The legal path to take if involved in an auto accident 14/7/2011

The probability of being involved in a traffic accident during the course of your life, considering you are the proud owner of a vehicle, is considerably high. Traffic accidents claim the lives of over 40,000 people yearly, and those who do manage to live through it suffer some serious trauma, which in time affects all the aspects of their life and leaves them with painful memories.

The Health Organization statistics have demonstrated the rapid climb in numbers of traffic accidents within the chart that accounts for the annual loss of life. Road accidents will surpass in death toll diseases like HIV and even stroke by the time we reach 2020.

Road accident claims have also multiplied in number if we consider the figures mentioned above.

Regardless of being a car owner, passenger, motorcycle fan, cyclist, or the simple by stander current victim of a \'hit and run\' the trauma you have went through from the moment of the accident constitutes a strong reason to ask for some form of compensation.

Grounds for a solid case when filing a road traffic accident claim:

• Suffering severe wounds like head injuries, or spine lesions
• You are making a claim on behalf of a child
• You are a motorcyclist that was involved in a tough collision with another vehicle
• You have been a passenger in a common transport vehicle that was involved in an accident
• You were a walker by, a pedestrian crossing the street in a marked spot and you got hit
• You were involved in a car accident because the vehicle you were driving got broken or wasn\'t fixed properly at the repair shop

When fighting for road accident compensation respect the order of legal proceedings:

• Remain on scene or assist people who were involved in the accident. The law mandates you stop if you have witnessed and accident.
• Report the accident to the authorities. The police will determine culpability, if the parties involved have insurance and they will take note on the information necessary in the event road accident claims are filed.
• If the opposite party, the other driver involved in the collision is refusing to cooperate, make note of the vehicle plates, make and model and refer the information to the police.
• Always remember to stop if you suffered injuries, collided with a street lamp or another object, even in the case you hit an animal crossing the street. If able, offer first aid or provide moral support until the paramedics arrive.
• Maintain the original position of the vehicle as to the present moment when you got hit. Accuracy of information when presenting your case is vital when making a road accident claim.
• Don\'t assume responsibility; wait for the police investigation to be concluded.

As a last note, every driver filing for road accident claims, should write down, if conscious and has a pad of paper and pen, details about the scene, the vehicles involved, plate numbers, skid marks, weather conditions, number of people involved in the accident and probable witnesses.