During lockdown our use of cars fell to 1955 levels . Back then, in comparison to today, there weren’t really many cars on the road at all. As lockdown restrictions ease, our use of vehicles has steadily risen, and we are now approaching near pre-lockdown levels. Certainly, my own car has gone from gathering dust in the drive to being used daily again.

Unfortunately, as we get back on the road our chance of being involved in a road traffic collision increases. Not to be the bearer of bad news though, since 2004 the number of reported injuries following road traffic collisions has fallen year on year.  This is likely due to the increasing number of safety features in modern cars (or maybe we are getting a bit more sensible on the road!)

I’ve been in a car accident – what should I do?

If you’ve been involved in an accident you must always stop your vehicle, as it is an offence not to. Remember and exchange details with any other vehicles involved.  You should take the other parties’ name, address and insurance details, as well as taking a note of the registration, make and model of any vehicles involved. It may also be useful to obtain witness details as these will be necessary later if there is any dispute about what happened. If you have your mobile phone with you, you should also take pictures of the vehicles involved and the damage sustained.

Quite often people are unsure whether they should contact the police and report the accident. You can do so if you wish, however it is unlikely that the police will attend unless there is serious injury, an obstruction on the road or damage to any street furniture.

If you have been involved in a collision and you are not at fault – i.e. everyone involved aside from the driver of the vehicle who caused the accident – you have three years from the date of the accident to make a claim for compensation. That is why we often get inundated with cold callers asking about that accident you had in the last three years which was not your fault! Don’t worry, we won’t ever cold call you.

Can you help?

If you have been unlucky and have been involved in an accident, we understand how traumatic that can be, and that claiming compensation may not be at the forefront of your mind.  Walker & Sharpe can undertake all of the necessary investigations and claim compensation on your behalf.  Our legal fees are recoverable from the insurers of the driver who was at fault and, in the vast majority of cases, we will not charge a success fee.  That means you keep 100% of the compensation recovered for you.

If you’d like to start a claim for compensation, or are simply looking for further information and advice about anything raised in this article,  please don’t hesitate to get in touch.