Texas Car Accident Deadlines And Evidence Checklist
An insurer’s response clock, a records request and a court deadline are different tasks. This checklist helps you document each without confusing them.
Sources Checked October 4, 2026 General Information
Make A Timeline That Identifies The Source
Use a calendar with columns for the task, triggering event, source of the date, responsible person and completion evidence. A deadline copied from a policy letter should be labeled as such. A requested response date from an adjuster should not be silently converted into a statutory court deadline. When the meaning is uncertain, make clarification the next action.
Begin with the collision date and location, notice to each insurer, receipt of each information request and delivery of each response. Include the actual date a document was received as well as the date printed on it. That distinction can matter when someone later reviews the sequence. Keep the original envelope or electronic message when it helps establish receipt.
Track Your Insurer’s Published Handling Stages
Under Texas Insurance Code Sections 542.055–542.059, acknowledgment is generally due by the 15th day after notice of a covered first-party claim; eligible surplus-lines insurers have a different period. A decision is generally due by the 15th business day after the required final proof of loss is received. If additional time is needed, the insurer must explain why and decide by the 45th day after that notice. Payment is generally due by the fifth business day after acceptance notice or completion of a required claimant act. Surplus-lines payment periods, catastrophe extensions and other exceptions require separate review. These stages are not one universal crash-to-payment countdown.
The guide expressly excludes claims paid by another driver’s insurer from those deadlines. Keep that distinction on your timeline. Record requests for information and the company’s reasons for additional time so a reviewer can assess the actual sequence. If you believe a stage was missed, ask the insurer for its timeline and explanation rather than relying on a calendar that omits missing-information or extension issues.
Preserve Evidence Of Each Submission
When sending an estimate, photograph or other record, identify the claim number and attachment names in the cover message. Save the message, the attachment and any acknowledgment together. If a portal does not show whether an upload succeeded, ask for confirmation. Repeatedly uploading the same document without a clear record can make the chronology harder to reconstruct.
Maintain an outstanding-items list that distinguishes requested, sent, received and accepted as complete. Those are different statuses. For example, a repair facility may have prepared an estimate that you have not yet received, or the insurer may have received it but requested a supplement. Record what the next step actually requires and who has the information needed to complete it.
Send Record Requests To The Correct Custodian
TxDOT’s crash-records instructions identify its role as custodian of the crash report, while directing scene-media and field-note requests to the investigating agency. A CR-3 purchase therefore should not close your evidence checklist. Identify any photographs, recordings or additional investigative records separately, and ask the appropriate agency about access and preservation.
Keep the officer’s identifying information, exchange sheet and agency case number. For each request, record its scope and response. If an agency says it does not hold a record, preserve that answer and ask which entity may have it. A request for a report and a request to retain potentially relevant material should be described accurately; do not assume one automatically accomplishes the other.
Build A Reliable Damage Record
Store original vehicle photographs, inspection records, repair estimates, invoices and tow or storage receipts. Record when and where photographs were taken, and preserve unedited originals before making annotated copies. If the vehicle moves, note its location and the person responsible for access. That information helps an insurer or adviser understand what could be inspected at each stage.
For expenses, list the date, payee, purpose and amount, then link each entry to a receipt. Separate amounts already paid from estimates or unpaid bills. Keep communications about rental arrangements, repairs and vehicle disposition with the relevant documents. Do not discard an earlier estimate simply because a supplement was later issued; the sequence can explain why the claimed amount changed.
Review Policy Procedures And Legal Deadlines Separately
TDI’s complaint guidance specifically advises checking the policy for appraisal-request deadlines. Add any applicable clause to the review packet. Ask whether a notice must use a particular address or method, and retain proof of the action taken. Do not assume an open claim file answers the timing question for every contractual procedure.
This guide does not provide a numeric Texas court-filing deadline. Your filing period depends on the claims and facts, so an individualized legal calculation requires qualified review. Arrange prompt review by qualified Texas counsel using the crash facts, parties and relevant documents. Identify any governmental vehicle, death, minor participant or other special circumstance for that review without assuming that it changes a deadline.
At each follow-up, update the next action and its owner. Keep complaint progress, report requests and legal review visible on separate lines. The purpose is to preserve a dependable record of what happened and what remains to be done, rather than letting a routine administrative response stand in for completion of the whole matter.
Official Sources
These agency and legislative sources support the state-specific information above. Check the current agency instructions before making a request.
- Crash reports and recordsTexas Department of Transportation
- Get help with an auto insurance complaintTexas Department of Insurance
- Steps to getting your home or car insurance claim paidTexas Department of Insurance
- Texas Insurance Code Chapter 542: Processing and Settlement of ClaimsTexas Legislature
Published by autoaccident.co. Attorney advertising. AutoAccident.co is not a law firm. This guide provides general information, not legal or medical advice. Coverage and legal options depend on the facts, policy and applicable law. Sources And Editorial Standards.