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What to do if you’re involved in an accident

Accidents can occur under a variety of circumstances, for example you may suffer a personal injury due to an: accident at work, road accident, accident on holiday, sport accident, accident in a public place or accident at home.

Even if you walk away from an accident with minor injuries you may still suffer from shock and stress. The trauma of the event can also prevent the clear thinking required to record details of the accident which may later support insurance and compensation claims. Here is a list of easy-to-remember pointers that will help you if you have an accident.  You should try to do as many of these as possible at the time of the incident.

All Accidents

• Take the contact details of any witnesses to your accident.
• Record as much information as you can at the scene of your accident (i.e. time, date, circumstances, location etc).  Photographs may be crucial just in case the accident scene is altered later.
• Make sure your accident is recorded in any accident book available.  If you are asked to sign it, make sure that it is a fair and accurate account of what happened.  If it is not, do not sign it.  Ask for a copy.
• Seek medical attention and treatment either at hospital or from your local GP as soon as possible following an accident. Important: trauma can initially mask the pain of some injuries, such as whiplash – make sure you are properly examined even if you feel OK. Also ensure that the details are recorded accurately as to when, where and how the accident happened and the full nature of the injury if this is clear.
• Always tell the truth. Do not exaggerate your injuries or the seriousness of your accident.
• Keep a full record of any expenses you incur as a result of your accident, including receipts.  This may include costs for medication, replacement of damaged items, transport, care or treatment.
• Take photographs of any visible signs of your injury, such as bruising, swelling or scarring.
  
  

Accidents at Work

• Report the accident to your employer at the earliest opportunity.
• Ensure that an accident report is completed.
• Advise your Union Representative or Health and Safety Representative that the accident has happened so an investigation can be commenced to determine the cause, to record it and to prevent further injury to others.

Slips, Trips and Falls

• If you have suffered a trip or fall, photograph the defect that caused you to fall. Use a ruler or other everyday object of a standard size, such as a coin or matchbox, to show the height / depth of the defect.
• You may also wish to take photographs of the area where you fell, for example, if there was insufficient lighting, a transient hazard such as ice, oil or water or the lack of signage of a hazard.
• Were you injured in a commercial property such as a shop or leisure venue? If so you will need to find out if they have an accident book and record the accident with them.

Injuries Caused by Faulty Products

• Retain the defective product, together with any receipts and packaging you may have.
• If you have reason to believe you are suffering from food poisoning due to food purchased at a restaurant or from another type of business, it is important to report the matter to your local environmental health department.  They may then be able to investigate, find any problems and prevent future incidents.  Any findings could also help with your claim.

Accidents on Holiday

• If you are on a package holiday at the time of your accident, you should ensure that the incident is reported to your tour operator's representative.
• Keep any receipts / tickets if the incident occurred on an excursion or at an attraction.

Road Accidents

• Make a note of the vehicle and insurance details of the other parties involved in the accident.
• Take photographs of the scene and any damage to your property, where appropriate.
• If the police attend the scene, make sure you take the attending officer’s details. Please also report the accident to the police yourself so that they have a record.
• Make a note of any police incident or reference number.

Many accident victims are left shaken or even disorientated following an accident, so an accurate account of what happened, together with witness and photographic evidence where possible, can help provide your solicitor with a clear picture of events even if your memory of the incident is no longer very detailed.

If you are injured, documenting your accident may be the last thing on your mind.  In these circumstances you could ask a friend or family member to lend a hand.

Making a Claim

If you decide that making a personal injury claim for damages is the right thing for you, contact The Legal Line on 0800 0328511 for more information about how we can help you to recover compensation.  Alternatively, complete an online claim enquiry form and we will contact you.

Every case is different, so it is important to seek expert accident claim advice from a specialist personal injury lawyer.

Our Expert Injury Lawyers

Before deciding to ask The Legal Line for assistance with your claim, you may want to know more about our specialist lawyers and some of the work they have done for injured people.

Further details about the services we offer and previous cases can be found in our questions answered, news and success stories sections.  You may also want to visit the about us page and some of our personal injury information pages about different types of accident.

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