A car accident can cause a great deal of anxiety. You are worried about the damage to your car and whether it is a total loss. You may have been injured and need medical treatment. You are worried that the other driver may lie about how the accident happened. There are several things that you can do at the scene of the accident that will be helpful later.

First, get the other driver's license, registration, and insurance card. Take pictures of all three documents. You need to know the identity of the driver and his or her insurance information. The law requires that the other driver provide this information to you. If they refuse, call the police.

You should also take pictures of the scene and the damage to all vehicles. Make sure you get the other driver's tag number in one of the photographs. Be sure your pictures are clear and helpful.

Next, if there are witnesses, get their names, addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses. If you do not get the information, their identities will be gone forever. Independent witnesses can make or break your case.

If you are seriously injured, call 911 and get an ambulance. In addition, if your car has to be towed, call the police. In fact, if you have other concerns about the other driver such as they be impaired, they are bullying you, they refuse to give you the necessary information, or you are concerned for your safety, call the police. Make sure you get the police report number.

If the other party makes any statements to you, write them down. You may forget later on that they made an admission. Many times the other driver will admit fault at the scene and then change their story later so have a witness to these admissions.

If you are injured but do not feel you need to go to the hospital, go to an urgent care center like Patient First or Express Care. Do not wait to get medical treatment since this can cause issues in your case and it is important to get yourself checked out. Insurance companies love to point to any delay in treatment as evidence that you could not have been injured.

Lastly, when you get home, call your insurance company and report the accident. You have a duty to report the accident to your insurance company in a timely fashion. You should verify all coverages such as collision and PIP (Personal Injury Protection) that may be available to you.