Legal Specs

What to do after suffering a Road Traffic Accident

05 Sep 2008

It has sadly been estimated that most of us will be involved in at least one road traffic accident in our lifetime. Whether you are the driver, passenger, motorcyclist, pedestrian or a victim of a hit and run you will be suffering severe pain and suffering as road traffic accidents are the most common form of personal injury.

Forty thousand serious injuries and thousands of fatalities occur every year in the UK due to road traffic accidents. A report issued by the World Health Organisation warns that on current trends road traffic accidents could overtake strokes and HIV as one of the main causes of preventable deaths by 2020. This shocking report is emphasised by the fact that every year road traffic accidents cause 40,000 cases of serious injury, taking up three million NHS beds.

Being a safe and competent driver doesn't necessarily protect you from having a road traffic accident; all of us are potential victims of road traffic accidents. If you are unfortunate enough to become the victim of a road traffic accident then you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation. In order to successfully make a claim for compensation you need to be able to prove the accident was not your fault and that another person was responsible; you need to prove negligence.

Claiming compensation is our civil and legal right, however only 31% of us actually claim compensation after an accident that wasn't our fault. Compensation after a road traffic accident will aid your recovery as you won't have to worry about being out of work or about your medical costs as both of these will be covered by the compensation you receive in a successful claim.

The injuries that you suffer after a road traffic accident can vary from being minor to life threatening. Some of the injuries that you may suffer from when it comes to road traffic accidents include whiplash, back and spine damage, head and neck complaints and arm and leg injuries as well as many more. Whatever injury you are suffering after a road traffic accident it is important that you seek medical help, even if your injury is minor as you may have underlying problems that will be picked up via medical tests. Also a medical record of the injuries that you sustained after a road traffic accident that was caused through no fault of your own will help you when it comes to putting in a claim for compensation.

It is important to be aware of insurance companies when it comes to making a claim for compensation. This is because if you are making a compensation claim through your insurance company they will often settle your claim for far less that it was worth, which is why you should always seek independent legal advice from a team of lawyers/solicitors.

If you want more information about making a claim for compensation get in touch with a legal team today as they will be able to answer all of your questions and help you to make your compensation claim.

Helen is the web master of Accident Claim Aid, who are specialists in all aspects of helping you make a Road Traffic Accident Claim.