Road traffic accident claims

To have your road accident injury claim assessed free of charge, simply provide us with the details about the road accident and your personal injuries.

Most road accident compensation claims can be dealt with on a No Win No Fee basis. We can then review your claim and provide you with free legal advice based on your particular circumstances.

Every year our Personal Injury Solicitors and Litigation Lawyers secure millions of pounds in compensation for people injured in road accidents across the UK.

Can I claim compensation for my road traffic accident injury?

You can claim compensation for personal injuries sustained in a road traffic accident if the accident was caused by the negligence or fault of someone else, such as:

• another driver, vehicle, road user
• another party such as a local Council in cases where a road defect or a pothole caused the accident

You can claim compensation if you were injured in a road accident as the driver of a motor vehicle (car, motorcycle, van, lorry, bus) as a cyclist, a motorbike pillion passenger or a pedestrian. You can also claim if you think you could have been partly responsible for the accident.

Can I claim road traffic accident compensation on a no win no fee basis?

When your road accident claim has been assessed by a a road accidents claim solicitor, we can tell you whether your claim can be dealt with on a no win no fee basis. If your no win no fee claim is unsuccessful, there is no financial risk to you as all your legal fees will be covered*.

Not sure if you have a claim? Call us and we’ll be happy to help you.

What happens after we accept your road accident claim?

• We fully investigate the circumstances of the road accident, collect evidence and prepare your claim
• We calculate the amount of compensation and damages you should receive
• We negotiate with the other side to secure an admission of liability (fault)
• If the other side deny liability for the road accident we can start litigation (the process of taking legal action) ) to secure a fair compensation settlement for you. Most of our road accident claims settle out of Court, so in most cases it is not necessary to go to Court.

Road traffic accident claims process explained

Immediately after the road accident, you should:

• Take the full name and address of the driver/s of the other vehicle/s involved
• Obtain names and addresses of witnesses if possible
• Check if any of the driver/s or witnesses have a dash camera which recorded the accident
• If possible take photos of the scene of the accident, including the other vehicle/s involved (showing the vehicle registration plate/s) and the other driver/s
• If an injury has occurred, report the incident to the police as soon as possible
• Report the matter to your insurers as soon as possible
• Keep full details of losses and expenses incurred as a result of the accident, keeping receipts where possible
• Contact a specialist road accident and injury solicitor

Obtaining medical evidence to support your road accident claim

Our road accident solicitors can arrange for you to attend a medical examination with a medical expert who specialises in the types of injuries you have suffered. The examination would be followed by a report detailing the injuries suffered, the impact of the injuries on your day to day life and give a prognosis (the time the expert expects you to recover from your injuries). The expert may also recommend treatment or a referral to another type of medical expert such as an Orthopaedic expert or a Psychological expert.

If another medical examination is recommended by the expert we can, if appropriate, request an 'interim' payment of £1,000. An interim payment is when you receive part of your compensation settlement early.

Your rehabilitation and recovery from the road traffic accident

Depending on your personal injuries and your particular needs, we may be able to arrange for medical treatments and rehabilitation support to start straight away. This is likely to be the case if there is already strong evidence to substantiate your road traffic accident claim, or if responsibility for the road accident which caused your injuries has been admitted by the other side.

Court proceedings

If compensation settlement cannot be agreed, the next step is to issue Court proceedings. If proceedings are issued the Defendants have to send a payment for their final offer made. A hearing date will be given by the Court where a Judge will decide the final award of compensation.

The Judge will not be aware of the amounts offered by either side. If the Judge awards more than that offered by the Defendants, a further payment will be made to you. If the Judge awards less, you will be required to refund the difference to the Defendants.

Fatal road accidents

If someone is killed in a road accident which was caused by the actions or negligence of another road user, their loved ones may be entitled to compensation.

As well as holding those responsible to account for their actions, a fatal accident claim can help to relieve financial pressures that you may be suffering following your loss. This could include covering the funeral costs or providing financial support for everyday expenses in the absence of your loved one's income.

Any death that has been caused as a result of a road accident will usually be reported to the coroner. This can seem daunting, but it is not something that you need to be apprehensive about. For more information, see fatal accident claims.

Road accident case studies

• Road accident and assault claim awarded £25,000 Compensation
• Counter claim discontinued and client awarded £2,944 in Road Accident Claim Payout
• Traffic road accident injury claim awarded £263,000 Compensation

Several of our Personal Injury Solicitors that specialise in road accidents are members of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL).

Co-op Legal Services has over 600 staff working in different businesses with offices in Manchester, Bristol, Stratford-upon-Avon, Sheffield and London.

*Subject to entering into and complying with the terms of a No Win No Fee Agreement and taking out and complying with the terms of an After The Event insurance policy (when appropriate).