Every person who uses the road, whether in a car, motorcycle, van, lorry or as a cyclist or pedestrian has a duty of care to ensure the safety of not only themselves but also the safety of other road users. Due to this you should always ensure that you comply with the Highway Code.
With all personal injury accidents you need to prove that another person was at fault for your injury; you need to prove negligence, which demonstrates that the other road user failed to take responsibility for other road users. If you are a driver who is involved in a road traffic accident there are certain things that you must do; a driver involved in a traffic accident should stop whether or not the accident was their fault if the following apply:
? Anyone, other than themselves, is injured
? Another vehicle, or someone else's property, is damaged
? An animal in another vehicle or running across the road is injured
? A bollard, street lamp or other item of street furniture is damaged
It is also advised that you take down the names, addresses and telephone numbers of any witnesses to the accident. This is especially important if you are hoping to put in a claim for compensation. You should also always try and photograph the accident scene if possible as this demonstrates exactly how the accident took place. It is important that you gather as much evidence and information that you can at the time of the accident as the more you collect the more chance you have of a successful compensation claim.
In many cases it is obvious that someone caused a road traffic accident and there will be no dispute about liability, however there are often many cases where the liability and cause of the accident is unclear or where the extent of liability is difficult to work out. One thing that is however sure is if a driver runs into the back of another vehicle they will be held responsible for the accident, even if the car in front has braked sharply or unexpectedly, because drivers are required to drive a safe distance behind other vehicles. However, there may be circumstances when this does not apply, and if liability is disputed, legal advice will be necessary unless the insurance company is dealing with it.
Road traffic accidents are one of the most common causes of people putting in claims for compensation. They are sadly the most common type of personal injury accident and if you are unfortunate enough to be caught up in a road traffic accident then it is important that you speak to a lawyer/solicitor immediately if you are hoping to make a claim for compensation but remember you are only eligible for compensation if the accident was caused through no fault of your own.
Road Traffic Accident Statistics
It is hard to believe the amount of rain that has fallen over the UK in the past month. In fact the majority of the UK has had well above the average amount of rain fall with some areas having their wettest June on record. This rain has caused serious havoc with our roads with many of them being cut off completely.
The chances of road traffic accidents happening are greatly increased when we have more rain than normal. When our roads have been dry for some time and then suddenly the heavens open and the rain comes down, this can make driving conditions seriously impaired. Tarmac becomes almost as slippery as ice when water hits it after a period of dry and warm weather. It only takes driving a little too fast around a roundabout or turning in general when if the ground is seriously slipping you can loose control and skid across the road.
Since the rain began there have been numerous occasions where people have been late to work due to accidents on the road or been involved in an road traffic accident themselves.
Having a road traffic accident can be quite a scary experience. Loosing control of a vehicle where you spin out into the path of on coming traffic is every driver's worst nightmare.
You might think that if an accident occurs due to the natural weather conditions even if they are extreme then its no-ones fault except Mother Nature or climate change. This is true to some degree but if a river bursts its bank or a bridge collapse then it is the council's responsibility. If you had a road traffic accident and it was because of extreme water on roads or because you tried to avoid hitting another vehicle that had lost is grip then you could be entitled to claim compensation for any pain and suffering. Claim compensation for accidents that were not our own fault is our civil and legal right. It is not fair for a person who has to find the cost of having weeks of work, repairs to their car all due to a road traffic accident.
There appears to be a stigma attached to claiming compensation. A lot of people think it's reserved for the lower classes if you don't mind me using the old fashioned class system. This is so not true. People are also put off by what they think is a complex financial and legal process. The truth of the matter is that claiming compensation for say a road traffic accident is a simple and painless process. All it takes is a call to an Accident Claims firm to start the ball rolling. They will then send you a form or questionnaire to fill out. Once you have filled in the form you can sit back and let your Lawyer do all the hard work. You will not have to pay a penny towards this law suit as most Lawyers work on a “No Win No Fee” basis which means they wont take the case on unless they are 99% sure they will win. The fees of the Lawyer will be paid once the case has been won. If for some reason the case is lost then the fees of the Lawyer will be paid by “after the event insurance”. This really is a painless way of claiming for compensation for a accident that was not your fault.
So if the floods have caused you to have an accident, don't think there is nothing you can do about it, call a Lawyer and see what they have to say. Remember if you do or say nothing then the same accident could happen again to someone else. But if you make a stand and seek compensation then those that were responsible will do more to protect people the next time we have flood warnings.
Both Helen Cox & Carolyn Clayton are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Helen Cox has sinced written about articles on various topics from Legal Matters, Injury Claims and Business Grants. Helen is the web master of , specialists in all aspects of. Helen Cox's top article generates over 90500 views. to your Favourites.
Carolyn Clayton has sinced written about articles on various topics from Accountancy Journal, Legal Matters and Adventure Travel. Accident claims for the UK market contact Accident Consult for your no obligation consultation service. This article is. Carolyn Clayton's top article generates over 14800 views. to your Favourites.
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