Every person who accepts a lift in a motor vehicle should be aware of the steps to be taken if things go wrong, and an accident occurs.

Every time you travel as a passenger in a motor vehicle, you are placing your safety entirely in the hands of the driver, who is responsible for ensuring that you arrive safely at your destination. First and foremost, this means that the driver must make sure that the vehicle is roadworthy, even if he or she is not the registered owner. The driver has sole control, and therefore has a duty of care and responsibility towards you.

If you suffer injury as the result of a motor vehicle accident, and your driver is at fault, then you have a legal right to file a claim for compensation against the driver’s insurance provider. You can also claim compensation if you are injured through the fault of another motorist.

As drivers are advised not to admit liability to other road users following an accident, even if they are clearly to blame, the process involved in claiming compensation can be laborious. This is where it is vital to obtain expert help and advice. Macks Solicitors’ specialist personal injuries team can advise you. Call them on Freephone 0800 980 9398 for a friendly one-to-one interview to establish the details of your case.

Sometimes, passengers are reluctant to submit an injury claim because the driver is a personal friend, or even a relative. But if you are injured, you have every right to be compensated for distress, pain and financial loss, and you should not feel feel guilty about presenting a claim. Potential claimants may also be daunted by the prospect of facing what seems a long and tedious legal process, but with expert help the claim process need not take up an undue amount of time. Macks Solicitors experts will be happy to steer and guide you throughout, and help you overcome any obstacles you are likely to encounter.

Their expertise certainly proved invaluable in one instance, where the client was a rear seat passenger in a car driven by a work colleague. The car was involved in a high-speed collision with another vehicle on the A1, as a result of which the car left the road and overturned. Our client suffered multiple injuries. Although there was a significant dispute between the drivers as to who was to blame for the accident, as an innocent passenger our client’s claim was upheld in full and he received a substantial award of damages for his injuries and losses.

Macks Solicitors will show you the way forward. Ring them on Freephone 0800 980 9398.