Though it is scary whenever you are involved in a car accident that results in injury, you need to remain calm. What you do directly after your accident may affect your reimbursement when you file a claim to your car insurance company.

Here are some things to think about after you have a car accident and are injured.

Seek Medical Help: If you are hurt at all, even only a little bit, you need to see the doctor.

You must always remember that some injuries don’t show up until a few days later. You may experience pain, discomfort, dizziness, and even numbness days after the accident.

It is really important to get medical help if you are going to submit a claim to your insurance company. It will help your case if you went to the doctor’s office following your accident. If you wait a few days or weeks before you go, you may struggle to prove that the injuries were caused by the accident.

Take Detailed Notes and Pictures: It is really important to take good notes, especially if you are going to submit a claim to your insurance company.

Make sure that you have the names and addresses of any doctors, chiropractors, therapists, and other professionals that you visit.

Be sure to keep all of the receipts for your medical care including any medications or anything you need for your health. If you have copayments, be sure to write them down too. You should also write down any travel expenses that you incur as you travel back and forth to your appointments.

You should also keep a diary about your injuries and care, including how much pain you are in every day and how you are inconvenienced by your injuries.

Keep any notes and emails from your doctors, plus write down your own medical notes about your care. If you make any phone calls, make note of them and keep those notes handy.

To make your claim stronger, you need to have the following information:

• Information about the accident. Take pictures and notes about where it happened. It is also really important to have stop signs and traffic lights in the picture, if applicable.
• Photos of your car. Make sure that you take good pictures of your car from every angle. Take close-ups and some from farther away.
• Financial changes. If you are losing work or even the opportunity to work due to your accident, make note of it.
• If possible, get the names and contact information of any witnesses.
• Photos of your injuries. Bruises and injuries will fade so be sure to have a friend take pictures of your injuries.

All of these notes and photos will greatly help you with your case. If you are looking to settle or need to hire a lawyer, all of these will help you to win your case.