The number of vehicles on the road is increasing as is the population and as second hand cars become cheaper. There have been measures put in place in certain countries to tackle the problem of congestion and pollution caused by excessive vehicles on our roads such as a numberplate day designation in Athens. What this meant is that cars with specific numberplate would only be allowed on the road at certain days and others for other days. This caused a bigger problem than a solution as people would buy another really cheap car to run on alternate days because of the numberplate law. This created more pollution and thus accidents on the roads.

Being cautious is probably the number 1 thing you can do to avoid being involved in a Road Traffic Accident (RTA) and look out for obvious hazards. Being safety conscious and wearing your seatbelt, having your head rest up high to support your head, wearing glasses to see clearly if required and other such precautions are all essential to a safe journey.

There are however instances where due to other people’s negligence, there is nothing you can do to prevent an accident from happening. In this case the hope is that you avoid an injury all together or if an injury is to occur, for it to be only minor. Just the number of vehicles alone on the road mean that the statistics of you having an accident and sustaining an injury are higher than in the past.

People’s reactions to accidents differ, from shock to sadness, anger and other such emotions. In the event that you are involved in a car accident, it is really important to keep calm and not panic. We have devised a list of things you should do in order to have all the evidence that is required if you were to make a personal injury claim for compensation. The list is as follows:

Driver’s information: Make sure you take down all of the other driver’s information including their full name, address, phone number, place of work, passenger details (if any other passengers were present).
Car Details: Make sure you take down all the details of the car including the car registration number, the make, model and colour of the car, the owner of the car (if the driver is not the owner of the vehicle) and details of the damage caused.
Insurance Details: Make sure you take down all the insurance details of the other driver and vehicle including the name of the insurance company that insures the person and the vehicle, the phone number and address details (if possible) of the insurance company and the insurance policy number (if the driver has it).
Photographic Evidence: If possible, take a picture of all cars involved in the accident from as many angles as possible that include the damage done to each vehicle, the road behind, the road ahead, any skid marks. If possible, take a picture of the other driver’s face just in case they are not who they say they are and are committing fraud.
Witness(es) Details: If present, make sure you take down any witness(es) details such as their full name, address and phone number so that they can be contacted if a statement is to be provided by them to prove which party was liable for the accident.
Police: It goes without saying, but make sure you ring the police in order to report the accident as they will take down a report of what happened and speak to any witnesses that are there in order to solidify proof of liability if possible.

How to Chose a Personal Injury Solicitor for Your Case?

If you want to pursue a claim for compensation after a non fault RTA injury, then you need to choose a personal injury lawyer that specialises in RTAs. They will have extensive knowledge and experience in a vast number of different cases over the years and will be able to advise you further on making a claim for compensation and the amount you should expect to receive depending on the injuries you have sustained. What you should look out for:

Make sure that they are accredited by the law society. You can check their website for accreditations.
Make sure that their website and contact information is available including their address details as some companies don’t list them, which is a bit suspicious.
Try and find and read reviews from other past clients of theirs in order to see what kind of feedback they have received so that you can judge if they are the solicitors for you.
If possible speak to your friends and see if they can advise on an appropriate lawyer or if they have had experience with the firm you are looking at and can recommend them.
Lastly, speak to the firm directly and ask them questions in regards to your accident and see from the responses you receive as to whether you feel happy to proceed with them.

If you have been injured in a non fault Road Traffic Accident, Personal Injury Solicitors Manchester specialise in RTA claims for compensation and work on a no win no fee basis. We will evaluate your case and advise you accordingly. Contact us on 0161 82 11 229.