According to the UK road safety charity Brake, there is a death or serious injury on UK roads every 16 minutes. Roads are dangerous places, and the likelihood of an injurious accident unfortunately high. If you are unlucky enough to experience a road accident, what steps should you be following in the aftermath?

Immediate Actions

Immediately after the accident, it’s important that you first get yourself to safety if you are able to do so. If you are too injured to move, you should request to remain in place until medical personnel can remove you safely and without further injury. If you are well enough, you should do your best to take down the contact details of everyone that saw the accident take place, as this will be vital for the next step.

Documenting Evidence

You should, if able, be gathering as much evidence as you can surrounding your accident. This may take the form of eyewitness testimony, dashcam footage or local CCTV. This evidence can help you form an airtight case against the other party in your accident, should you make a personal injury claim.

Medical Assistance

It is important not to forget about the medical aspect of your recovery, even if your injury was relatively light. Be sure to make a follow-up appointment with your doctor, to ensure no further issues are underlying.

During your medical treatments and interventions, you should do your best to log every event and interaction you have – including verbal conversations with doctors and nurses. If you are unable to, you should ensure family members or friends are able to do so on your behalf. This information could be absolutely crucial.

Legal Considerations

The reasons for which documenting even your medical journey is so important are twofold. For one, this information could be vital in any potential personal injury case you open against the perpetrator of your injury, alongside the evidence you take at the roadside or in the days following the accident. This information would also be indispensable if you were to suffer medical negligence at the hands of your care team, whether through mis-prescribed drugs, surgical errors or poor treatment.

In either case, it is wise to consult personal injury solicitors regarding the potentiality of your claim or claims. An initial consultation will enable them to review the evidence set forth, and avail you of any possible actions or compensatory fees you could likely expect. There is no best time to do this, as long as you do so within three years of the event itself – and have evidence enough to put forward.

Long-Term Health Monitoring

It is also vital for you to track your progress as you continue to recover and rehabilitate from your accident. Progress can be slow and non-linear, but is progress nonetheless; tracking can help you with reaching certain milestones, but can also be crucial for recognising potential chronic conditions emerging from your accident.