The first 24 hours.
Nobody plans for a collision, so almost nobody knows the order of operations when one happens. This guide is that order — what to do at the scene, what to say when you call your insurer, and how to make sure you, not the cheapest bid, choose who repairs your car. Keep it in the glovebox.
Seven steps, in order. The photos matter more than you think.
Call 911 if anyone is hurt. If the cars are drivable and blocking traffic, move them out of the lane — Washington law expects it, and it's safer than standing in one.
Name, phone, insurer, and policy number for every driver involved. Photograph their insurance card and license plate instead of transcribing — it's faster and you can't mis-copy a photo.
Wide shots that show where the cars sit, then close-ups of every dent and scrape on both vehicles — including damage that looks old. Those photos settle disagreements later, and you only get one chance to take them.
Cross streets, direction of travel, weather, anything on the road. A voice memo works. Details evaporate fast once the adrenaline drops.
In Washington, a report is required when anyone is injured or the damage looks like more than minor. When in doubt, file — a report number makes the claim simpler even when nobody disputes what happened.
The same day if you can. You'll get a claim number — that number is what every later step hangs on, so put it somewhere you can find it.
The shop is your choice — in Washington, that's the law, whatever anyone on the phone suggests. Part three of this guide is how to choose well.
On step five, our guide to what to do after a car accident has the dollar figure that decides it, and the four days you then get to file.
Facts move a claim. Guesses slow it down.
The call is simpler than people fear. The adjuster needs the what, where, and when — they don't need, and shouldn't get, your theories. Two things belong on your side of the notepad before you dial: your claim questions, and your rental coverage.
Where and when it happened, the vehicles involved, the police report number, and where the car is now.
“Does my policy include rental reimbursement, and what's the daily cap?” If another driver caused the accident, their insurance typically covers your rental instead.
Speculating about fault, injuries, or repair costs. You don't know yet — a repair's real scope shows up at disassembly, not at the roadside.
Treating the insurer's “preferred shop” as an instruction. It's a suggestion. The choice of shop is yours by law in Washington, and saying “I've chosen my shop” is all it takes.
One word worth knowing before it shows up: a supplement. When a shop disassembles the car and finds damage the first estimate couldn't see — which is common — the addition to the claim is called a supplement. It's routine, and a good shop documents it and settles it with your adjuster so you never have to argue scope yourself.
And if the car isn't drivable: on an insurance claim, your carrier usually arranges and pays for the tow. If you're paying out of pocket, a good shop's towing partner quotes you the price directly and you approve it before the car moves — a tow you didn't price is the first surprise bill of a bad repair.
Before the wait starts feeling long, what sets the repair clock is worth ten minutes of reading now rather than three weeks of wondering later.
CCC measures the gap between an estimate being assigned and the car arriving at a shop separately, and puts it at about 2.2 weeks on its own — before anybody touches the car. That's the industry, not a quote for yours. But it's why the shop decision matters more than any other call you make in the first 24 hours.
Six questions that sort the repairers from the painters.
Every shop says “certified” and every shop says “quality.” The questions below get past both words, because they all have checkable answers. Ask them of any shop — including ours.
If the answer leans on your insurer's preference instead of your right to choose, the shop works for the carrier's bid, not for you.
I-CAR Gold Class is the collision industry's top training designation — ask for it by name.
The answer you want is a measuring system with a before-and-after printout you can keep — measured, not eyeballed.
Cameras and radar behind a repaired bumper or windshield need recalibration. Naming the independent specialist and handing you the post-scan report beats “we take care of it.”
A shop working for you documents the failure with photos and escalates to the OEM part. A shop working for the bid installs it anyway.
Ask whether it's written, what it covers, and how long it lasts. “Lifetime, for as long as you own the car” is the strong end of the scale.
We wrote this guide because we like these questions — they're the ones we answer well. But they work on every shop on Bel-Red Road, and you should ask them everywhere you get an estimate. Question four has the longest answer of the six, and our ADAS calibration guide is that answer in full.
The first step isn't a commitment. It's a free estimate.
Drive in, or call us at (425) 641-5475 to arrange one — written, free, and no pressure to book.