Road Traffic Accidents
Unfortunately road traffic accidents (also known as RTA’s) are a common occurance, with most people being involved in at least one road traffic accident in their life-time. It is estimated that there are over 300,000 injuries caused by car accidents every year, with the majority of these road traffic accidents being caused by human error.
Whether you are the driver, a passenger, on a motorcycle, a cyclist or a pedestrian that has been involved in a road traffic accident, if the accident was not your fault, you may be able to make a compensation claim for any personal injuries that you have suffered as a result of the accident.
All motor vehicles are required by law to have insurance to protect against any accidents that occur. Therefore if you are involved in a road traffic accident, the first thing you should do is exchange insurance details with the other party, as your claim for personal injury will be made against the insurance company.
With some road traffic accidents there may not be an insurance company to claim against. For example, if you are involved in a road traffic accident involving an uninsured driver, or are involved in an accident where the other driver has driven off (i.e. a hit and run accident). In these circumstances you may still be able to make a personal injury claim to the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB).
What to do if you are involved in a road traffic accident
As with all personal injury claims, in order to make a successful compensation claim following a road traffic accident, you would first need to prove that another person was at fault for the accident which has caused your personal injury.
To help prove that another person was responsible for your road traffic accident, and your subsequent personal injuries, it is a good idea to try to make a note of the names, addresses and telephone numbers of any witnesses to the accident. It can also benefit your personal injury claim if you are able to take some photographs of the scene of the accident, such as the location of the cars, any skidmarks on the road, etc.
If anybody involved in the accident has been seriously injured or if the third party driver leaves the scene, has no valid insurance, or appears to be driving under the influence of alcohol or any other substance, you should contact the Police immediately to report the accident.
For further information on making a personal injury compensation claim following a road traffic accident, click on the links below.
Road Traffic Accidents | Personal Injury Claims. July 6, 2008 | 
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