No one wants to be involved in a car accident. Most of the time, no one expects to be involved in one, either. But the fact is, car accidents happen and a lot of the time someone is to blame. When a car or vehicular accident causes injury or disrupts your life, you are entitled to make a claim for compensation if the accident was someone else’s fault. For example, if you have suffered a whiplash injury as a result of a car crash, an injury caused by a seat belt or air bag, or an injury sustained as a pedestrian, you can make a compensation claim. The aftermath of a car accident is usually chaotic, heated, and confusing. Here are a few things to remember if you have been injured and you are planning on claiming compensation.
- Share Basic Information with the Other Party or Parties
If an accident happens, never leave the scene, no matter if you think there is no damage or no one has been injured. Share your name, insurance details, and phone number with the other party or parties involved in the incident. But don’t share other details or opinions, for example, apologies for causing the accident or opinions about who was at fault. Save these details for discussion with your lawyer or the police.
- Take Photos at the Accident Scene
Use your camera phone to record details of the scene immediately after the accident including the positions of the cars, your injuries, and any information about the surrounding area such as non-functioning traffic lights, or a gate open to a field after animals escaped. Not only may these details help your case later on, it will also serve as a reminder of exactly where the incident occurred should you need to revisit it with your solicitor, says http://shireslaw.com.
- Call the Police
The police should be on the scene after an accident to provide an official report on the situation. If the police haven’t already been called, make sure you do it.
- Record Details About the Accident
You can also write down details about the incident so you remember, and so that you have a record in case they are not recorded in the police report. For example, write down details about the type of damage involved and the overall condition of the other party’s car, plus details about weather conditions.
- Get Details from Witnesses
If anyone else saw the accident, take their details; name, phone number, and other contact details.
- Find a Personal Injury Solicitor
If you think that you can make a claim because the accident was not your fault, get in touch with a solicitor, for example at http://shireslaw.com. If you are unsure whether you have a legal claim you can still contact a solicitor to discuss your case. If there is no claim to be made, the solicitor will tell you. On the other hand, they can advise you on the next steps to take to make the claim effectively and legally if there is a case to be made.
