Motor Accidents (Road Traffic Accidents)If you were the driver of a car or on a motorcycle or bicycle or you were a pedestrian hit by a vehicle. Your accident falls into this category and you have a potential injury claim against the person that hit you or caused you to have the accident. Even if the other person hits you then drives away ( hit and run ) or is identified but has no insurance, a personal injury claim can still be made through the Motor Insurers Bureau. This is a government body partially financed by the insurance companies to ensure victims of uninsured motorists are compensated. If you were a passenger in a vehicle, although technically, this is still a road traffic accident, it may be that the driver of the vehicle you were travelling in was at fault. We can deal with a personal injury claim on your behalf whether it is the fault of your driver or the other party's fault. Here are some examples of situations that might occur and that would be perfectly reasonable circumstances in which a claim could be made.Example: Whiplash Injury ClaimMr A was in his car at traffic lights waiting to move off. Suddenly and without warning, he was struck from behind by another vehicle at a relatively low speed. The shunt caused minor rear damage to Mr A’s car and Mr A felt fine, though shaken. The two drivers exchanged insurance details and carried on their way. Next morning, Mr A woke up but could not move his head and felt a bit dizzy and had stiff shoulders. He assumed it would wear off during the morning but it became worse. He booked an appointment with his GP who saw him and diagnosed whiplash and advised that often, the injury does not show any symptoms for the first 24 hours. This is quite common. After following the doctor’s advice, Mr A made a full recovery after around 4 weeks. Example: Cyclist Claiming Injury CompensationMiss B was cycling along a lane when a car passed too close and hit the handle bar, causing her to wobble and fall into the road. She banged her head, received cuts and bruised and injuries to her ribs. The driver stopped briefly, got out and looked to see she was moving then got back in his vehicle and drove off. Luckily, a friend was cycling behind and witnessed the accident and noted the vehicle registration number as well as a mental picture of the offending motorist. She called an ambulance as a precaution and also the police. Miss B was take to hospital, kept in over night for observation but fortunately did not suffer any serious or permanent injury. The police were able to trace the offending vehicle and question the owner who matched the witness’s description. He was uninsured and was prosecuted. Miss B’s solicitor submitted a claim to the Motor Insurers Bureau who, given the evidence, were able to settle a claim for compensation. Example: 6 Months RecoveryMr C and a friend, Mr D, were in Mr C’s car when Mr C was talking on his mobile phone without a hands free facility. He was distracted and failed to notice a bend in the road. He drove off the road, through a stone wall and into a ditch causing heavy damage to the vehicle and injuring himself and Mr D quite badly. Both were taken to hospital in an ambulance and both suffered broken limbs, concussion, cuts, bruises and Mr D was unconscious. The recovery period for both was more than 6 months. Mr D was unable to return to work as a bricklayer for almost 8 months and in addition to his injuries, lost a small fortune in earnings. Mr D felt uneasy about making a claim against his friend Mr C, but had little choice. Mr C would lose his No Claims Bonus (that was lost anyway as he had to claim for the written off car) but Mr D stood to lose a great deal more by not claiming. There was no doubt that Mr C caused the accident and he admitted his error of judgement. He did not blame his friend for making a claim. In fact, knowing he was going to be compensated helped him to deal with some of his feelings of guilt. Click here to start your injury claim now |
 |
