Many car accident victims don’t even get to talk with their own insurance company before an accident. Their accident is over, their pain over, and they go on with their lives. But thousands of car accident victims every year, don’t make any contact with their insurance agents before or after a crash. Often, that’s because they’re too traumatized to talk about the details of the crash.

What Should Car Accident Victims Do

After a collision, car accident victims need to collect contact info from everyone involved: the car accident victims, all of their friends and family, the other drivers, and the people who reported the crash. Photos can often be helpful in this process, since it shows who was hurt and where, which helps someone in need locate the closest medical personnel or attorney. Many injured car accident victims don’t even take time to get in touch with their own insurance agents, much less take photos of the crash scene and get witness statements from people who were present. official crash reports often contain many details, but they’re just one version of what really happened.

Even if a victim manages to get some information out of a police report, sometimes the information can be confusing and inaccurate. Car accident investigators are tasked with investigating every car accident, regardless of who caused the accident or whom its location was. (A recent Times investigation found that many of the cars involved in crashes weren’t properly insured, despite the driver’s claims that he was driving adequately.) Because investigators follow-up on every car accident, it’s not uncommon for them to find out later that a driver should have been paying more attention to his driving, rather than trying to compensate for his injuries. In these cases, drivers’ insurance agents may try to minimize the severity of the car accident by reporting minor injuries that don’t require much medical attention.

For this reason, it’s always a good idea to consult with a car accident victims lawyer to determine whether you need to file a claim, or if there are other avenues you can pursue first. A good personal injury lawyer will be familiar with the laws and regulations governing your state. In particular, he’ll know which tests need to be completed in order to obtain sufficient compensation. In the United States comp is one of the most common causes of injury claims.

Unfortunately, at-fault drivers are rarely covered by their insurance company for damages caused in car accidents. If you’re injured in a car accident caused by an at-fault driver, your first step should be to consult with a car accident victim’s attorney to determine whether you have a case. Your attorney will determine whether the at-fault driver displayed reckless behavior, was belligerent, used too much force in pursuing the accident, caused damage to your vehicle or was the driver of another vehicle that was at fault. Based on your experience as a car-accident victim, your lawyer may determine that you actually deserve compensation for your injuries and damages. If not, then your next step should be to contact your insurance company to determine what, if any, liability coverage you currently have.

Once you talk to your insurance company, the next step is to decide how you want to proceed with your car accident victims’ claim. If you choose to pursue the damages through your insurance company, you should ask for a checkup from the office of your auto insurance company to find out exactly what they will pay for your pain and suffering, medical bills and property damage. You should also ask them to give you an estimate of the total compensation they will pay out to you and your family. It is important that you keep all your receipts for property damage and medical expenses. Your car accident victims’ insurance company will provide you with a check for the full amount of your claims soon after you file a claim.

Related: Car Accident Arbitration