Treating any injury suffered by yourself or by others is always the first thing you should do after an accident – even if that means going straight to the hospital. If you are unable to perform the rest of the following steps due to injuries or other health concerns, try to make sure the police, a friend, or a relative are present (or are on their way to the scene) before you leave.

It is critical that you call the police to the accident scene. The police will collect statements from the drivers involved, and will also speak with key witnesses. The police will then prepare a report based on the facts that they gather at the scene. This report will then be a major factor that the insurance companies will use to determine the liability (or non-liability) of each driver. This is why getting the police to the scene is so important. In many cities, police reports are automatically posted on the Internet within a few days after the crash.

It is important that you take as many photographs as possible of the accident scene. Be sure to take photographs of the damage to BOTH vehicles, any pavement skid marks, as well as glass or other car parts on the road. These photographs will help insurance companies (and lawyers) determine the cause of the accident and in turn assign liability for the accident. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words (and sometimes tens of thousands of dollars which will either be going into your pocket or be going out of it).