How To Make A Zebra Crossing Accident Claim

Last Updated 20th November 2025. Pedestrians are considered road users who require extra care, as they are vulnerable when using the road. This can mean that, if they are involved in road traffic accidents, such as zebra crossing accidents, their injuries can be life-changing or even fatal in the most severe cases. These types of accidents can cause profound physical and psychological trauma for those involved; oftentimes exacerbated by a disrupted routine if you’ve been left unable to work whilst recovering. Additionally, these kinds of accidents can ultimately lead to financial distress, due to lost income or rising medical costs; this is where a zebra crossing accident claim could help you seek much-needed compensation.

With the support of a solicitor from our panel, your compensation could encompass your suffering and pain, and any expenses or time off work caused by your accident. At UK Law, we are here to help discuss the options available to you. Read on to learn how to seek compensation, or get in touch with our advisory team today to learn more.

Your Need To Know Questions Answered

• Who Has the Right of Way? Legally, pedestrians have the right of way at a zebra crossing. Drivers are expected to yield and allow a pedestrian to cross safely. 
• How Can I Prove that the Driver was Responsible? You can prove that the driver was responsible by holding evidence that shows their negligent actions led to your injuries. Evidence can include contact details of anyone who might’ve witnessed the accident, CCTV or dashcam footage.
• What Are Some Causes of a Zebra Crossing Accident? Zebra crossing accidents can arise in a number of ways, for example, if a driver is speeding, distracted on their phone, fails to look at their surroundings or is even under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
• Can Cyclists Use Zebra Crossings? No, cyclists are not permitted to use a zebra crossing, as they are designed solely for pedestrian usage.
• What Injuries Could Be Suffered In Zebra Crossing Accidents? Injuries could vary from soft tissue injuries to more severe injuries such as fractures, brain damage and paralysis.

To see if you could be eligible to claim compensation for an accident at a zebra crossing, you can contact our advisors.

Select A Section

• Could I Make A Zebra Crossing Accident Claim?
• Causes Of Zebra Crossing Accidents
• Proving A Driver Caused Your Zebra Crossing Accident
• Estimated Payouts For Pedestrian Zebra Crossing Accidents
• Make A No Win No Fee Zebra Crossing Accident Claim
• Further Guidance On Pedestrian Crossing Accidents

Could I Make A Zebra Crossing Accident Claim?

In order to make a claim, your case  must meet certain eligibility criteria to be considered valid. You must show that:

• Another road user owed you a duty of care;
• There was a breach of their duty; and
• The subsequent accident caused by the breach meant you experienced harm that was either physical, mental, or both.

Furthermore, a personal injury claim must be started within three years of the accident. This requirement is set out by the Limitation Act 1980, though the Act does note that exceptions apply in certain cases.

 

If you are unsure what time limit may apply to you, and whether you’re eligible to seek compensation, please call our advisors using the number above.

Rules For Zebra Crossings

Road users’ duty of care is applied by the Road Traffic Act 1988. This duty requires road users to take reasonable measures to ensure the safety of others while using the road.

The Highway Code guides road users on their different responsibilities, as well as providing numerous rules backed by law that must be followed. This includes key information on the use of zebra crossings.

Firstly, Rule 19 of the Highway Code advises pedestrians to give traffic plenty of time to stop when waiting at a such crossings and to walk once the road is clear or traffic has stopped from both sides.

Above all, Rule 204 notes that pedestrians are one of the most vulnerable road user, and those who could cause the greatest harm are most responsible for reducing the threat they pose to others.

Additionally, Rule 195 outlines that motorists must give way if a pedestrian is crossing the road.

Causes Of Zebra Crossing Accidents

As the previous section shows, motorists bear much responsibility towards pedestrians, and a breach of their duty of care could lead to accidents and harm.

Some examples of this include:

• A HGV driver failed to spot you crossing and struck you while you were crossing. As a result, you suffer a traumatic brain injury or head injury.
• You sustain a forearm fracture because a motorist was not paying appropriate attention when driving and you were hit by a car while crossing.
• You suffer a spinal injury because a car driver was using their phone when driving and didn’t see you on the crossing.

However, it is important to note that not all accidents involving a pedestrian being injured at a pedestrian crossing will form the basis of a valid personal injury claim. It needs to be proven that a breach of another road user’s duty of care resulted in the pedestrian becoming injured.

Zebra Crossing Accidents Caused By Untraced Or Uninsured Drivers

Under Section 170 of the Act 1988, drivers must stop and exchange information at the scene of an accident if a person, other than the driver, suffers a personal injury, or there has been any property or vehicle damage.

Generally, when a personal injury claim is made after an accident on the road, this is done against the at fault driver whose insurance would cover the compensation. However, if the accident is caused by an uninsured driver or a driver who has fled the scene, such as in a hit and run incident, a claim would instead be made via the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB). To do so, you would still need to prove that the other road user caused you harm as a result of breaching their duty of care.

Please contact our advisors if you have been injured in an accident involving an uninsured or untraced driver and need guidance. They can offer further guidance on the steps you could potentially take to begin a zebra crossing accident claim and seek compensation.

Proving A Driver Caused Your Zebra Crossing Accident

A zebra crossing accident claim can be supported by relevant evidence which shows a connection between a road user’s breach of duty causing the accident, and your subsequent injuries. Evidence can include:

• Footage captured by CCTV or traffic cameras, a personal device, like your phone or a driver’s dash cam.
• A police report.
• Medical records that you can request during treatment, such as X-rays.
• Witness contact information. Witnesses could be called to provide a statement that shares their account of what happened.

A solicitor from our panel can help to gather evidence during the claims process. Please speak with an advisor if you would like to know more about what our panel of solicitors can do for you.

Estimated Payouts For Pedestrian Zebra Crossing Accidents

The table below gives guideline compensation brackets for different injuries. The figures come from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), a document legal professionals can use along with medical evidence to value the general damages portion of your potential settlement.

General damages is one of the heads of claim that accounts for physical pain and mental suffering arising from being hurt.

This table should not be seen as a guaranteed projection of compensation that would be given in a zebra crossing accident claim because settlements typically vary. Additionally, the first row has not been taken from the JCG.

Guideline Compensation Brackets

Injury	Severity	Compensation	Notes
Multiple Injuries That Are Serious And Special Damages	Serious	Up to £1,000,000+	A combination of multiple serious injuries alongside financial losses, such as lost earnings, and the cost of mobility aids and home adjustments.
Injuries Involving Paralysis	Paraplegia	£267,340 to £346,890	Age and life expectancy, the presence and extent of pain, mental well-being, degree of independence and also the impact on sexual function factor into the compensation awarded.
Head	Moderately Severe	£267,340 to £344,150	The affected person will be very seriously disabled, as well as needing constant care. Disabilities can either be physical or cognitive.
Back	Severe (i)	£111,150 to £196,450	The most severe injuries, involving nerve root and spinal cord damage with very serious consequences.
Back	Moderate (i)	£33,880 to £47,320	Examples of injuries included in this bracket are a compression or crush fracture to the lumbar vertebrae.
Chest	Traumatic injury to the chest, lung(s), and/or heart	£80,240 to £122,850	Permanent damage, functional impairment and physical disability are caused. There is also a reduced life expectancy.
Leg	Severe (ii)	£66,920 to £109,290	Very serious leg injuries, where the injured person will need mobility aids and/or have permanent mobility issues for the rest of their life.
Neck	Severe (iii)	£55,500 to £68,330	Significant and permanent disability, resulting from fractures, dislocations, severe soft tissue damage and/or ruptured tendons.
Wrist	Significant Permanent Disability	£29,900 to £47,810	Some useful movement remains after the injury.
Arm	Less Severe	£23,430 to £47,810	While there will have been disabilities of a significant degree, recovery is either expected or has already happened.

What Special Damages Could You Claim?

You could also claim special damages, the other possible head of claim that can make up a settlement. This compensates for the financial losses caused by an injury. By providing evidence of expenses like receipts or payslips, costs you could claim reimbursement for include, for instance:

• A loss of earnings
• Medical costs
• Travel costs
• The cost of home adaptations

For more information on the compensation that you could receive following a successful claim, please get in touch on the number above.

Make A No Win No Fee Zebra Crossing Accident Claim

Provided you have a valid compensation claim, one of the expert personal injury solicitors from our panel may be able to help.

Our panel works on a No Win No Fee basis through Conditional Fee Agreements (CFAs). This means that when you start your zebra crossing accident compensation claim with a solicitor from our panel, they won’t charge you for their work upfront or as the claim is ongoing. Likewise, if your claim doesn’t succeed, you won’t pay a fee for their services.

If your claim is successful, a small capped percentage will be deducted as our panel’s success fee.  This percentage is limited by law, to help to make sure that you keep the majority share of what you receive.

Contact Our Team To Learn More

If you’d like to find out whether a solicitor from our panel could assist you with claiming compensation for an accident at a pedestrian crossing, contact our team of advisors today. They can answer any questions you might have about the claims process and may be able to connect you with a solicitor from our panel. To get started:

• Call us on 020 3870 4868
• Use the live chat feature
• Contact us online

Further Guidance On Pedestrian Crossing Accidents

We have more useful guides related to road traffic accidents, including the below:

• A guide to car accident claims.
• More information on the road traffic accident claims process.
• Guidance on what to do as a cyclist hit by a car.

Lastly, here are some useful resources for you to look at.

• MIB – More information about making a claim.
• GOV – Highway Code guidance for pedestrians.

Thank you for reading our guide on when a zebra crossing accident claim could be made. If you have any other queries, please give our team a call.