Being involved in a road traffic accident can often be a traumatic and frightening experience. If you have been lucky you will only have suffered some minor injuries and damage to your vehicle. However, in some situations the consequences of the road traffic accident can be far more catastrophic. Whether you have been a driver, motorcyclist, 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. In order to make a claim, it will be essential to show that the other party involved was at fault.
Impact of 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 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
All cars and motor vehicles are required by law to have insurance to protect against any road traffic accidents that could potentially occur. Therefore, if you are involved in a road traffic accident, 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.
Secondly, in order to progress your claim, your solicitor will need the names, addresses, and vehicle registrations of the parties involved in the road traffic accident. In some road traffic accidents, it will be agreed by both parties on who is to blame for causing the accident. If this is the case, then, it is useful to make note of what was said following the accident. However, quite often both parties will blame each other, and these types of situations a further more detailed investigation will need to be carried out. It will help your case if you can take photographs of the vehicles involved in the accident. 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 at the scene of the accident you should make a note of their details. If there were any witnesses present at the scene of the accident, it is highly recommended that you write down 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.
