Statistics say that every one of us will be involved in at least one road traffic accident in their lifetime. Whether you are a driver, passenger, motorcyclist, pedestrian, or a victim of a hit and run, you will have to go through a lot of pain and suffering as statistics also say that road traffic accidents are the most common form of personal injury.

Forty thousand serious injuries and thousands of fatalities happen every year just in the UK, due to road traffic accidents. A report by the World Health Organisation warns that based on current trends, road traffic accidents will soon overtake strokes and HIV as one of the main causes of preventable deaths by 2020. With forty thousand serious injury cases every year, this does not seem to be such an

improbable claim.

Despite what we may think, being a capable and careful driver yourself is simply not enough. You could potentially be the victim of an accident where you had no control over circumstances. Should you be involved in a road traffic accident where none of the blame lies on you, you could be entitled to make a claim for compensation. In order to successfully make this claim, you need to prove that the accident was not your fault and that the blame lies with another person; that is to say, you need to prove negligence.

Claiming compensation is one of our civil and legal rights, however only 31% of us actually claim compensation after having been in an accident where we were not at fault. Compensation after a road traffic accident will actually help you in your recovery, as the stress of being out of work and medical costs will no longer be worrying you since they will be covered in the compensation you receive after a successful claim.

The injuries that you could suffer from following a road traffic accident can vary from very minor to potentially life threatening. Some of the more common injuries include whiplash, back and spine damage, head and neck complaints, and arm and leg injuries to name but a few. Whatever the injury, it is important that you seek medical aid as soon as possible following a road traffic accident, so that your care provider can diagnose the injuries quickly by administering the correct tests. A medical record of the injuries you sustained as a result of the road traffic accident, which was caused through someone else’s negligence, will actually help with your compensation claim.

It is also important to be aware of insurance companies while you make this claim, and bear in mind that should you go through your insurance company, they will often settle your claim for far less than you could actually obtain should you go independently. It is always worthwhile to seek guidance from an independent lawyer or solicitor.