When involved in a road traffic accident, it can be easy to lose track of what to do next, and you may have some questions or common concerns that might prevent you from speaking with a specialist solicitor, especially if the accident has caused severe complications, such as spinal cord injury.
If you haven’t been involved in a road traffic incident before, it’s easy to worry about the outcome when resolving claims or injuries. At Aspire Law, we often work with road traffic accident cases involving cars, pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles and off-road vehicles. Here are some of the common questions and scenarios:
‘’I can’t remember what happened.’’
Why you should still seek help:
We would always recommend investigating any accident that results in serious injury, especially if someone can’t remember what happened, as a police report could provide answers.
‘’No one was prosecuted.’’
Why you should still seek help:
You do not need a criminal conviction to bring a personal injury claim. You can create a strong case, regardless of whether someone was prosecuted or not.
‘’The police have told me it was my fault.’’
Why you should still seek help:
A lot of cases are concluded on the basis that more than one person was responsible, and if you are found partially responsible, you are awarded a percentage of your potential award – and even a percentage of your claim could be life-changing.
‘’I wasn’t wearing a seatbelt/cycle helmet/I didn’t cross at a crossing/I was really drunk/made a bad choice.’’
Why you should still seek help:
Your compensation may be reduced if it is found that you could have prevented your injury, but it does not prevent you from bringing a claim.
‘’I was hit by an uninsured driver.’’
Why you should still seek help:
The Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) can compensate victims of uninsured drivers.
‘’I was hit by a driver who fled the scene.’’
Why you should still seek help:
The MIB can compensate victims of ‘untraced’ drivers.
‘’I was hit by a cyclist – they might not have insurance.’’
Why you should still seek help:
Increasingly, cyclists have cycle insurance or their home contents insurance may cover them.
‘’My accident didn’t happen on ‘the road’ – it happened in a car park/in a field/on private property.’’
Why you should still seek help:
Your accident doesn’t have to have happened on the road for you to bring a claim. For example, you could be a pedestrian who has been affected by a road traffic accident.
Paving the way for the future
Thankfully, over the last 10 years, developments in safer technologies and road safety awareness have led to a decrease in the number of serious road traffic accidents today. If you have been involved in a road traffic accident and are now suffering from a spinal cord injury, you could be eligible to make a claim – including additional out of pocket expenses as a result of the accident such as loss of earnings.
Our current cases of road traffic accidents include spinal injuries that have been sustained by a passenger who was being driven by a close relative, a pedestrian hit by a car, as well as a cyclist who was hit by a negligent car driver on his way to work during the morning rush hour. We also recently dealt with a case that resulted in £17m for a passenger injured in a car accident.
Aspire shares 50% of its profits to help provide services and equipment to help improve the lives of people who have sustained a spinal cord injury.
To arrange a meeting with a spinal cord injury solicitor, please call us free on 0800 030 20 40 or email us at help@aspirelaw.co.uk
