A Step By Step Guide To What To Do After A Car Accident
All road users in the UK have a legal responsibility to ensure that they take the correct steps after being involved in a road traffic accident. What you do after a car accident can prioritise your health whilst also protecting your legal position, if you’re giving any thought to making a claim.
Here at UK Law, we understand being involved in an accident can feel overwhelming, maybe leaving you wondering what to do after a car accident; but with the right support, you do not have to face these worries alone. One of our friendly advisors can talk you through what to do and help you get started on a compensation claim. If eligible, you can be connected to one of the No Win No Fee solicitors from our panel.
Contact Us
To speak with our advisory team you can:
- Call us on 020 3870 4868
- Fill out our claim online form
- Talk with an advisor using the live chat
What To Do After A Car Accident
- Stop Your Car When It Is Safe To Do So
- Check All Parties For Potential Injuries
- Report The Accident To The Police
- Share Information With The Other Party And Witnesses
- Take Photographs And Videos Of The Scene
- When To Seek Medical Attention
- When To Seek Advice From UK Law
- Learn More
Stop Your Car When It Is Safe To Do So
After any road traffic accident, the first thing you should do is stop the vehicle when it is safe to do so. Under the Road Traffic Act 1988, specifically section 170, it is an offence to fail to stop your vehicle.
Moving the vehicle to a safer place and turning on your hazard lights can help prevent further risk of accidents. Additionally, you must ensure that everyone is away from any imminent danger, particularly if your road traffic accident was on a busy road or a motorway.
Find out more about what to do after a car accident by getting in touch with our advisors today. They can offer you free advice and discuss the options available to you.
Check All Parties For Potential Injuries
The top priority after a road traffic accident is the safety of yourself and others. Make sure to check yourself, the driver (if this is someone else) and any passengers for injury. Even if no one seems to be injured, the shock and adrenaline can oftentimes mask pain or minor conditions, such as whiplash or concussion.
Other injuries such as internal bleeding or fractured bones can’t always be visibly noticeable, so ensure to properly check all parties involved. In the event that someone has been more severely injured, contact 999 for emergency medical assistance. Paramedics can then respond appropriately and ensure that any injuries can be treated as promptly as possible.
Contact our advisors today to learn more.
Report The Accident To The Police
When it is safe to do so, and any parties have been checked for injuries, you should report the accident to the police.
In any event, a road traffic accident must be reported to the police. Particularly, in accidents where:
- Any party has been injured
- The road has been blocked or restricted
- The other driver flees the scene
- You might suspect that alcohol or drugs were involved in the accident
Police reports can be beneficial if you later begin giving thought to making a passenger car accident claim, as it is an official record of any details of the scene, witnesses and liability.
If you have any questions at this stage, please get in touch with our advisors today.
Share Information With The Other Party And Witnesses
Section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 also states that drivers involved in road traffic accidents must legally exchange certain details, including:
- Their full name and address
- Their vehicle registration number
- Insurance information
If you are involved in an accident as a passenger, it is also imperative that you obtain these details as well. Asking for contact details of anyone who may have witnessed what happened can also later act as evidence, as they could provide a witness statement that corroborates your story of events.
To learn more, or discuss your own claim, contact our advisory team today.
Take Photographs And Videos Of The Scene
Photographs and videos of the scene can be used as visual evidence to prove how the accident occurred. We would suggest that you take photos of:
- Vehicle damage and the position of the vehicle on the road
- Any debris or skid marks on the road
- Any visible injuries
- Weather conditions, and the terrain of the road
This visual evidence can help a solicitor from our panel demonstrate how the accident took place, and who would be liable.
To learn more about what evidence could be useful in your claim, get in contact with our advisors today.
When To Seek Medical Attention
When asking what to do after a car accident, you might also be giving some thought to when is the best time to seek medical attention. While your injuries can seem minimal, it is imperative that you are seen to by a medical professional as early as possible. Your health and medical condition are the main priorities after being involved in a road traffic accident.
Visiting a healthcare practitioner can help diagnose injuries that you might have been unaware of. Additionally, this creates an official medical record which can act as supporting evidence for a car accident claim. Without holding an official medical record, it can be more challenging to prove that your injuries were sustained as a result of the crash.
Find out more about what to do after a car accident by getting in touch with our advisors today.
When To Seek Advice From UK Law
If you’ve suffered injuries in a car accident, or any other type of road traffic accident, it can be beneficial and insightful to seek legal representation as early as possible. Here at UK Law, we can provide a case assessment for free, to advise whether you would have the basis to make a claim. If you have a strong claim and would like to proceed with UK Law’s services, an advisor can connect you with one of the specialist solicitors on our panel.
Our panel of specialist solicitors can:
- Handle the claim on your behalf by discussing the claim with the relevant parties
- Gather all supporting documents to form a strong body of evidence
- Offer guidance and support through every step of the claim process
- Make sure all your damages are considered when valuing your claim
- Arrange for any expert evidence, such as an independent medical review (arranged with your consent at a time and location suitable for you) that can help support your claim
Additionally, our panel of solicitors work on a No Win No Fee basis, meaning that you’d have no upfront solicitors’ fees to pay. Moreover, you’d have no solicitors’ fees whilst your claim was progressing, and nothing to pay in solicitors’ fees if your claim were to fail. It is when a claim is successful that a No Win No Fee solicitor takes a success fee. This is a percentage of your compensation that is both agreed in advance and limited by the Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013 (the specific type of No Win No Fee arrangement offered by our panel).
You could claim compensation even if the driver was partially at fault, or a friend or relative. To learn more about what our panel of solicitors could do to help you, contact us using the details below.
Contact Our Team
For a free case consultation, please contact our advisory team by:
- Calling us on 020 3870 4868
- Filling out our claim online form
- Talking with an advisor using the live chat
Learn More
Why not read our other guides about:
- How to make a split liability claim
- Learn everything you need to know about car accident claims.
- Can you claim compensation if you didn’t wear a seatbelt?
External Resources
- Information about collisions and incidents from the Metropolitan Police
- Advice for road users from THINK!
- How to claim Statutory Sick Pay
Thank you for reading our guide about what to do after a car accident.
