After being involved in a car accident, victims are often shaken up and not in their normal state of mind. However, what you do after a car accident is extremely important. The following steps will help to make the unpleasant experience of a motor vehicle accident go as smoothly as possible.

In this article we'll discuss 6 steps to take in the event you are ever in a car accident.

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).

Be sure to get the name and contact information of anyone who witnessed the crash. When it comes to recapping the accident and assigning liability, insurance companies are more likely to believe an uninvolved and unbiased third party witness as opposed to the two biased drivers.

Exchanging insurance information with the other driver is an extremely important thing to do after an accident. If you don’t get the other driver’s insurance information, you may be stuck paying for the damages out of your own pocket – even if the accident was the other driver’s fault.

People often do not realize that an insurance adjuster is never, ever on your side. Adjusters have been trained to seem pleasant and talk as if they are trying to help you, but in reality their one single goal is to settle your claim for as little money as possible. In fact, adjusters are often given bonuses at the end of the year based upon how much money they save the insurance company by paying out as little in claims as possible. Don’t even talk to an adjuster until you speak with an attorney.

In addition, you can bet that the other driver’s insurance company will want you to give them a “recorded statement” over the telephone regarding the facts of the accident and any medical care that you received. Although you usually do not legally have to give a recorded statement to the other party’s insurance company, sometimes it is in your best interest to give it depending on the facts of the case. Other times, giving a recorded statement would be a huge mistake and might end up killing your case. This is why it is best to speak with an attorney following any accident.

Finally, we'll conclude with a few remaining thoughts and offer contact information if you have further questions/concerns.

In this article we explored 6 steps to take if you are ever in a car accident. As recap, ensure your safety first, call the police, then gather the required legal information mentioned in this article.

If you are seeking legal representation or simply have questions about the information in this article, contact the author, Attorney Nicholas M. Dodosh, at 440-782-7822 or visit him on the web at clevelandsinjurylawyer.com