One of the most frequent personal injury claims our attorneys handle are injuries sustained in an auto accident or a truck accident. If you are involved in an accident, there are several things you should do immediately to protect yourself. Here are ten things to remember to do after an accident:

1. Prioritize Safety: Make sure no one is injured. In a minor accident with no injuries, move the vehicles to the side of the road. If there are obviously severe injuries or major damages to the vehicles, do not move anyone or anything until the police arrive.

2. Call the police: With cell phones, this should be easy. Do not skip this step. Write down the name of the reporting officer.

3. Exchange important information: Get the name, phone number, address, insurance company, policy number, and license plate number for each individual and vehicle involved in the accident.

4. Identify any witnesses: Get the name, phone number, and address of anyone who witnessed the accident. Ask them to give a statement to the police officer.

5. Take lots of pictures: Again, with cell phones, this should be easy. Take pictures of the damage to each vehicle. If there are skid marks or debris on the road, take pictures of these as well.

6. Don’t discuss fault: Do not make any statements about fault. Explain what happened to the officer. Let the police officer, insurance companies, and attorneys sort out who is at fault.

7. Write it down: We are forgetful. An auto accident or truck accident claim can take time to resolve with the insurance company or through trial. As soon as possible, write down everything you remember about the accident and how it happened.

8. Notify your insurance company: Notify your insurance company of what happened.

9. Seek medical attention for injuries: You should seek medical attention, especially if you have obvious injuries. Even if you think it is minor, it is important to get checked out, not only to make sure you are okay, but also to support your claim in case you develop more pain or symptoms over time. Insurance companies rarely believe that your symptoms are tied to the accident if you wait to see a doctor for a significant amount of time after an auto accident.

10. Hire an auto accident lawyer or truck accident lawyer. Contact an attorney immediately, especially with accidents involving injuries. The insurance companies will be contacting you for recorded statements, medical information from your doctors, etc. An experienced attorney can help you with this process while protecting your rights. Insurance companies are in business to hang on to money and will try to pay you less than you are entitled to receive, in some cases even nothing.