Being in a car accident is a very stressful time in anyone's life. In order for everything to go smoothly and for you to get taken care of, you need to follow certain steps. You will need to get money from insurance companies to pay for damages and injures, and not following these steps can mean missing out on this money. Whether or not you need to hire a lawyer is up to you, but you need to follow these steps regardless.
You should never put off getting medical help if you were injured in the accident. The insurance company will need proof that the injuries you want them to pay for were caused by the accident. The longer you wait to see a doctor, the harder this will be to do. Even small injuries should be checked out in case they cause lingering problems. Filing a police report at the scene if you weren't injured too much to do so can help you out in the long run. The official report can be given to the insurance company with the details of the accident, and the police officer can act as a witness if you need one. Visit this page for facts: http://www.ehow.com/info_8163194_questions-accident-lawyer.html.
Exchange personal and insurance information with the other driver involved in the accident. Never admit fault to them and be sure to treat them kindly or you may have unwanted conflict that will mess up your case. The insurance company will need proof for every expense you want covered in the settlement. In order to provide them with this proof, keep receipts, diagnosis statements, hospital bills, insurance records, and lost wages because of injuries. They won't cover it if it isn't documented.
You should also be careful when you are interacting with the insurance company because they are looking out for the company's best interests, not yours. A lawyer from this homepage can advise you on the proper course to take when talking to insurance adjusters. There will be papers that you need to sign during this process, but you shouldn't sign anything you haven't read and understood fully. Never sign anything you don't understand. A lawyer can explain things to you if you don't understand them.
Make sure you are aware of all deadlines for your case. The most important is the statute of limitations for your state. This is the time in which you have to file you claim or you lose the right to file a claim. You will also need to know about all court dates and paperwork deadlines. Missing these can cost you a lot of time and money.