What to do if you are involved in a Road Traffic Accident

At the Roadside:
Make sure everyone is safe. Activate hazard warning lights to alert oncoming traffic about the accident.

In the event of serious injury, fire or obstruction of the road, call the emergency services (999 from a land line, 112 from a mobile).

If the accident involves injury the police must be informed within 24 hours. You must also present your Certificate of Motor Insurance to the Police within 7 days.

Exchange details with all other parties. You need names and addresses of the drivers and owners of the vehicles, together with the registration numbers and insurance details.

Obtain the names and addresses of as many independent witnesses as possible, and if the Police attend make a note of the officer's name, number and station.

Draw a sketch plan of the area showing the road layout and position of the vehicles involved. Include names of surrounding roads, road widths, traffic signals, road signs, road markings and skid marks.

Do not admit liability or make offers of any settlement

Later:
Report the accident to your insurers or insurance intermediary.

If the third party cannot be traced or doesn't have insurance, report the incident to the Police.

If the accident was not your fault and you or any of your passengers suffered an injury you will need to instruct a solicitor to pursue your claim. However, as the choice can be bewildering, choose a solicitor who specialises in accident litigation and guarantees that you will keep ALL YOUR COMPENSATION.

The solicitor will negotiate settlement of your claim for personal injury compensation and recover all your other uninsured losses, which may include:

Motor insurance policy excess
Repairs to your vehicle if insured third party
Loss of earnings
Loss of use of your vehicle
Damage to clothing and other personal items
Replacement vehicle hire charges