Get Legal Advice for a Highway Accident

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A highway accident can have tragic consequences. When accidents occur at high speeds it can be very stressful and difficult to know how to react.

Whether it is a minor or a serious accident, and whether or not there is damage to property or person, there are certain things that you should keep in mind if you are involved in a highway accident:

Stop at the scene of the accident. Safety is always the first concern - pull over carefully when there is a space in the traffic - do not put any other drivers at risk. You are legally required to stop at the scene of a motor vehicle accident if someone's been injured, there's damage to someone's vehicle or property, an animal has been injured or killed or a fixed object has been damaged
Traffic management. If the scene needs to be cleared or marked, or if traffic management may be required, contact the police. Together with the highway authority and emergency services, the police may investigate the scene of the accident and act accordingly
Exchange details. When someone involved in an accident asks for your contact details you are legally required to hand them over, and vice versa. You should obtain the name, address, telephone number, registration number and insurance details of any other driver(s) involved
Inform the police. You must notify the police if someone has been injured, if one of the drivers is unable to produce an insurance certificate at the scene of the accident or if you are unable to swap details with the other driver at the scene of the accident
Take notes of details of the accident. This should include car makes, models and registration numbers, the time and date of the accident, the weather conditions, estimated speeds of the vehicles, the number of passengers in the vehicles, witness details and details of damage done to the vehicles or persons. It may be useful to draw diagrams and take photographs

If there was any damage to property or personal injury you may wish to get in touch with a solicitor to discuss seeking compensation. If your property damage or injury was at least partly because of another driver's negligent driving, you may be able to claim compensation. If other road or environmental factors contributed to the accident, such as poorly maintained roads or unmarked hazards, you may have a claim against the highway authority.

If you would like to obtain legal advice on a highway accident, then Contact Law can put you in touch with a local highway accident solicitor free of charge. So if you have any questions or would like our help in finding a local highway accident solicitor please call us at 0800 1777 162 or complete the web-form above.