What should you do if you are involved in a car crash?

What should you do if you are involved in a car crash?

 
If you have been in a car crash there are a few things you need to be aware of so you do not put yourself in a situation where your insurance company refuses to pay for the damage, or if you are injured, in a position where you cannot make a personal injury compensation claim.
If the other driver was at fault, the law says they should give you recompense for the suffering it has caused, and quite rightly so. Therefore, as the number 1 accident claims helpline, we have taken it upon ourselves to make sure you know what you should do if you have been involved in a car crash.

The initial shock

It doesn’t matter how minor the accident is, firstly you will be shocked at what has happened. Try to stay calm; getting stressed out will just make the trauma worse and you will be less likely to be able to deal with the things you need to. Then, once you have turned off your engine, if you are able to get out the car, you should:

• Try to make sure the crash is not causing a danger to other road users. Perhaps put your hazard lights on and if anyone is around that could safely direct the traffic around the crash, this might prove to be a good idea.
• Call the emergency services if anyone is injured.  It doesn’t matter how minor the injuries appear to be – what may seem to be a minor injury can turn out to be much more serious. It should be the professionals that make that decision.
• The police will attend if an ambulance is called. They will talk to everyone involved in the accident, plus witnesses if there were any. Make sure you get your point of view across, as they have to compile an accident report from the information they have. Your insurance company and the law firm who makes your personal injury compensation claim for you will use this report.
• Exchange details with the other driver.  You should have his name and address, plus the details of his insurance company, as it will be them that settles you injury claim.
• Take details of anyone else that was around if they are prepared to be a witness.
• Get your injuries attended to. The severity of them will decide if you are treated at the roadside or taken to hospital in the ambulance. They may even be so minor that you visit your GP with them. Whichever the case may be, some of the injuries, such as whiplash, do not always manifest themselves till a few hours after the accident. Watch out for aches and pains starting later. It is important that you get checked out so that your physical problems are recorded for a future date, when they may be needed for your personal injury compensation claim.
• Take whatever advice you are given by the medical practitioner that looks at your injuries.
• Consider making a personal injury compensation claim.

Making a personal injury compensation claim

When deciding what you should do if you have been involved in a car crash, most of it is common sense.  The one thing that often foxes people is the bit about making a personal injury compensation claim. Which is the number one accident claims helpline is here to provide some assistance. People seem to assume that they have to deal with this themselves and many think if they are dealing with an insurance company, they stand no chance and that it is a long and complicated process and is not worth the effort. For these reasons a large amount of innocent victims do not bother to claim what is theirs by right, both legally and morally.
In reality, the whole thing could not be easier, providing you find a good law firm to act on your behalf.
There are many companies that advertise their services, but like in any industry, you need to make sure they are with the best.  Most of them operate on a No Win No Fee basis, so how much their services cost you shouldn’t come into the equation.
What you should be looking for is a dedicated law firm that will:

• Have their helplines open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so that you can always contact them.
• Only use staff to man those helplines that have been highly trained to give the correct free legal advice about your claim.  They need to be friendly, helpful, understanding, compassionate but at the same time professional in all their dealings with you.  They also need to be able to keep a secret, as your claim should be handled in complete confidence.
• Make sure that all the solicitors they use are experts in making personal injury compensation claims.  This area of law is a specialty, just like divorce law or conveyance laws. You need a solicitor with the experience and knowledge to deal with the insurance company without being intimidated by them.  It should be someone you can be certain will examine every bad effect the accident and injuries have had on your life, to maximise the amount of compensation you are awarded. They will also need to claim any other out of pocket expenses you have incurred because of the accident.
• Put your needs first, after all with no claimants, they have no business.
• Do all this as quickly and efficiently as possible, giving you no bother unless it is absolutely essential.
• Have a reputation second to none. There should be testimonials from previous clients, not just on their own website, but from independent sources as well.

A good law firm will provide a stress free experience for you, make sure you get a fair deal for your injuries and will work to ensure you do not regret making them your choice for your personal injury compensation claim.
Now you know what you should do if you are if involved in a car crash, hopefully your injuries will be such that you will not have a problem if you are in an accident that was the fault of someone else. If you do need any more assistance, here at the Accident Advice Helpline, the number 1 accident claims helpline, we are always happy to help.