How To Claim Compensation If You Have An Accident due to bad road conditions?
14% of crashes are caused by poor roads conditions
Britain’s roads are full of potholes, worn surfaces and obscured signs.
Each one has the potential to cause an accident, and if it’s happened to you, then you could be entitled to compensation.
While there are a lot of causes for road accidents, around 14% of crashes are caused by roads that are badly laid out, are in poor condition or have slippery surfaces.
These situations make a personal injury situation more unexpected and unfair than usual, as even the most careful driver can lose control, or be hit by another motorist due to hazardous roads.
Weather can also have an adverse effect on roads, rain water mixes with oil residue on the tarmac and creates a slippery film, which can be made even worse if the road has poor drainage.
It’s important to know that if you’ve suffered an injury from a crash caused by bad roads instead of another person, you can still claim compensation. You just need to go about you claim a little differently.
Who’s to blame for bad road conditions?
It is the responsible of the Local Authorities to fix road potholes (Image: PA)
Each local authority has the responsibility to to maintain the roads in their area to a safe standard. Therefore, you can make a claim if they’ve been negligent in this duty.
It’s not always straight forward, as they can’t be held accountable in every situation, but here’s what you should know:
- You can make a claim against any authority responsible for maintaining the road you had an accident on
- Claims can include physical or emotional trauma, lost earnings and vehicle damage
- It’s not just road conditions you can claim for, but conditions and visibility of signs and lighting levels as well.
Make sure you have proof and make your claim quickly
It’s always up to you to prove the road was at fault for your accident, so if the worst should happen, make sure you take information from any witnesses, take photographs of the scene and the hazard that caused your accident. This evidence will support your case and increase your chances of a successful claim.
A massive pothole measuring 10ft long and more than a foot deep near Framfield, East Sussex
A pothole more than a foot deep near Framfield, East Sussex (Image: SWNS)
You can also illustrate the size of any holes, faults or obstructions by including other items in the photo – keys, coins or phone cases give scale to the pictures, highlighting the severity of the problem and making your claim more accurate.
Most importantly, you need to notify to police within 24 hours. Once you’ve done this, they’ll open an investigation for you and you’ll need to make your claim as soon as possible – any delays will weaken your case.
How to claim
If you want to know how Accident Advice Helpline can help you, click here to see how to start your personal injury claim or call PHH Solicitors now.