What you do after an accident can affect the success of your accident claim, or your defense against any claims made against you. Follow this procedure if ever you are involved in an accident.

First, do not to leave the scene of an accident, even a minor one, without first stopping to see whether there are damages or injuries. A person may be criminally prosecuted for leaving the scene of an automobile accident. Check for injuries. Generally, you should not move an injured person. Call an ambulance, if necessary, and the police. If you are unable to call, ask somebody else to call the police to report the accident and inform the police of the number of people who are injured, so that enough emergency personnel respond to the scene.

You and the other driver should exchange information, including the other driver’s name, address, phone number, drivers license number, license plate number, insurance carrier, policy number, and agent’s name and telephone number. You should also provide the same information to the other driver.

Obtain identifying information from any witnesses to the accident, and ask the police officer who investigates the scene to provide you with a business card and the “incident number,” so that you can obtain an accident report.

You may also want to take notes about where and how the accident occurred, road conditions, speed limits, traffic control devices, weather, lighting, and what the cars were doing at the time of the collision. However, if you end up in litigation related to the accident, you may be required to share these notes with the other party.

Even if you think you are at fault, do not say so. The other driver may share the fault or other factors may have caused the accident. An admission of fault may be used against you later on.

Cooperate fully with the police when they arrive, and stay at the accident scene until the police tell you that you can leave. When you speak to the police, tell them only the facts of what happened, and do not draw any conclusions. And most importantly (this is certainly worth repeating!) never ever ever admit responsibility for the accident to the other drivers, passengers, witnesses or the police. Responsibility or liability is a legal matter that is not always easy to determine. Inform the police of any injuries you may have, and give them the names of the witnesses.