Road Traffic Accidents – The Do’s and Don’t s

I have quite a lengthy commute from home to work every day – when I say lengthy I mean approximately a 70 mile round trip! So I can say that I witness a fair few near misses with accidents and also unfortunately see many not so near misses. Going up and down the M1 every day means that I can see the aftermath of some serious accidents.

We hope that our car journey goes safely and uneventfully; and on the most part they do. At The Injury Lawyers however we do have contact with many people who have been involved in road accidents that have been through no fault of their own and have caused them injury.

There are many do’s and dont’s when it comes to road traffic accidents and claiming for compensation:

It is advisable to:

1. Report the accident to the Police as they may need to compile a report. This report may later be used as evidence should it be needed so try to recall the accident circumstances as fully as possible.
2. Seek medical attention for your injuries – this not only serves to assist with your injuries but it also allows the medic to place a note of it in your medical records.
3. Check for witnesses to the accident, and if present, acquire their contact details as they may be needed later to provide valuable support to your claim.
4. Seek the advice of a specialist personal injury lawyer. Many like The Injury Lawyers will be able to give free claims advice whether they take the claim on or not. If your accident was a rear end shunt i.e. your car was hit from behind, it is highly likely you will have a claim for compensation.

It is advisable not to:

1. Seek legal assistance through a referral agency – referral agencies work as middlemen who sell on your claim – this means your claim may be going to the firm who pays the most but may not guarantee the best service. With less money to spend on your case through paying out referral fees, they cannot guarantee the high service an independent firm offer.
2. Go with Legal Expense Insurance (LEI) – this may be attached to your motor insurance policy, and your insurers tell you it allows you to have free legal cover. This may not be the case however, as they will refer your claim on to a solicitor for a fee. If a solicitor pays a fee for your case, they have less money to spend on your case for them to make a profit; they will spend less time on you and your case and leave you with a poorer service.

At The Injury Lawyers we have a vast amount of experience in dealing with road traffic accident claims. We do not deal with referral agencies as all our clients come to us directly.