Car Crash Claims – How To Claim Compensation In The UK

By Cat Reeves. Last Updated 15th November 2023. 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 personal injury 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 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 personal injury claim when you get in touch. They can evaluate your claim for free, and provide more information on the car crash 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 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.

Claims For A Car Accident – Example Injuries

There are various types of injuries that you could suffer in a car accident. Some examples of the injuries you could suffer in a road traffic accident may include:

  • Whiplash – This is a neck injury caused by the sudden movement of the head.
  • Cuts and lacerations – this could be due to broken glass from the windshield.
  • Breaks and fractures – e.g. a broken leg or fractured wrist.
  • Head injuries – this could be a minor concussion or a traumatic brain injury.

However, you must remember in order to have a valid car crash injury claim, you must be able to prove that your injuries were caused by the breach of duty of care by a fellow road user.

You can contact our advisors if you would like to learn more about personal injury claims for a car accident. They can also assess the eligibility of your claim and offer you free advice.

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 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 suffering your injuries 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.

Type of InjuryNotesCompensation Brackets
Multiple Serious Injuries With Special DamagesMultiple injuries, can be both physical and psychological, that are serious plus compensation for special damages.Up to £1,000,000+
Brain Damage - Very SevereThere 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 TariffWhiplash with a psychological injury lasting between 18-24 months. £4,345
Whiplash TariffA 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?

In order to successfully claim for a car accident, you would need to provide evidence. Evidence can impact car crash compensation payouts in the UK. For example, if a medical report showed your injuries were particularly severe, you could potentially receive more compensation.

You need to prove both that an injury occurred and that it was the result of a breach of a duty of care.

Evidence examples:

  • Photographs of the scene.
  • Pictures of your injuries as well as damage to your vehicle.
  • Witness contact details.
  • Dashcam or mobile phone footage of the accident.

Additionally, how much compensation for a car accident you are awarded could be impacted by special damages. If you are claiming special damages, you will need proof to back up the expenses you are seeking to recover. This could include receipts, payslips and bank statements.

Call our advisors to learn more about car accident claim payouts.

Make Car Accident Claims With A No Win No Fee Lawyer

If you suffered 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 arrangement.

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 lawyers on our panel typically offer their services on a No Win No Fee basis.

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.