Within 24 hours, the adjuster is going to ask, "Do you have any photos from the scene?" and your answer can decide whether they call this a minor scrape or a serious Iowa injury claim.

Before the truck is moved, photograph everything from a distance and up close: all vehicles, license plates, company logos, skid marks, broken glass, cargo, road flooding, potholes, missing signs, traffic lights, and your visible injuries. In Des Moines, get wide shots showing the intersection, lane markings, and nearby businesses or landmarks so nobody later claims the crash happened somewhere else.

If police come, ask which agency responded: Des Moines Police Department, Polk County Sheriff, or Iowa State Patrol. Get the officer's name, badge number, and the report number. In Iowa, crashes with injury, death, or apparent property damage of $1,500 or more must be reported to law enforcement. That report often locks in the basic facts before stories start changing.

Protect evidence that disappears fast:

• Save dashcam footage immediately. Many systems overwrite in hours.
• Screenshot your call log, texts, maps, weather alerts, and timestamped photos.
• Photograph your wet clothes, muddy shoes, deployed airbags, and inside of the cab.
• Get witness names and numbers, then text them yourself so you have a timestamp.
• If it was a work truck, photograph DOT numbers, trailer numbers, load tickets, and any electronic logging device screen if visible.

If you were working, tell your employer about the injury in writing within 90 days for Iowa workers' comp. Do not let fear about immigration status stop you from preserving proof. The company's first move is often to make the wreck look smaller, later, or unrelated to work.

If your phone recorded the crash area, do not delete location history. If nearby stores, gas stations, or parking lots may have cameras, ask them to preserve footage the same day. Stormwater, cleanup crews, and tow operators can erase the scene in a few hours.