Questions & answers · Car insurance
How do I file a car insurance claim after an accident, and what should I keep?
Car insuranceHow to fileTexasChecked Nov 5, 2026
From K.Actuary, founded by Sangmin Kwon, ASA · sources checked 2026-11-05 · Source: TDI View original ↗
In short
- File the claim as soon as you can.
- Take photos, get the police report number, and keep every receipt.
- In Texas, your insurer has 15 business days to start its review.
What this means
TDI says to file a claim as soon as you can, either with your own insurance company or with someone else's. If you file with someone else's company, still let your own company know about the accident. You can call, file online, or use the company's app [1].
TDI's tips: write down the accident details such as witness information and the police report number, take photos and videos of all damage, keep the damage from getting worse, and keep receipts for all expenses [1]. Get the adjuster's name, phone number and email, and take notes on phone calls [1].
TDI says you can take your car to any body shop, and that it is useful to get estimates from more than one shop and show them the insurer's estimate [1].
Your next step
+ deadline (Texas, your own insurer): TDI says your company has 15 business days to say it got your claim, start its review and ask for any information it needs [1].
Where this comes from (1)
[1] TDI · checked 2026-11-05
File a claim as soon as you can. This could be with your insurance company or someone else's insurance company. If it's someone else's insurance company, still let your insurance company know about the accident. … Write down car accident details, like witness information and the police report number if you have it. Take photos and videos of all damage. … Keep receipts for all expenses. Deadline: Your company has 15 b…
How we found this
We matched your question to 1 official source, quoted the exact lines, and re-checked each quote against its source on 2026-11-05.
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Information only — not legal advice. Your plan, insurer or agency decides.
This answer quotes the official sources listed above, with the date we checked them. Your own policy, notice and state rules control. We are not your lawyer or your insurer. We don’t file, argue or negotiate claims for you — you send any letter or form yourself.
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