A 10 step guide on what to do if you’re ever involved in a road traffic accident

A 10 step guide on what to do if you’re ever involved in a road traffic accident

Unfortunately, some of us are unlucky enough to be involved in a road accident, often through no fault of our own, so we want to help you to be prepared with this quick guide which you can screen-shot and save to your phone, or copy and print to keep in your glove box

1. Firstly, you need to find somewhere safe to stop your vehicle. There may be a very rare occasion where you can’t do this, in this case you will have to provide the Police with your details within 24 hours of the incident or you could risk prosecution.

2. You will need to give everyone involved your details. This should include your name, address, vehicle registration, insurance details and if the vehicle doesn’t belong to you the owner’s name and address.

3. Once you have given your details you need to gather the same information off everyone involved, make sure you also record the makes, models, colours and registration numbers of any other vehicles involved.

4. Speak to any witnesses to the incident and be sure to collect their contact information as they may be needed should any future dispute arise.

5. Once everyone’s information has been collected the next step is to make a note of any damage that has been caused. Take photos of the vehicles involved from all sides including any close ups of any damage caused.

6. After you’ve looked at the vehicles, map out the location of the accident, take photos of the road, including any junctions, traffic lights and roundabouts. It will help paint a clearer picture of the incident.

7. Speak to those involved and establish who was responsible for the accident, be careful not to admit anything that could affect a subsequent legal claim such as tiredness or any in car distractions.

8. Write down exactly what happened in the accident, this is best done as soon as it is safe to do so, whilst the incident is fresh in your mind so that you have a complete version of the event should you need to recall information later.

9. Make sure you contact your insurance provider and notify them of the incident as soon as you can, this will ensure they can begin to move forward with the next steps of your claim.

10. If you have received any injuries make sure they are checked out by medical professionals, sometimes accident symptoms can take up to 48 hours to appear and internal injuries are not always evident, so its always advisable to seek medical advice.

Do you need legal advice?

If you are ever injured in a road traffic accident and require any expert legal advice, then please contact our dispute resolution specialist Toby Conyers-Kelly by telephone on 01904 528 217 or via his email: tck@hethertons.co.uk