Road traffic accidents can happen to anyone at anytime, so it’s best to be prepared for what to do if you’re involved in an accident.

What you say and do – both immediately after an accident, and later on – can determine whether or not you end up being treated fairly. Or whether the other party gets off lightly, at your expense.

So how can you prepare for the unforeseeable?

If you keep these few common-sense guidelines in mind you could go a long way towards managing the aftermath of an accident and preventing yourself from coming off worst.

What to do if you’re involved in an accident

Any driver involved in a traffic accident should stop whether or not the accident was their fault if:

  • 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 should go without saying that you should never – under any circumstances – attempt to leave the scene of a road traffic accident, either with or without your vehicle. This is a criminal offence.

At the scene of an accident

Switch on your hazard warning lights to alert approaching motorists of the accident.

Get out of your vehicle if you are not injured or trapped, and stand away from the road and your vehicle.

Check the welfare of any passengers travelling with you, and of course the occupants of the other vehicle.

Call 999 if anybody is injured

  • Dial the emergency number, 999. Request an ambulance. Inform the police.
  • Try not to move the injured person – unless they are in further harm’s way.
  • Make the injured person as comfortable as possible, with a coat or blanket to keep them warm.
  • Ask if any bystanders or witnesses are medically qualified.

Check for head injuries as these are common in road accidents. Be aware that even though they might appear slight at first, they can rapidly get worse – and this is especially true in children’s injuries. So report any head injuries immediately to the ambulance service; they may provide essential care advice over the phone before the arrival of a paramedic or ambulance.

Try to remain calm

Following the accident, the golden rule is: think clearly and try not to get emotional. This is easier said than done, because tensions are likely to be running high.

Just remember that it’s important to keep calm and not to say anything that may provoke the situation at that moment. Or make life difficult for you when the circumstances are later examined by police, insurers or other third parties.

Exchanging details with other parties

If you have to stop, you must remain near the vehicle long enough for anyone who is involved directly or indirectly in the accident to ask for details. This could be, for example, the owner of an injured animal, a relative of someone who is injured, or the police.

Don’t let yourself be pressured into exchanging details with the other driver until you’re ready to do so. But you must give the following details:

  • Name and address
  • Name of insurance company
  • Make, model and colour of vehicle
  • Vehicle registration number
  • Driver’s licence number

Don’t admit or accept you were at fault

Remember that the other driver or involved parties may later try to present a different version of the accident than yours. Especially if they caused the accident.

So if you can, gather any ‘evidence’ in the form of photo’s and statements from witnesses. These could strengthen your side of the story and help to satisfy your insurance company.

Get in touch with a lawyer

Whatever the extent of your injuries in a car accident, you could be entitled to make a claim for personal injury compensation against the other driver’s insurance. That’s the law.

So, assuming the accident was the other driver’s fault notify your insurance company. Then get in touch with a lawyer straight away.

Because you can be certain that the other driver’s insurance company will be looking to pay out as little as possible.

Whereas a lawyer with experience in dealing with insurance companies over road traffic accident claims will know more about how much of a settlement amount you could reasonably expect to collect.

So waste no time in talking to a qualified lawyer. Making a claim is simple, visit the Accident Advice Helpline site to find out how much you could be entitled to.