Despite the decrease of serious traffic accidents in the UK, there is always a chance you may be involved in an accident. Whether the damage to you and your vehicle is minor or serious, you are always able to seek compensation for an accident that wasn’t your fault. Here are some key considerations for those wanting to make a road traffic accident claim.
Never admit it was your fault
If you’re involved in an accident, admitting the accident was in any way your fault could invalidate your insurance claim. This means you should even avoid apologising, as some cases have been denied after a claimant was heard to have said ‘I’m sorry’. Instead, you should exchange all important details such as name, address and so on. If the other driver refuses to give you their details, note down their licence plate so your insurer can get them for you.
Contact your insurer
Failing to notify your insurer of an accident can immediately invalidate your policy, so make sure that you contact your insurer at the first given opportunity. From there, steps can be made towards getting compensation.
If you sustained serious injury as a result of an accident, be sure to consider the services of a specialist solicitor. For instance, if you’ve stained serious spinal damage, a spinal injury solicitor will be of much more use to you than a general practice solicitor.
Collect evidence
As with all insurance cases, you need to be able to prove that the accident wasn’t your fault. This means you should always try and prepare as much information as possible before going through the legal process. To help your case, you should try and collect any pertinent information from eye witnesses, as well as their names and address. If you managed to take any photographic evidence at the scene of the accident, be sure to have this ready for your solicitor.
If you were involved in an accident with an uninsured driver
If you have an accident with an uninsured driver, you will be unable to make a claim to an insurer. You will however be able to settle your claim through the MIB (Motor Insurers Bureau).
Repairing your vehicle
you should never get your car repaired without your insurers consent in case they want to have somebody inspect the damage. You should always check with your insurer first, as you may be required to use a mechanic who is approved by your insurer.
Liability
It’s important to remember that if an accident was partially your fault, you could be faced with a reduced amount of compensation. If for example you were seen to have been 50% responsible for an incident, you will only recover 50% of your compensation.