If you’ve been in a car accident, the other driver’s insurance company owes you compensation: for property damage, time missed from work, out-of-pocket expenses, and pain and suffering.

If at all possible, use your smartphone to take pictures immediately after the accident.  You can document your property damage, the final resting place of the vehicles, skid marks (if any), the weather conditions, the exact location of the collision, and the condition of the vehicles after the collision.  A police report will provide only basic information of how the accident occurred.

This is extremely important, as the other driver’s insurance company will usually cast doubt on who was really at fault and whether were you really injured.

Even more importantly, have a health care professional check you out (whether it’s an EMS technician, an emergency room physician, or your family doctor).  Many, many injuries are not immediately apparent and only become noticeable after the adrenaline in your body subsides.  Wait too long to get medical treatment and the insurance company will downplay the extent of your injuries.  They may even refuse to pay for your treatment.

After you get checked out, it is also very important that you follow your doctor’s recommendations.  This may be very inconvenient and cost you a lot of time, but if you do not follow your doctor’s orders, the insurance company will claim that you were not seriously injured.

It’s bad enough to suffer injuries and property loss through no fault of your own without having to also fight an insurance company for just compensation.  Unfortunately, that is usually the reality.

You can significantly improve your chances of receiving just compensation by having an experienced attorney present your claim to the insurance company.

Remember: immediately following an accident, assess your injuries, those of your passengers, and anyone else involved.  Call 911.  And take pictures, if you can do so without jeopardizing anyone’s safety-including your own.