Preserve the evidence before it goes in a dumpster.

Most auto subrogation is won or lost on what the file holds in the first week: the police report, independent statements, photographs and electronic data that show who had the duty to yield or stop. Use this list on every collision with an adverse party, before the insured's vehicle is repaired, released to salvage or traded in.

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1. Order the police accident reportRecord the agency, report number, investigating officer and every citation issued. A citation for failure to yield, following too closely or running a signal supports a negligence per se argument in the demand. Request the supplemental narrative and diagram, not only the face sheet.
2. Request 911 audio and CAD dispatch logsSend a public records request to the dispatching agency right away, because retention periods for call audio can be short. Caller descriptions recorded minutes after impact often settle signal-color and lane-change disputes that the drivers later contest.
3. Take recorded statements from the insured driver and passengersCover direction of travel, speed, signal phase, lane position, point of impact, and anything the adverse driver said at the scene, including apologies or admissions. Ask about phone use by either driver and whether anyone recorded video.
4. Identify and contact independent witnessesPull names and phone numbers from the police report and the insured's notes. A disinterested witness statement is often the deciding exhibit in inter-company arbitration, so take it while memory is fresh and confirm the witness's vantage point.
5. Photograph all vehicles before repairCapture all four corners, the point of impact, crush depth, paint transfer, airbag deployment, the VIN plate and the odometer. Ask the adverse carrier for its photos of the other vehicle. Damage location and direction of force corroborate the sequence of impact.
6. Document the scenePhotograph or obtain images of skid and yaw marks, gouges, debris field, final rest positions, traffic control devices, sight-line obstructions and lane markings. For signal disputes, request the intersection's signal timing plan from the city or state traffic engineering office.
7. Send preservation letters for third-party videoCanvass for business security cameras, doorbell cameras and municipal traffic cameras that face the intersection. Many systems overwrite footage within days, so a written preservation request to the owner should go out with the first contact.
8. Collect dashcam, telematics and phone app dataAsk the insured for dashcam files and consent to retrieve usage-based insurance telematics or connected-car data showing speed, braking and impact time. Save original files with their metadata rather than screen recordings.
9. Preserve the event data recorderWith the owner's written consent (the Driver Privacy Act of 2015 makes EDR data the property of the vehicle owner or lessee), have a qualified technician download pre-crash speed, brake and throttle data before the vehicle is repaired or sold. Ask the adverse carrier to do the same for its insured's vehicle.
10. Place a salvage hold on total lossesInstruct the salvage vendor not to auction or crush the vehicle until EDR download, inspection and any defect review are complete. A vehicle sold before inspection invites a spoliation defense if brakes, tires or a recalled component are later at issue.
11. Confirm the adverse party and carrierRecord the adverse driver, registered owner, carrier, policy number and claim number. Run an ISO ClaimSearch match to confirm coverage and catch prior damage. Check whether the vehicle was a rental, rideshare or employer vehicle that brings in another policy.
12. Assemble damages documentationKeep the CCC ONE or Mitchell estimate, supplements, final repair invoice, rental and towing invoices, total loss valuation, salvage proceeds and proof of each payment. The insured's deductible goes in the demand so it can be refunded from the recovery.
13. Calendar the controlling deadlinesEnter the state's property damage and bodily injury limitation periods measured from the date of loss, any municipal notice deadline if a public vehicle or road defect is involved, and the target date for an Arbitration Forums filing well ahead of expiry.