Legal Basics - Personal Injury
updated 22 December 2007

Accidents on the Road       

Most people probably associate the word "accident" with a car or bike crash or a motor accident. Most of us in our driving lives will have the misfortune to have at least one road traffic accident, and bikers are four times more likely to have an accident than any car driver. if you are a biker then you will undoubtedly have heard the "I just didn't see you" excuse many times.

Fortunately the majority of these accidents do not result in serious injury to the riders involved. But if you are injured in a road traffic accident - whether it is simple bruising and whiplash, or something more serious it is worth finding out if you can claim compensation for those injuries. Our specialist personal injury solicitors (who include a Honda Blackbird riding solicitor) can help - see the panel on the right for 3 simple ways to get in touch with them today. No claims handlers, just genuine lawyers who know what they are talking about.

Basically a road traffic accident is treated in law in just the same way as any other type of accident. The injured party needs to establish that the accident is someone (or something) else's fault (or at least partly someone/something else's fault). 

By law all drivers must have at least third party insurance cover. This means that their insurers will pick up the bill if the driver causes an accident and injury to any other party (including any passengers, whether related to the driver or not). If you are unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident with an uninsured driver, or with a driver who doesn't stop after the accident, then your claim is likely to be covered by a special agreement covered by the Motor Insurers' Bureau (the MIB see www.mib.org.uk) an organisation set up specifically to cover such incidents. 

If you are involved in a road traffic accident try and follow these basic steps 

• if your are involved in an accident in which someone other than you has been injured or damage has been caused to another's property or animal, then you must stop and give your name and address (and the name and address of the owner of the vehicle if not you) and your registration number, and insurance details if you have them, to any other parties involved

• if such an accident occurs then you must report the accident to the police within 24 hours, if you have not stopped and/or not been able to provide your name and address, registration number and insurance details to the other parties

• make sure you have a note of the make colour and model of any other vehicles involved, together with their number plate

• note any damage to other vehicles involved

• make a note of the other drivers' names and addresses

• make a note of any witness names and addresses

• we advise that you call the police in all but the most straightforward of "prangs"

• do not make any admissions about liability

• try and draw a rough sketch plan of the accident scene and where the vehicles ended up (if possible go back later and take some proper measurements)

• as soon as you are able write down your version of what happened

• notify your insurers as soon as you can after the accident

• if you have suffered any injury at all get it checked out by a doctor

• if the accident was not your fault and you have been injured then you should consider making a claim. You do not have to use the solicitors chosen for you by your insurers. They may be convenient for them, but not necessarily for you. We can find solicitors for you - click here

If your bike is going to be off the road for any length of time then you may also be entitled to hire a replacement bike.

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