What should you do first after a car accident in New Hampshire?
Stop at the scene, call 911 if anyone is hurt, and exchange names, license, insurance, and registration details with the other driver. Then get medical care and call a lawyer.
The steps you take after a car accident in New Hampshire, from the first minutes at the scene to the day an insurer offers a settlement, decide how much of your claim you can prove later. New Hampshire law sets some of those steps for you, including a duty to stop and a written crash report in many cases. The rest are choices that either preserve evidence or quietly give it away.
New Hampshire also handles insurance differently from every neighboring state, which changes who pays when the other driver has no policy. If you were hurt in an auto accident, a New Hampshire car crash lawyer can help you pursue compensation for your losses.
The Essentials After a New Hampshire Crash
- New Hampshire requires every driver involved in a crash with injury, death, or property damage to stop and share identifying and insurance information.
- A written report goes to the Division of Motor Vehicles within 15 days when someone is hurt or killed, or property damage exceeds $1,000, unless a police officer investigates the crash.
- New Hampshire doesn’t require most drivers to carry auto liability insurance.
- Most car accident injury lawsuits in New Hampshire have a three-year filing deadline.
- Signing a settlement release usually ends the claim, even if your injuries turn out to be worse than you thought.
1. Stay at the Scene and Call 911
If you’re ever involved in a car accident in New Hampshire, you must stop at the scene. Under RSA 264:25, a driver who knows or should have known of a crash involving death, injury, or property damage must stop immediately at the scene.
Leaving can lead to criminal charges and a license suspension, and it hands the other side an argument about your credibility.
If you need to call 911 after a crash, give the dispatcher your location, the number of vehicles, and whether anyone appears hurt. Stick to what you can see. A dispatcher doesn’t need your opinion on who caused the crash, and recorded 911 calls can surface later in a claim.
2. Seek Medical Attention Immediately
Getting checked by a doctor soon after a crash protects your health and your claim. Some injuries are not obvious at the scene, and adrenaline can mask pain for hours.
From a legal standpoint, the date of your first medical visit matters. An insurer reviewing a claim will look for a gap between the crash and treatment, and a long gap gives the adjuster room to argue that something else caused your injury.
A visit to the doctor on the same day or the next day ties your injuries to the collision in writing.
3. Document the Scene
If you’re able to, taking photos and gathering witness information at the scene can help protect your claim later. Physical evidence at a crash scene starts disappearing within hours. Vehicles get towed, debris gets swept, and witnesses go home.
If you can move safely, capture as much of the following as you can:
- Photos of every vehicle from several angles, including the plates
- Skid marks, debris, and where the vehicles came to rest
- Traffic signals, signs, road conditions, and weather
- Visible injuries, cuts, or bruises
- Names and phone numbers of witnesses
- Nearby businesses or homes that may have security cameras
Video footage often records over itself within days, so noting camera locations early gives a lawyer a chance to request it before it is gone.
4. Exchange Information With the Other Driver
If you’re involved in a New Hampshire car crash, exchange information with the other driver before leaving the scene.
Collect the following information:
- The driver’s name and address
- The driver’s license number
- The driver’s or owner’s insurance company and policy information, if any
- The vehicle’s registration number
- The name and address of each person in the vehicle
If the other person is too hurt to receive this information, New Hampshire law allows you to give it to a police officer at the scene or at the nearest police station. Keep the conversation short and avoid apologizing or guessing about fault.
5. File a New Hampshire Crash Report
New Hampshire requires a written crash report in many cases. Under RSA 264:25, any driver involved in a crash must report it in writing to the Division of Motor Vehicles within 15 days if anyone was injured or killed or if property damage is more than $1,000. A report filed by an investigating police officer satisfies the requirement.
Here’s how the reporting duty works in common situations:
| Situation | Is a Crash Report Required? |
| Someone is injured or killed | Yes, within 15 days unless the police investigate and file a report. |
| Property damage exceeds $1,000 | Yes, within 15 days unless police investigate and file a report. |
| No injuries and damage is $1,000 or less | Generally, no report is required. |
| Police investigate and file a report | You generally don’t need to file a separate report. |
Since vehicle repairs often cost more than people expect, many drivers find it safer to file a report whenever the damage is close to the threshold.
6. Notify Your Insurance Company
Most auto policies require you to report a crash promptly, and late notice can complicate a claim for coverage you paid for. When you call, give the basic facts: the date, time, place, and the other driver’s information.
Keep the call factual. Avoid saying the crash was your fault, guessing at speeds, or describing your injuries as minor before a doctor has examined you. Your own insurer is a business with its own interest in the size of any payment, even when it is paying you.
7. Don’t Give a Recorded Statement to the Other Driver’s Insurer
You generally have no obligation to give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company. That adjuster works for the person who hit you, and the purpose of a recorded statement is to collect your words for later use.
A routine-sounding question about how you are feeling can become evidence that your injuries were minor. A short, polite refusal is enough, and you can ask the adjuster to direct further contact to your lawyer.
Your own policy may require you to cooperate with your insurer, which is a different obligation.
8. Contact a Car Accident Attorney Before Accepting a Settlement
A settlement check usually comes with a release, and signing it typically ends your right to seek more money for that crash. Early offers often arrive before you know the full cost of treatment, missed work, or future care.
Timing matters too. RSA 508:4 gives most personal injury claims 3 years from the crash to file a lawsuit, with exceptions that can change the date. A lawyer can look at your medical records, your policy, and the other driver’s coverage before you decide.
Learn more about the process, from demand letter to trial, in this guide to New Hampshire car accident claims.
What Happens if the Other Driver Has No Insurance in New Hampshire?
Since New Hampshire doesn’t require most drivers to buy auto liability insurance, you may need to rely on the coverage in your own policy after a crash. The state uses a financial responsibility system: after a reportable crash, a driver without a qualifying policy can face license and registration suspension until they post security or prove they can pay a judgment.
For an injured driver, that system has practical consequences. The other driver may have no insurance at all, which is why the coverage on your own policy is worth a close look.
What Insurance Coverage Can Pay After a New Hampshire Car Accident?
The other driver’s liability insurance, your own policy coverage, and your MedPay coverage can help pay for your losses after a New Hampshire car accident. Which coverage applies depends on who caused the crash and the policies involved.
Compensation may come from:
- The other driver’s liability coverage: If the at-fault driver carries a policy, New Hampshire’s liability minimums are $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage.
- Your Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage: Under RSA 264:15, an auto liability policy issued in New Hampshire must include coverage for injuries caused by uninsured and hit-and-run drivers.
- MedPay: RSA 264:16 requires private passenger auto policies to include at least $1,000 per person in medical payments coverage for the driver and passengers.
Low policy limits are common, so the amount of available coverage often shapes a claim as much as the injuries do. If another driver’s coverage falls short, a UM claim under your own policy may fill part of the gap.
The evidence that matters shifts with the type of crash. In a rear-end collision, the following driver is usually the focus, though insurers still look for sudden braking or a malfunctioning brake light. In a crash at an intersection, signal timing and witness accounts often decide fault.
FAQs About New Hampshire Car Accidents
How do I know if a car accident settlement offer is fair?
A fair settlement offer for a New Hampshire car accident covers your documented medical bills, lost income, and property damage, plus a fair amount for pain and the effect on your daily life.
No formula sets that number. Available insurance limits, the strength of the fault evidence, and whether future treatment is expected all affect what a fair offer looks like in a particular case.
Do I have to go to court after a car accident in New Hampshire?
Many minor car accident claims in New Hampshire resolve through negotiation with an insurance company and never reach a courtroom. Going to court becomes necessary when the parties can’t agree.
A separate traffic citation from the crash may also require a court appearance, which is a different matter from the injury claim.
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in New Hampshire?
In New Hampshire, the deadline to file an injury lawsuit after a car accident is generally 3 years from the crash. When an injury and its cause could not reasonably have been discovered at the time, the 3-year period starts from the date of discovery. For a child, RSA 508:8 allows an action within 2 years after the child turns 18.
Can I get money for a car accident if it wasn’t my fault?
You can recover money for a crash that wasn’t your fault because New Hampshire is an at-fault state, and the driver who caused the crash is responsible for the resulting losses. Even when an insurer argues you share some blame, RSA 507:7-d lets you recover compensation if your fault is not greater than the other driver’s, reduced by your share.
What should I do if the other driver has no insurance?
If the other driver has no insurance, notify your own insurer and ask about a UM claim, which New Hampshire auto policies must include. The uninsured driver may also face a license and registration suspension until they post security or resolve the claim.
A New Hampshire car crash lawyer can check whether any other party, such as an employer or vehicle owner, shares responsibility.
Get the Help You Need After a New Hampshire Car Accident
Bradford H. Coates, New Hampshire Car Accident Attorney
Insurance calls, repair estimates, and medical appointments tend to arrive all at once, usually while you are still recovering. Coates Law Office represents injured people across New Hampshire. Our Nashua personal injury firm is located at 400 Amherst Street, Suite 102.
Call 603-262-5766 or contact us for a free consultation when you’re ready to talk through your options.
Nashua Office
400 Amherst Street, Suite 102
Nashua, NH 03063
(603) 262-5766