Have you been involved in a road traffic accident? If so, you may be eligible to make a personal injury claim if you meet the specific criteria, which we explain in this guide. Additionally, we provide information on what compensation you may be entitled to with our car crash compensation calculator.
There are a number of ways road traffic accidents can occur. As such, there is no limit to the injuries you may sustain. Therefore, we illustrate how compensation could be awarded in a successful car crash claim.
Furthermore, this guide will explain everything you need to know about claiming compensation for a car accident. It will discuss how you may be eligible to claim compensation and what type of accidents you may claim for. It will also discuss whiplash/minor injuries and how you can claim if you were partly at fault. Further, it will explain the time limit for car accident claims, what you may need to issue a claim and how you can do so on a No Win No Fee basis. Finally, it will provide links to further information on road traffic accident claims.
For more information or to make a claim, contact one of our advisors today:
- Visit our contact page
- Call our advisors: 0800 408 7826
- Speak to our advisors on our online chat
Browse Our Guide
- Car Crash Compensation Calculator
- Can I Claim Compensation For A Car Crash?
- What Types Of Car Accidents Could I Claim For?
- How Do I Claim For Whiplash And Minor Injuries?
- Can I Use A Car Crash Compensation Calculator If I Was Partly At Fault?
- What Is The Time Limit For A Car Accident Claim?
- What Do I Need To Claim For A Car Accident?
- Claim Car Accident Compensation Using A No Win No Fee Solicitor
- More Useful Resources About Road Traffic Accident Claims
Car Crash Compensation Calculator
If you have been involved in a road traffic accident, you may be eligible to make a personal injury claim. If your claim is successful, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and other losses. As such, you may like to know how a car crash compensation calculator works.
Compensation calculators work by estimating damages that could be awarded in personal injury claims. A settlement may consist of compensation from two heads of claim: general and special damages.
General damages compensate you for any physical and/or psychological injuries you sustained due to the accident. Those responsible for calculating your general damages may refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). The JCG is a document that lists compensation guidelines for various types of injuries and harm in different severities.
Here are a few examples of figures listed in the JCG that might appear in a compensation calculator. We’ve also provided a few examples of the tariffs found in the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021. Additionally, we’ve provided a figure in the top row (not from this document) to help illustrate how you could be awarded compensation for multiple injuries and related expenses. As all car crash claims are awarded compensation on their own merits, this table is only intended to be used as guidance.
| Injury | Compensation Guideline | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple severe injuries and special damages | Up to £1 million plus | Such awards are given for multiple, severe injuries and special damage payments e.g. loss of employment, medical care and professional care. |
| Very severe brain damage | £344,150 to £493,000 | The injured party might have some ability to follow basic commands, but there is little if any evidence of a meaningful response. |
| Moderate brain damage (i) | £183,190 to £267,340 | Moderate to severe intellectual deficit, a change in personality, an effect on sight, speech and senses with risk of epilepsy and no prospect of employment. |
| Severe back injuries (i) | £111,150 to £196,450 | Most severe injury that involves damage to the spinal cord and nerve roots resulting in a combination of serious consequences. Severe pain and disability with a combination of incomplete paralysis and impaired bowel, bladder and sexual function. |
| Above knee amputation of one leg | £127,930 to £167,760 | This depends on the level of amputation, phantom pain, pain or other problems with a stump, age or psychological injuries, success of prosthetics, side effects and the risk of developing osteoarthritis in the remaining joints of limbs, hips or spine. Loss of amenity may also be a factor. |
| Chest injuries (c) | £38,210 to £66,920 | Damage to chest and lungs causing continuing disability. |
| Moderate pelvis and hip injuries (ii) | £15,370 to £32,450 | This may involve hip replacement surgery at the top end of the bracket, the lower end may be for cases of surgery in the future for mild ongoing symptoms. |
| Moderate foot injuries | £16,770 to £30,500 | Displaced metatarsal fractures resulting in permanent deformity and continuing symptoms. There may be risks of long-term osteoarthritis and/or future surgery. |
| Whiplash tariff | £4,345 | Whiplash injuries with psychological injuries with a duration of 18 to 24 months. |
| Whiplash tariff | £4,215 | Whiplash injuries lasting for a duration of 18 to 24 months. |
Can I Claim For Loss of Earnings Caused By A Car Accident?
You may also be awarded special damages as part of your settlement. Special damages may compensate you for any financial losses you incurred as a result of the accident. This includes loss of earnings for any time off work due to your injuries and recovery after the accident.
Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may have needed to take substantial time off work to recover. This may have resulted in you missing out on wages, bonuses and pension contributions. However, if you are able to provide evidence of such losses, you may be entitled to claim them back.
Other examples of what you may be compensated for under special damages include:
- Vehicle damage- if you needed to have your vehicle repaired.
- Hire vehicles- if you needed to have a hired vehicle.
- Medical expenses- this may be private treatment or physiotherapy etc.
- Travel expenses- this may be to and from medical appointments etc.
- Mobility aids- e.g. wheelchairs, walking aids, etc.
- Home adjustments- e.g. support ramps, stair lifts, etc.
To be awarded special damages, you must provide evidence of the losses you incurred. Examples of evidence include:
- Pay slips
- Receipts
- Medical bills
- Bank statements
For more information on our car crash compensation calculator, contact one of our advisors today.
Can I Claim Compensation For A Car Crash?
All road users, including car drivers, owe everyone else on the roads a duty of care to navigate in a safe manner that avoids injury and damage to themselves and to others. As part of this duty, road users need to adhere to relevant road safety regulations.
Under the Road Traffic Act 1988 (RTA), all road users have a duty to take reasonable care of all other road users. Further, all road users must adhere to the Highway Code which further supports the legislation of the RTA. If road users fail to adhere to such obligations they would be in breach of their duty.
You may be eligible to claim compensation for a car crash if you meet this specific criteria:
- The other driver owed you a duty of care.
- This duty was breached.
- This must result in your injuries.
For example, you may be able to claim compensation if:
- You were safely making a right turn at a junction.
- However, another driver sped through a red light, impacting the front of your vehicle.
- This caused you to sustain crush injuries to your chest and abdomen.
Contact our advisors today to discuss your eligibility to claim compensation. They can also help you use a car crash compensation calculator.
What Types Of Car Accidents Could I Claim For?
There are a myriad of reasons why car accidents can occur. Therefore, there are multiple types of accidents you may be able to claim for. Here are some examples of road accidents caused by negligent conduct:
- Side impact collisions. For example, you may be safely driving along a road. A negligent driver may overtake you when it is unsafe to do so, causing them to collide into the side of your car. This may result in you sustaining multiple fractured or broken bones from impact.
- Rear-end accidents. For example, you may stop at a red traffic light. A negligent driver may fail to stop or slow down on time. This may result in a rear-end collision, causing you to sustain a head injury, if your head hit the stirring wheel on impact.
Other examples of car accidents include:
- Accidents at junctions and roundabouts.
- Head-on collisions.
- Multi-car pile ups.
- Car park accidents.
- Rollover accidents.
- High or low-speed accidents.
To claim compensation for a car accident, contact our advisors today. They can discuss the incident that caused your injuries and if eligible connect you to a solicitor from our panel.
How Do I Claim For Whiplash And Minor Injuries?
If you sustained whiplash or other minor injuries in a car crash, you might claim through the Whiplash Reform Programme. However, certain eligibility requirements must be met. These include:
- Being 18 or older at the time of the car crash.
- The car accident must have occurred in England or Wales.
- The accident must have occurred on or after the 31st May 2021.
- You must have been a driver or passenger in a car or other motor vehicle.
- Your injuries must be worth £5,000 or less. If the overall value of your injuries exceeds this amount, you must claim in the traditional manner.
Furthermore, if you sustained whiplash in a road traffic accident, it will be valued according to the tariffs found in the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021. Other minor injuries that are not found in the Whiplash Regulations, such as broken ribs, will be valued in the traditional manner, even if you are claiming through the Reform Programme.
Contact one of our advisors today to discuss how to make a whiplash claim. They can also value your car crash claim for free to ensure that you are claiming in the correct manner.
Can I Use A Car Crash Compensation Calculator If I Was Partly At Fault?
Were you partly at fault for a car accident? If so, you may be eligible to claim compensation. To do this, you and the opposing party must sign a split liability agreement.
Here, both parties take some degree of liability. As such, their awarded compensation will be split depending on their degree of liability.
For example, you may be 20% liable for the accident. As such, you may receive 80% of the compensation. Therefore, the other party may be 80% liable and receive 20% of the compensation. However, both parties must agree to split liability.
For more information on split liability and how this can affect your use of a car crash compensation calculator, contact our advisors today.
What Is The Time Limit For A Car Accident Claim?
If you are eligible to claim compensation for a car accident, you must do so in a specific time frame. This is in accordance with the Limitation Act 1980. The time limit for personal injury claims is three years from the date of the accident. However, there are some exceptions to this:
- If a child became injured in a car accident, the three year time limit would begin once they turn eighteen.
- A person without the mental capacity to manage a claim has the time limit suspended indefinitely. However, if they regain this mental capacity, the time limit is no longer suspended, giving them three years to start a claim.
While the time limit is paused or suspended, a litigation friend can be appointed to bring forward a claim on their behalf. This can happen at any time during the suspension. The litigation friend must make legal decisions with the best interests of the injured person at mind.
For more information on the claim time limit and litigation friends, contact our advisors today.
What Do I Need To Claim For A Car Accident?
If you are eligible to make a personal injury claim after a car accident, you may want to obtain as much evidence as you can to ensure you claim runs smoothly. It will need to show liability for the injuries you sustained. Some examples of evidence include:
- Personal and insurance details of the negligent driver.
- Personal details of any witnesses to the accident.
- Any photographs of the motor vehicles or injuries.
- Dashcam or CCTV footage of the accident.
- Police reports or official records of the accident.
Contact our advisors to further discuss what evidence could support your claim or for any help you need using a car crash compensation calculator.
Claim Car Accident Compensation Using A No Win No Fee Solicitor
If you are eligible to make a personal injury claim for a car accident, our panel of solicitors want to help you. They are able to use their expertise to help you achieve a fair sum of compensation for your injuries and losses. Further, they can walk you through your claim, help you obtain evidence and explain any key legal terms.
Also, our panel operate on a No Win No Fee basis by offering their services under a Conditional Fee Agreement. Under this type of agreement you would not be required to pay any solicitor’s service fees upfront or as the claim progresses. Further, if your case is unsuccessful, you would not be required to pay any service fees for your solicitor’s work.
However, if your car crash claim is successful, your solicitor will deduct a success fee from the compensation awarded to you. This percentage is legally limited.
For more information about using a car crash compensation calculator or to make a claim, contact one of our advisors today:
- Visit our contact page
- Call our advisors: 0800 408 7826
- Speak to our advisors on our online chat
More Useful Resources About Road Traffic Accident Claims
Here you can access further information about road traffic accident compensation claims:
- Information on compensation for fatal road traffic accident claims.
- Information on the recent changes to the highway code.
- Information on personal injury claims.
References:
- Where to find your nearest urgent treatment centre, issued by the NHS.
- Information on Statutory Sick Pay, issued by the government.
- Information on road accidents and safety statistics, issued by GOV
Thank you for taking the time to read this guide about using a car crash compensation calculator and making a road traffic accident claim.