Submitting a car insurance claim can be a very stressful experience. You've probably just been in an accident, which is stressful enough, and now you are worrying about getting everything right so that your claim is approved and you can get back to your normal life. While nothing can make the stress of a claim disappear entirely, insurance companies, especially those offering cheap auto insurance, have made this a much smoother and easier process than it used to be.

Of course, the first thing to do is make sure everyone is safe, and if any medical attention is needed, that this is taken care of immediately. Then, take a few minutes to breathe deeply and put things in perspective. You are alive, the professionals are on their way, and this is a manageable. Because this is a difficult time, it will help to have a list of things to do in your wallet, purse, or glove compartment.

* Get information about every car that stops at the scene of the incident. That includes make, model and license plate. Even if they weren't involved in the accident, get this information; they could be valuable witnesses.

* Get information from each driver involved in the accident, including their name, address, phone number, and the information from their insurance card. This includes the insurance company, their policy number, the dates that the policy is valid, and any other details listed on the card.

* Ask any witness to the event to give you their name, address, and phone number. Also, try to get a brief account from each of them. These can be very helpful later on when the insurance company assembles their account of what happened.

* You need to also write out your own account of what happened. Put down the date, approximate time, and describe the location as best you can. Include such details as your lane position, whether there was construction, bad weather, or other problems on the road, and so on. Try to list all of the events leading up to the accident as completely as possible, as well as describing the accident itself and what occurred afterward.

* If you have a camera available, take as many pictures of your car and the incident scene as possible. Take pictures of damage to any vehicle, skid marks, obstacles in the road, obscured road signs-anything that might be relevant to the accident. Keep a disposable camera in your glove compartment for this purpose; if your phone has a camera, you can use that as well.

* You should talk to your insurance company as soon as possible after the accident. They will ask you a lot of questions, but their process is very efficient and based on thousands of accident reports, so all you have to do is answer carefully and completely.

* If there are police officers at the scene, they will also have a list of questions for you, and will fill out an incident report, either at the scene or shortly thereafter. You should get a copy of this report, and make sure a copy is sent to your insurance company.

After the accident, it is important to follow up with your insurance company. The claim process is largely automated, so there may not be much for you to do, but you should check in anyway. A once-a-week update isn't unreasonable. And, of course, if they should contact you, return their call as soon as you can. Finally, once the claim is settled, you'll want to talk to your agent about any changes it may cause to your insurance.

An accident can be a terrible event, but you can make the aftermath easier to handle if you just remember to stay calm, be thorough, and follow up. Do these things and soon you'll be back on the road and the claim will be just a memory.