There are many common scenarios that give rise to a claim, but as with work accidents some fault needs to be established against another party.
- Pedestrian crossing the road. If knocked down at lights, on a crossing or other place where they should have been visible to oncoming traffic there will usually be at least some fault on the part of the vehicle user.
- Car Passenger. There will almost always be a claim here as accidents are invariably caused by someone’s negligence but the passenger will have been an innocent party.
- Bus Passenger. Injuries often result from passengers being thrown around in a bus that is driven away from a bus stop before they are seated or otherwise driven too fast or erratically. In these cases it is very important to note details of witnesses, and the bus number, driver and operator.
- Rear end shunt. These are common cases where one vehicle fails to brake and collides with the back of the vehicle in front. Almost always liability will rest with the driver of the vehicle behind.
- Motorbike and bicycle accidents. Bike riders, whether motorised or pedalling, are generally vulnerable to the carelessness of other vehicle users and particularly so to vehicles turning at junctions. We have a great deal of experience running such cases, which are usually successful.
In most cases there will be an insurer covering the other party. If not, there is an organisation called the Motor Insurers Bureau who may meet the claim. It is often unknown initially whether or not the other party is insured and because the MIB have very strict time limits it is very important that the following steps are taken after any accident:
- Take down the details of the other party at the scene, including name, address, telephone and insurance details and vehicle registration number.
- Report the matter to the police immediately. If for any reason this is not possible report the accident in person to a police station as soon as you can (and get a reference number)
- Take details of any other party and any witnesses.
- Contact your own insurers, if relevant.
