Wilmington Car Accident Lawyer: After a Crash in the City of Wilmington

This page is for people hurt in a car crash in the City of Wilmington or on the highways that run through it. It covers the practical steps that are specific to a Wilmington crash: getting the police report, where injured people are usually treated, which roads produce many of the city's crashes, and where a Wilmington car accident lawsuit is filed. For every other kind of injury case our Wilmington office handles, see our Wilmington personal injury lawyer page. For car accident law across all of Delaware, see our Delaware car accident lawyer page.

Our Wilmington office

The Sharma Law Firm, Wilmington office
1007 N Orange St, 4th Floor
Wilmington, DE 19801
Phone: (302) 781-3077

The phone line is answered 24/7, and office meetings are by appointment. Aman Sharma, Esq., Delaware Bar ID No. 5706, is the responsible attorney. Our paralegals Santiago Araujo, Humberto Buitrago and Isaac Durango Figueroa speak Spanish. Hablamos español. If getting downtown is hard after a crash, we can start by phone.

Wilmington roads where crashes happen

Wilmington sits where several of Delaware's busiest routes meet, and each creates its own kind of crash.

• I-95 through the city. I-95 runs directly through Wilmington, with closely spaced interchanges such as Exit 7A and 7B for Delaware Route 52 and Delaware Avenue. Short merges, lane changes near exits and stop-and-go traffic lead to rear-end and sideswipe crashes, often involving drivers from Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey.
• I-495. I-495 bypasses the city to the east along the port and industrial areas, carrying heavy truck traffic. Crashes with tractor-trailers raise separate insurance and evidence issues covered on our truck accident lawyer page.
• Delaware Route 141. DE 141 serves as a western bypass of Wilmington, connecting to I-95 near the airport, with high-speed traffic and signalized intersections along the way.
• US-202, Concord Pike. North of the city, US-202 leaves I-95 and runs up Concord Pike through Brandywine Hundred to the Pennsylvania line, with dense retail entrances and turning traffic.
• Pennsylvania Avenue and downtown streets. Pennsylvania Avenue (Delaware Route 52) and the downtown grid, including King, Orange and Market Streets, see turning crashes, red light crashes and crashes involving pedestrians and buses.

Where the crash happened affects which police agency responded, who has video, and sometimes which insurance applies, so the exact location is one of the first things we pin down.

Getting your Wilmington crash report

Delaware law requires crashes involving injury or death, or apparent property damage of $2,000 or more, to be reported to police under 21 Del. C. § 4203. The agency that responded is the one that holds the report.

• Wilmington Police Department. For crashes on city streets handled by Wilmington Police, the city's records process for collision reports is run by the Records Division at 300 North Walnut Street, Wilmington, DE 19801. The City of Wilmington's website lists the current request steps and fees.
• Delaware State Police. If state troopers responded, for example on a highway, the report is requested from the Delaware State Police rather than the city.

Get the report number at the scene if you can. The report names the drivers, insurers and witnesses and often contains the officer's diagram of the crash. We request reports for our clients as part of opening a case.

Wilmington hospitals after a crash

People hurt in Wilmington crashes are often taken to one of these hospitals, depending on the injuries and the ambulance crew's decision:

• ChristianaCare Wilmington Hospital, 501 West 14th Street, Wilmington, with an emergency department open 24 hours a day.
• Saint Francis Hospital, 701 North Clayton Street, Wilmington, a Trinity Health hospital with a 24/7 emergency department.
• ChristianaCare Christiana Hospital, outside the city near Newark, designated as Delaware's only Level I trauma center for adults and children, where many of the most seriously injured are taken.

Ask for copies of your emergency department records and discharge instructions, and keep every bill. Follow-up care with your own doctor is just as important to the claim as the first visit.

Paying medical bills after a Wilmington crash

Delaware requires personal injury protection (PIP) on registered vehicles under 21 Del. C. § 2118, with minimum limits of $15,000 for one person and $30,000 for all persons injured in one accident. PIP pays reasonable and necessary medical expenses and lost earnings, and expenses must be submitted to the insurer no more than 2 years after they are received. Amounts PIP covers generally cannot also be claimed from the at-fault driver under § 2118(h), so the injury claim focuses on losses beyond PIP, including pain and suffering.

If the other driver had no insurance or not enough, your uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage under 18 Del. C. § 3902 may apply. If the driver fled, see our hit-and-run accident lawyer page for the reporting and 30-day notice conditions. If you were in an Uber or Lyft, our page on crashes involving a rideshare driver explains which policy applies at each stage of the trip.

Where a Wilmington car accident lawsuit is filed

Most car accident claims settle without a trial. When a lawsuit is needed, Delaware Superior Court has statewide jurisdiction over civil cases, and in New Castle County it sits at the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center, 500 North King Street, Wilmington, the building formerly known as the New Castle County Courthouse. It is a short trip from our Orange Street office.

Delaware's general deadline for personal injury claims is two years from the injury under 10 Del. C. § 8119, but deadlines vary by claim and insurance notice requirements can be much shorter. Talk to us before assuming you have time.

Fault on busy Wilmington roads

Crashes in heavy city traffic often involve arguments about who changed lanes, who had the light, or who stopped short. Delaware's modified comparative negligence rule, 10 Del. C. § 8132, lets you recover if your fault is not greater than the combined fault of the defendants, with your damages reduced by your share. Traffic camera footage, dashcam video, witness statements and vehicle damage patterns help answer those questions, and video from downtown businesses is often recorded over within days.

What to do after a car crash in Wilmington

1. Call 911 and get checked by a medical provider, even if you feel fine.
2. Get the responding agency's name and report number.
3. Photograph the vehicles, plates, the intersection or exit, and your injuries.
4. Note nearby businesses, buses and homes that may have cameras.
5. Collect names and phone numbers of witnesses.
6. Notify your own insurer and open a PIP claim.
7. Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer before speaking with a lawyer.
8. Call our Wilmington office at (302) 781-3077.

Fees and case costs

No attorney's fee unless we recover. We advance all case costs, and if we don't win, you owe nothing. Our contingency fee is 33.33% of the recovery. Fee percentages vary from firm to firm, so ask any lawyer you're considering to state theirs in writing.

Frequently asked questions about Wilmington car accidents

How do I get a crash report from the Wilmington Police Department?

Requests for Wilmington Police collision reports go through the department's Records Division at 300 North Walnut Street, Wilmington. The City of Wilmington's website lists the current steps and fees. If Delaware State Police responded instead, request the report from the State Police.

Which hospital will I be taken to after a crash in Wilmington?

It depends on your injuries and the ambulance crew. Wilmington Hospital on West 14th Street and Saint Francis Hospital on North Clayton Street both have 24/7 emergency departments, and the most serious injuries are often taken to Christiana Hospital, Delaware's only Level I trauma center.

Where would my Wilmington car accident lawsuit be filed?

If a lawsuit is needed, it is usually filed in Delaware Superior Court, which sits for New Castle County at the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center, 500 North King Street, Wilmington.

I was hit on I-95 in Wilmington by a driver from Pennsylvania. Does that change my claim?

A Delaware crash is generally handled under Delaware law, but an out-of-state driver's insurance policy may be written under another state's rules. Our out-of-state driver accident page explains the issues.

Can I meet with a lawyer at the Wilmington office?

Yes. Our Wilmington office is at 1007 N Orange St, 4th Floor. Meetings are by appointment, and the phone line at (302) 781-3077 is answered 24/7.

Who pays my medical bills after a Wilmington crash?

Your own PIP coverage generally pays first, up to its limits. Losses beyond PIP are pursued from the at-fault driver's insurance and, if needed, your underinsured motorist coverage.

Does the Wilmington office handle crashes involving DART buses or delivery trucks?

Yes. Crashes involving commercial and public vehicles can involve different insurers and notice requirements, so contact us promptly after the crash.

Is there someone at the Wilmington office who speaks Spanish?

Yes. Our paralegals Santiago Araujo, Humberto Buitrago and Isaac Durango Figueroa speak Spanish. Hablamos español.

Free Wilmington car accident case review

Call the Wilmington office at (302) 781-3077 any time, or use the case review form on this page. Submitting the form does not create an attorney-client relationship.

What a Wilmington Client Said

Aman and his team worked very hard to help me with my auto accident case! If I had questions or concerns, he would take the time to respond and make sure I understood the step by step process, what he was waiting for, or what was needed from me. … I always had access to all files that were put in in regard to my case as well. …

Nadira P., Google review of the Wilmington office, March 2026. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.