Car wreck in San Antonio: which report you get, what insurance pays, and finding a car accident lawyer

Last checked November 8, 2026

After a car wreck in San Antonio, call police if anyone is hurt or a car cannot be driven safely.1 SAPD keeps most city crash reports and charges $6.23 You generally have 2 years to sue.4 Texas drivers need only $30,000 per person in injury coverage, so check your own policy.5

See if you are owed money

$0 upfront. No fee unless you win.
Road map of San Antonio showing I-35, Loop 410 and Culebra Road, three of the most congested road segments in Texas on TxDOT's 2024 list
San Antonio crash with no injuries? You may not get a crash report. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Will San Antonio police write a report for my car wreck?

It depends on whether anyone says they are hurt. SAPD's own manual lets officers skip the full crash report when no one is injured or complaining of pain, the cars can be driven away, and both drivers have licenses and insurance. In that case the officer keeps a shorter call-for-service record instead.6

That shorter record can matter later. If your neck starts hurting the next morning, there may be no full report showing how the wreck happened. So tell the officer about any pain at the scene, even if it seems small. Do not guess or play it down. If there is any question, the manual tells the officer to write the full report on the state form.6

If an ambulance came, ask for that record too. San Antonio Fire Department EMS reports are usually ready within a week,7 and the medical or billing processing fee is listed at $10.8 That report notes what you told the crew at the scene, which can help show when your pain began.

Where do the most car wrecks happen in San Antonio?

TxDOT counted 37,299 crashes inside the city in 2025, with 167 people killed.9 Across Bexar County that year, 97 people died on city streets and 59 died on interstates.10 So a wreck on a neighborhood arterial can be just as serious as one on the highway.

Road segmentTxDOT 2024 statewide congestion rank
I-35 from Loop 1604 to Loop 41029th11
Culebra Road from Galm Road to Loop 160432nd12
Loop 410 from US 281 to I-1038th13

Slow traffic means rear-end wrecks and sudden lane changes. Bexar County also had 3,847 work zone crashes in 2025.14 If cones, shifted lanes or a flagger played a part, take photos before the scene changes.

The causes show up in the county numbers. TxDOT counted 17,023 distracted driver crashes in Bexar County15 and 7,191 crashes involving speed.16 Inside the city, 1,347 crashes involved alcohol.17 If you think the other driver was on a phone or drunk, tell the officer and write down why.

How much will car insurance pay after a San Antonio wreck?

CoverageWhat Texas saysWhat it means for you
Other driver's liabilityAt least $30,000 per person, $60,000 per crash and $25,000 for property5A serious injury can cost more than that
Your uninsured motorist coverageIncluded in your policy unless a named insured turned it down in writing18Ask to see the signed rejection before you assume you lack it

Those are floors, and some drivers carry only the floor. Before you settle, ask the insurer in writing what limits apply. Once you sign a release, you usually cannot ask for more later.

What if they say the wreck was my fault in San Antonio?

Partial blame does not end your claim. Texas cuts your recovery by your share and bars it only when your share is more than 50 percent.19 That is why adjusters often ask leading questions on the first call. You may politely say you will answer after you see a doctor.

A seat belt argument is limited too. A jury can hear that you were not buckled only if the defense shows it caused or worsened your injuries.20

Who pays if a city truck, VIA bus or bad road caused my San Antonio wreck?

Government claims run on a much shorter clock. For the City of San Antonio, the charter requires written notice within 90 days after the injury.21 The notice should say when, where and how it happened, how badly you were hurt and the amount of your damages.22 Claims start with the City Clerk.23

A VIA bus or a CPS Energy or SAWS crew is different, because those claims go to that agency and not to the city.24 State law gives most public bodies six months for notice,25 but ask right away if a shorter rule applies. Road conditions are harder still: the city's form says it is not liable for property damage caused by the condition of its streets.26

What should I do the first week after a car wreck in San Antonio?

  1. Get checked by a doctor and keep every visit note. University Hospital's records office is at 210-358-3532.27
  2. Track down your car if police had it towed. Call Alanis Wrecker Service at 210-881-8440 and ask about daily storage charges.28
  3. Order your report once it is ready. Give it up to 14 days to appear in the TxDOT system.29
  4. Tell your own insurer about the wreck, but stick to the basic facts.
  5. Start a simple pain journal and a list of missed work days.

When should I call a car accident lawyer in San Antonio?

You can handle a small property claim alone. Talk to a lawyer about a car wreck if you broke a bone, needed surgery, missed real work time, or the other driver has no insurance. Larger injury suits in Bexar County can be filed with the District Clerk at 101 W. Nueva,3031 while claims up to $20,000 can go to a justice court.32

  • Have you handled wrecks on the road where mine happened?
  • Will you ask for the other driver's policy limits right away?
  • Does my own policy have uninsured or underinsured coverage?
  • If a public agency is involved, what is my exact notice date?

Questions

How long do I have after a car accident in San Antonio?

Generally 2 years to sue.4 If the City of San Antonio is involved, written notice is due within 90 days after the injury.21

Do I have to call the police after a fender bender in San Antonio?

You must report it right away if someone is hurt or a car cannot be driven safely.1 With no injuries, SAPD may keep only a short record.6

What if the driver who hit me in San Antonio has no insurance?

Check your own policy. Uninsured motorist coverage is included unless a named insured rejected it in writing.18

How much is a San Antonio crash report?

SAPD lists it at $6.3 TxDOT charges $6 for a regular copy or $8 for a certified copy.33

Find out if you are owed money.

A free case review. $0 upfront. No fee unless you win.

See if I’m owed money

Keep reading

San Antonio

Car accident

Texas

Sources

  1. Tex. Transp. Code § 550.026(a), checked 2026-11-08. “The operator of a vehicle involved in a collision resulting in injury to or death of a person or damage to a vehicle to the extent that it cannot be normally and safely driven shall immediately by the quickest means of communication give notice of the collision”
  2. City of San Antonio, Police Open Records Requests, checked 2026-11-08. “You may submit police records requests through San Antonio Police Department (SAPD), including crash reports.”
  3. City of San Antonio, Police Open Records Requests, checked 2026-11-08. “Accident Reports | $6”
  4. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
  5. Tex. Transp. Code § 601.072(a-1), checked 2026-11-08. “(1) $30,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person in one collision; (2) $60,000 for bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in one collision, subject to the amount provided by Subdivision (1) for bodily injury to or death of one of the persons; and (3) $25,000 for damage to or destruction of property of others in one collision.”
  6. SAPD General Manual, Procedure 402, checked 2026-11-08. “Crashes with no injuries, complaints of injury, or deaths”
  7. San Antonio Fire Department, EMS Reports, checked 2026-11-08. “typically available within a week after the incident”
  8. San Antonio Fire Department, EMS Reports, checked 2026-11-08. “Processing Fee (Medical / Billing): $10”
  9. TxDOT, 2025 Crashes and Injuries by City and Town, checked 2026-11-08. “SAN ANTONIO 159 167 494 579 5,851 8,034 4,888 8,202 23,857 65,326 2,050 10,657 37,299”
  10. TxDOT, 2025 Fatal Crashes by County and Road Type, checked 2026-11-08. “Bexar 54 59 29 31 0 0 3 3 96 97 0 0 0 0 0 0 182 190”
  11. TxDOT, 2024 Texas 100 Most Congested Road Segments, checked 2026-11-08. “29 15-SAT 015 Bexar N PanAm Expy / IH 35 Charles W Anderson Loop / SL 1604 NE Connally Loop NE / IH 410”
  12. TxDOT, 2024 Texas 100 Most Congested Road Segments, checked 2026-11-08. “32 15-SAT 015 Bexar Culebra Rd / FM 471 Galm Rd Charles W Anderson Loop NW / SL 1604”
  13. TxDOT, 2024 Texas 100 Most Congested Road Segments, checked 2026-11-08. “38 15-SAT 015 Bexar Connally Loop N / IH 410 McAllister Fwy / US 281 McDermott Fwy / IH 10 / US 87”
  14. TxDOT, 2025 Work Zone Crashes by County, checked 2026-11-08. “Bexar 8 9 42 57 512 727 533 828 2,670 7,819 82 770 3,847”
  15. TxDOT, 2025 Distracted Driver Crashes by County, checked 2026-11-08. “Bexar 31 31 203 235 2,468 3,374 2,158 3,537 11,305 32,349 858 4,211 17,023”
  16. TxDOT, 2025 Speed Involved Crashes by County, checked 2026-11-08. “Bexar 66 72 170 222 1,215 1,744 934 1,655 4,286 12,522 520 1,861 7,191”
  17. TxDOT, 2025 DUI (Alcohol) Crashes by City and Town, checked 2026-11-08. “SAN ANTONIO 38 40 47 75 238 320 123 212 835 1,899 66 197 1,347”
  18. Tex. Ins. Code § 1952.101(b)-(c), checked 2026-11-08. “unless the insurer provides uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage in the policy or supplemental to the policy. (c) The coverage required by this subchapter does not apply if any insured named in the insurance policy rejects the coverage in writing.”
  19. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, checked 2026-11-08. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent.”
  20. Nabors Well Servs., Ltd. v. Romero, No. 13-0136 (Tex. Feb. 13, 2015), checked 2026-11-08. “Today we overrule it and hold that relevant evidence of use or nonuse of seat belts is admissible for the purpose of apportioning responsibility in civil lawsuits. [...] The defendant can establish the relevance of seat-belt nonuse only with evidence that nonuse caused or contributed to cause the plaintiff’s injuries.”
  21. San Antonio City Charter, Article XII, Sec. 150 (Municode), checked 2026-11-08. “notice in writing of such death, injury or destruction within ninety days after the injury has been sustained”
  22. San Antonio City Charter, Article XII, Sec. 150 (Municode), checked 2026-11-08. “stating in such written notice when, where and how the death, injury or destruction occurred”
  23. City of San Antonio, Office of Risk Management FAQs, checked 2026-11-08. “All claims against the City must originate from the City Clerk”
  24. City of San Antonio, Notice of Claim form, checked 2026-11-08. “No, you would need to file a claim with the corresponding entity.”
  25. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred”
  26. City of San Antonio, Notice of Claim form, checked 2026-11-08. “the City is not liable for property damage caused by the condition of its streets”
  27. University Health, Medical Records, checked 2026-11-08. “For medical records, please call us at 210-358-3532”
  28. SAPD, Impounded Vehicles, checked 2026-11-08. “Vehicles that have been impounded or towed are handled by Alanis Wrecker Service, LLC.”
  29. City of San Antonio, Police Open Records Requests, checked 2026-11-08. “Reports can take up to 14 days to appear in the system.”
  30. Bexar County District Clerk, Administration, checked 2026-11-08. “accepts all new suits and subsequent filings for civil”
  31. Bexar County District Clerk, Administration, checked 2026-11-08. “Paul Elizondo Tower 101 W Nueva, Suite 217”
  32. Bexar County Justice of the Peace, Civil Cases, checked 2026-11-08. “The claim can be for no more than $20,000 excluding statutory interest and court costs”
  33. TxDOT, Crash reports and records, checked 2026-11-08. “$6 for a regular copy. $8 for a certified copy”

Editorial policy

See if I’m owed moneyNo fee unless you win
AccidentsCitiesStatesGuides
See if I’m owed money