Road traffic accidentsoccur with alarming frequency on British roads; although the number of serious injuries and deaths are, fortunately, on the decline. Nevertheless, it is still common to sustain injuries whilst driving, which is why the number of road traffic accident claims continues to rise. In order to support a possible road traffic accident compensation claim, it is important for accident victims to follow a few simple steps. First and foremost, an individual must never accept liability for the crash at the scene, nor should he or she sign any document by any other party involved.

Car insurance companies will maintain that any insured customer involved in aroad traffic accidentmust contact them immediately; however, there is usually no legal requirement to do this. In fact, calling the insurance company immediately after a crash is entirely inadvisable because it places the insured party in a potentially difficult or compromising position.

A person involved in aroad traffic accidentshould, at the scene of the incident, take down all the relevant details of the other party (or parties) involved, including name, address, vehicle registration and insurance details. It is only right that the same information is provided to the other party.

It can also be useful to take pictures of the scene immediately after the crash in order to obtain supporting evidence as to the cause, location and extent of damage. It is then important to be assessed by a doctor as certain injuries such as whiplash may not be immediately apparent.

Finally, before contacting the insurance company it is important to contact road traffic accident solicitors to discuss the incident.