What Should I Do If I Get Into A Car Accident?
By Danielle Fletcher. Last Updated 29th June 2023. Although we all like to hope we’ll never be in a car accident, they do regularly occur. Car and road accidents happen every day. But do you really know what to do if one was to happen to you. The aim of this guide is to provide information and guidance about what to do in the event you are involved in a car accident.
What should I do when I get into a car accident?
You may be wondering ‘What should I do when I get into a car accident?’ This guide will also look at what to do after a car accident if you want to make a claim for a personal injury.
If you’ve been involved in a road traffic accident, you may have questions:
- What to do after an accident that is not your fault?
- What should you do after a minor car accident?
- Do you have to report a minor car accident to the police in the UK?
This guide aims to answer your question to ensure you’re prepared in case you ever find yourself in a car accident. It’s important to note that if you want to file a personal injury claim, you must not have been at fault for the accident (or at least partially at fault).
If you launch a personal injury claim for being partially at fault, it’s called a split liability claim. This is where you split the liability between yourself and the other party. Sometimes it’s 50/50, but other times one party will be more at fault than the other.
Get In Touch With Our Team
This article aims to help you understand more about what to do after a car accident, and our advisers are available 24/7 on 020 3870 4868 to offer more advice. Our advisers are there to learn more about your situation so they can help you. If the advisors can see that you have a valid case they could connect you with a personal injury solicitor from our panel
Alternatively, you can begin your claim online where an adviser will get back to you at your earliest convenience. We also have a live chat pop-up box where you can chat to an adviser and receive instant replies. Let us help you gain the compensation you deserve.
Services And Information
- Everything You Need To Know About What Should I Do When I Get Into A Car Accident?
- What Are Car And Road Traffic Accidents?
- Road Traffic Accident Compensation Calculator
- Minor Car Accident – Whiplash And Other Low Value Claims
- What To Do After A Car Accident In The UK
- Exchange Insurance Details With The Other Driver
- What Information Should Be Recorded After A Car Accident
- Who Should You Notify Of Your Accident?
- How Much Time Do You Have To Claim For A Car Accident?
- No Win No Fee Claims With A Car Accident Solicitor
- Other Information
Everything You Need To Know About What Should I Do When I Get Into A Car Accident?
This article portrays the steps you should take after a road traffic accident. Nobody wants to be in a car crash, but it’s important to be aware of what to do if it does happen.
If you have suffered a road traffic accident and want to know the steps you should take, this article can help. It will discuss car accident statistics, what you should do when you get into a car accident, what information should be recorded, and who you should notify.
Furthermore, it will explore the personal injury claims time limit so you’re aware of how long you have to seek the compensation you deserve. There will also be a discussion of No Win No Fee agreements and a personal injury claims calculator table to assess how much compensation you could receive.
It’s difficult to prepare for a car accident, but there are things you should know. Following the steps in this guide will help you recover from your car accident quicker and with less confusion.
Can I Claim Compensation After A Minor Car Accident?
You may be wondering, ‘I’ve been injured in a minor car accident, should I file a claim?’. If you’re concerned that you cannot claim due to the car accident or your injuries being minor, this is not necessarily the case.
Generally, the more severe your injury is, the higher your payout will be. However, even if you only suffered minor car accident injuries due to the negligence of another road user, you could potentially claim against them.
If you get in touch with our advisors, they can offer free car accident advice and discuss what to do after a minor car accident if you wish to claim. If they believe your claim has a good chance of success, they could potentially connect you with one of the road traffic accident solicitors from our panel.
What Are Car And Road Traffic Accidents?
Car accidents can happen in multiple different ways. For example, a head-on collision if a car is on the wrong side of the road can lead to major damage to the cars and possible injuries to the drivers.
Another common type of car accident is a sideswipe, where two vehicles crash into each other from the side. This typically occurs when two vehicles drive out of a lane at the same time when it is unsafe to do so, causing the crash. Unfortunately, this type of crash can cause a lot of damage to the car and possibly cause injuries to the driver or passengers.
The injuries sustained from car crashes can range from mild-severe, and they can affect your life greatly. To establish whether you could make an injury claim following a car accident you would need to prove 3 key areas:
- You were owed some sort of duty of care
- This was breached causing a negligent accident
- you suffered injuries that could have otherwise been avoidable.
Road Traffic Accident Compensation Calculator
Every claim for a personal injury is different. No two claims are the same. That is why rather than providing a compensation calculator we have chosen to use a table that includes compensation brackets.
We have provided a table using figures from the Judicial College Guidelines to give an idea of how much compensation certain injuries could attract. Please note these figures are for example purposes only and may vary.
| Injury: | Severity: | Notes: | Compensation: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brain Damage | Very Severe | Little evidence of meaningful response and environment, lack of language function, double incontinence, and needing full-time nursing care. | £282,010 to £403,990 |
| Brain Damage | Moderate (i) | Moderate intellectual deficit personal change, effect on sight, no prospect of employment, and risk of epilepsy. | £150,110 to £219,070 |
| Leg Injuries | Amputations (i) | Loss of both legs above the knee. | £240,790 to £282,010 |
| Leg Injuries | Severe (iii) Serious | Serious comminuted or compound fractures that result in instability and prolonged treatment. | £39,200 to £54,830 |
| Foot Injuries | Amputation of Both Feet | Both feet have been amputated with the ankle joints lost. | £169,400 to £201,490 |
| Foot Injuries | Moderate | Displaced metatarsal fractures resulting in permanent deformity and continuing symptoms. | £13,740 to £24,990 |
| Knee Injuries | Severe (i) | Serious knee injury with disruption of the joint, the development of Osteoarthritis, lengthy treatment, considerable pain and loss of function. | £69,730 to £96,210 |
| Knee Injuries | Moderate (i) | A dislocation or torn cartilage/meniscus that results in weakness,wasting, and a minor instability. | £14,840 to £26,190 |
| Toe Injuries | Amputation of All Toes | The position in the bracket depends on whether the amputation was traumatic or surgical. | £36,520 to £56,080 |
| Arm Injuries | Less Severe | The person will have made a substantial recovery despite suffering from significant disabilities. | £19,200 to £39,170 |
| Whiplash Tariff | With a Minor Psychological Injury | The claimant experiences the symptoms of whiplash along with a minor psychological injury for 18-24 months. | £4,345 |
| Whiplash Tariff | Without a Psychological Injury | The claimant suffers with whiplash symptoms for 18-24 months. | £4,215 |
Your position in the bracket will depend on the severity of your injuries and how long the treatment lasts. General damages compensate for the injury itself and the mental and physical effect it has had on your life.
Special damages compensate the successful claimant for any losses caused by their injuries. These can include but are not limited to:
- Loss of earnings
- Loss of future earnings
- Home adaptations
- Car adaptations
- Prescription charges
- At-home care
Minor Car Accident – Whiplash And Other Low Value Claims
Now that we’ve discussed what to do when you have a car accident and you have an idea of how much your personal injury compensation might be worth, you might be interested in knowing the value of a minor car accident claim.
If your injury is valued at less than £5,000, you would apply for compensation through the Whiplash Reform Programme. However, you must also fit further criteria, including:
- Your accident occurred after 31st May 2021
- You were a driver or passenger of a vehicle
- You were over the age of 18
Additionally, motorbikes, mopeds and scooters are excluded from the programme. Riders or passengers in these vehicles would apply for compensation via the traditional way.
If you have been injured in a car accident in the UK, our panel of road accident solicitors could help you secure a compensation payout.
What To Do After A Car Accident In The UK
As we have stated throughout this guide, if you have been involved in a car accident due to a breach of duty of care and have been injured, you could make a claim. However, when making a personal injury claim following a car accident in the UK, there are certain steps you could take that could help support your claim.
- You must also exchange insurance details with the other parties involved in the accident.
- Seek medical attention – If you have been injured in a car accident, it’s always best that you get your injuries checked out. Any records could be used as evidence.
- Inform your insurance company – Following a road traffic accident, you should inform your insurance company of the accident, regardless of whether you decide to make a claim.
- Gather evidence about the accident – this could be CCTV footage, dashcam footage, or photographs of the accident. It could also include the contact details of any eyewitnesses to the accident and a police report if the police were called to the accident. All this evidence could help prove that the other driver was at fault for the accident.
Additionally, you can contact our advisors for free legal advice regarding your claim. Our advisors are available 24/7 and could help answer questions about what to do in the case of a car accident.
Exchange Insurance Details With The Other Driver
In the event of a car crash, you should always exchange details with the other party. This includes your names and phone numbers. This is so you can contact them or their insurance company.
When you speak to the other driver, you should limit conversation and absolutely do not admit guilt. If you do, this can come back to bite you if one of you makes a personal injury claim. Exchange details, but don’t speak to each other more than you have to.
What Information Should Be Recorded After A Car Accident
The first piece of information you should gather is the registration plates of each vehicle. This is so that even if a party gives you the wrong contact details, you can still track them down. Additionally, you should write down the date, time, and location of the accident to keep on file.
You should then write down the details of the accident how it happened and who was involved. If you write down the details thoroughly, it can be used as evidence if you decide to make a personal injury claim. Moreover, photos and dashcam video footage will be helpful to use as evidence too as you can physically show what happened and who may have been at fault.
Who Should You Notify Of Your Accident?
When Should You Contact The Emergency Services?
You should contact the emergency services, such as an ambulance if someone is injured after the accident and requires medical help. Furthermore, if you don’t exchange details at the scene, you should inform the police of the accident. If you don’t, it could appear that you drove off from the accident without stopping, which is an offence.
When Should You Notify Your Insurance Company?
Even if a claim is unlikely to be made for a minor car accident, you should notify your insurance company. This is because some people may say they don’t want to make a claim, but later changed their mind. Telling your insurance provider about the accident immediately prevents any confusion or shock if a claim is made.
When Should You Contact A Solicitor?
If the road traffic accident wasn’t your fault, or only partially your fault, you may wish to make a personal injury claim. This is to compensate for your injuries and the impact they had on your life.
It is not a legal requirement to have a solicitor handle your case. However, they have the experience and capabilities to conduct personal injury claims. If your case looks promising our advisers can transfer your case to a solicitor from our panel. Call our advisers today. They will assess your case for free.
How Much Time Do You Have To Claim For A Car Accident?
Generally, there is a three-year time limit to make a personal injury claim. That’s three years from when the accident happens or you realise the injuries were due to someone’s negligence.
However, if you are under 18, the three-year time limit begins on your 18th birthday. Alternatively, a friend/family member can act as a Litigation Friend to make the personal injury claim for you.
If you’re incapacitated, the time limit begins from recovery. However, someone you trust can act as a Litigation Friend to begin the personal injury claims process straight away instead.
No Win No Fee Claims With A Car Accident Solicitor
If you are eligible to make a personal injury claim following a minor car accident, you may like to have the support of a solicitor. One of the solicitors from our panel could represent your case. They have lots of experience with road traffic accident claims.
The solicitors from our panel generally offer their services under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This is a type of No Win No Fee arrangement.
Under this type of agreement, your car accident solicitor won’t ask for upfront or ongoing payments to cover their work on your case. You also won’t be asked to pay for your solicitor’s services if your claim fails.
If your case has a positive outcome, your solicitor will deduct a success fee from your compensation award. The percentage that can be taken as this fee is capped by the law.
Our advisors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with free advice. They can also evaluate your potential claim, and if it seems like a strong case, they could connect you with one of the solicitors from our panel.
To speak to one of our advisors:
- Call 020 3870 4868
- Start a claim online by filling in our form for a callback.
- Ask your question in our live chat.
Other Information
Personal Injury Claims: If you’ve suffered an accident that may not have been your fault, our guide explores how you can make a personal injury claim to receive compensation.
A Guide to Cycle Accident Claims – How Much Compensation Can I Claim? – How to Claim?: Have you suffered a cycling accident and are wondering how much compensation you can claim? This article discusses how you can begin the personal injury claims process.
Road Traffic Accident Solicitors: If you have suffered a road traffic accident, our guide explains all the steps you should take after the accident to ensure you have the best chance of receiving compensation.
Whiplash: This NHS guide shows the signs and treatment of whiplash after a road traffic accident.
Broken Leg: If you’ve suffered a broken leg injury, this NHS article includes what you should do and how it is likely to be treated.
Other Useful Guides
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