Before filing an accident claim, there are a few things you should do to obtain evidence about the accident that happened and the injuries that occurred. It is important that you know what to do about an accident before one happens so you are properly prepared to file an accident claim. If you have received an injury in the UK, whether it is from a road traffic accident, a work accident, a sports accident, or anything else, there are some things you should do so that you can get the proper compensation for your injury.
One very important thing you should do if you receive an injury from an accident is to collect all the evidence necessary to prove that you had the accident and sustained an injury from it. This will help you in your accident claim case, so knowing this beforehand can really help you when it happens. If you have had a road accident or something else where police should be involved, always call the police. Even if you think that you don’t need to involve the police because the damage wasn’t bad enough, always get them involved because the police report can provide information to the court for your compensation case. You should also immediately let the insurance company know about your accident if it was a road accident so that the insurance claim cannot become invalid. Some people do not always report injuries to doctors or go see a physician because they think that the injury isn’t bad enough, and then worsens later, leading to an accident claim. If the doctor cannot support your injury with proper medical reports, then this could hurt your case, therefore always go see a doctor so that they can provide a medical report to the court. More evidence can be gathered from any witnesses at the scene of the accident, so note down any names and addresses so that you or your solicitor can contact them when you need them to testify. If someone has a camera or a phone camera, you should take pictures of the accident so that the court will be able to understand better of exactly what happened. Another idea is to write down all the details as you remember them while they are fresh in your mind right after the accident.
If you have had an accident at work and sustained an injury from it and are going to pursue an accident claim then you should always write it in the accident book at work. If your workplace does not have an accident book, go ahead and write it on paper and keep a copy for yourself, also sending a copy to your employer. Some work contracts state that this has to happen if there is an accident at work, so not only are you doing it for your contract, but you are also doing it for legal protection. People who are self-employed also have a legal responsibility to report any injuries sustained while at work, and they can report them to the Health and Safety Executive or to the local authority of environmental health.