I've been hit a few times, below is some actions/info that have served me well of course I ain't no lawyer lol...
Don't make any statements, even to your own insurance company.
Do not talk on the phone to insurance companies -- do everything in writing.
Act totally helpful, but give them no info... just play dumb, tell 'em you'll respond in writing to delay answering any questions, tell them you're too shook up to answer that question at this point, whatever it takes to appear helpful /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif I always consider this to be warfare... and I'm the weaker party at a disadvantage based on numbers and experince.
Get representation, either an attorney for 33 1/3 % or a personal injury representative for around 15% (usually they are simply retired claims adjusters who used to work for insurance companies or lawyers)
Document EVERYTHING, date, time, names... keep a hand written journal.
If anybody leaves a message on your telephone about the accident then transfer it to a permanent tape recording -- I used this tactic to prove the other guys insurance company admited fault,,, blew them out of the water at the deposition.
If the car's drivable get several estimates of repair... do not allow the insurance companies appraiser to inspect it untill YOU are totally ready for it (be prepared for them to make an erronous assesment)
Get all the receipts from recent work to vehicle... they should owe you the face value of recent repairs and improvements ON TOP of the market value of the vehicle (in other words, they owe you current market value of vehicle + full value of recent repairs/improvements). To boost the value of your car, start clipping ads for the same car.. of course try to find the most expensive ads! Usually they will owe 'fair market value,' not just blue book -- but you might have to argue that.
Your state may allow for a loss of use claim -- regardless of whether or not a cost is actually incurred. So you can get a rental car,,, or just get the cash /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif In other words, they may owe you a months worth of rental car, even if you do not rent a car (it can be like a bonus $1000) In Washington this was set by a WA state supreme court ruling so ymmv. It may be possible to cite the supreme court rulings of different states when making a claim in your state.
Injuries can take days, weeks, even months to present. Always get checked out by a medical professional, never make a statement regarding health.
Obtain the police report ASAP.
A lawyer or personal injury rep may want to document the scene of the accident asap, pics and such.
Write down anything the other party said immediatly after the accident, if they admitted fault then that's a very important thing to note. Such an utterence, immediatly after the incedent, actually holds a lot of weight (I forget the legal term for that act, but there's case law on it).
Get the police report on the accident asap. If the other driver isn't ticketed then make a fuss.
I would not try to tackle an insurance company yourself (self-represent your claim) unless you have a lot of time, knowledge, stamina lol, some advisors who are familiar with the process, etc. The insurance companies have trained professionals whose sole job it is to deny your claim, to poop on you and make you go away. (that's my biased, personal opinion based on my own experince).
Best of luck, glad you family is ok.