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What to Do After Being Involved in a Car Accident

The first thing that must be done if you are involved in a road accident is to take a deep breath and calm down. Make sure that there has been no injury to yourself or any passengers in any cars involved. Turn off the car's engine and turn on the car's hazard lights. Signal all oncoming traffic away from the accident site. If the accident involves another vehicle, motorcyclist, cyclist or pedestrian, step out of the car and make sure that no one is injured. If anyone is injured in either of the vehicles, or a cyclist or a pedestrian is injured, call 999 (or 112 from a mobile). Police in the UK will not attend a traffic accident where there are no injuries involved or the accident is not of a serious nature. Exchange all personal information regarding name, address, telephone number, insurers and car registration numbers with the driver of the other vehicle, also exchange details of the owner of the vehicle in case the driver is not the owner. Note down the make, model, colour of the car and the damage sustained. Also give your own details to the other driver. If there are any witnesses to the accident, get their details also.

Exchanging of information is a legal requirement in the UK. If the vehicles are slightly damaged then move them to the curb so that traffic is not blocked. Draw a detailed map of the accident site and note down the name of the street or streets in case the accident took place at a junction, and if there is a camera handy take photographs of the accident. Also make a note of the weather conditions. If the car hits a dog or a farm animal the law requires that the incident is reported to the police immediately. This is not required in the case of a wild animal or a cat.

An important point to keep in mind is to not admit your fault or blame the other driver. Avoid getting into any confrontation, and avoid any admissions. The reason is that any admission of fault or negligence can cause problems with the insurance claim later. Do try and ascertain whether or not the other driver is drunk or under the influence of any drugs or medication. In the case of a hit and run accident, call the police and try and give details of the vehicle involved, the road it is on, and if possible its description

After obtaining all the necessary details of the accident, call your insurance company to start processing the insurance claim. Make sure that there are no delays involved in informing the insurers. One thing that most vehicle owners do not do is read the insurance policy that they have taken out, and they only examine this after they have been involved in an accident.

Do carry paper and a pen in the car and a disposable camera. In case of a major accident, report it immediately to the police.

David Halbert

Get the compensation you deserve for a car accident by claiming today at My Injury Lawyer

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