In the hours right after impact, your goal is to protect your health and preserve what insurance will later dispute.
- Get medical care right away (urgent care, ER, or your doctor). Even if symptoms seem minor, pedestrian injuries can worsen over time.
- Call 911 if possible and ask that the crash be documented.
- Take scene photos if you can safely do so: vehicle position, traffic signals, lighting, crosswalk markings, and any obstacles near where you were walking.
- Write down details before they fade: time of day, what you saw, what the driver was doing, weather/visibility, and the location of nearby intersections.
- Get witness contact info. People near retail areas and neighborhood intersections often leave quickly—don’t let statements disappear.
These steps matter because in pedestrian cases, the fight is often over visibility, timing, and credibility—not just whether an injury occurred.


