If you have been involved in a road traffic accident whereby the vehicle in which you were driving or travelling in was hit from the side, have you considered your eligibility to make a personal injury claim?
The basic principle is that, if you have been injured in an accident that was not your fault, then it is likely that you can make a successful claim. If you are a passenger then you cannot (bar exceptional circumstances) be at fault for causing or contributing to the accident. However an issue can arise as to who the claim is actually against. Say for example you were a passenger in a car which your friend was driving. You may think the claim would not be against your friend but would be against the driver of the other vehicle who collided into the side of the vehicle that you were a passenger in. Ordinarily this would be correct. However if during liability investigations it is found that the driver of the vehicle in which you were a passenger in (i.e. your friend) is at fault then the claim would be against them. This can cause an obstacle as people are naturally concerned about claiming against friends etc.
If you are the driver and your vehicle is hit from the side, presumably you are alleging that the driver of the other vehicle is 100% at fault for causing the accident. Even if there is an element of contributory negligence this does not mean than you cannot claim or recover compensation. Any road traffic accident, even minor shunts, can lead to injuries including whiplash. Obviously more serious injuries can occur. Any accident can also have an effect on people psychologically, from avoidance of driving or avoidance as travelling as a passenger, increased anxiety etc. We can attempt to claim compensation for the injuries you sustained in the accident. Note that the level of compensation is based on the seriousness of your injury, the effect on your life etc. Other issues such as litigation risks can also affect what value we put on your claim. To value your claim we need medical evidence covering all of your injuries.
Generally road traffic accident claims are more straight forward than other types of claims. This is the case if liability is not in dispute. We now submit the claim through an online portal. This online portal was designed to speed up the claims process. However the claim can “fall out” of the portal at many different stages and this is not uncommon.
We can assess your claim for free so there is nothing to lose in making an enquiry with us. We will explain the claims process to you at the outset of your claim. We cannot give any accurate details as to the likely amount of compensation that you will receive or the length of time the case will take. Other firms may purport to give this information but you should note that it is impossible to answer these questions at the outset of a claim, although an estimate may be given this could prove to be wholly inaccurate.
So give us a call on our free claims helpline at 0800 634 7575 to find out if you have a claim for compensation after suffering a road traffic accident.
