What to Do In/After A Car Accident?

If you are unlucky and have a car accident in England, here are the steps you need to take in order to deal with it quickly and as profitably as possible.

What to do right after a car accident?

Stop

No matter how minor a car accident is, you must stop. In fact, failure to do so is equal to a crime under the UK Road Traffic Act. Make sure your car’s engine is off. Then turn on the accident indicators to alert other road users of your presence on the road.

Whom to call after a car accident?

Look around. If someone is injured in a car accident, you should call the police at 999 as soon as possible (if necessary). If you do not need medical supervision. Then you should call the police on number 101.

The police should also be called if a damaged car is blocking the road. If you suspect that you are the victim of a “cash accident”, such as when a driver deliberately instigates an accident, in order to make a fraudulent insurance claim.

A dash cam can help you avoid becoming a victim of scammers. However, be sure to take lots of high quality photos to prove your case.

Providing details after a car accident

When you are involved in a car accident, you are required to provide your name and address to the other driver. You have to stop and give your details if you hit something near the road, even if there are no other people involved. For example, if you hit a parked car, you must leave your details on the windscreen.

Avoid expressing harm or accepting blame for the accident until you know exactly what happened. Since the court in the UK can rely on your testimony at the accident time.

Traffic accidents must also be notified to the police within 24 hours. Failure to do so may result in a fine, penalty points or even disqualification.

Collecting parts after a car accident

If possible, you should obtain names, addresses and contact details from drivers, passengers and witnesses. Ask the other driver for the details of car insurance and try to establish if he is registered as the car owner. If he is not a driver, then write down the name of the car
owner and the address.

What are the benefits of filing a claim in the UK?

Britain is famous for its generous compensation for injuries, especially if the injuries were not very serious. In Britain, there is a widespread culture of compensation for minor sprains of the neck and back in the so-called whiplash.

Seeking legal assistance from British lawyers, you do not have to make an advance payment for legal services. UK compensation lawyers usually handle such cases based on the so-called No Win No Fee principle. That is, if the case loses, the lawyer will not have to pay, and if he wins, the lawyer will deduct a small percentage from the amount of the won compensation as payment for the work done.

Deadline for filing a claim

Pay particular attention to the time frame for going to court. In the UK, you generally have to sue for injury compensation no later than three years after the date of your injury. In other countries, shorter periods of restriction may apply. Therefore, it is important that you do not delay contacting a lawyer. If you miss this deadline, it will be extremely difficult to convince the court to consider your claim.