Making a Road Traffic Accident Claim

Making a road traffic accident claim

Experiencing a road traffic accident can often be a frightening and distressing experience. Hopefully you or any fellow passengers will have escaped with minor injuries with little damage to your vehicle. However, in some cases the consequences of the road traffic accident can be far more serious. Whether you have been a motorcyclist, driver, passenger, or pedestrian, if you've been involved in a road traffic accident that was caused by another vehicle in the last three years, you could be entitled to claim compensation. For your claim to be successful, you will have to show that the other party involved was at fault.

Suffering a whiplash injury

This type of injury is the one that is most frequently reported. A whiplash injury can occur from a high speed impact or a forceful jerk. For instance, when a car slams into the back of your car, or rear-ends your car. Whiplash victims can experience pain in the neck, shoulders, and back. In some cases, the intensity of the injuries are sometimes not evident for days or even weeks following the accident.

In assessing the amount of whiplash injury compensation you are likely to receive, the severity of your injuries will be taken into account and how much you suffered as a result of the road traffic accident.

Important steps to take following a road traffic accident

The law requires all cars and motor vehicles to have insurance to protect against any road traffic accidents that could occur. Therefore, once a road traffic accident occurs, the first step you should take is to exchange insurance details with the other party, as your claim for personal injury will be made against the insurance company of the third party.

Moreover, in order to progress your claim, your solicitor will need the the names, addresses, and vehicle registrations of the parties involved in the road traffic accident. On some occasions the parties will exchange opinions on who was at fault for causing the accident. In these cases, it is useful to make note of what was said following the accident. In some situations the parties will disagree on who caused the accident. If this is the case, then a further more detailed investigation will need to be carried out. If it is possible to take photographs of the vehicles involved in the accident, then will be beneficial to your claim. Photographs should be taken of the cars/motorbikes, and any skid marks on the road etc.

On some occasions the vehicle owners will not be present. If this is the case, write down their details. If there were any witnesses present at the scene of the accident, it is recommended that you make a note of their their names and addresses as well. As with most personal injury claims, in order for your case to be successful, it will be necessary to prove the negligence of the other party involved which resulted in your injury.

One point to consider is that if the opponent is successful in demonstrating that the road accident was partly caused by contributory negligence on your part, then it is likely that the damages will be reduced accordingly.

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