First accident ever — got T-boned running errands, airbag deployed, no idea what to do next

First — breathe. One day is nothing, seriously. When I got hit last year I didn't call anyone for almost three days because I was so overwhelmed. The process doesn't fall apart that fast.

For order of operations: I'd notify your own insurance first just so they know what happened, then contact the at-fault driver's insurance to open a claim on their side. Having both aware protects you if anything weird happens. Don't give a recorded statement to the other side without thinking it through though.

Please be careful when the other driver's insurance calls you. They are going to sound super friendly and helpful and they are going to ask you how you're feeling. Do NOT say 'fine' or 'okay' or anything minimizing. You don't fully know how you feel yet — neck and shoulder stuff can take days to really show up.

I used to work claims and I'll tell you what happens on our end when someone calls in right after an accident sounding confused and unprepared — adjusters take note. Not in a malicious way necessarily, but they're trained to gather information fast and the less you know, the more you might give away.

Before you call them, write down your account of exactly what happened in as much detail as you remember. Time, direction you were traveling, light color, everything. Then stick to that when you talk to them. Don't speculate or fill silence with extra words.

Please follow up on that imaging referral sooner rather than later. Neck and shoulder pain after an airbag deployment and a side impact is really common but it needs to be documented properly. Sometimes soft tissue injuries don't peak until 48-72 hours out. Go to the appointment, describe every symptom even if it feels minor, and keep copies of everything.

From a process standpoint — the police report is your most important document right now, so make sure you get the full official copy, not just the incident number. Also start a simple folder (even just on your phone) where you keep photos of the damage, all medical receipts, any out-of-pocket costs like rideshares because your car is out of commission, missed work if that applies. All of that can factor into a claim later and people forget to track it in the chaos of the first week.

Oh wow, I'm so sorry this happened to you. An airbag going off sounds terrifying even if it did its job. Glad you're physically okay enough to be posting. Please don't stress about doing everything perfectly right this second — you just went through something traumatic and it's okay to take a breath before diving into phone calls.

Short version: document everything, don't give recorded statements without thinking, get that follow-up medical appointment on the books today, and if the damage to your car looks significant or your injuries linger more than a few days, talk to a personal injury attorney before you settle anything. Most do free consults. You have nothing to lose by understanding your options.

Quick question — was the other driver cited at the scene? And do you have contact info for any of the witnesses? Those two things are going to matter a lot for how clean or messy this gets on the liability side.