Car Accident Claims – What to do ?

If you are a driver of a car and involved in an accident involving another motorist you may be able to pursue a claim against that motorist. However to do so you must be in a position to prove liability, on the part of the other motorist, or in others to show that the other motorist was due to his/her carelessness in how they operated their vehicle caused the accident.

In almost all circumstances following a road traffic accident it’s advisable to contact An Garda Siochana. This is important to ensure there is a record of the accident and also to ensure the proper exchange of personal and insurance details between motorists.
Likewise it’s a good idea to take photographs of the scene of the accident to confirm the registration number and type of vehicles, the resting position of vehicles following the accident, and also the damage caused to each vehicle. Photographic evidence from the scene can be crucial evidence if there is later a dispute as to what occurred in the lead up to the accident.

It’s not always immediately apparent who is at fault for an accident and sometimes fault or liability can be shared between motorists.
We at Downes solicitors will be able to discuss the circumstances of your accident and provide you with an opinion relatively quickly as to whether we believe you have a worthwhile case to make against another motorist.

In complex road traffic accident claims we will sometimes instruct a forensic engineer to conduct a survey of the road and provide a technical report detailing the accident circumstances.

If you are a passenger in a vehicle then generally speaking you will not have to prove fault or liability, as the driver of the vehicle will be legally responsible for your safety. However, it may be advisable , depending on the accident circumstances, to pursue your case against a third party motorist, or a combination of motorists.