Road traffic accidentscan be particularly nasty experiences for all those involved in them. According to the Department for Transport, there were 230,905 reported casualties on British Roads in 2008. A total of 2,538 people were killed during the same period as a result of road traffic accidents.

Putting statistics to one side, it is easy to understand why many people panic after a car accident; however, it is important that some basic steps are followed in order to leave open the possibility of successfully claiming for road traffic accident compensation .

First, at the scene of the accident, it is paramount to ensure that everyone is relatively all right. Certain injuries such as whiplash may not display symptoms immediately, so nobody should discount the possibility that a seemingly uninjured person is actually hiding injuries that have been caused by the crash. Accordingly, it is essential that anybody involved in aroad traffic accidentseeks medical treatment as a priority – calling the insurance company can wait, whereas health and safety cannot.

It is also important to remember that nobody should admit liability for the accident at the scene, so there ought to be no signing of any documents or verbal admissions. All parties involved in road traffic accidents should exchange insurance details, vehicle registrations and contact information – nothing more or less.

Details of eye witnesses and photographic evidence can also prove useful. Finally, after being checked out by a doctor, a potential claimant should always contactroad traffic accident solicitorsbefore informing the insurance company of the incident.