasses, which ice first
• Leave more following distance than feels necessary on wet or cold roads
• Keep a basic kit in the trunk: flashlight, blanket, jumper cables, water, phone charger
• Make sure your tires actually have tread left
• Add our number to your phone now so it’s there when you need it at 9 p.m. on a Sunday

Before You Need Any of This, Make Sure You’re Covered Right

If you haven’t reviewed your auto policy in a year or more, you may be carrying limits that made sense for a different stage of your life.

As an independent agency, we’re not locked into one company. We represent several carriers, including Auto-Owners Insurance, Travelers Insurance, Kemper Preferred Insurance, and Progressive Insurance, and if none of those fits your situation, we have other resources. Our goal is the same as it’s always been: the best coverage at the most affordable price. 98% of the people we have the privilege of quoting get exactly that.

Take five minutes and fill out our quick-start form and we can produce a quote within 24 hours, often sooner. Or send your current declarations page to quote@BentonWhite.com, text us at 615.377.1212, or book a time to talk.

We’ll show you what your liability limits actually protect, whether your uninsured motorist coverage is where it should be, and which discounts you may be missing. If your current policy is solid, we’ll tell you that too.

The Bottom Line

You can’t control the other driver. You can control how prepared you are for the ten minutes after the impact.

Document everything. Say nothing about fault. Call the police. Then call us before you file anything, and let us handle the part that’s actually our job.

When you call, a real person answers. Someone who knows your name, knows your policy, and will walk you through it.

This article is general information intended to help Tennessee drivers prepare for an accident. It is not legal advice. Reporting requirements, coverage, limits, and exclusions vary and change over time. Your policy documents and declarations page govern your actual coverage, and questions about legal obligations should go to an attorney or the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

At Benton Insurance, WE’RE HERE and READY TO HELP!!
Let’s ensure you are protected for all of life’s circumstances.

• Need coverage or need to update your coverage… we make it easy because we answer our phones with friendly, understandable voices WHO KNOW YOU ….
• Need to file a claim. CALL US BEFORE you file a claim. We can save you money and time. – almost every time. We can help you cut through all of that.
• Know someone who needs what we offer? Send them our way (615.377.1212 or info@BentonWhite.com), and we’ll treat them as we would want to be treated.
• Contact Benton White Insurance today to schedule your comprehensive insurance coverage review.
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Let us know how we can help you as we ‘earn’ your business!