Law & Society

If someone causes a car accident and it leaves you injured, you have the right to make a car accident compensation claim. And you should - being injured is bad enough without you forfeiting pay or having to cover expensive healthcare costs.

Compensation is awarded after considering the extent of your injury and the knock on effect, such as healthcare expenses, loss of earnings etc. You could also make a claim to cover the cost of repairing or replacing your car.

The idea of compensation is to help your recovery by removing the financial stress of paying to care for your injuries. However, if you're going to make a car accident compensation claim, you must do so within three years of the accident.

The most common injury sustained is whiplash, caused by a sudden force jolting your head. It causes pain, stiffness, restriction of movement, headaches, muscle spasms, back pain, lethargy and nausea. It can take weeks to heal, and in some cases months or years, which is why people claim for compensation; often the pain is so severe they can't work and need to make up loss of income.

Don't forget, if you are injured, you must report this to the police. It's a legal requirement. You should also go to the hospital or visit a doctor so you can have a medical assessment, and be treated if necessary.

If you decide you want to press ahead and make a car accident compensation claim, you need as much evidence as possible to prove they were responsible. You need names, addresses and telephones of any witnesses, and take photographs as evidence. Also, keep receipts if you will be claiming compensation to reimburse you for the expense.

The main thing to keep in mind is to choose a legal company you trust to represent you after you've made your car accident compensation claim.