Road Traffic Accidents – Roundabouts
It seems no surprise that we are getting an increasing amount of road traffic accident claims. One reason for this could be the increasing amount of traffic on the roads, with many people not paying the necessary care and attention.
One accident hotspot that I will discuss in this blog is that of roundabouts. Many people can find roundabouts difficult to navigate and nerve wracking to tackle – especially some of the larger ones. If someone is not completely sure of where they are going and are unsure of which exit to take, and which lane to be in, this can be understandable – but it is sometimes these people who cause many of the accidents on our roundabouts.
Accidents can occur on a roundabout for a number of reasons – some of which I list below:
- Being in the incorrect lane to take an exit, and suddenly cutting across lanes causing a collision with another vehicle.
- Drivers negligently not giving way to the right as per road regulations, and causing a collision.
- Drivers negligently not taking heed of traffic stopping in front of them, and causing a rear end collision.
- Drivers negligently pulling out onto a roundabout across the path of a car already on it.
If any of the above has happened to you, you may have a claim for compensation. In order to strengthen your claim, there are a few actions which you can take; some of which I have listed below:
- Obtain the details of the driver at fault – this includes name, address, contact number, vehicle registration, and insurers details. If you only have certain details such as the reg number, there are ways we can find out the insurance information
- Report the accident to the Police – this can be important as the Police may want to compile a report. The accident circumstances, as well as your injuries, should be reported as fully and accurately as possible as a report can act as evidence for your claim
- Check for witnesses – if any are present it can be helpful to obtain their contact details as their evidence may be valuable to you later in your claim
- Lastly, you should seek the advice of a specialist personal injury lawyer directly – It is advisable that this is done as soon as possible after your accident when events are fresh in your mind.