DEAL WITH MY ACCIDENT: What not to do after a road traffic accident
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
"Have you been in a road traffic accident that wasn't your fault?" yes, I know, we're hearing that slogan over and over again, and for one reason - road traffic accidents are rising. The number of road traffic accidents are on the increase, especially the number of those critically or fatally injured, and this is why you need to ensure that you get the compensation that you deserve if the accident you were involved in wasn't your fault.
When it comes to claiming for compensation after a road traffic accident, there are numerous things that you definitely should NOT do following a road traffic accident, regardless of who was to blame.
1. Do not drive away from the accident
Regardless as to who was at fault for the accident, it is important to not drive away from the scene if you have caused or received any damage to either your vehicle or the third-party’s vehicle. Under Section 170 of the Road Traffic Accident Act 1988, it states that the drivers of all vehicles involved must stop at the scene of the accident, regardless as to the severity of the accident or who was to blame. If you fail to stop at the scene of the accident, you could face either up to 6 months imprisonment, a fine of up to £2,500 or 5 - 10 penalty points. Whilst you’re stopped at the scene, it is important to gather evidence of the road traffic collision, such as taking photographs. If you take photographs at the scene of the collision, it may help speed up your claims process. We recommend that you take photographs of the driver, the vehicles involved in the collision, road signs and buildings that are nearby to be able to pinpoint the location of the collision.
2. Accept liability/fault at the scene
We highly encourage you to refrain from accepting fault of the accident in any way whilst at the scene of the road traffic collision. If you do accept liability of the accident, this may prejudice your claim at a later date, especially as it is often unclear in the heat of the moment as to who was to really blame for the collision. If you’re involved in a road traffic accident, it is much better to discuss the collision with one of our solicitors as we will be able to advise you accordingly and provide you with a specialist view on how the court may interpret the collision.
3. Avoid contacting your insurer
With the cost of car insurance going up by £101 on average over the past year, rising by 14%, many people think that they should avoid contacting their insurer about a road traffic accident, fearing that their premium will go up to figure that is unaffordable. Regardless of this, we can't stress enough how important it is to contact your insurer as soon as possible and notify them of the accident, regardless as to who was at fault. If you fail to do so within the designated time frame specified in your insurance policy, this could lead to your cover becoming invalid. We strongly encourage you to tell your insurer as much information as possible, including the name, address and insurance details of the third-party involved in the accident. In addition to this, if possible, we recommend that you provide a sketch of the accident to outline your interpretation of the collision. Furthermore, if there were any witnesses to your accident, ensure that you get their contact details and pass these onto your insurer. Photographs of the accident, vehicles involved, drivers of the vehicles, licence plates, nearby buildings, road signs and CCTV or dash cam footage will be beneficial and have the potential to speed up your claims process.
4. Accept any offers or help from the third-party’s insurance before speaking to a solicitor
We highly encourage you to not agree to anything that the third-party’s insurer offers or advises you to do before consulting our experienced road traffic accident team. Our team is made up of experienced, knowledgeable and reputable solicitors who will always have your best interest at heart, enabling us to get you a fair deal. In our experience, we have found that many insurance companies are more interested in settling a road traffic accident claim in the most cost-efficient way for themselves, rather than providing you with the compensation that you deserve.
Unless you're looking for a lengthy claims process, we highly encourage you to ensure that you're as efficient as possible straight after the accident, enabling us to deal with claims process as quickly as possible. It is crucial that you get in contact with us as soon as possible following the road traffic accident, as time limitations apply and the claims process is often much easier if proceedings begin quickly following the accident.
Our team of experts have a vast amount of experience dealing with all kinds of road traffic accident claims, enabling you to trust that your claims process will be in safe hands. Should you be unfortunate enough to be involved in a road traffic accident, you can have confidence in our ability to handle your case from beginning to end in the most efficient manner. Furthermore, we will be able to handle the practicalities following the accident such as any health care provisions that you require, vehicle repairs, hire charges and any loss of earnings.
At Deal With My Claim, we're experts at keeping the claims process as simple and straight-forward as possible, enabling you to fully understand the proceedings and developments involved in your case. We're proud to offer you plain-speaking, legal support.
For more information regarding our services, you can visit us at any one of our stores across the West Midlands. We have stores in Wolverhampton, Dudley, Birmingham and we are soon to be opening a store in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent. You can also read more information on our 'Deal With My Accident' web page.