Every time someone gets behind the wheel, they are not only responsible for the safety of themselves but also every other road user. However, sometimes accidents do happen and with over a million vehicles on Britain’s roads every day, collisions are quite common. For the most part, these are only minor and people walk away without any serious injuries. Unfortunately, some cases can result in serious injury and if someone is injured in a road accident through no fault of their own, they could have valid grounds to make a personal injury claim.

As with any personal injury claim, it is essential that you gather as much evidence as possible to prove that the other party is at fault for the accident which caused your injuries. The types of evidence that will best serve your case vary according to the type of accident. Although, more often than not, the strongest forms of evidence are witness statements and photographs/videos of the accident scene.

Once you have gathered this initial evidence, you will then need to hire a good personal injury solicitor who can manage your claim. Solicitors vary greatly in terms of skills and experience, so it is paramount that you find the right person to take your case forward. Here are a few questions you should ask a solicitor before you hire them:

• Do they work on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis?
• How do their fees work?
• Have they handled similar road accident claims before?
• How much trial experience do they have?

Many solicitors off a FREE initial consultation so make sure you take advantage of this and meet with a number of different people. This way you will be able to gain a wider perspective of your situation and make a more informed decision about who is the right solicitor for you.

Once you have hired a solicitor, the next step in the process is to notify the other side that you are making a road accident claim. This is done by your solicitor writing a letter of claim and attaching a schedule of losses to detail all financial losses you have incurred as a result of the accident. They will then have three months to respond to this initial contact and either accept or reject your claim.

If they accept liability for your injuries a series of negotiations will take place until both parties agree on a compensation amount. However, if an agreeable amount isn’t established the case will go to court and be settled by a judge. On the other hand, if the other side reject any liability for your injuries the case will go straight to court.