Legal advice from Howard Porter, litigation executive and personal injury specialist, FDR Law, Palmyra Square, Warrington.

QUESTION I’ve been injured in a road accident that wasn’t my fault. What should I do about gaining appropriate compensation for my injuries?

ANSWER “Being the victim of a road traffic accident is a very unpleasant experience particularly if you’ve been physically injured.

If the accident wasn’t your fault, you have a right to claim compensation for your injuries and any loss of earnings.

If your insurance policy includes legal protection, you don’t have to accept the solicitor nominated by your insurance company. You are perfectly entitled to ask to appoint your own legal representative. I believe you get a much better service from a local personal injury solicitor, whose role is to fight your corner and get the best result for you, not the insurance company.

If you are involved in an accident, always make sure you obtain the other driver’s contact details, their registration number, car make/model and insurance company details, including policy number. They have a legal duty to provide you with this information and you cannot rely on the police to obtain it for you. If there are any witnesses, take their contact details too. Coming to a solicitor armed with this information will make their job easier and lead to a speedier resolution for you.

If you don’t have legal protection within your insurance policy, there are other options that could be considered, which your solicitor can discuss with you.

To establish whether you might have a claim, contact me, Howard Porter at FDR Law on 230000 or e-mail howard.porter@fdrlaw.co.uk.