Oakwood Solicitors are HGV accident claims experts. We can claim compensation for anyone who has been injured whilst driving an HGV or who was injured by an HGV driver provided they did not cause the accident.

In the UK HGV’s are involved in around 7000 of the 200000 accidents reported to the police every year. Out of the 7000 accidents reported over 230 of the injuries sustained were fatal. 74 of the fatalities were car drivers; this is the highest percentage of fatalities from accidents involving HGV’s with pedestrian fatalities coming second with 55 deaths involving an HGV on the road.

Bearing this in mind car drivers should drive with extra caution when sharing roads with HGV’s. Due to the sheer size and weight of a lorry it is obvious that in an accident between a car and an HGV that the impact will be much higher than in a two car accident and that the injuries sustained will be much more serious. 1116 serious injuries were sustained in accidents involving HGV’s in 2010 alone.

You should seek advice from the HGV accident claims specialists on the personal injury team at Oakwood Solicitors if you have been involved in an incident of this nature. After asking the personal injury team for advice Mrs D decided to pursue her road traffic accident compensation claim and she was awarded over £2000.00 for her personal injuries.

When driving on a road with lorries using in car drivers should always remember that HGV’s have a much larger blind spot than car drivers and may not be able to see you on the road at all. A lot of new HGV’s on the road are fitted with special and recently developed mirror systems which allow them a much better view of the road behind; this does not mean however that if you drive too close to an HGV the driver will be able to see you. You should never attempt to overtake an HGV until it is absolutely safe to do so as the driver may not be able to see you driving alongside them and if they were to make a turn in the road you would be seriously injured.

You should always remember that a lorry will take a much longer distance and period of time to stop if they are forced to brake suddenly; never attempt to pull out in front of an HGV at a junction because you are desperate not to get stuck behind them. It is better to be stuck travelling slowly behind an HGV than it is to be stuck trapped under one.

To speak to the HGV accident claims consultants on the personal injury team at Oakwood Solicitors call: 0844 844 8180.