So You’ve Been In An Accident – Now What?

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One of the most difficult things about being involved in an accident is the consequences afterward. It can be a very complicated affair to claim for your injury, to get the compensation you deserve and to recover fully after a bad accident. The trick is knowing when you are eligible for compensation, whether that be after an accident in the workplace or on the road. How do you make a claim? Many people just don’t bother to do so because they are too confused by the whole process. But here we are going to talk through some of the different types of accident which can occur and the type of cover you can expect to receive for it.

Car Accident

The most common type of incident is those involving vehicles. With millions of cars on the road each day, it’s no surprise that collisions occur very frequently. Here is why you should do if you are involved in a car accident:

• Stop The Car – Even if it is only a minor scrape, you must stop the vehicle and assess any damage to yours and the other parties car.
• Swap Information – Take the name, number and car details of the person you have had an accident with. If they were in the wrong, then you are within your right to contact the relevant authorities.
• Call 911 – In more serious cases, the first thing you should do when you have been involved in a collision is to call the emergency services. This will allow an ambulance and the police to arrive quickly and take care of those injured.
• Contact Your Insurer – Once you’ve collected the relevant information and have been treated for any injuries, the next thing to do is to contact your insurance provider and explain what happened. Make sure you check your policy for the time limit on claiming because this can range from 2 days to 2 weeks.
• Wait – Once you’ve put in your request, your insurance company will tell you what needs to be done next

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Work Injury

Sustaining an injury at work can lead to a payout of compensation from your employer. The first thing you need to do when you have an accident- no matter how minor- is to report it to the relevant person. Usually, this will be the manager or HR representative. Once this has been logged, an investigation will ensue internally on the cause of the incident. If you work on a construction site and fall off scaffolding, it must be determined why this has happened. All employers must carry out risk assessments and create rigorous guidelines to adhere to. If you are found to be in breach of any regulations- such as not wearing the correct safety gear, then you have no claim. However, if all regulations are met, then the employer takes responsibility. At this point, you’ll want to get in touch with a lawyer such as StephenBabcock.com to assess the situation and act on your behalf.

Medical Negligence

On a serious note, medical negligence which results in the death of a patient is a criminal act, much like the case of Michael Jackson. If you feel you or a family member has been neglected, you can contact a lawyer who will go through documents, medical records and consult with medical professionals to determine whether you have a case or not. You can learn more here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2628513/

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Criminal Injury

The criminal injury is something which none of us likes to think about. However, compensation does exist for if you’ve been injured as a result of criminal activity. The basis of this is that if you are a victim of a crime or caught up in the wrong place and get hurt, you are entitled to some financial compensation. Some examples of crimes you can claim from are:

• Criminal Injury at your workplace (e.g. hostage situation)
• Criminal Injury as a result of a mugging
• Criminal Injury from a night out (e.g. head injury)

The way to claim for these damages is first to report the crime to the police and give a clear statement, and then to contact a lawyer t work on the case for you and see what kind of compensation you are entitled to.

Sports Injury

Sporting injuries are not uncommon, and they usually come as part of the game. The risk is always there if you play a contact sport such as football or rugby. But if there is an injury sustained which is deemed not to be part of normal play, you may be entitled to claim for some compensation. If another player has been reckless or deliberately caused an injury to you, and there is a clear person to blame, then a claim can go ahead.

Another way you could be in for compensation is if the equipment you are using is faulty or unsafe, and this causes an injury. Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to be on a professional sporting team or a sports premises to claim. If you play games in the local park or even at home: the rules still stand. If there are witnesses that can back up what happened then, you will be able to push a claim forward.

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Supermarket Injury

If you suffer a trip or slip on a wet floor while out in a supermarket; you are entitled to compensation. Unless there is a clear ‘wet floor’ sign in view, you can claim for staff negligence. Similarly, if shelves are not packed properly with stock, and it falls off and hits you, then that is the responsibility of the supermarket and not your fault. Every supermarket holds a legal obligation to record any and every incident which occurs on the premises. So make sure that before you leave, they have recorded your accident in full. The recorded incident will be used to reference back to later on when the lawyers come in to make a claim on your behalf. You will even be able to claim if a trolley hits your car while it’s parked up.