Road traffic accident claims are one of the most common types of compensation claims. Road traffic accidents are a daily occurrence on Britain’s roads. These types of accidents cost thousands of lives and cause significant injuries every year.
If you are unfortunate enough to suffer a road traffic accident which was not your fault, you might be able to claim for a road traffic accident. Whether you were the driver or passenger of a car, motorcyclist or victim of a ‘hit and run’ you will, no doubt, have experienced severe pain and suffering and could be entitled to make a road traffic accident compensation claim.
Common Types of Road Traffic Accident Claims
Road traffic accident claims are made as a result of a number of different types of accident. The most common types of RTA claim we handle include:
Common Road Traffic Accident Injuries
Injuries for a road traffic accident can be made for a variety of injuries, including broken bones, bruises, and psychological injuries. Often the injuries suffered can be far more serious and can cause the victim to suffer amputation, burns, spinal damage, brain damage, or fatalities.
Depending on how the road traffic accident happens, the severity of the injuries sustained can vary tremendously, from major, life-changing injuries to minor injuries. The speed the cars are travelling when the car accident happens will have some bearing on the severity of the injuries sustained, as well as how well equipped the vehicles are with safety features such as seatbelts, airbags and side-impact bars.
You are obviously better protected if you are in a road traffic accident if you are inside a vehicle such as a car, bus or lorry than you would be if you were a cyclist, motorcyclist or pedestrian.
What Should I Do after a Road Traffic Accident?
If you’re involved in a road accident:
- Stop and remain at the scene for a reasonable period. You should also report the accident to the police.
- Give your vehicle registration number, name and address, and that of the vehicle owner (if different) to anyone with reasonable grounds for asking for those details.
- Produce your certificate of insurance to any person at the scene who has reasonable grounds to view it.
- If you do not exchange those details at the scene, you must report the incident at a police station or to a police constable within 24 hours of the accident occurring.
- Report the accident to your insurance company within a reasonable time. This tends to be an explicit term in your insurance policy, and any failure to report an incident may result in your insurers refusing to cover you.
- Make sure you have the full names and addresses of the other parties involved, their vehicle registration numbers (together with make, model and colour) and the names, addresses and policy numbers of their insurance companies.
- Make sure you have the full names and addresses of any eye-witnesses involved (including all passengers), and their vehicle registration numbers (together with make, model and colour).
- Make a sketch of the accident location, to include street names, vehicle positions, the direction of travel, skid marks, collision points, and vehicle damage. Use a camera to take photos of the road layout, positions of vehicles, and vehicle damage.
- If you have been injured in the accident, you should seek medical attention to have those injuries assessed and treated as soon as possible.
- Keep receipts for any financial losses, such as vehicle damage repairs, medical treatment costs, and parking costs, and travel costs.
- If you wish to make a claim for your injuries, contact Beacon Law to speak to a specialist from our road traffic accident claims department.
I’m Not Sure Who Was Responsible for My Accident
It is important to establish that someone else was at fault and that they were to blame for your accident to be successful in a road traffic accident claim.
Understanding who was at fault during an RTA can be difficult, especially if the other party is refusing to accept liability for the accident. If you have had an accident and you are unsure as to who is to blame, Beacon Law can discuss this with you.
Please provide us with as much information as possible regarding the accident, including any photographs or witness statements, obtained, and we will be able to advise you on your prospects of success.
In some cases, both parties may be partially to blame for an accident. In these cases, liability will be split, and you may still be able to claim compensation; however, the level of compensation awarded will be lower depending on the percentage of the blame afforded to each party to the claim.
How Will My Road Traffic Accident Claim be Handled?
The less serious injuries will be dealt with by one of our specialist personal injury solicitors. The claim will be submitted to the other party’s insurers via the “RTA claims process”. The aim of this process is to facilitate quick settlement by inviting early admissions from insurers and coming to speedy settlement by frank and efficient negotiation. If, however, your symptoms are far more serious, your case will be dealt with by one of our serious injury team.
We can act for children, vehicle drivers, passengers, pedestrians, motorcyclists, passengers on public transport, and victims of uninsured or untraceable drivers.
What Can I Recover in Road Traffic Accident Claim?
Road traffic accident claims for compensation are split into two separate claims – general damages and special damages.
General damages refer to the amount of compensation awarded for pain, suffering, and loss of amenity caused by your injuries.
Special damages refer to any additional losses. These losses can include:
- Costs of damage to your vehicle.
- Loss of Earnings.
- Medical Expenses.
- Costs of care and assistance if you needed help around the home due to your injuries.
It would help if you kept all receipts and invoices for your additional losses as these will be required to prove your losses.
How Much Compensation Will I Receive?
The amount of compensation awarded in a personal injury claim will vary depending on the severity of your injuries. Lower levels of compensation will be awarded for non-serious injuries which recover quickly. The most serious, long-term/permanent injuries will attract a higher level of compensation. As many injuries are complex, especially those which are ongoing, it may be necessary to arrange an independent medical examination for your injuries before we can make an estimation on the value of your injuries.
There are many law firms providing compensation calculators online; however, these may not always be accurate and may give unrealistic expectations as to how much a person’s claim is worth. Each claim is different, and the level of compensation awarded will vary based on many different factors.
When valuing your injuries, we use recent case law, as well as guidelines set out by the Judicial College. We will then negotiate a settlement with the other side to ensure you receive the right amount of compensation for your injuries.
