It’s an easy thing to happen – especially after a stressful shopping trip or if visibility isn’t too great. But if you are correctly driving along or you are stationary and another vehicle reverses in to you from a parked space and hits you, what are your rights for making a claim for personal injury compensation?
Normally the other driver will be held fully liable for the accident by failing to keep a proper lookout when reversing. It’s similar to a driver pulling out of a junction in to a correctly proceeding car. The duty is primarily on the driver coming out of the space and in to the traffic way to manoeuvre slowly and with great care – constantly checking for pedestrians and vehicles.
Even at slow speeds a knock from the side can cause a whiplash injury. Whiplash injuries can often be very painful and debilitating, so it’s wise to make a claim for personal injury compensation if you are hit by another driver coming out of a space, and you’re suffering as a result.
If you were a pedestrian, the consequences can of course be much more severe. Even a low impact collision can result in serious injury.
So if this has happened to you what should you do?
Act quickly – there could be CCTV showing the accident in the event the other driver attempts to dispute the circumstances. Car park accidents are common and it is not unknown for drivers at fault to try and get out of being responsible by alleging other circumstances.
If you instruct us quickly we can look to take steps to secure footage as it is normally only retained for a few short weeks.
Seek medical attention – it’s wise to get checked over by your doctor or at a hospital / walk in centre as soon as possible. There isn’t a great deal that can be done about certain injuries like whiplash, but its wise to get seen for your own sake and so your medical records can support your claim.
Make a claim early – so you can benefit from private physiotherapy and other medical care options that we can sort the funding for and then get it paid by the insurers of the driver at fault. Normally treatment is the best way to help an injury heal quicker, so it’s key to access it early when you need it the most.
You don’t pay anything up front – we get it funded privately and then paid for by the insurers.
If you have been hit by a reversing car in a car park, contact The Injury Lawyers today on 0800 634 75 75 – we’re a real law firm and we’ll make sure you get the best advice and representation right from the first time you speak with us.
