If you’ve sustained injuries while using the roads, you might like to know how much compensation for a pedestrian hit by a car. This guide examines how compensation could be awarded for a successful road traffic accident claim involving a pedestrian.
However, you won’t have a valid pedestrian accident claim if you don’t meet the personal injury claims eligibility. So, we follow this first section up with a look at the criteria you will have to satisfy in order to file a claim.
The following sections look at the causes of pedestrian accidents and what injuries could be sustained. Towards the end of this guide you can find information on the claims process. This covers how to make a claim, whether you could claim on behalf of a child and how a personal injury solicitor from our panel could help you.
Our team of advisors are available around the clock with free advice about claiming for pedestrian injuries. Get in touch with today by:
- Calling 0800 408 7826.
- Sending a message using our contact us page.
- You can also use our online chat
Browse Our Guide
- How Much Compensation For A Pedestrian When Hit By A Car?
- Am I Eligible To Make A Claim?
- Common Causes Of Pedestrian Accidents
- Common Injuries Pedestrians Claim For
- How To Start Your Pedestrian Accident Claim
- Can I Claim On Behalf Of My Child?
- How Our Panel Of Solicitors Can Help You Claim
- More Information
How Much Compensation For A Pedestrian When Hit By A Car?
How much compensation for a pedestrian hit by a car you could be entitled to claim will be unique to your case. Each claim will be different and could involve different circumstances, injuries and other effects. Even where two people suffered similar injuries, the amount of compensation awarded may be different.
This means that to properly value your pedestrian accident claim, an advisor from our team would have to listen about your injuries and any related expenses. If you would like to know more about how they would calculate this figure, we provide this information in the following sections.
Factors Involved In Determining Your Payout
If you make a successful pedestrian accident claim, your settlement could consist of up to two heads of loss. These are called:
- General damages are awarded for any pain and suffering which were caused by your accident.
- Special damages are awarded to compensate for any out of pocket expenses caused by your pedestrian injuries.
Those calculating general damages may review medical evidence showing how you were injured and compare this to guidelines published by the Judicial College (JCG). In this publication, you can find guidelines on what may be awarded for different forms of physical injury and psychological damage.
Use Our Compensation Calculator
In the following table, we have compiled figures from the JCG covering potential pedestrian injuries caused by being hit by a car. Our compensation calculator uses figures from this same source.
Please be aware that these figures are only guidelines and do not represent your claim. Furthermore, the first figure was not taken from the JCG.
| Injury | Severity | Notes | Damages Guideline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple types of injury with award for special damages. | Serious up to severe | Multiple severe injuries | Up to £1,000,000+ where special damages are awarded. |
| Paralysis injuries | Quadriplegia/ tetraplegia - A | Compensation could take account of pain, age and life expectancy. | £396,140 to £493,000 |
| Brain injury | Very severe - A | Little or no response to the environment at the top of the bracket. | £344,150 to £493,000 |
| Post-traumatic stress disorder | Severe - A | Permanent effects on all parts of this person's life. | £73,050 to £122,850 |
| Pelvic injury | Severe - A (ii) | Dislocation with a fracture. | £75,550 to £95,680 |
| Back injury | Severe - A (iii) | Fractures of vertebral bodies or discs. | £47,320 to £85,100 |
| Leg injury | Severe - B (iii) | A serious injury such as comminuted or compound fracture. | £47,840 to £66,920 |
| Foot injury | Serious - E | An injury requiring prolonged treatment. | £30,500 to £47,840 |
| Wrist injury | Less Severe - C | Some permanent disability (such as stiffness and persisting pain) from less serious injuries. | £15,370 to £29,900 |
| Shoulder injury | Serious - B | A dislocated shoulder with brachial plexus damage. | £15,580 to £23,430 |
Please contact us if you need help getting an estimate from our compensation calculator. Alternatively, ask an advisor how much compensation for a pedestrian hit by a car. They can value your claim based on your circumstances.
Special Damages – How They Affect Your Claim
Some claimants may also be awarded special damages as part of a successful personal injury claim. Special damages acknowledge that your injury may have caused you financial and economic losses. In some cases, this can make up a significant part of your compensation payout.
Special damages could take account of factors such as:
- Lost earnings and other income.
- Medical bills and related expenses for medication.
- Care costs. These may include the cost of care in the home or in another place.
- Home help. If you were unable to care for your child or carry out domestic tasks you may reclaim the cost of necessary help.
- Travel costs, such as the cost of getting to an appointment for medical treatment.
In order to be compensated for these losses, it is essential that you submit evidence of them. Admissible evidence may include proof of earnings, invoices or receipts for medical treatment or care and travel tickets.
One of our advisors could answer any further questions about how much compensation for a pedestrian hit by a car.
Am I Eligible To Make A Claim?
Whether you are crossing the road on a crossing, whilst walking through a car park or otherwise using the road as a pedestrian you are owed a duty of care by other road users. Drivers, motorcyclists, cyclists and others have a duty of care towards each other.
These parties must make sure that the way in which they use the roads is safe for themselves and others. To do so, all road users must comply with the Road Traffic Act 1988. They must also abide by rules and guidelines established by the Highway Code.
Your claim will likely be made against the driver’s insurance company. They will need to see that your claim is valid. Pedestrian accident claims must satisfy the following eligibility criteria:
- That the road user you are claiming against had a duty of care to you.
- That this road user breached their duty of care. For instance, they failed to stop at a crossing and struck you.
- Your injuries were caused by this breach. In this instance, you could suffer serious injuries where a vehicle failed to stop and struck you.
In addition to these criteria, you must also begin the claims process within the applicable limitation period.
What If The Accident Was Partially My Fault?
Even if you were partially at fault, you could still make a personal injury claim. However, any compensation you are awarded will be reduced by the percentage you are deemed to be at fault.
For example, if you were judged to be equally at fault as the other party, any compensation awarded to you may be reduced by 50%.
Get in touch with our team to find out how a solicitor from our panel could help you make a pedestrian injury claim, or to discuss claiming compensation if you were partially at fault.
Common Causes Of Pedestrian Accidents
According to the reported road casualties in Great Britain provisional statistics, there were 19,092 pedestrian road traffic accidents in the year ending June 2024. These were published by the Department for Transport on 28th November 2024.
Pedestrians could be hit by a car in many different circumstances. Accidents could happen whilst crossing the road on a pedestrian crossing, whilst in a shared space (such as a car park) or if a vehicle mounts the pavement.
Potential causes of accidents may include:
- A road user failing to stop at a pedestrian crossing and/ or when you are already on the road.
- A drunk or otherwise intoxicated road user failing to pay due care and attention.
- Speeding motorists. Speeding could mean they do not have time to slow down or stop for a pedestrian crossing the road.
- A motorist ignoring traffic signals, such as red lights.
- Distracted driving, such as when using a mobile phone.
If the driver failed to stop at the scene of the accident, this is categorised as a hit and run accident. In this case, if the other party can not be identified or located, your claim may be made via the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB), rather than against a specific insurance company.
Please get in contact with our team for advice on how much compensation for a pedestrian hit by a car.
Common Injuries Pedestrians Claim For
Common pedestrian injuries could include:
- A back injury. These may range in severity from soft tissue injuries, which heal quickly, to fractures and spinal injuries, which may cause long-term harm and even disabilities.
- Internal injuries. These may include injuries to your internal organs, such as injuries caused by penetrating wounds or impacts at speed.
- Leg injuries, such as a broken leg or similar injury.
- Broken or fractured bones, such as a broken arm. These could occur in any part of the body, depending on how you were struck by the car.
- Lacerations, cuts and similar wounds. This may include penetrating wounds.
- A foot injury, such as those caused by your foot being run over.
- Other soft tissue injuries, such as strains and sprains.
Please contact the team to discuss how much compensation for a pedestrian hit by a car. One of our team members can calculate how much you might be eligible to claim.
How To Start Your Pedestrian Accident Claim
In this next part of our guide, we look at the pedestrian accident claims process. In order to make any type of personal injury claim, there are steps you must take. Your first step should always be to ensure your own safety and that of others with you. Following this, you should seek medical care for any injuries sustained.
Seeking medical attention will generate vital evidence of your injuries. However, you will need to collect further evidence that proves liability for these.
Gathering Evidence
Evidence which could support a pedestrian accident compensation claim could include:
- Your medical records. Your medical records may include details of what injuries you suffered and how they were treated. They may include scans such as x-rays or other test results.
- Footage of the accident scene taken from either a dash cam or CCTV.
- Photographs of the accident scene, the damage to any vehicles and of any injuries.
- The contact details of anyone who witnessed the accident and who could later give a statement.
- A diary which details your injury, symptoms and their overall impact on you.
One of the expert solicitors from our panel could help you to collect evidence supporting your claim for pedestrian accident compensation.
How Long You Have To Start Your Claim
In most instances, personal injury claims must be started within three years of the accident taking place. This limit is set out in the Limitation Act 1980.
There are circumstances in which this time limit either may not be applicable or in which it may be suspended. For instance, where the person harmed does not have the mental capacity to claim on their own behalf, the time limit will not be applicable.
How Long It Can Take To Get Compensation
There are various factors which could affect how long it takes for you to get pedestrian accident compensation. Factors could include:
- Whether the other party accepts liability for your accident. If they dispute this, the claim may take longer and may (in some cases) require going to court.
- The complexity and severity of your injuries. Such injuries may take longer to treat, provide a prognosis for and assess potential recovery.
- Whether a compensation settlement can be agreed upon between parties.
Please contact our team to get help If you were a pedestrian hit by a car.
Can I Claim On Behalf Of My Child?
As previously highlighted, there are time limits in which you could make a claim for being hit by a car as a pedestrian. Where the person harmed was under the age of eighteen, the time limit is suspended until they reach this age.
In these circumstances, another party may launch the claim on behalf of the injured person. They will need to be appointed to act as a litigation friend by the court.
How Our Panel Of Solicitors Can Help You Claim
If you have been harmed in a road traffic accident as a pedestrian and meet the eligibility to seek compensation, one of the personal injury solicitors from our panel could support your claim. Claiming with the support of one of the solicitors from our panel offers many advantages, including:
- Help gathering evidence and taking witness statements.
- Support through the claims process and explanations of legal jargon.
- Making sure all the correct documents are filed on time and in full.
- Also making sure that your pedestrian injury claim is accurately valued and ensuring that your settlement reflects your pain, suffering and financial losses.
Additionally, the solicitors from our panel offer these services and more on a No Win No Fee basis. This is done under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).
This is a way for a solicitor to work on your case without you having to make any payments for their services till the end of your case. Under a CFA, you also won’t be charged for the solicitors work if you aren’t awarded compensation.
You only pay if your claim is successful. If it is, your solicitor will take a success fee from your compensation. This fee is a legally limited percentage, ensuring you get the majority of your compensation.
To find out how much you could get for a broken ankle or other injury sustained on the roads, please contact our team.
- Phone us today on 0800 408 7826.
- Use our contact us page to send the details of your case.
- You can also use our online chat.
More Information
We have included links related to road traffic accident claims both on our own site as well as external resources.
- In this guide we look at whether you could claim compensation for whiplash and anxiety.
- Here we look at how much compensation you could claim for a wrist injury.
- Find out what you could claim for losing a leg in this guide.
External references
- Check how to request a copy of your GP health record via this NHS resource.
- You can find the Highway Code rules for pedestrians here.
- You can find advice for road users in this resource produced by Think!.
We hope this guide has helped you learn more about how much compensation for a pedestrian hit by a car and what factors determine this figure. Please contact our team for further advice about personal injury claims.