From car accidents involving motorcycles to pedestrian accidents after a car accident, no matter what type of road traffic incident you have been involved in, there are several steps you should take immediately afterwards. And any of these could lead to car accident claims. This includes the following:
- Check all passengers and everyone else involved in the crash – If you can do so, you should try to check on everyone involved in the crash to find out whether they need medical attention. If they do, call an ambulance immediately. If your injuries are minor, make sure you go to a hospital at the earliest opportunity.
- Call the police – Calling the police after a car accident isn’t always necessary. It depends on the situation. If someone is seriously or fatally hurt, you should call the police. If a crime has been committed, i.e. if you have been involved in a car accident hit and run, you need to call the police. If the accident is a risk to oncoming traffic, you must contact the police again.
- Watch what you say – One of the biggest mistakes people make is saying too much after a car crash. It would be best if you made sure you do not implicate yourself. This is why you need to say as little as possible after a car accident.
- Get contact details – Finally, you need to make sure you get the other driver’s contact details involved in the crash and any witnesses. Witness statements can help to strengthen your car accident compensation case.
What should you do after a car accident if you have been involved in an accident and it was your fault?
If you have been the cause of a car crash, it is highly unlikely that you will be able to make a compensation claim. Nevertheless, if you were partly responsible, you may still be able to make a claim. However, the amount of money you receive will be much lower to mirror your accident involvement.
The best thing to do is to give us a call, and we will be able to advise you further. It is also important to note that you shouldn’t say anything that implicates you after the crash after a car accident.
You may assume the incident was your fault, but something may come to light that will prove the other driver was actually to blame, for example, they may have been over the drink-drive limit at the time of the accident.
Can you claim if a child has been hurt in a car crash?
Car accidents involving children can be incredibly traumatic. You can raise car accidents children claims if you are the child’s parent or legal guardian. In most cases, the money will be put into a trust until the child reaches the age of 18. If you do not claim on your child’s behalf, they will be able to do so once they reach their 18th birthday. They will have three years from this date to claim.
What can be claimed after a car accident?
When making a claim for compensation for a car accident and injury, you can request compensation for:
- The pain of the injury: You can seek compensation for the pain and distress your injury has caused you – this is known as general damages.
- Repair costs: Compensation for the vehicle, or other items within your vehicle damaged in the crash (though this may be covered by your insurance)
- Treatment costs: Along with any other care costs you might require
- Loss of earnings: If your injury had left you unable to work, you can seek compensation for both the earnings you had already lost, and compensation to reimburse you for lost income of the future.
Treatment costs and loss of earnings would be under special damages.
This is not a comprehensive list of what compensation for car accidents can comprise. You can claim compensation for other harmful effects of the injury. To discuss what you can include in your claim and information about the average payout for a car accident in the UK, please reach out to one of our advisers.
Car accident statistics in the UK
Within this section of our guide, we wanted to provide you with some statistics that effectively outline the impact of road traffic accidents in the UK.
As outlined by the Department for Transport (DFT), there were 1,560 reported road deaths in the year up to June 2021 (estimated figures) on Great Britain’s roads. Further to this, there were 25,739 serious injuries. In total, it was reported that there were 127,967 casualties of all severities (caused by road accidents) in 2020-21. You can see the provisional figures by road user type below.
