road traffic accidents

Even the smallest road traffic accident can be a frightful and stressful experience and often people fail to gather information that they may later require.  If you are involved in a road traffic accident you should attempt to record the following;

• The registration number of all vehicles involved.
• Take the full name and address of all drivers.
• In the Republic of Ireland insurance details are readily available on the disk at the front window of the car including the full name and address of the insurance company and the expiry date of the policy.
• any PSNI or Gardaí references, as this logged information will be useful; at a later stage if court proceedings or prosecutions are to occur.
• It is important to take photos of the scene and the damage to all vehicles involved from different angles with your mobile phone camera. These pictures can help your solicitor understand how the accident had occurred and can allow us to quickly assess who is at fault.
• CCTV recordings of the accident e.g. CCTV in a nearby shop.
• It is important to record the time and date of the accident.
• Retain all medical documents and receipts as a result of the accident
• Take the contact details of any witnesses that may have witnessed the road traffic accident.

Yes.  It is usually a condition of the policy of your insurance that you report the accident as soon as possible.

Reporting the matter early can allow your insurance company to immediately action your file and start their own investigation.

If you decide believe that the accident was not your fault and you wish to pursue a claim against another individual, it is advisable for you to speak to an experienced Road Traffic Accident Solicitor to seek legal advice as soon as possible.

If you decide that you wish to pursue the claim, you must submit your claim to the Injuries Board for assessment. Lacey Solicitors can help you with that process.

Please ensure you keep all your documents and copies of any expenses that incurred as a result of your accident, such as medical reports, medical charges such as Hospital fees and/or GP fees, Pharmacy fees, and any loss of earnings you may have suffered due to the injury. You will need such documents to make a claim and to ensure a smoother process in the claim.

The legal time limits on how long you have to make a claim are called The Statutes of Limitation.

Ultimately the time limits vary depending on the situation and where the accident occured.  Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have different time limits. Generally, for most personal injury cases, the person who has sustained the injury has two years in the Republic of Ireland and three years in Northern Ireland from the date of the accident or date of knowledge of the accident to pursue a compensation claim.

As a rule of thumb you should contact a solicitor as soon as possible to discuss your case to help you discover how long you have left to make a claim.