If you’ve ever been in a car accident, you probably remember it like it was yesterday. There’s the feeling that you can’t possibly hit the brakes fast enough. The sound of tires screeching. Metal crushing. And the immediate feelings of fear. But, what happens after a car accident?

To (hopefully) help make it a little less painful, we’ve created a step-by-step guide for everything from the collision to the claim:

1. Check yourself. Are you hurt? If so, stay where you are and dial 9-1-1 immediately. If you feel okay and your car is drivable, carefully move it to somewhere out of traffic. If it’s not, and you don’t feel comfortable in it, walk to a sidewalk, shoulder or side street.
2. Call the police. Whether you’re hurt or not, they should arrive at the scene of every car accident to take statements, get copies of drivers’ licenses and registrations, and determine if any vehicles need to be towed. Additionally, they’ll give you a police report number, which you may need if you’re seen at a hospital or doctor’s office, or if you need to file an insurance claim.
3. Swap information with everyone involved in the collision. Get names, addresses, and phone numbers.
4. Snap a few pictures of the damage. Your insurance company will likely take their own photos, but it doesn’t hurt to have them, just in case.
5. Know what’s happening to your car. If it’s being towed, ask where it’s being towed to. If you have anything of value in your vehicle, ask if you can remove it while you wait for a safe ride.
6. Reevaluate yourself. Now that some of the adrenaline has worn off, do you still feel okay, or should you be seen by a doctor?
7. File your claim.

Involved in an accident involving a motorcycle? Find out who pays in the accident.

This post originally appeared at Frankenmuth Insurance and appears with permission.