A Guide To Claiming For Rear End Collisions

Last Updated 27th October 2025. Rear-end collisions are among the most common types of road traffic accidents in the UK. Not only can it cause serious damage to your vehicle, but a rear-end collision may also lead to significant injuries to your neck, back, and internal organs. Such collisions can also have serious psychological consequences. So, what are your options if you’ve been harmed in a road traffic accident through no fault of your own?

Here at UK Law, our advisory team works around the clock to provide free advice and assess your eligibility to claim for no charge. If you have a valid case, you can be put in touch with a specialist solicitor from our highly experienced panel. From start to finish, they will advocate tirelessly for you and utilise their knowledge to your advantage throughout the claims process.

Important Questions

• How are rear-end shunt claims made? Rear-end shunt claims are made by gathering evidence showing how another driver is at fault for causing someone’s injuries.
• What if the other vehicle was uninsured? You would claim through the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB), which can compensate victims of accidents caused by uninsured or untraced drivers.
• Will I be compensated for psychological distress? Personal injury compensation can be paid out for both the physical and mental harm caused in the crash.
• What about the repairs to my car? Financial losses can also form part of the payout, so your car repair costs will be considered. 
• Can rear-end accident claims be made on a No Win No Fee basis? Yes, as our panel of solicitors does not charge any upfront or ongoing service fees, nor any when a claim is lost.

Choose A Section

1. Can I Make A Claim For A Rear-End Collision On The Road?
2. I Was Hit By A Car From Behind – How Much Can I Claim?
3. What Evidence Could Support A Road Traffic Accident Claim?
4. Common Injuries In Rear End Collisions
5. Time Limits To Claim For Rear End Collisions
6. What A Rear-End Accident Lawyer Does For You
7. Rear End Collisions And No Win No Fee Claims
8. Useful Pages

Can I Make A Claim For A Rear-End Collision On The Road?

Were you injured after being involved in a rear end collision? If another road user was responsible for this, you may be eligible to make a road traffic accident compensation claim.

To make a car accident claim, you must meet the following eligibility criteria:

1. The third party must have owed you a duty of care 
2. This duty must have been breached in some way.
3. The breach was the cause of the accident in which you were injured.

All road users owe others a duty of care. Therefore, they must adhere to the driving standards laid out in the Road Traffic Act 1988 and Highway Code and use the roads safely and responsibly. If they fail to do so, they may breach their duty of care and injure other road users, for which they may be held responsible.

To illustrate this, you may be eligible to claim compensation if:

• Your vehicle was safely and correctly stationary at a red light
• Another road user failed to slow down and stop on time because he was using his mobile phone while driving
• The other road user then collided with the rear-end of your car, causing you to sustain a fractured arm and concussion
• As he breached his duty of care by failing to use the roads safely, he may be liable for your injuries, and you may receive compensation.  

What If I Was Partially At Fault For The Rear End Collision?

Even if you were partially at fault for the rear end collision, you could still make a road traffic claim for the injuries that you sustained. In this case, your claim would be made under the terms of ‘split liability,’ which applies when there is shared responsibility for an accident.

Split liability claims result in compensation payouts being awarded based on each party’s percentage of fault. For instance, if you are found to be 20% liable for the accident, then you would be awarded 80% of the payout that you would’ve received had you not contributed to the incident.

If you’d like a more tailored discussion of split liability or the eligibility criteria for claiming road traffic accident compensation, then please get in touch today. Our helpful advisors would be more than happy to answer your questions and see if you can be put in touch with a rear end accident lawyer from our panel.

I Was Hit By A Car From Behind, How Much Can I Claim?

There are two heads of claim that compensation may be awarded under if your road traffic accident claim succeeds: General and special damages. Compensation for the physical and psychological harm caused by the rear end accident is awarded under general damages.

Financial losses that are caused by your injuries can be claimed for under special damages. These can include loss of future earning capacity, travel costs, private physiotherapy, and the repair or replacement of your damaged vehicle.

When the value of your general damages is being calculated, reference can be made to your medical documents alongside the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This publication contains guideline compensation brackets for various injuries. We have used some in our table here.

Compensation Table:

Please take note that this table is intended as guidance only, and the first entry is not a JCG bracket. Additionally, the bottom two figures have been taken from the tariff within the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021. We will discuss this in more depth a little later on.

Injury	Severity	Compensation
Multiple Severe Injuries and Special Damages (e.g. Lost Earnings, Care Costs, Physiotherapy)	Severe	Up to £500,000+
Brain and Head Injuries	Moderate (c)(i)	£183,190 to £267,340
Neck Injuries	Severe (a)(ii)	£80,240 to £159,770
Back Injuries	Severe (a)(iii)	£47,320 to £85,100
Wrist Injuries	Complete Loss of Function (a)	£58,110 to £73,050
Leg Injuries	Severe (b)(iv)	£33,880 to £47,840
Other Arm Injuries	Less Severe (c)	£23,430 to £47,810
Knee Injuries	Moderate (b)(i)	£18,110 to £31,960
Shoulder Injuries	Serious (b)	£15,580 to £23,430
Whiplash Injuries	One or Multiple Whiplash Injuries With Minor Psychological Damage	£4,345
	One or Multiple Whiplash Injuries Without Minor Psychological Damage	£4,215

Injured When Rear Ended – Can I Claim Special Damages?

If you make a successful personal injury claim after being rear-ended, your settlement could also include special damages for any financial loss caused by the harm you suffered. Some examples of costs and losses you could be compensated for in a rear ending accident claim include:

• Medical expenses: Including private treatments, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy, as well as over-the-counter pain medications or prescriptions.
• Travel expenses: The cost of taxis or public transport to get to medical appointments.
• Loss of earnings: Can encompass future earnings, affected pension contributions, and missed bonuses.
• Care costs: If you’ve needed someone to help you because of your injuries, with dressing or washing, for example.
• Vehicle repair/replacement: This out-of-pocket expense would be for the repair or replacement of your vehicle if it were damaged as a direct result of the rear end collision
• Damage to personal property: Such as the cost of repairing or replacing clothing, phones, and other electronics.
• Home adaptations: If you’ve been seriously injured and need home adaptations, such as wheelchair ramps or a stairlift.

Providing copies of your bank statements, payslips, and any relevant receipts or invoices that prove these losses as essential, as evidence is needed to claim for special damages.

To see if you could be eligible to work with a solicitor on our panel if you suffered injuries after your car was rear ended, you can contact our advisors.

Whiplash Reforms

The Whiplash Reform Programme brought in changes to how certain claims for road traffic accidents are made. The reforms only apply to England and Wales. They mean that passengers and drivers aged 18 or older who have suffered injuries valued at £5,000 or less must claim in a different way.

If this applies to you, your whiplash injury will also be valued in accordance with the tariff set out in the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021. Injuries that are not covered by the tariff will be assigned a value traditionally. As mentioned, our table above includes a few examples of this tariff. These are fixed amounts.

If you were in an accident where being rear ended resulted in whiplash, get in touch with our advisors for help with how to claim.

What Evidence Could Support A Road Traffic Accident Claim?

In order to make a personal injury claim, you must provide evidence to prove that the rear shunt accident wasn’t your fault. You’ll also need to provide evidence as to the injuries you sustained. There are multiple forms of evidence that could be presented as part of your claim, such as:

• CCTV or dashcam footage – Video footage can show exactly what happened and how the crash occurred. You have the right to request CCTV footage of yourself.
• Photos of the cars – Photos of the damage that your car has sustained can help to prove how severe the crash was and how hard the car behind crashed into you. The area of damage on the cars could also help to inform liability.
• Photos of your injuries – It may be helpful to take photos of your injuries to show the severity of them and where on the body they occurred. You could also supply photographs of your injuries as they heal to highlight the recovery process.

If you would like to know more about what kind of evidence could support your claim, why not speak to our team today? They can offer you free legal advice about making a claim.

Common Injuries In Rear-End Collisions

If you have been rear ended in a road traffic accident, then there are numerous types of injuries you could potentially suffer. Some examples of injuries that may occur due to a rear end accident include:

• A whiplash injury.
• Breaks and fractures, such as a broken foot.
• Cuts and lacerations, which may occur due to glass on your vehicle shattering.
• Brain injuries, such as a concussion or more severe brain damage.
• Back pain caused by sprains and strains.

When claiming for injuries caused by a rear end collision, it’s important that you provide evidence that confirms that they occurred. Such evidence could include a copy of your medical records that state what injuries you’ve received treatment for.

Please don’t hesitate to contact our advisors today if you have questions about car accident claims involving rear end collisions.

Time Limits To Claim For Rear End Collisions

The general personal injury claims time limit is three years. This is three years from the exact date you suffered the rear shunt accident.

However, there are some exceptions to this time limit. For instance:

• If someone lacks the mental capacity to make a claim, the three-year time limit begins in the event that they recover. In the event that they don’t recover, the time limit is suspended indefinitely, and someone can act as a litigation friend to sue on behalf of them.
• If you’re under 18, the personal injury claims time limit of three years begins from your 18th birthday. While you’re underage, the time limit is suspended, and a litigation friend can claim on your behalf.

If you’d like more advice about the time limits that apply to starting a claim, you can contact our friendly team of advisers. They would be happy to have a chat with you. If you have a valid case, they can connect you with an experienced lawyer from our panel.

What A Rear-End Accident Lawyer Does For You

A specialist rear-end accident lawyer can build a strong claim on your behalf by gathering evidence, handling communications with the defendant’s representatives, and negotiating the maximum compensation possible for your circumstances. Our panel of solicitors, in particular, provide a client-focused service that prioritises the health and well-being of claimants from start to finish. That involves the following support:

• Establishing fault: Our expert panel of solicitors makes sure to focus on the key details, ensuring all avenues of evidence are explored. They’ll work hard to obtain any evidence that can prove the other driver’s negligent actions and the injuries you suffered as a result.
• Handling communications: Your solicitor will act as the main point of contact so that you can stay focused on your recovery and personal needs throughout the rear-end collision claims process.
• Securing maximum compensation: All the road traffic accident solicitors on our panel take an expert approach to negotiations, with 1 goal in mind: to secure a settlement that fairly reflects your physical, psychological, and financial suffering.
• Recovery and Rehabilitation: You will be your solicitor’s main priority. So, beyond practical guidance and advice during your claim, your solicitor can also put you in touch with rehabilitation specialists to support your recovery over the short and long term.

If you’d like to find out more about these and other services, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our advisory team today. You can also keep reading to learn how our panel of solicitors work under No Win No Fee terms.

Rear End Collisions And No Win No Fee Claims

If you suffered an injury in a rear ended car accident and are eligible to claim compensation, you may wish to instruct a solicitor to work on your case. One of the personal injury solicitors from our panel could help you. Our panel of No Win No Fee solicitors typically provide their services under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). A CFA is a type of No Win No Fee arrangement.

When your solicitor provides their services under the terms of a CFA, they won’t take an upfront fee for their work on your case. You also won’t be asked to pay ongoing fees for their work. There is also no service fee to pay if the claim does not succeed.

However, if your claim wins, your solicitor will take a success fee out of your compensation. This fee is a legally capped percentage.

If you would like to discuss the injuries you suffered in a rear end shunt, get in touch with our team. They’re here to help you. Additionally, if you satisfy the eligibility criteria, they could connect you to one of the personal injury solicitors from our panel.

To talk about rear end collisions with an advisor:

• Call us on 020 3870 4868
• Talk to us about your claim online
• Use the pop-up chat window

Useful Pages

Some useful guides:

• When and how to report a car accident
• How to claim for a motorcycle accident
• Learn about bicycle accident claims

Information from the NHS:

• An overview of broken legs
• A resource on broken arms or wrists
• Guidance on head injuries and concussion

Thank you for reading our guide on claiming compensation for rear-end collisions. Contact our team to learn more.