After a collision that was not your fault, you might be wondering how much compensation for a car accident you could be owed. Following a road traffic accident, you may have suffered various physical and psychological injuries, as well as financial losses such as lost earnings and medical expenses. We will share the different forms of compensation you could be awarded and how this is calculated.
Following this, we will discuss when you may have an eligible personal injury claim following a car accident. After this, our guide will provide some examples of different types of car accidents you may be able to claim personal injury compensation for. Evidence is a fundamental part of supporting a car accident injury claim. Therefore, we share some examples of potential evidence you could gather for your case.
Finally, the end of our guide will focus on how one of the personal injury solicitors from our panel could help you claim a car accident settlement on a No Win No Fee basis.
To see if you have a valid claim, why take advantage of the free case check on offer from our team of advisors? You can:
- Call on 0800 408 7826
- Contact us online.
- Talk to one of our advisors by using the live support bubble.
Choose A Section
- How Much Compensation For A Car Accident?
- When Are You Able To Make A Car Accident Claim?
- What Incidents Could Lead You To Claim For A Car Accident?
- What Evidence Could Help You Claim Car Accident Compensation?
- Why Use No Win No Fee Car Accident Claim Solicitors?
- More Resources About Personal Claims
How Much Compensation For A Car Accident?
So, how much compensation for a car accident could you receive? Due to each case being unique, the compensation that will be awarded will vary. Factors that will affect the amount of compensation you receive include:
- The type of injury you suffered and its severity.
- How long your recovery period is or expected to be.
- Whether you suffered any financial losses.
Two types of compensation can apply if a personal injury claim is successful. Firstly, general damages is the head of loss that compensates for the physical pain and psychological suffering caused by the injuries to the claimant.
Those responsible for valuing general damages often refer to medical evidence and the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to guide them. This publication lists various groups of injuries and assigns guideline compensation brackets for each type of injury.
We have listed some of these guidelines below, aside from the first entry. Please also note that the last two entries come from the tariff listed within the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021. We will discuss this in more depth in a later section.
Compensation Guidelines
| Area of Injury | Severity | Compensation Guidelines | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple Severe Injuries and Special Damages | Severe | Up to £1 million plus | Awards of this size tend to involve multiple types of severe injury and special damage payments for issues such as lost employment. medical expenses and the cost of professional care. |
| Head | (a) Very Severe | £344,150 to £493,000 | Injury that leaves the person little able to respond to environment and requiring constant and permanent care for all basic needs. |
| Neck | (a) Severe (i) | In region of £181,020 | Serious fractures or damage to discs in cervical area of the spine causing permanent loss of function or movement. |
| Chest | (a) Traumatic Injury | £80,240 to £122,850 | Cases where traumatic injury to the chest results in permanent damage, impaired function and reduction in life expectancy. |
| Leg | (b) Severe (ii) Very Serious | £66,920 to £109,290 | Injuries that create permanent mobility problems and take years to heal, or require mobility aids for the rest of the claimant's life. |
| Knee | (a) Severe (ii) | £63,610 to £85,100 | Fractures that extend further into the knee joint causing a level of pain and impaired agility that is p permanent. |
| Shoulder | (a) Severe | £23,430 to £58,610 | Includes injuries to the neck and brachial plexus that cause significant disability. |
| Back | (b) Moderate (ii) | £15,260 to £33,880 | Disturbed muscles and ligaments causing backache and soft tissue injuries that worsen or accelerate any pre-existing conditions by 5 years. |
| Whiplash | Whiplash injuries with psychological injuries | £4,345 | A duration of 18 - 24 months. |
| Whiplash | Whiplash injuries | £4,215 | A duration of 18 - 24 months. |
Special damages is the second head of loss that can make up a successful overall settlement amount. This compensates you for the financial costs and losses your car accident injuries have caused you to experience. To prove financial loss caused by the injury, it is necessary to have documented evidence. To assist you, we’ve listed some examples of costs you could claim for and the potential evidence you would need:
- Receipts for prescription fees.
- Wage slips that reveal a loss in income caused by the injury.
- Tickets and receipts for essential travel.
- Invoices from any professional carers who helped you with daily tasks.
How Do You Claim For A Whiplash Injury?
The Whiplash Reform Programme altered the way low-value claims for road traffic accidents are made in Wales and England. If the following criteria apply to your case, your claim will need to be made via a different avenue:
- You are aged 18 or over.
- You were injured as a passenger or driver of a vehicle.
- The injuries you suffered are valued at £5,000 or less, such as whiplash.
Additionally, these injuries will be valued in line with the fixed tariff that we mentioned above.
To see how much compensation for a car accident you could potentially receive, contact our advisors today for a free valuation of your case. They can also inform you whether your claim is affected by the Whiplash Reform Programme.
When Are You Able To Make A Car Accident Claim?
All road users (including drivers, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians) must travel the roads and operate their vehicles in a manner that is safe and responsible and minimises the risk of damage or injury. In addition to this, they must comply with the regulations outlined in the Road Traffic Act 1988 and specific rules within the Highway Code to fully meet the duty of care owed to each other.
A valid claim against another road user needs to show three points:
- A duty of care applied.
- The other road user breached this duty of care.
- Your injuries were a direct consequence of this.
All three of these eligibility criteria from the basis of negligence. You must prove that negligence occurred in order to have a valid claim.
Contact our advisors today to discuss your particular case.
What Incidents Could Lead You To Claim For A Car Accident?
If another car driver were to breach their duty of care while using the roads, various different types of accidents could occur. Some examples may include:
- A driver was travelling above the legal speed limit and collided with another motorist who was waiting for a pedestrian to cross at a crossing. This caused them to suffer a back injury.
- A taxi driver was going the wrong way up a one-way street and collided head-on with another car driver who was driving in the correct direction, causing them to suffer a fractured leg and broken foot.
- An intoxicated driver failed to follow the rules of the roundabout and crashed into another vehicle, causing the driver of that vehicle to suffer a broken forearm and serious head injury.
These are just a few examples. If your specific accident is not listed here, this does not mean you cannot claim. Contact our advisors today for a free eligibility case check.
Can You Claim Against An Uninsured Driver?
It may be the case that the person who collided with you was uninsured or failed to stop at the scene. In instances where you are involved in a car accident with an uninsured or untraceable driver, you could claim compensation through the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB).
However, the same eligibility requirements will need to be met when making a claim through the MIB.
Contact our advisors today to see how a solicitor from our panel could help you with making an MIB claim.
What Evidence Could Help You Claim Car Accident Compensation?
Having sufficient evidence that proves the injuries you suffered and who was liable for them could help improve your chances of making a successful personal injury claim.
Examples of evidence that could prove useful for car accident claims include:
- Medical records of your injuries including what treatment you have received for them.
- Any video footage from CCTV or a dashcam of the accident.
- The contact information of any eyewitnesses to the accident so they can provide a statement at a later date.
- Photgraphs of the accident site and your visible injuries.
A personal injury solicitor from our panel could help you gather evidence for your claim. Using their decades of expertise, they can spot and alert you to other forms of proof that might help. Why not take the opportunity to see if they could assist you? Speak to our dedicated team on the number above to get started.
Why Use No Win No Fee Car Accident Claim Solicitors?
Anyone is free to begin their own personal injury compensation claim if their case meets the criteria. However, we always recommend working with an expereinced solicitor for your claim. A solicitor can apply their years of knowledge and expertise to help ensure you receive the maximum compensation you deserve and make the claiming process run as smoothly as possible.
The solicitors on our panel can offer their services through a type of No Win No Fee contract known as a Conditional Fee Agreement. This means that no upfront or ongoing solicitors fees need to be paid for them to commence work on your claim. Furthermore, should the claim fail, the solicitor requires no fee for completed services.
Claims that have a successful outcome require a success fee to be paid to the solicitor. This is a small and legally restricted percentage taken from the compensation.
To see how much compensation for a car accident you could be entitled to, or to see if one of the solicitors on our panel could work on your case, constant our advisors today:
- Call on 0800 408 7826 to learn more.
- Contact us online.
- Talk to one of our advisors by using the live support bubble.
More Resources About Personal Claims
Further personal injury compensation claims guides by us:
- If you suffered a facial scar in an accident, learn when you could claim in this guide.
- Learn when you could claim for a broken wrist injury.
- Advice on claiming for a torn achilles tendon can be found within this guide.
External links to help:
- Think! offers advice for road users.
- Learn when to call 999 from the NHS.
- Gov.UK provides annual road accident and safety statistics.
Contact our advisors today to discuss your case and see how much compensation for a car accident you could potentially claim.