The Association for Safe International Road Travel estimates that 1.25 million people are killed in road accidents every year. Another 20 to 50 million people suffer serious injuries. The risk of serious injuries could be reduced drastically by taking the right steps. What can you do to minimize the risk of a road injury? Here are some steps to consider.
Minimizing the Risks of Road Accidents
Road traffic accidents vary hugely in severity and impact. They can result in something as minor as a nasty shock, or can completely and utterly change your life. Your road to recovery might take a long time and be full of twists and turns we can’t yet fully fathom. How much do car accident injuries cost? This depends on the severity of the injury, according to the National Safety Council. The average disabling injury costs $90,000. The average cost of an accident that doesn’t cause a disability is $26,000. Here are some of the steps you should consider taking if you have been involved in a road traffic accident. Avoid Moving Anyone that is Injured Unless the Car is on Fire You don’t know if the person has sustained a spinal injury. You need to be careful about moving them. They should only be handled by trained emergency staff. The exception is if the vehicle is on fire. Take Time Not everyone wants to immediately start making claims and plans for compensation if they have gone through a traumatic experience. While it is obviously better to make a claim as soon as possible, you can actually wait up to three years in the UK before you submit anything. If you need to take time to recover, you absolutely should do that. There are some things you still need to consider. If your accident was in Scotland, the claim may need to be made through the Scottish courts and through a Scottish lawyer. Additionally, an accident which happened abroad might have a shorter winder where you can make a claim. Ultimately, you should start to file the claim as soon as you feel able to. Collect All the Information Hopefully, if you were not too badly injured, you should have been able to swap insurance details with any other vehicles who may have been involved in the accident. As a minimum, you should have their name and address, a phone number they can be contacted on, the registration number for the vehicle involved in the accident, and the details of their insurance policy, namely their provider and policy number. You should also try to search for some information about any witnesses to back up your claim if you are not at fault. If someone helped you during the accident, see if you can get in contact with them to give a testimony of who was at fault. You should also see if the stretch of road has any CCTV footage as it may have footage which could help your claim. Head to the Right People First of all, always get prompt medical attention. Even if you don’t think you are hurt, it is a good idea. You might have internal or spinal injuries that you won’t feel until much later. If your collision involved another car then you will launch the claim against their insurance company. However, if you are making a claim for an accident involving a lorry, then things might be slightly different. The claim will be against the company which owns the lorry’s fleet and either the driver of the lorry or the company itself depending on how the accident occurred. Your compensation lawyer will be able to tell you more about who is likely to be at fault in your accident. Trust their advice and they will hopefully be able to win you some compensation. A road traffic accident can truly upset your life and it is understandable that you would seek some compensation at this time. If you have recently been in a road traffic accident that was not your fault, speak to a qualified claims lawyer today to see if you are eligible for some compensation. It might be that last little bit of closure you need.
Take All Necessary Steps to Avoid Serious Auto Injuries
Auto accidents are a serious problem affecting millions of people each year. You need to be careful about how you handle an injury to avoid causing serious, long-term damage. These tips should help.
