If you have been injured through no fault of your own, then you need to report the accident to the appropriate person, authority or organisation. This improves safety standards, and provides a vital piece of evidence, should you decide that you need a personal injury claims solicitor.

Personal injury solicitors Leeds

If you want to know more about making a personal injury claim, please contact us at Ashmans Solicitors for free legal advice. We have a specialist team of the  best personal injury solicitors who are ready and willing to help you. We are available to take your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Why should I report an accident?

If you are involved in an accident at work or in a public place, then you should report the incident. This is for two reasons.

Firstly, it improves safety standards. Chances are that if you were injured, someone else could be too. By drawing attention to your accident, steps can be taken to rectify the problem, ensuring no one else suffers a similar fate.

Secondly, it will provide an important piece of evidence, should you go on to make a personal injury claim. This is because it proves that the accident did indeed happen and that you were injured as a result. Remember, there is a personal injury claim time limit.

Not thinking about a personal injury claim?

Your mind might not be focused on a personal injury compensation right now. However, this may change in the not-too-distant future. What you originally considered to be minor (or even nonexistent) injuries might materialise into something more permanent. Perhaps that whiplash has not gone away? Maybe that cut or bite has become infected? Or has that sprain turned out to be a broken bone?

Whatever the situation, it is best not to rule anything out. If you have been injured through no fault of your own, then you are legally entitled to pursue a claim for damages. In reporting your accident, you are helping to leave this door open, should you want to take legal action at a later date.

How to report your accident

But how exactly do you report your accident? This all depends on where the accident took place.

You are injured at work

If you are injured at work, you must ask your manager or senior personnel to record the incident in the company’s Accident Book. Every organisation should have an Accident Book. If for any reason your employer does not have one, send an email setting out exactly what happened and what injuries you sustained. Do not communicate this verbally; it is important to have a paper trail that can be produced later on if needed.

You are injured in a public place

Public place injuries are slightly more complicated because it all depends on where you were. You will either need to report your accident to the local authority or the owner/occupier of the premises.

Local authorities are responsible for the upkeep of places like roads, pavements, cycle lanes and public parks. If the local authority is at fault, then you need to call or email the council in question and ask to report an accident. If you are not sure who your local authority is, take a look at the name on your council tax bill. Or ask a local, if you are from out of town.

If you are injured in any other public area, then you need to report the accident to the owner/occupier of the premises. For example, this could be a supermarket, restaurant, gym or shop. Speak to an employee and ask that your accident is recorded in the company’s Accident Book. As employers, this is something that all companies should have.

You are injured at the hairdressers or beauty salon

It is much the same advice for injuries sustained at hairdressers, beauty salons, cosmetic clinics and other such establishments. Speak to an employee and request that the incident is recorded in the company’s Accident Book. If such a book does not exist, send an email with accompanying photos.

You are bitten by a dog

If you are bitten by a dog, then you should report the attack to the police by calling 101 (unless it is an emergency, in which case you should call 999). It helps if you are able to get the dog owner’s name and contact details. If you have managed to get their pet insurance details, then you could report the bite directly to their insurer. Even if you did not get any details at the time of the event (which is not unusual in the case of dog bites) then it is still worth reporting the issue to the police. They may already be aware of the dog in question.

You are injured on transport

Were you injured while travelling on a bus, train, ferry, aeroplane or in a taxi? If so, you need to find out who the operator is. This will probably be advertised on your ticket or onboard the vehicle/train/vessel or aeroplane. Report the accident to the operator and ask them to record the incident in the Accident Book.

You are injured in a road traffic accident

If you are injured while driving – and you were in the driver’s seat – then you should report the accident to your insurer. You should also report the accident to the police if someone has been harmed.

Injured cyclists and pedestrians should report the accident to the police.

Not sure where to report your accident?

If you are still uncertain as to where to report your accident – or you have hit hurdles that you do not know how to overcome – then please do not worry. We can help you. Working out who is responsible for your accident is not always straightforward. Even if you are confident that you have located the correct party, it can sometimes be hard to get through to the right person. Even then, organisations or individuals may deny any wrongdoing, and may even refuse to record your accident at all.

We can remove the stress from the situation. After discussing the incident with you, we will confirm exactly who needs to be informed about your accident. If you like, we can then report the accident on your behalf.

What should your accident report say?

When you report your accident, you need to ensure that the following information is recorded:

  • Your name
  • The date and location of the accident
  • The way in which the accident happened
  • The injuries you sustained
  • The names of any witnesses

Check over the record to make sure that the details are correct. If there are any inaccuracies, ask that these are amended. It is a good idea to make a copy of the entry for future reference.

What else should you do?

Along with reporting the accident, there are other things you can do to help your personal injury claim. This includes taking photographs of the scene of the accident and/or your injuries.

If yours was a tripping accident, try to include something in the photos that provides perspective, like a ruler or a coin. You should also keep a diary of your symptoms and take note of any money you have lost (or spent) because of the accident.

Personal injury solicitors Leeds

Are you thinking about making a personal injury claim? Contact us at Ashmans Solicitors. We have an experienced team of personal injury claims solicitors and can explain your options further.

Call us on 0333 009 6275. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You can also email us at enquiries@ashmanssolicitors.com or complete our Free Online Enquiry Form and we will contact you.