In 2015, there were 6,264,000 non-fatal police-reported car accidents in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) – up 7.0% from 2014. In the same year, there were 1,715,000 injury crashes, a 4.1% increase over the previous year, reported the NHTSA.

With over 6,000,000 collisions in the U.S. annually, your chances of being in at least one crash in your lifetime are fairly high. While you cannot control other drivers and the accidents that they cause, you can prepare yourself in case you are one day involved in a crash.

Car accident claims rely on various pieces of data, for example, statements made by the drivers, eye witness accounts, the police report, and the local traffic laws. That said, it's important that if you're in an accident, you watch what you say or do. Because, one misstep can have a detrimental impact on the outcome of your case.

In case you're in an accident in the future, here is what NOT to do:

• NEVER admit fault for the accident. Even if you think you're at fault, don't say "I'm so sorry" or "It was all my fault!" You could be wrong, or the other driver could be partially to blame. Instead of admitting fault, let the insurance companies figure it out. Otherwise, blaming yourself for the crash could reduce your settlement.
• Do not flee the scene of the accident. You are legally required to STOP your vehicle, check on everyone and arrange for an ambulance or medical care if anyone was hurt. If you fail to fulfill your obligations, you can face criminal hit and run charges, even if you were not at-fault for the accident.
• Don't go home without calling the police and having them fill out a police report. Police reports help nail down all the drivers and they help insurance companies determine fault. If you let the other driver take off without calling the police to the scene, you may never see or hear from the at-fault driver again, especially if they gave you false information.
• Don't believe everything the other driver's insurance adjuster tells you. Insurance companies are for-profit companies who do everything possible to devalue claims. They will come up with all kinds of reasons why your claim is not worth much. Protect your best interests and hire an experienced car accident attorney to deal with the insurance adjuster.

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