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If you’ve had a car accident where someone else was either fully or partly to blame, you could be entitled to compensation. Our specialist road traffic accident solicitors here at Slater and Gordon Lawyers can help you get you access to rehabilitation and medical support as well as financial compensation for your injuries.
For a free consultation with one of our specialist team of solicitors dealing with car accidents call us on Freephone 0808 175 8000 or tell us about your car accident and we will call you.
Who can claim car accident compensation?
You may think that only drivers can claim compensation for road accidents, but this isn’t the case. You can seek compensation for car accident injuries if you were a driver, a passenger, a pedestrian or if the injuries were caused by a car accident when you were riding a bike, a motorcycle or a horse.
If a child is involved in an accident, their parent or guardian can pursue a compensation claim on their behalf and act as the Litigation Friend.
How do I start a car accident claim?
Your first step when you are making a car accident compensation claim is to call our specialist personal injury solicitors for a free consultation to talk about your case. They will talk you though your options following information which you have given. If you don’t know whether you are eligible for compensation, our team will be able to offer you expert advice.
All you need to do at this stage is to provide us with the details of the car accident and your injuries, giving as much information as you can. Provide your registration details and those of the other party if you know them, and the precise location where the accident took place. Using these details, we can assess your claim and then recommend the most appropriate course of action.
The next step is for your solicitor to contact the other party - the person or people you believe to have been partially or fully responsible for your accident. On your behalf, your solicitor will let them know that you’ll be seeking compensation for your injuries along with any associated damages.
Your personal injury solicitor will handle everything on your behalf, using their legal expertise to progress the claim quickly and efficiently. Crucially, your solicitor will keep you updated with the latest developments as they happen. You don’t need to worry about the claim once you’ve been through the initial steps. All you need to do is concentrate on your recovery. With the right solicitor, making a compensation claim shouldn’t be an added stress.
What should I do after a car accident?
It’s very easy to panic immediately after an accident, not knowing what to do or what action to take. Road traffic accidents can be very upsetting for all involved, so it’s only natural if you’re not thinking straight at the time. There are however a few steps that you should take if you are able to, such as:
- Seek medical assistance if this is needed straightaway.
- Call the police as soon as possible to report the accident and ensure that all the details are recorded officially. If you can, get a copy of the police report.
- Take photographs of your injuries, the scene of the accident and the damage to the car, bike or other property as soon as possible after the accident.
- Get contact details of any people who saw what happened and who may be willing to provide a witness statement in any legal case.
Documentation pertaining to the car accident claim
It can also be very useful to keep hold of any documentation you receive that relates to your claim. This includes documentation for any medical treatments, prescriptions and procedures as part of your medical care following the accident. These documents should be signed and dated wherever possible.
You may also want to keep receipts for any other costs related to the accident, such as having to take a taxi to work or the hospital because your car is too damaged or you don’t feel able to drive. Finally, ask your employer for a letter confirming the number of work hours you have lost as a result of your injuries. Your solicitor can use this to demonstrate a loss of income.
An extra step which could support your claim for compensation is to keep a daily diary starting immediately after the accident and covering the full period of your recovery. Begin with a detailed description of the accident, including every detail you can remember even if it doesn’t seem particularly important or relevant. You should then keep a record of your recovery, including all of the details of your medical care, your emotional state during each day and the difficulties you encounter as a result of your injuries. This can be used to prove to the court how the accident has affected your life and changed it for the worse.
How much compensation can I claim for a car accident injury?
There’s no set amount of compensation for car accident claims, simply because each case is so different. An accident may involve multiple parties, cause an enormous range of different injuries and have very different short and long-term effects on the people involved.
The person you believe to have caused the accident may only partly be at fault, while a court could decide that you were at fault in some way - for example, if you were not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident. Most claims are settled before they even reach court, and negotiations over compensation offers regularly take place.
For all of these reasons and many more, claim amounts for car accidents can vary considerably. However, an experienced personal injury solicitor can usually advise on a ballpark figure you can expect to receive if you win your case, basing their estimate on other similar cases they have handled in the past. Simply provide the details of the accident and your injuries, and your solicitor will advise you on the amount you could receive if successful in your claim.
Average car accident compensation claim amounts
Although all car accident claims are different in terms of the compensation amounts awarded, they are split into general and special damages.
General Damages
General damages are awarded for the pain, suffering and loss of amenity you have suffered as a result of the accident
There are, of course, lots of different categories of injuries to various parts of the body. Most injuries from car accidents can be relatively minor, although they can still cause a lot of pain, discomfort and inconvenience for the sufferer.
In cases of serious injuries, the compensation amounts awarded are unsurprisingly much larger. This is because a serious injury could have resulted in a complete change to your life, affecting everything from your work to your leisure time and relationships. Compensation can help you plan for the future, ensuring that you have the medical care, support and accommodation for your rehabilitation. If you can’t work, or can’t do the same job you used to, compensation can be absolutely critical for helping you to balance your finances.
Special Damages
Special damages cover any expenses you have incurred as a result of the accident, including future expenses. For example, you can claim for:
- Travel expenses
- Adaptations you have to make to your home because of your injuries
- Medication and medical care
- Assistance in the home
- Rehabilitation costs
- Loss of earnings
- Future loss of earnings – for example, if you’re unable to work or unable to work in the same job at the same level of income you received before the accident
- Damage to vehicles and other property
Were your injuries caused by another motorist?
The compensation awarded in personal injury claims is paid for by the other motorist’s insurance, if they are found to be at fault. If your solicitor can prove that the other person was responsible for the accident, their insurance company will have to cover the cost for your compensation claim.
If you are injured in an accident caused by a motorist without insurance, or are involved in a hit and run where you don’t know who injured you, you may still be able to claim compensation. The Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) often covers compensation costs in these cases.
If your accident happened because of road conditions, the relevant local authority or Highways Agency would be pursued for compensation costs.. Road conditions include potholes, cracks in road surfaces or other avoidable obstacles or damage that can cause an accident. Road, pavements and public spaces are all looked after by someone, and neglecting essential maintenance can cause serious accidents and injuries.
Why choose Slater and Gordon as your personal injury solicitors?
At Slater and Gordon Lawyers, we completely understand the pain and distress and sometimes life changing effects that car crash injuries can cause. Our experienced road traffic accident solicitors will guide you through the process of claiming compensation with minimal hassle for you, so you can focus on getting better.
If you’ve been in a car accident, we can provide immediate legal representation and rehabilitation support anywhere in the UK. Our specialist team has a vast amount of experience in dealing with insurance companies who tend to be very reluctant to pay compensation in these kinds of cases. Someone trying to pursue a case on their own, without expert legal representation, could easily find themselves persuaded to accept a low settlement offer. Other dangers of going it alone include invalidating your claim due to a mistake or inaccuracy, or not providing the right kind of evidence. This is why it’s important to have a good solicitor representing you and your interests.
Call our no win no fee personal injury solicitors for a free consultation if you were injured in a car accident. You can reach us on freephone 0808 175 8000 to arrange a free consultation or start a car accident injury claim online. Simply tell us about the accident and we’ll get in touch.
Slater and Gordon Lawyers are a leading personal injury law firm with offices across the UK. We have solicitors that specialise in car accident claims nationwide and have offices in Birmingham, Cambridge, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Preston and Watford.
Many solicitors at are members of the Law Society Personal Injury Panel, the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and the Pan European Organisation of Personal Injury Lawyers (PEOPIL).
Will my car accident case be no win no fee?
98% of our car accident injury claims are funded through a Conditional Fee Agreement. This is what most people know as a no win no fee agreement and it means there is no financial risk to you. You will only pay a fee if we win your case and you have been awarded compensation.
Compensation in car accident cases is never guaranteed, but you’ll never be left out of pocket for seeking justice for what happened. Our solicitors will only ever provide you with a realistic assessment of your case and your chances of claiming compensation, and you won’t have to pay a penny unless we win on your behalf. Call us for a free consultation on 0808 175 8000 and we'll be happy to help you.
To speak with the specialist team 24/7 please call us on 0808 175 8000 or request a callback online.
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