If you are one of those unlucky people who were involved in a road traffic accident, then these 5 tips about what to do after a road traffic accident are useful for you. If you take the right action without delays, you can save a lot of nerves and money.
Stop
This is a MUST without further discussions. Both drivers, the fault and non-fault drivers are supposed to stop immediately after an accident and turn on hazard warning signal lights (red triangle button).
If you were at fault and think that you can run away – think twice. Firstly, it is an offense under the Road Traffic Act. Secondly, it can just make the other driver angrier so the possibility that he/she will claim you would increase drastically. These times even if a driver runs away or is uninsured, claims can be made via Motor Insurance Bureau (MBI), so you would only put yourself in a worse situation by running away. Finally, imagine someone else bumps into your car – it would cause extreme anxiety and stress to see how the driver abandons you.
Check Everyone’s Injuries
If someone needs medical help, you need to contact the police and ambulance. For life-threatening emergencies call 999 – the same number is both for police and medical help. If you are deaf, deafened, hard of hearing, or have a speech impairment, a text phone is available on 18000.
For non-emergency cases police can be contacted on 101 (if you are deaf, deafened, hard of hearing, or have a speech impairment, a text phone is available on 18001 101) and for medical help call 111.
All these phones numbers are free of charge.
Exchange Contact Details
By law, you are obliged to provide your name and address to anyone involved in a road traffic accident. If someone leaves the accident place without exchanging contact details with you, immediately call 999.
Colect Other Information
Here is the checklist of essential information which you need to collect:
- The registration numbers of all vehicles involved
- Colour, make, and model of all vehicles involved
- Time and date of the accident
- The exact location of the accident
- A sketch showing the positions of the vehicles involved
- Road and weather conditions
- A list of damage to vehicles
- A list of injuries sustained
Simply because we as humans tend to forget things (especially when we are shocked or stressed), it might be a clever idea to print down this what-to-do-after-accident-checklist and keep it in your car (just in case of an accident). It’s just a piece of paper, but it can make you feel way more confident and less stressed in case of an accident.
Take Photos
Thanks to modern technologies the vast majority of UK drivers are equipped with cameras nowadays, so just take your phone and take clear photos of everything that you find is important (e.g. damage done to your vehicle, vehicle position, etc.). The more evidence you have, the better we can build your claim.
What’s Next?
Your further actions vary depending on the situation. Evaluate the condition of your vehicle – is it safe to use it for going home? Can it drive? If not, you have several options:
- Call your breakdown cover (if you have one). It is quite a popular option, though before calling you should plan: how are you going to repair it and what transportation will you use whilst your vehicle will be in the garage. If you already know the place where your vehicle will be fixed, ask your breakdown to deliver your vehicle directly to a repair place.
- Call Claims 24. Not many people are aware of this option but it can save both time and money (especially when the accident was not your fault). We will take care of all the possible problems you may face after a road traffic accident. This means that we will collect your damaged vehicle, repair it, and provide you with a like-for-like replacement vehicle until your vehicle is fixed. In addition, we can help you to claim personal injury compensation and the best thing is that you do not need to pay any upfront fees. In the end, we will send all the costs to the faulted driver’s insurance company and if liability is admitted (in most cases it is) you do not need to pay anything. So if you are sure that the accident was not your fault, contacting us is the best thing you can do for yourself. Contact us or read more about our services.
Finally, take care of yourself. It might be that you feel the effects of an accident after 24 hours or even later. Consider both physical and psychological damage which could be made to you after the accident. If you noticed even the smallest pain in your neck, back, head, or other places of the body, visit your GP and follow their instructions. It is quite often the case that after an accident, a person is experiencing nightmares or becomes afraid to drive – do not ignore such signals. If you feel any physical or psychological damage after the accident our advice is to claim compensation. Ignorance neither will pay your medical bills nor return your confidence when driving. We can help you to get the compensation on a no win no fee basis, so you have nothing to lose. Read more about road traffic accident claims or contact us for free legal advice.
