Five Things You Didn’t Know About Claiming For Car Accidents

Accident
Accident
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Being involved in a car accident in the U.K.  is something no one wishes to be involved in. From life-changing neck and back injuries to whiplash delayed reaction causing headache and tenderness in the arms, claiming for a car accident you have been involved in might be the last thing on your mind, but certainly something you must do. If you’re unlucky enough to be involved in a car accident, here are five things you didn’t know about claiming for car accidents, but should!

“At Fault” Car Accidents

You must know what to do when an “at fault” car accident occurs. If the accident was your fault, in order to make a successful car accident claim, you must follow the insurance claim process to the T. Once you have collected all the relevant details after a car accident including the registration number, full-name and address, telephone number and car insurance details of the other driver involved, complete all the details of the claim form. Then, speak to your insurer who will contact the individual insurance companies of the people involved to resolve the claims on your behalf. Be careful – before you head out to get your car fixed, make sure your insurer doesn’t only accept car repairs carried out by their trusted mechanics, otherwise you may end up paying the cost of the repairs yourself!

 “No Fault” Car Accidents

In order to make a ‘no fault’ insurance claim, you may want to make a claim on your car insurance policy to repair the damage made. If the accident wasn’t your fault, you can turn to a credit hire company instead. Credit hire companies will pay for the cost of hiring a replacement vehicle while yours is being fixed – as well as the cost of repairs! It might sound too good to be true, but the company then claims back the amount they have aid from the insurance company of the driver who is at fault, meaning you won’t have to pay the extortionate excess on your policy and can drive away happy.

Most Common Accident Locations

With so many dangers on the road, it may surprise you to hear that the most common accident location is in fact car parks. With a number of cars moving in an out of confined spaces and making difficult manoeuvres such as making tight turns to fit into the first row of parking bays, accidents that happen here often cause the most confusion. More often than not, it is the driver in motion at fault. You must stop and hand over your details including your name, address, phone number, insurance company, driver license number, policy number and registration plate number. And no matter what, you must still report the accident to the police.

Hit & Run: What To Do

While hit and run occasions are rare, they aren’t entirely unheard of. Failure to stop and fleeing the scene of an accident – hit and run – is an infringement of the Criminal Code in several jurisdictions. If you are convicted of hit and run, you may face a hefty fine or up to five years in prison and your insurance policy will most likely be cancelled as a result of your immediate actions. Keep in mind that no matter the circumstances, leaving the scene of an accident will always make things worse – and you will be caught out!

However, if you are the victim of a hit and run accident, note down as much information as possible once you have confirmed that everybody involved is safe and unhurt. Then, call the police.

Contacting The Police After An Accident

Many people don’t know this, but you are required to call the police if anyone has been injured as a result of the accident or serious damage has been made to your motor vehicle. You should also call the police if you believe that the other driver involved was under the influence of alcohol or drugs as this is a crime in itself.

You may be able to claim compensation from the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) if you have been injured as a result of the accident or your property has been damaged as a result of an uninsured driver. To find out if you are eligible to make a claim, contact the MIB directly for more information, the deadlines for claiming and how to make an official claim.

About the author

Avatar of Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen Thomas Steinmetz has continuously worked in the travel and tourism industry since he was a teenager in Germany (1977).
He founded eTurboNews in 1999 as the first online newsletter for the global travel tourism industry.

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