Life can get very complicated in the aftermath of a car accident. Questions about injuries, car repairs, talking to the police, and filing an insurance claim — not to mention the scare-induced adrenaline rush — bombard your senses and can leave you incapable of making a clear decision. That's why it pays to know ahead of time how to deal with insurers after a car crash.

Just the facts, ma'am
The first thing to do at the crash site is to determine the extent of driver and passenger injuries. If the accident is a fender bender, emergency medical care might not be necessary. However, when in doubt, call an ambulance.

If your first phone call was to emergency care providers, your second call should be to the police. The police will advise you whether it's required to move the crashed vehicles from moving traffic, and an investigating officer will take statements of the drivers and passengers involved.

Even if the facts of the accident are embarrassing or detrimental to you, tell the truth. If you alter your story down the road or you don't disclose pertinent facts, the insurance companies involved will find out. That could come back to haunt you; the insurer can deny coverage or shift more fault to you.

A Picture is worth a thousand words!
Many insurance company suggest--and a few even provide--single use cameras to carry in your car. After an accident, a set of pictures of both vehicles can protect you from a claim by the other party that the damage to their car was more extensive than you reported. Also, the pictures can help you with your own insurance company in documenting the damage to your vehicle.

Who to call?
Your auto insurance policy requires you to inform your insurer when you've been involved in an accident. As soon as you are able, you must call your insurer and file an accident report. You also should notify the other driver's insurer of the accident. The insurance companies involved will then begin an investigation of the accident in order to determine who's at fault.

Independent agents are a different story. They often are able to "go to bat" for you with the insurance company claims adjuster because insurers more and more are looking to independent agents to sell their products, and the insurers are not interested in souring a relationship with an independent agent over one claim.

Medical and car care
You have every right to seek what you deem as appropriate medical care. An auto insurer cannot direct you to a certain medical care provider unless you've signed for a preferred provider organization discount. Keep in mind, however, that embellishing your medical bills or seeking unnecessary treatment raises red flags for insurers: Be prepared for a letter from the insurer saying it won't pay all of the medical expenses if you've sought extensive treatment for a minor injury.

In addition, don't give up your right to choose an auto-repair facility. Finding a repair shop that performs quality work independent of insurers can save you the hassle of haggling over repairs or procedures not performed at insurance company direct-repair shops (DRP). While many DRPs no doubt perform quality repairs, they sign agreements with insurers to give discounts on parts, labor, and procedures in exchange for a steady stream of crashed cars. In short, the DRP might not be acting in your best interest.

Do you need an attorney?
Hiring a lawyer is not required after you've crashed into someone, but there are a couple of scenarios in which seeking legal counsel is a good idea. If you've been seriously injured in the accident, you'll probably want a lawyer to help keep the lines of communication open between you and the insurance company and help you receive a fair settlement.

Proving to another driver's insurer that its policyholder caused the accident might require the services of an attorney, as well. In order to prove the other driver is at fault, you have to show what the rules of the road are in the accident scenario, that the other driver disobeyed the rules of the road, that the driver's disobedience caused the accident, and that the accident caused harm to you or damage to your car. That might seem simple, but it requires substantial time, research, and knowledge of the law.

Three-point plan
The critical points to remember to ensure a smooth insurance claim after an accident are:
1. Be honest with your insurer and the other insurers involved, even if the facts of the accident seem to weigh against you.
2. Know where you are going for medical treatment and car repairs.
3. Obtain as many documents as possible to avoid surcharges or problems getting insurance in the future