The truth about road accidents

With over 31m cars registered on UK roads at the end of 2010 it is inevitable that road accidents continue to occur. In fact, 1.6 per cent
of all hospital attendances were said to be caused by road accidents in
2009/2010, amounting to almost 250,000 hospital attendances in total.

These figures demonstrate how, whilst cars and personal vehicles, offer a number of benefits to citizens, they also have their fair share of risks as well. According to the BBC, as many as three million casualties have occurred on British roads between 1999 and 2010, with 36,000 people losing their lives.  An annual rate of road collisions and incidents is estimated to amount to as much as 730,000 cases – demonstrating how road accidents are far from rare.

What are road accidents?

Road accidents typically refer to any situation whereby damage is caused on roads due to the collision of one or more persons or vehicles. Of course, the word accident can be somewhat misleading and whilst the incident may have been unintentional, accountability can often be attributed to one person or situation.

Who can be involved in road accidents?

Due to the diverse nature of this sort of incident, road accidents can affect a vast number of individuals each year. Pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and passengers can all be involved in a road accident and sustain injuries or damages.

What should you do if you are involved in a road accident?

With so many accidents occurring on our roads each year, there is a reasonable chance that you may be involved in one. Of course, avoiding the roads is not possible and therefore all individuals should be aware of what to do if involved in an accident.

The first thing to remember is that you should always seek medical attention – even if you have no obvious injuries. This will ensure that you are in the best state of physical health and will prevent any underlying conditions or injuries which have been sustained from escalating in the future.

You should also make sure that the necessary authorities are informed of the incident – with the police and your insurance company (if the driver of a vehicle) being first on the list. Make sure that an official record is taken of the incident and provide any information that may be useful in establishing the cause of the collision or event.

After this you should consider whether you have entitlement for accident claims. These offer the victims of incidents, such as road accidents, financial reparation or compensation for the injuries they have sustained. These will typically be handled by no win no fee solicitors, helping to ensure you don’t have to worry about your finances whilst trying to recover from your injuries.

It is important that you remember that road accidents are often easily avoidable and by seeking compensation through accident claims you could help to identify key risks on the roads, prompting improvements to be made and thus producing a safer environment. The no win no fee policy adopted by some solicitors and lawyers will also help to protect your finances, ensuring that you are not expected to pay if your case is deemed unsuccessful.