Whether you were a driver, a cyclist, a passenger or a pedestrian, if you were injured because someone else acted negligently it is bound to be a shocking and distressing experience. No amount of compensation can completely make up for this, of course, but it can ensure you’re not left financially worse off by a road traffic accident, as well as being an acknowledgment of how poorly you’ve been treated.

Even if the driver involved in a road traffic accident is uninsured, or you don’t know their identity, you could still make a claim for road traffic accident compensation.

How Much Compensation Can Be Claimed for a Road Traffic Accident in the UK?

The compensation that can be claimed from a road traffic accident in the UK could range from a few thousand pounds for minor injuries up to several hundred thousand for an accident which leaves you permanently disabled and requiring on-going medical treatment and care. When you make a road traffic accident claim with Beacon Law we’ll estimate what you are likely to receive, based on the following:

• The nature of your injuries and how severe they are
• The impact which your injuries have had on your life – from work to hobbies and family life
• The extent of any recovery you are expected to make
• Any financial impact directly caused by your injuries

The final compensation amount awarded for a successful road traffic accident claim will consist of general damages and special damages. These are calculated as follows:

General Damages

General damages are calculated to reflect the nature of your injury and the pain and distress it has caused. The figure is reached using past examples and a publication called the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). The JCG sets out a range of payment amounts for specific injuries, and examples in the latest edition include the following:

• Severe back injury with spinal cord damage – £85,470 to £151,070
• Moderately severe brain injury – £186,890 to £240,590
• Minor permanent damage to vision in one or both eyes – £7,780 to £17,900
• Serious jaw fracture – £15,320 to £26,010

In addition, general damages for road traffic accident claims are intended to compensate for the way in which your injuries stop you doing things such as pursuing hobbies, pastimes and family life.

Special Damages

Special damages are awarded to make sure that your injuries don’t leave you financially worse off than you would have been if the road traffic accident had never happened. This includes compensation for any earnings or pension provision lost because the injuries impact your ability to work.

In addition, special damages should reimburse you for expenses directly linked to your injuries. These could include the following:

• Money spent on medical bills now and in the future
• Money spent on care costs now and in the future
• Money calculated to cover the value of care provided free of charge by friends and family
• Money spent on special equipment needed because of your injuries, such as mobility aids
• Money spent on adapting your home or vehicle to take account of the long term impact of your injuries
• Money spent travelling to and from medical appointments
• Money spent accessing therapy or counselling to cope with your injuries
• Any money spent repairing the damage to a vehicle involved in the road traffic accident

The team at Beacon Law will guide you through the process of keeping financial records – i.e. receipts, invoices and bank statements – to make sure you get all of the compensation you’re entitled to.

How to Start Your Road Traffic Accident Claim

In the immediate aftermath of a road traffic accident claiming compensation may be the last thing on your mind. We understand that and so we’ll work closely with you to offer support as well as legal advice, and to break the claims process down into smaller, easily-understood stages.

In the immediate aftermath of a road traffic accident you should take the following steps:

• Seek medical attention – The more serious your injuries are, the more important it is that you seek prompt medical attention. No matter what form your injuries take, prompt medical attention will stop your condition worsening and increase the chances of a recovery. It will also create an official record of the nature of your injuries and when and where the road traffic accident happened.
• Report the road traffic accident – You have a legal duty to report any road traffic accident in which people were injured to the police. You should also ask for a copy of any police report of the accident, as this will provide an official account of what happened.
• Exchange details – If another driver was involved in the road traffic accident you should exchange contact information as well as insurance details, if possible, and their vehicle registration number
• Visual evidence – If you are able, you should take photographic and video evidence of the scene of the road traffic accident, including the position of the vehicles before they are moved, providing it is safe to do so.
• Contact Beacon Law – If you think that the road traffic accident was caused by another party being negligent then get in touch with us. During a free, no obligation consultation we’ll listen to the details of your accident and explain whether we think you could be eligible for compensation.
• If you are then we’ll explain the legal position on road traffic accident claims and how the claims process works. If you want to make a compensation claim we’ll start the process as quickly as possible – the sooner you get any compensation you’re entitled to, the better.

Evidence Needed for a Successful Road Traffic Accident Claim

As soon as you decide to make a road traffic accident claim we’ll get to work pulling together the evidence needed. The more details you can bring to us the better, but we have the experience and expertise needed to fill in any gaps, and will build your claim on a no win no fee basis while you concentrate on recovering.

The evidence needed to build the strongest possible road traffic claim includes the following:

• Your own statement setting out in detail how the accident happened and the severity of the injuries you received. The statement should also explain how the injuries have impacted you physically and psychologically since the accident, and the impact they have had on your ability to live your life as before.
• A medical report based on an evaluation carried out by an independent expert chosen by us. This will enable us to build the fullest possible
• picture of your injuries and the likely prognosis for any future recovery.
• With your permission we will also access your medical records, to gather any information such as the treatment given immediately following the road traffic accident, and your general state of health before receiving your injuries
• Copies of any police report into the accident
• We will speak to any witnesses present at the time of the road traffic accident – bystanders and other people caught up in the accident – to take down their accounts of what happened in order to support yours
• Any photographs or videos taken of the accident will also form part of the evidence we put together. If you weren’t able to take photographs at the time due to the extent of your injuries we will take photographs of the scene as it is now, as details of the layout of the road could help to bolster your account of what happened.
• If the location of the road traffic accident is covered by CCTV cameras we will obtain any available footage of the accident
• Any correspondence between you and your insurance company or the insurance company of the other party
• Records of any expenses directly linked to the road traffic accident. This could include repair costs for your vehicle as well as things like medical bills, travel expenses and lost earnings.
• Your own written account of you recovery from your injuries. Noting down details as they are fresh in your mind will help to ensure that you don’t miss anything when your claim is submitted. Examples could include accounts of your recovery, any pain and difficulty caused by your injuries on a day to day basis and any setbacks you suffer.

Who Is Eligible to Make a Road Traffic Accident Claim?

You don’t have to be the driver of a vehicle to be eligible to make a road traffic accident claim. The criteria for making a claim are as follows:

• You were involved in some way in a road traffic accident
• The accident was caused by the negligent behaviour of another individual
• As a direct result of the accident you suffered injuries

Individuals who might find themselves eligible to make a claim of this kind include:

• The driver of a vehicle
• The passengers in a vehicle
• A child involved in a road traffic accident
• A pedestrian
• A motorcyclist
• A passenger on public transport

It is also possible to make a claim for road traffic accident compensation if the driver responsible can’t be traced or is uninsured. If the motor accident in question caused the death of a loved one, you may be able to claim compensation through a fatal accident claim.

Time Limits for Filing a Road Traffic Accident Claim

There are strict time limits in place for making a road traffic accident claim. In the vast majority of cases, the claim will have to be made within 3 years of the date of the accident. Leave it any later than this and you can’t make a compensation claim.

Possible exceptions to the 3 year limit include the following:

• You were under 18 at the time of the road traffic accident, in which case the 3 years runs from the date of your 18th birthday to the date of your 21st
• You were injured in a way which left you ‘mentally incapacitated’ and unable to make the claim within 3 years. In cases like this the 3 year limit will run from the date upon which you regain the capacity to make a claim.

Although the legal time limit is 3 years, our experience at Beacon Law has taught us that it is best to start a claim as quickly as possible. The details of the road traffic accident will be fresh in your mind and the minds of any witnesses, and the sooner you start your claim, the sooner you’ll get any compensation awarded, and be able to start rebuilding your life.

Understanding the Role of Solicitors in Road Traffic Accident Claims

Although you don’t need a solicitor to make a road traffic accident claim in strict legal terms, attempting to claim compensation on your own behalf would be extremely risky. The law around issues such as negligence can be highly complex, and the team of experts at Beacon Law have more than 200 years combined experience of dealing with the ins and outs of this kind of personal injury claim.

We’ll know from the time of our first consultation whether you have a strong claim for negligence and, if you do, exactly what kind of evidence we’ll need to prove your case. We’ll also provide empathetic support and advice as you come to terms with your injuries, and take the stressful process of tracking down witnesses, police reports and medical records out of your hands.

We also know exactly how to deal with the insurance companies who handle claims of this kind, and can point to our strong track record of successful road traffic accident claims to demonstrate how certain we are of our case. Our aim is always to settle claims as quickly as possible by building such a strong case and presenting it so clearly that the other party realises they should admit liability and settle.

In addition, we know exactly how much compensation you might be entitled to, and never negotiate for anything less than 100% of what you deserve. If a settlement can’t be reached the case will be decided in court, and having the experts from Beacon Law by your side arguing your case will be more valuable than ever.

No Win No Fee Explained

We deal with road traffic accident claims on a no win no fee basis, also sometimes known as a Conditional Fee Arrangement (CFA). In simple terms this means the following:

• You don’t have to pay anything up-front or while we put your claim together and negotiate a settlement
• Even if you win your case you won’t have to pay our legal fees until after you’ve received your compensation, and it will never be more than 25% of what you receive
• If you lose your case, the costs of the other side will be covered by After the Event (ATE) insurance taken out at the start of the process

The fact that we work in this way means you can make a road traffic accident claim with Beacon Law on the basis of fairness and the misfortune you’ve suffered, without having to stop and think about how much it could cost you. If you’re eligible for compensation we think you deserve to get it and we’ll work to make that happen.

Why Choose Us for Your Road Traffic Accident Claim?

You should choose Beacon Law for your road traffic accident claim because our track record in claims of this kind speaks for itself. We have the experience and expertise needed to maximise your chances of winning your claim and getting every penny of the compensation you’re entitled to.

It’s about more than just results, however – when we take on your road traffic accident claim we treat you as a person and not just another case number. We understand how traumatic being caught up in a road traffic accident of any kind can be, and we’ll work with you in a sensitive and understanding manner to help you get your life back on track.

We recognise that injuries can be psychological and well as physical, and we offer the space and calm needed to make your recovery while we get on with the admin, paperwork and investigations needed to build an effective claim. We’re a family run firm and we offer one to one handling of each claim and someone on hand to answer any questions you might have at any time.

With more than 200 years combined experience to call on we can work quickly on even the most complex cases, bringing forward the day when you can claim any compensation due and start putting your road traffic accident behind you.

We talk in English, not legal jargon, and we work on a no win no fee basis because we think that fair compensation should be available for everyone. If you think you could claim compensation for a road traffic accident then contact us today.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I claim compensation if the car accident was partially my fault?

Yes, as long as the road traffic accident was primarily the fault of someone else you can make a claim for compensation. The amount of compensation you could receive will be reduced to reflect the degree to which you were responsible.

If you were found to be 15% responsible for the road traffic accident, for example, your compensation would be reduced by 15%.

How long does the road traffic accident claim process take?

The length of time a road traffic accident claim takes will depend upon the complexity of the case and the approach of the other party. Potential timeframes include the following:

• Simple claims in which the other party admits liability and the injuries are relatively minor – a few months
• Claims in which fault is disputed, or when more serious injuries require more in depth medical evaluation – 6 to 12 months
• Claims involving serious injuries such as head injuries, fractures and long term mobility issues could take longer to settle as it’s vital to gain a full and detailed picture of the long term prognosis for any injuries before agreeing a settlement amount – over a year

If liability has been agreed and the delay is caused by the need to reach a fair settlement regarding the extent of your injuries, we will apply for interim payments to cover on-going expenses such as medical bills or care costs. Any interim payments made will be deducted from the final compensation amount.

What if the other driver was uninsured or didn’t stop?

If the other driver is uninsured or can’t be traced, your claim will be made to the Motor Insurer’s Bureau (MIB). This is a government body set up to compensate people caught up in accidents with uninsured or untraced drivers.

A claim made to the MIB will be the same as a claim made to any other third party, with the exception of being made through the ‘portal’ on the MIB website.

Can I claim if I was a passenger during the accident?

Yes, you can claim as a passenger involved in a road traffic accident. You can claim against the driver of another vehicle involved in a collision with the vehicle you were travelling in, or against the driver of the vehicle you were in, if you feel that their driving was in some way negligent.