If you are making a personal injury claim as a result of an accident, your solicitor needs a lot of information from you at the outset. So much information, in fact, that it can be easy to overlook something important.
This post contains a list of questions relevant to personal injury claims arising from road traffic accidents. A checklist like this can help to make sure your solicitor gets as much of the crucial information as possible.
At the foot of the article is a link to a downloadable pdf document, which contains all the questions as a handy reference.
In this type of case, it will be necessary to show that the accident was caused by fault or negligence (that is, some blameworthy or careless act or omission) on the part of the other driver.
Your solicitor will want to have the following information from you, as far as possible.
Road traffic accident questions to answer for your personal injury solicitor
1 Your full name, date of birth, address and telephone number, marital status and details of any children / dependants.
2 Your employment status, nature of employment and national insurance number.
3 Your income, capital and that of any spouse or cohabitee and any contributors to the household income.
4 Whether you have any accident, general insurance cover or any other source of funding for legal expenses.
5 Whether you have previously received advice from another solicitor in relation to this matter.
6 The precise location, time and date of the accident.
7 The identity and addresses of all parties involved, or how they can be identified / contacted.
8 A detailed description of the condition of the place where the accident happened (“the locus”) including, where possible, precise dimensions. A sketch of the locus is useful. It is also helpful to provide photographic evidence, if possible.
9 How the accident was caused, including the events leading up to the accident and the accident itself.
10 The traffic conditions and weather at the time of the accident.
11 The condition of the road surface and any street lighting, if relevant.
12 Whether the police were called (and any details you have about the police officers who attended (i.e. names, numbers, police station)).
13 Whether you can remember the factual details about the accident personally or only because of what you have been told by others.
14 What happened immediately after the accident? How did you and any other parties react? (This includes, especially, any comments that the other party may have made to you or to others such as the police by way of an ‘admission’ that they were to blame for the accident).
15 If you were in a vehicle, which seat you were occupying and whether or not you were wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident.
16 If you were driving a vehicle whether or not there are any prosecutions being considered or pending against you or anyone else and whether you have current motor insurance in force (plus the details of your insurers and any policy or claims reference number).
17 If you know whether any other person has been prosecuted and, if so, with what outcome.
18 The nature and extent of any injuries you have suffered.
19 Whether your injuries became apparent at the time of the accident or only subsequently (e.g. whiplash injuries are not always immediately apparent) and, if so, when that was.
20 The nature of any treatment you have received whether as an inpatient or outpatient.
21 The length of any stay in hospital, your date of discharge, and any return dates as an outpatient.
22 Any ongoing problems or treatment.
23 Details of any drugs prescribed / taken or any other treatment received (such as physiotherapy, osteopathy, chiropractic), plus your own view of how well you have recovered by now.
24 If you lost consciousness during the accident, when exactly this was and for how long you think you were unconscious.
25 Who treated you (full names and addresses of all hospitals and doctors involved – hospital, GPs and physiotherapists etc.).
26 If you suffered external injuries, whether any photographs of the injuries are available.
27 Details of any photographs taken of the locus of the accident before or since the accident.
28 Your present state of recovery in terms of injuries, pain, treatment and disablement.
29 If your injuries involve continuing treatment, whether you have been given any indication of your likely prognosis.
30 Your level of earnings before and after the accident.
31 How much time you have had off work, if any.
32 Any expenses you have incurred resulting directly from the accident.
Download these questions in handy pdf format
You can download a document with the above questions by clicking HERE (download begins immediately; file size 91kB).
How we can help
Please get in touch with us if you have any questions about the content of this article. You can contact Peter or Marie in the Elgin office of Grigor & Young on 01343 544077 or by sending a Free Online Enquiry.
All initial enquiries are free of charge and without obligation.
