You’ve just had a car accident; do you know what you’re supposed to do next? Most of us have several moments of confusion, scattered thoughts, and questions when we have a car accident.

Even though you’ve just been through a traumatic event, you need to keep your wits about you and do a few things that will help you and your insurance company handle your accident the right way.

Seven Steps When in a Car Accident

Follow these steps when you’re in a car accident and make the process as easy as you can:

If Possible, Move to a Safe Area

Some of these steps are going to happen in different orders based on the situation, but you want to get out of the way of traffic and be as safe as you can. Get a couple of pictures of the scene of the accident before moving your vehicle, but once you have the photo evidence (with time and date stamps on them), you need to move to a safe area.

You can move your vehicle to the shoulder of the road or into a vacant turning lane to be out of the way of most of the traffic. If this isn’t possible, or the other driver doesn’t want your vehicle moved, turn on your hazards and leave the vehicle where it is.

Stop Your Vehicle and Get Out

This might be the first thing you do, once you decide that you don’t have any injuries that need to be cared for. Make sure your car isn’t moving, turn off the engine, shift into park, and set the hand brake to make sure the car is going to stay as still as it can.

Before exiting, make sure it’s safe for you to get out of your car. If you have a road safety kit in your car, you need to retrieve it and use the flares and reflective signs in the kit. Get out of your car and begin to assess the situation.

Check on Others Involved

An accident is just that and it’s not your job to place blame at the scene. Check on the other vehicles and other people involved in the accident to make sure everyone is ok and no one is hurt. Everyone involved will likely have different reactions to the accident and may be confused.

If necessary, call 911 and have an ambulance dispatched to the scene to take care of anyone who is injured. Start first aid if you know it, advise anyone injured to stay where they are, and not move because they could make things worse. It’s important to stay calm and try to keep others calm during this step.

Call the Police to the Scene

Regardless of the severity of the accident, you need to have a police report filed. This is one of the most important items when dealing with car insurance companies and other drivers. Once the police arrive, they will begin to take control of the scene and take the necessary actions to get things moving again.

Cooperate fully with the police. Avoid making statements of placing blame or admitting fault while at the scene, that’s not part of your job. The police can objectively judge the events and figure out what took place to determine who is at fault.

Gather Information

It’s important for you to gather information at the scene of the accident. The police will gather much of what you need, but you should try to get as much info as you can in case something is missing.

Here’s what you need:

• Driver and passenger names
• License plate numbers
• Insurance info
• Make and models of all vehicles involved
• Contact info for any eyewitnesses
• Location of the accident
• The name and badge number of any responding police officers.

The police who respond to the scene will give you the report number so that you can call and get a copy of it when the report has been filed. If there wasn’t anyone injured and the police are not on the scene, you can still file a report with your state’s DMV to make sure the accident is documented.

Document the Scene

Part of this step takes place early and the rest later in the accident process. You want photos of the accident as soon as possible after it takes place. Use your smartphone camera to take some photos that can be used during your claim process. Gathering info and making notes of what took place can also be helpful.

Don’t get in the way of emergency responders to document the scene. Once the scene has been cleared, anyone who has to be taken to the hospital or attended to can be contacted so that you can gather information. This might be a step you allow your insurance company to handle for you.

File Your Insurance Claim

Once the accident is secure, the police are involved, and all parties have their injuries attended to, you should call your insurance company. Do this as soon as possible after your accident to make sure you can get your claim filed and started right away. You might need to call them several times to give them all the information needed, but once you start your claim, they can get to work for you.

Be Better Prepared for an Accident

While the steps listed are certainly important, being prepared for a potential accident is also important. Here are some things you should do before an accident occurs:

• Pack a safety kit
• Keep important documents read (These include ID, additional insurance company contact information, vehicle registration, etc.)
• Keep your phone charged when you drive (this will become a valuable part of the process)
• Keep loose items in the center console or the glove box. Loose items can get lost or cause injuries during an accident, making it worse for you.

You might never be in a car accident, but you certainly want to be ready when this event occurs. Put these things in your car and make sure you know what to do when you’re in an accident.