What to do after a Road Traffic Accident:
Being involved in a road traffic accident of any kind can be a distressing time, and many people who find themselves in this situation, do not know how they are supposed to act or what they are supposed to do.
However, in the eyes of the law, there are specific things that you must and must not do after being involved in a road traffic accident. Below, we run through a helpful guide of simple steps outlining how to act following a road traffic accident. Follow these steps to ensure that you act within the law and keep yourself and others safe.
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1- Stay at the scene safely for as long as necessary:
If your vehicle has been involved in a road traffic accident in any way, regardless of whether or not your car has personally been hit in the incident, subject to section 170 of the 1988 Road Traffic Act, you may be legally obliged to stop at the scene, and failing to stop, is classed as a serious offence. This could result in driving bans, high fines, and even court cases.
After a road traffic accident, always come to a complete stop in a safe and convenient place which is not blocking the flow of traffic. Put your hazards lights on, and ensure that everybody travelling in your vehicle is safe. After this, you should exit your vehicle safely, before assessing any injuries or damages to you, your passengers, other road users, pedestrians, animals, or property. If there are any serious injuries, call the emergency services immediately.
You might be desperate to get away and forget the fact that the accident ever happened, but this is never the correct thing to do. Even if there are no injuries or damage identified, the fact remains that it is your legal duty to stop and check. To not do so could class as a hit and run, and we all need as little stress in our lives, as possible.
2- Always exchange insurance details with all other parties:
It can sometimes be the case, in brief contact crashes, or clipped wing mirrors, that no damage to any vehicles has emerged from the accident, and nobody is injured. Still, with the design of modern cars making them crumple under pressure in order to prevent injuries, this is very often not the case. Further, even if another party involved claims that there has been no damage or injuries as a result of the incident, this is not to say that these things will not become obvious at a later date, at which point you will regret not getting the details of others involved.
It is your legal obligation as a road user of any kind to openly provide the other parties involved with, and you should request other people to provide you with:
full name
address
vehicle details (e.g make and model)
insurance details
3- Remember to never admit liability, regardless of the specific situation of the accident-
So, you’ve had a road traffic accident, and you are at the scene with the other party/parties involved. Sometimes the situation can become heated, and discussions can be raised where one party tries to get the other to admit liability, and admit that the accident was their fault. However, this is never the right thing to do.
Even if you feel that you are in the wrong and want to admit fault, or feel that the other party is clearly in the wrong and want them to admit being at fault, these discussions are pointless in the long run. It is always best to leave these discussions up to the insurers and insurance companies, as well as your specialist road traffic accident solicitors handling your personal injury case.
4- Always report the incident to the police where necessary:
You may well be aware that many road traffic accidents occur without the police or authorities being made aware that they ever happened. Provided that there were no injuries to any people or animals involved in the accident, and those involved have shared details without any conflict or violence, then this can be okay to do.
Still, if any kind of injuries have happened as a result of the crash, no matter how minor they may seem, the police must be made aware of the accident within 24 hours (or 7 days at the most).
This is another legal obligation regarding road traffic accidents. You cannot rely on any other parties involved reassurance that you don’t need to worry or that they will report the incident, as this is also not allowed. The accident must be reported by each and every party involved.
5- Get in touch with an expert road traffic accident solicitor:
After a road traffic accident, it is always best to get in touch with a legal expert regarding your case as soon as possible. Here at MG Legal, our specialist road traffic accident solicitors have over 30 years of experience in the field, and accept all of our cases on a NO WIN NO FEE basis, or a conditional fee agreement. This essentially means that if your designated personal injury solicitor does not win your case and obtain financial compensation on your behalf for your injuries and other damages, then you owe us absolutely nothing.
We are able to do this with such confidence our to our expert solicitors’ success rate, which is in excess of 99%. We have settled thousands of claims just like yours, and won hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation for people just like you who have been injured in a road traffic accident.
Whether it is a twisted knee, a broken leg, a fractured spine, or anything else, our expert road traffic accident solicitors are here to help. Our team specialize in handling road traffic accident claims, involving vulnerable road users, so, get in touch today, here, and an expert solicitor will get back to you within one working hour for a no-obligation discussion of your potential case. We will always get the ball rolling for building your claim the same day, as we know how important your claim is to you.
