Travelling by car is known to be more dangerous than flying. That’s because road traffic has become more and more congested; there are not enough roads, and the number of vehicles increases yearly. By far the most dangerous transportation mode in the UK is the motorcycle, followed by pedestrians, bicycles and cars.

The most common reason for road accidents is the driver’s lack of attention on the lane. This might be triggered by smartphone use or tiredness. Strangely, not many accidents are related to exceeding the speed limit. This means that the problem is not the driving itself but rather people’s capacity for concentration. Knowing what the causes are, let’s see what can you do if you have a road accident.

Take safety measures

A road accident can be hard to deal with, but the most important tip is keeping calm and gathering yourself. If you’re conscious enough, assess the situation and follow these steps:

Stop the car and turn it off to avoid a fire explosion.Remain at the accident scene and check your injuries. If you’ve been only slightly hurt, try to assist anyone who might be injured. However, if someone is heavily wounded, it’s best not to move them. Otherwise, it might worsen their condition.Call for an ambulance and notify the police. It’s important to call the police or go to the nearest station because a report of the situation will ease the whole claiming process.

Gather evidence

If you’ve stated that you’re safe, it’s time to call for help and gather crucial evidence that you’ll use in case of making a compensation claim. The evidence can be anything from photographs or video recordings you can take to witnesses and police reports. If you’re lucky and the accidents happened in a video-monitored area, you can later ask for the footage. After the accident, you can also gather damage reports of the vehicles involved and medical examination papers to value your claim.

Make a claim

The next step is to make a road traffic accident claim, whether you were driving a car, cycling or walking as a pedestrian. According to the professional advisors at NoWinNoFeeSolicitorsCo.co.uk, you can make a claim if you’ve suffered injuries after any road accident, such as rear-end, side-impact or head-on collisions. If you want to know if you’re eligible for compensation regarding your incident, ask for professional advice.

Besides, you could hire a No Win No Fee legal expert, where you don’t need to pay your solicitor’s legal fees if your claim isn’t successful. And if the case is successful and you get the compensation you deserve, you’ll give your solicitor a small amount of money, known as a “success fee”.

Your injuries extent impact the amount of compensation you get

You might not know how much your injuries are worth, especially when they are not severe, but road accidents are causing long-term problems. That’s why the compensation amount is not fixed but depends on how long you’ve suffered from the injury and if the accident led to psychological issues. For example, the more time has passed since you’ve suffered from any issue, the more you’ll be compensated.

Purchase vehicle’s insurance

In order to be covered in case of a car accident, it’s best to have insurance. There are many types of coverage systems. That’s why you need to choose one to prevent any financial damage to your budget. These insurances could cover accidents even if another driver didn’t cause them. If falling objects cause damage or if you hit a tree, you’re still eligible for coverage.

Take steps to recover

Recovery after a road accident goes beyond hospitalisation. Besides the physical injuries, psychological marks are harder to heal, but most physical damages resulting from traffic accidents are:

Traumatic brain injuriesSpinal cord injuriesBurnsFractures

Psychological damages can be caused by any of these physical injuries. Post-traumatic stress disorder is the most common problem experienced after a road accident. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety. PTSD can worsen your life, and  can cause issues in your social and professional life, as much as in the work environment.  

After getting medical treatment, the best thing you can do is  get plenty of rest. Don’t make too much physical effort and eat nutritious foods. You can try working with a physician for a while. As for psychological damages, there are many things that you need to try to see if they’re successful. For example, you can share your experience; don’t let it all pile up inside you. Therapy can be a great help if you don’t know how to manage your emotions or feel stressed for a long time. If you’re starting early, you might feel better in time and get over the situation more easily.

Everything about prevention

Each vehicle has its characteristics. If you’re driving a car, you need to wear your seatbelt and ensure you have an Airbag system. Things are different for motorcycles, bikes and pedestrians, and each category has to know how to behave in a traffic dominated by cars. Therefore, here are some things to keep in mind if you’re using something other than a car for transportation.

If you’re a pedestrian, keep in mind that you need to make yourself seen. Cars have a blind spot, an area of the road that the driver can’t see. Another thing to do is always check before crossing the road, even if the traffic lights are red.As a bicyclist, you need to wear protective gear at all times, get off the bike when crossing the road and keep a safe distance from other vehicles. Use hand signals to show your intentions and always stay alert to other drivers’ actions.For motorbike lovers, the rules for bicyclists also apply to you. The only difference is that you need the right gear (including special clothes and helmets).

In conclusion, the best thing to do is to be calm and ask for professional advice and support to properly get over the situation. Make sure you know your rights and ask for help regarding the injuries or troubles.