In order: 911 (Georgia requires police notice for any crash with injury or $500+ damage, O.C.G.A. § 40-6-273), your own insurance company, a doctor — even for "just soreness" — your employer if you'll miss work, and a lawyer before any insurer takes your statement. The one call to decline: the other driver's adjuster. Your deadline to sue is two years (§ 9-3-33).
Call 1: 911 — it's the law, and it's your evidence
For any Duluth crash with injury or apparent damage of $500 or more — which is practically all of them — Georgia law requires immediate notice to police (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-273). Inside city limits that's Duluth Police; on much of Pleasant Hill Road, Buford Highway, and the surrounding county, Gwinnett County Police respond. If the cars are drivable and nobody's seriously hurt, move them out of the lanes first — the law requires that too, and it's not an admission of fault (§ 40-6-275).
The officers' crash report becomes the backbone of your claim. A few days later, request your copy — our guide to Gwinnett County crash reports walks through exactly how.
When you make that 911 call, stick to location, injuries, and hazards — let the operator drive the questions. While you wait for officers, photograph the vehicles where they came to rest (before moving them if it's safe), the plates, the road, and anything that explains the crash: skid marks, a run light, debris. Those ten minutes of photos regularly outweigh everything said afterward.
Call 2: your insurer. Call 3: a doctor
Your own insurance company needs prompt notice — it's a policy requirement, and it preserves your access to collision, medical payments, and uninsured motorist coverage you may end up needing. Keep it factual: time, place, vehicles, visible damage. Don't speculate about fault or declare yourself uninjured.
A doctor comes next even when you feel "mostly fine." Soft-tissue pain routinely blooms a day or three after the crash, and an early exam creates the medical record every car accident claim is built on. Tell the provider it was a crash so the record says so.
Call 4: your employer. Call 5: a lawyer
Your employer matters more than people think: missed shifts need documenting from day one, and an employer letter is the standard proof of lost wages. If you were working when the crash happened, say so — that can open a separate workers' compensation claim alongside the injury case.
A lawyer rounds out the list, ideally before any insurer takes a statement. Early advice costs nothing — consultations are free — and it prevents week-one mistakes that can't be unwound later.
The incoming call to let go to voicemail
Within days, the other driver's insurance adjuster will call — friendly, apologetic, and recording. You are not required to give them a statement, and early recorded words have a long career of shrinking claims. "Please send your questions in writing" ends the call politely.
One more reason that call can wait: the adjuster already knows the policy limits, the coverage defenses, and the claim's internal valuation — and you know none of it. An early conversation is asymmetrical by design. Level it before it happens.
Dream Team Law takes those calls for injured people across Gwinnett County from our Atlanta office — free consultation, no fee unless we win, y se habla español.
Frequently asked questions
Do I call my own insurance company even if the other driver was at fault?+
Yes — promptly. Your policy requires notice, and your own coverages (collision, medical payments, uninsured motorist) may end up paying parts of the claim regardless of fault. Reporting is not an admission of anything; it's protecting your own safety net.
Should I call the other driver's insurance company?+
You don't have to, and early on it's usually unwise. They'll ask for a recorded statement you're not required to give. Let your lawyer — or at minimum a written exchange — handle communication with the at-fault side.
Which police department covers my Duluth crash?+
Duluth Police inside city limits, Gwinnett County Police across most of the surrounding area, and the State Patrol on some highway crashes. Call 911 and the right agency is dispatched — then request the crash report from whichever one responded.
This article is for general information only and is not legal advice; reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Deadlines depend on the specific facts of your case — consult a licensed Florida attorney about your situation. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.