Slowing down, stopping and emergency braking can be hazardous to road users, simply because of the fact that the driver behind could be following too closely or not paying enough attention to what is in front of their vehicle.
The gap between vehicles travelling in average conditions should be at least 2 seconds according to guidelines. This should be enough time for the driver behind to see the brake lights and begin to slow and stop themselves.
The amount of road accident claims that we receive here at The Injury Lawyers involving vehicles being hit from behind, tells us that a very significant number of drivers do NOT follow the two-second rule!
Most common hit from behind car accidents
The most common of these types of accidents include slowing or stopping at traffic lights, waiting to pull into a roundabout, stationary vehicles waiting to turn right into a side road, vehicles slowing to turn left into a side road, slowing or stopping at pedestrian crossings and also slowing or stopping due to traffic ahead.
In each of the above circumstances, the car behind is more likely to hit you in the rear if they aren’t paying enough attention to the road!
Impact speeds and liability in rear-end collisions
Although the impacts caused from such circumstances can be very minor it does very much depend on the speed of the vehicles upon impact. For example, slowing down or stopping due to traffic in front of you on a motorway and being hit from behind can have more serious consequences than being stationary waiting to pull into a roundabout and the vehicle behind attempting to set off before you have gone anywhere.
Most of the time, liability for the accident will rest with the driver behind so making a claim for injury as a result of being hit in the rear is normally pretty straight forward.
Once your claim has been submitted to the insurer of the at fault vehicle, and confirmation has been received from them that liability will not be an issue, we will obtain a medical report from an independent medical expert who will provide their opinion on how long you are likely to suffer from your accident related injuries.
The length of time you are likely to be suffering from your injuries is the basis of the valuation of your claim for personal injury. Your medical report, once agreed, will be submitted to the insurer of the at fault vehicle and a compensation award for your injuries will be negotiated by your expert solicitor.
There are some circumstances however where the driver behind can dispute that it was their fault – for example if you roll back into the front of the vehicle behind you, or if you slam on your brakes for no reason whatsoever.
Insurance companies are becoming increasingly critical of claims involving being hit in the rear. This is because of a minority of people making personal injury claims for fraudulent accidents – more often than not involving slamming on brakes or performing an emergency stop for no reason at all. Obviously this is not fair if you are a genuine innocent victim of an accident.
However, here at The Injury Lawyers, if you are an innocent party to an accident involving been hit in the rear and have been injured as a result, then we will fight for the compensation you deserve. The claims process for these type of accidents can be pretty straight forward and quick.
Do not delay – if you have been injured and would like advice on the circumstances of your accident and also a more detailed view of the claims process, please call us on our free claims line for no obligatory advice.
Our claims number is 0800 634 7575.
