Car Accident Claims – How To Claim Compensation In The UK

By Stephen Moreau. Last Updated 16th February 2024. Welcome to this guide on making a car crash claim. Below, we give essential advice on reporting a road traffic accident and recovering car accident compensation.

We also explain how car crash compensation payouts for UK claims are calculated. So if you’re in a minor car accident, knowing what to do next could be a pressing question. We answer this question and others, including explaining police hit and run procedures for UK incidents.

If you have been involved in an accident on the road and wish to make a car crash claim, doing so whilst still recovering either from physical or emotional trauma could be difficult or may even seem daunting.

That is why we recommend putting your claim in the hands of our panel of experienced car injury solicitors who can handle your claim for you.

Our team understands that getting your life back on track after an accident can be difficult, so are here to help ease the burden of claiming car accident compensation and hopefully restoring your financial position.

You can request a call back from our team by filling in the form or dialling 020 3870 4868 to talk to a member of our team.

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Making A Car Crash Claim

Services And Information

Am I Eligible To Make A Car Crash Claim?

In order to claim for a car crash as either a passenger or a driver, you must first prove that you were owed a duty of care. All road users owe each other a duty of care, which means that they must use the roads in a way that prevents harm coming to themselves or others. In order to uphold this duty, road users are expected to comply with the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Highway Code.  If this duty of care is breached, this could lead to a car accident.

To have good grounds to claim car crash compensation, you must be able to prove that:

  • You were owed a duty of care.
  • This duty was breached.
  • As a result, you were injured .

Our team of advisors can help you identify whether or not you are eligible to make a claim when you get in touch. They can evaluate your claim for free, and provide more information on the claims process.

How Long Do I Have To Make A Car Crash Claim?

When seeking compensation for a car accident, it’s important to begin your claim within the limitation period, provided you have a valid case. The Limitation Act 1980 states that you will have three years to start your claim from the date of the accident that caused your road traffic accident injuries.

However, there are certain exceptions to this time limit.

To learn what these are, get in touch with our advisors. They can also help you if you have any additional questions about the time limits involved with car crash claims.

What Injuries Could You Sustain From A Car Accident?

Car accident claims could be made for all sort of different injuries. Examples of injuries you may claim for include:

  • Neck injuries such as whiplash, which is caused by a rapid and forceful back-and-forth movement of the neck. Whiplash can cause damage to various parts of the neck including ligaments, muscles, bones and nerves.
  • Cuts and lacerations could be caused by broken glass or other effects of a car accident. A severe cut could leave the injured party with permanent scarring.
  • Fractures could occur to various parts of the body such as the arms, wrists and legs due to the force of an impact.
  • A heavy impact in a car accident could also cause head injuries, ranging from a mild concussion to severe brain damage.
  • A car accident can also be traumatic enough to cause psychological injuries, such as PTSD and anxiety.

For advice on whether you are eligible to claim car accident injury compensation, contact our team of advisors for free today.

Car Accident Compensation Examples – How Payouts Are Calculated

If you have strong grounds to claim compensation for a car accident, you may ask just how much car accident compensation you could receive if your claim succeeds.

If you make a successful car crash claim, your compensation settlement could comprise of general and special damages. General damages are meant to compensate for the pain and injuries suffered have caused.

The Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) is a document that many legal professionals will use to help them value this head of claim. This is because it lists compensation guidelines for various injuries. We have included some of the amounts listed in the 16th edition of the JCG in the table below. Please only refer to it as a guide. Also, take note that the first and last two entries in this  table are not based on the JCG.

Edit
Type of Injury Notes Compensation Brackets
Multiple Serious Injuries With Special Damages Multiple injuries, can be both physical and psychological, that are serious plus compensation for special damages. Up to £1,000,000+
Brain Damage – Very Severe There may be some postural reflex movement, recovery of eye opening, return of waking and sleep patterns and the ability to follow basic commands. The injured person will have almost no language function or meaningful response to their environment. They will also need full-time care. £282,010 to £403,990
Brain Damage – Moderate (iii) The ability to work is reduced, there is a small risk of epilepsy and concentration and memory will be affected. £43,060 to £90,720
Back – Severe (i) Damage to the nerve roots and spinal cord with serious consequences. This could include a severe disability with related pain and possible paralysis. £91,090 to £160,980
Back – Moderate (i) Victims with this level of injury may still suffer some residual levels of disability. £27,760 to £38,780
Neck – Severe (i) At this most severe level, the injury may present as or with paraplegia. In the region of
£148,330
Neck – Moderate (ii) Disc lesions, wrenching injuries and soft tissue injuries with a related pain, movement limitation and discomfort. Surgery may be required. £13,740 to £24,990
Severe Leg Injuries – Moderate (iv) Crush injuries and similar or related forms of injury to the leg. £27,760 to £39,200
Whiplash Tariff Whiplash with a psychological injury lasting between 18-24 months. £4,345
Whiplash Tariff A whiplash injury lasting between 18-24 months. £4,215

Whiplash Reforms

Your car accident claim might be impacted by the Whiplash Reform Programme. These reforms brought in changes to how certain claims for road traffic accidents are made in England and Wales. They apply to those aged 18 and older, who suffered injuries valued at £5,000 or less as a driver or passenger in a vehicle.

Any whiplash injuries you suffered will be assigned value in accordance with the tariff set out in the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021. A few examples of the figures listed in the tariff, which are fixed amounts, are provided in the table above. Additional injuries that are not covered by this tariff will be valued in the traditional manner.

If you have any questions about your claim or if you would like a free valuation, please contact one of the advisors from our team.

Car Accident Compensation – What Else Could Be Included?

If you’ve been injured in a car accident, the compensation awarded to you may also include a special damages payment. This figure can be awarded if you have experienced financial losses as a result of your injury. This is also partly why knowing the value of the average compensation for a car accident in the UK may not be helpful to you.

We’ve included some examples of special damages below that could be included as part of a car crash claim:

  • Damage to personal property – You may have had items destroyed or damaged as a result of the accident that caused your injury.
  • Loss of earnings – For the time you are unable to work during your recovery.
  • Medical expenses – For instance, the cost of prescription medication.
  • Additional care – You may require additional assistance at home, either on a short- or long-term basis.

There are other losses you could be compensated for. In order to support your special damages claim, it’s important that you have documents such as receipts and payslips.

Get in touch with our advisors today if you have any questions or wish to know more about how much your claim could be worth.

Do I Need Evidence To Make A Car Crash Claim?

To make a valid claim for a car crash, you will need to provide evidence that supports your case. Your evidence should include proof of the injuries that you’re claiming for. It should also show how another party breached their duty of care, causing the crash that injured you as a result.

The evidence you could gather for your car accident claim could include:

  • Video footage of the car accident, such as dashcam footage or any CCTV footage that shows the incident.
  • Photographs of the accident scene and your injuries.
  • The contact details of any witnesses who can provide a statement regarding the car accident.
  • Medical reports and any other medical evidence that confirms the injuries you’re claiming for and what treatment you’ve received for them.

If a solicitor is supporting your car crash claim, they could assist with gathering evidence that can strengthen your case. Contact our advisors for free today, and they can answer any questions you have about car accident claims. They could also review your potential claim and connect you with a solicitor from our panel who can assist.

Make Car Accident Claims With A No Win No Fee Lawyer

If you suffered minor and/or serious injuries in a car crash accident, you may want to claim compensation with the support of a lawyer. A No Win No Fee lawyer could provide their services under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This is a type of No Win No Fee agreement.

No Win No Fee means that your lawyer usually won’t charge upfront for their services. They typically don’t ask for payments to cover ongoing fees either. If your lawyer successfully recovers compensation, a success fee is deducted from your award. The amount they can take is limited by the CFA. However, if they don’t succeed, you usually won’t be asked to pay for their services.

Our advisors are here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to talk about potential car accident compensation claims. In addition to the free advice, they can assess the potential of your claim. If it seems eligible, they could connect you to one of the lawyers on our panel. The personal injury solicitors on our panel can offer their services for No Win No Fee car accident claims.

To speak about car accident claims:

Resources Related To Car Accident Compensation Claims

In addition to information on this guide on car accident claims, below we also include external resources where you can learn more about drivers’ responsibilities under current law, and how our panel of solicitors can help you.

Gov.UK Vehicle Insurance In An Accident
Further information from the Government about what you should do (relating to vehicle insurance and car crash claims) if involved in a road accident.

Road Safety Data
Road safety data as updated and published by the Department for Transport.

You may also be interested in some of our other guides:

If you have any further queries about how to make a car crash claim, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at any time.