Checklist: What to do if you are in an automobile or trucking accident

  1. Call 911 and give them as much information as possible. If anyone is injured, ask for an ambulance immediately.
  2. Take steps to make sure that no one is in immediate danger of being injured further by other cars. If you are stuck in the middle of traffic and can get to the side of the road without risk of further significant injury, do so immediately.
  3. Get the names and phone numbers of:
    a. Any and all witnesses (including passengers, pedestrians, drivers, other car drivers who may have stopped to offer help).
    b. the drivers and passengers involved;
    c. the ambulance personnel;
    d. all drivers license numbers;
    e. car tag numbers;
    f. make and model and year of each automobile;
    g. copy the insurance information on each person's card;
    h. police officers at the scene and their cards;
  4. If there were emergency medical professionals at the accident, write down what the medical professionals said about each person's injuries and what you personally observed about each person's injuries.
  5. Write down the weather conditions, time of day, and any excited or off-the-cuff statements made by anyone at the scene relevant to who was at fault.
  6. Make a list of all damages to your vehicle and the other vehicles.
  7. When you can take pictures of all of your injuries and your automobile. Do this even if you need to send someone to the salvage yard.
  8. Get a copy of the police report.
  9. Get a copy of all of your medical records from the doctors and hospitals which examined you.
  10. Keep all of your medical bills that were caused by the accident in a file.