The first day
- Get checked out, even if you feel fine. Some injuries, including concussions and disc injuries, show up days later.
- Tell every doctor and nurse the injury came from a car crash. It needs to be in the records.
- Get the crash report number from the police department that responded.
- Photograph both vehicles, the scene, and any bruises or cuts.
The first week
- Report the claim to your own auto insurer and ask for an application for no-fault benefits.
- Find your policy’s declarations page. It shows your PIP medical limit and any uninsured motorist coverage.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer.
- Start a notebook: symptoms, appointments, missed work, and chores someone else had to do.
The first month
- Return the completed PIP application. It is the written notice the one-year deadline requires.
- Ask your doctor for work and household help restrictions in writing.
- Send the insurer wage verification forms and a replacement services log each month.
- Keep every bill, receipt and mileage record.
- Talk to a lawyer before an insurer medical exam, and before you sign any release.
Write the date down. One year from the day of the crash is your last day to give the no-fault insurer written notice, unless it has already paid you.