I'm a barrister dealing with hundreds of road traffic accident claims every year.
If I could offer the following tips to your readers, it would make life much easier for them, as well as me and my colleagues.
Always opt for the legal protection insurance on your car or house policy.
Never
use solicitors for a claim where the arrangement involves them taking any proportion of the money you are awarded. Treat adverts for "no-win, no-fee" solicitors with the same degree of scepticism you would reserve for soap-powder commercials.
Always
carry a small disposable or digital camera or camera phone with you in the car.
If you have an accident, take pictures of the damage to, and locations of, both vehicles, as well as any impact debris and the other driver; a picture really does tell a thousand words and the chances of you being sued for a frivolous claim diminish enormously.
Always tell your insurers and remember the insurance form might be produced in court later - so take care with it. Saying sorry does not mean you admit it was your fault, nor will the judge think as much. It might even mean the matter goes no further than the roadside. Don't be frightened by solicitors' letters threatening huge legal bills for small accidents - it's all bluff. If the other side has solicitors involved, make sure you get one, too (via the insurance company - don't do it yourself). The insurers may nominate solicitors, but the final choice is up to you.
Don't select a solicitor on the basis that he is a friend or because he did a good job with your house conveyance. Don't believe anything your mates tell you about courts, compensation, making a claim or any other legal issues. Advice for nothing is worth exactly nothing. Don't take the claim personally and keep a
sense of proportion. It's a car accident, not a Senate hearing.
Clients who tell me it's a "matter of principle" have either more money than
sense or fail to understand what the court system is there for.