What to do after a car accident

Every year, thousands of people are involved in road traffic accidents. If you are one of these unfortunate people then you need to read this blog. You should always stay calm and make sure you have moved to a safe place to prevent further injuries or accidents.

First of all, you should make sure nobody is seriously hurt.  If there is anyone hurt, always avoid moving them as you can make the injuries worse and immediately call the ambulance and let them treat the casualty.

If you have had a road traffic accident, it is always important to exchange details with the other driver as listed below,

• Name
• Registration
• Insurance provider
• Policy Number

If you have these details, it is always easier to report the claim to your insurance company and this is always meant to be done within 48 hours of your accident.  You can instruct your own solicitors or let your insurance company deal with this. It is not always as simple as this.  Sometimes you can have a road traffic accident where someone would hit your car and run away.  It is important you get the registration and make sure this is reported to the police straight away.  You will be given a log number.  At this point you will have to inform your insurance company and give them details of how the accident happen and provide them with the log number so a police report can be applied for; the police will tell you if the vehicle had insurance.  If the vehicle is insured they will give you the insurance details and you can go ahead with the claim.

If you have been involved in an accident with a vehicle that has no insurance and the third party has left the scene, you will need to report this to the police as soon as possible and also inform your insurance like every other claim but in this instance, your claim will have to go through the Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB) which is an organisation that only deals with uninsured and untraced drivers.  They would investigate this matter and pay you for your damages if you hold third party insurance cover, if your insurance is full comprehensive you will have to claim through your own policy and claim your excess.

Kashif Aksar