| With the number of cars on Britain's roads | | | | even if that means the driver of the car you |
| growing every year, there is an increasing | | | | were travelling in. If you were driving |
| likelihood that you may be involved in some | | | | yourself, then claim would be made against |
| form of Road Traffic Accident in the future. | | | | the driver of the car who was at fault for |
| Being involved in a collision on the roads | | | | the accident. |
| can be a traumatic, as well as painful, | | | | |
| experience, however there are certain | | | | Many people are unaware that in the UK every |
| immediate steps you can take to make sure you | | | | citizen has a legal and civil right to claim |
| do not unintentionally break the law. You | | | | compensation if they have suffered an |
| must stay at the scene of the accident for a | | | | accident which was not their fault. Road |
| reasonable amount of time, and make sure you | | | | Traffic Accidents can have many implications |
| have given your contact details to any of the | | | | for the victim, such as inability to work, |
| relevant people. Also, you must provide your | | | | psychological impairments such as fear of the |
| certificate of insurance, either at the scene | | | | road, on top of the initial pain and |
| or within seven days at the police station of | | | | suffering endured as a direct result of the |
| your choice. By doing this you are covering | | | | accident. The compensation package will |
| yourself from being fined or charged with a | | | | consider the direct and indirect |
| police offence. | | | | implications, and the amount awarded will |
| | | | take into account many factors, including |
| The most common Road Traffic Accident | | | | loss of earnings, damages to any clothes / |
| injuries are whiplash related, whereby the | | | | equipment caused by the collision (i.e. motor |
| force of the collision has thrown the victim | | | | vehicle repair costs) and any other costs |
| forward and backwards in quick succession, | | | | incurred, including medical bills and |
| leaving the person's neck to support the full | | | | treatment fees. |
| velocity of the impact. Whiplash injuries can | | | | |
| vary greatly in terms of severity, and | | | | The changing climate in Britain will give |
| symptoms can range from pain/stiffness in the | | | | rise to many more accidents on the road, as |
| neck and shoulders, to a tingling sensation | | | | the weather becomes more extreme and examples |
| in the arms and fingers. Headaches, blurred | | | | of flash floods rising across the country. |
| vision and tiredness can all also indicate | | | | Every person has a right to claim |
| that a person has suffered a whiplash related | | | | compensation against the guilty party, and it |
| injury. | | | | is important not to feel pressured into doing |
| | | | so. There are many 'rogue' companies around |
| If you are unfortunate enough to have | | | | who simply try to quota fill and take on as |
| suffered a whiplash injury then you may be | | | | many cases as possible. When choosing a firm |
| entitled to claim compensation, provided it | | | | to proceed with your compensation claim you |
| can be proved that someone else was at least | | | | should take notice of their experience and |
| partly to blame. If you were the passenger in | | | | past successes before committing to their |
| a vehicle which was involved in a collision, | | | | service, to make sure they are right for you |
| then the claim would be made against the | | | | and your individual circumstances - every |
| person who was at fault for the accident, | | | | claim is different! |