If you have been involved in a car accident, we understand that you (or loved ones) may be injured and that emotions are running high, so it’s difficult to remember all the information that you need to collect from the other party, which is why we have put this guide together.
If you have been injured in a car accident, you could have an experienced solicitor review your claim free of charge, just complete the short form opposite. If you have a valid claim, we will help you get the compensation you deserve.
By taking down as much information as possible about the driver and the vehicle you are ensuring that even if the car is uninsured or if the person driving the car was not insured to drive the vehicle you are still able to make a claim.
So, here is a simple check list of information you need to get down at the scene of the accident, taking photographs of these details may even help your case!
- The other vehicles FULL REGISTRATION NUMBER
- Their FULL NAME and ADDRESS
- A contact telephone number
- The make and model of the vehicle
- Their Insurer information
- It would be helpful, if possible to get a photo of the driver of the other vehicle – to prove who was driving
- Take photographs of the damage to your own and the other vehicles car damage
- Take note of your surroundings – are there any witness that you could take details of? Could there be CCTV?
- Take note of how many people were in the other vehicle
The more information you gather at the scene the better. You may not feel the impact of your injuries immediately, most people find their injuries appear, such as muscle soreness, after a nights rest. Also your vehicle might look and sound fine straight after the accident but there could be underlying issues hiding and just awaiting for the other vehicle to be out of sight before they appear!
KEY THINGS TO REMEMBER:
Not knowing what information to collect could leave you footing the bill for your own repairs, even though you were not at fault! And relying on the good nature of the other driver, to call or text you the information, is simply not enough and is very naïve (the Motor Insurers Bureau believe that there are just over 1m uninsured drivers out there!)
If you have any passengers in your own vehicle make sure you inform your own insurer. Your passengers may wish to make a claim later on and it would help their case if you had already confirmed the occupancy of your vehicle as the other driver may not have seen them or be so honest!
Report any accidents to your insurer – even if it is for notification purposes only. And remember to save this information somewhere safe. Send it to yourself in a text or email.
