By Danielle Jordan. Last updated 4th March 2024. Welcome to our guide to the services offered by our team of specialist road traffic accident solicitors.
Road traffic accidents can cause a wide variety of different injuries ranging from sprains and strains that heal over time to life-changing injuries or even death. As safe as many of us are on the roads, there are, unfortunately those who do drive without due care and attention, or worse, deliberately dangerously.
For those people who are injured due to other road users’ negligence, the injuries and after effects can seem even more painful, but there is some hope of financial compensation in most cases where the claimant is not at fault.
Road Traffic Accident Solicitors
To get the compensation you deserve, our road traffic accident solicitors are here to help. With specialist knowledge of their chosen field, they can fight on your behalf for compensation for your injuries.
To find out how our personal injury lawyers can help, or to just get some free legal advice on your situation, without any obligation on your part to proceed with a claim, get in touch with our personal injury advisers.
They operate 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, and you can reach them by:
- Calling 0800 073 8804
- Writing to us online about your claim
- Or chat with us now using our live chat facility, which you can find in the bottom right corner
Select a Section
- What Is A Road Traffic Accident Solicitor?
- How Can A Road Traffic Accident Solicitor Help With My Claim?
- How Long Do You Have To Claim For A Road Traffic Accident?
- Road Traffic Accident Claim Calculator
- No Win No Fee road traffic accident solicitors
- Helpful Links
What Is A Road Traffic Accident Solicitor?
Road traffic accident solicitors are people who are highly experienced in dealing with this somewhat complex area of personal injury law. By definition, a solicitor is someone who holds a professional qualification to practice law and is registered with the SRA in England and Wales to do so.
It takes years of study to become a high quality road traffic accident solicitor, as once the initial education has been completed and they are able to practice law, they then have to learn from experience what can be applied in each case they work on, in order to secure the maximum RTA compensation amounts for their clients’ injuries.
This experience builds as years go by, and a road traffic solicitor with years of experience will likely have dealt with claims very similar to yours before, and will know exactly what arguments will apply in order to gain you the compensation you deserve.
If you’d like free legal advice from our own team of road traffic accident solicitors, call us today on the number at the top of this page.
How Can A Road Traffic Accident Solicitor Help With My Claim?
When it comes to making road traffic accident claims, your version of events will need to be assessed to see who is at fault for the accident.
If your solicitor deduces that someone else was at fault for your injuries and you were not at fault, then it is likely that they will take on your claim on a no win no fee agreement, which ensures that you will not have to pay out upfront for any legal costs pertaining to your case.
Your road traffic accident solicitors will be able to file your car accident claim for you if this is the case. In most cases, road traffic accident claims are made against the insurance companies of the drivers responsible for causing the accident and injuries.
If, however, you’re involved in an accident with an uninsured driver or someone who cannot be traced afterwards if they drive off, a claim can be made through the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB).
To find out how our road traffic accident solicitors can help with these issues, get in touch today.
How Long Do You Have To Claim For A Road Traffic Accident?
Claims for injuries suffered in a road traffic accident must be started within the limitation period as set by the Limitation Act 1980. Typically, this is 3 years from the date of the accident.
However, in certain circumstances, there are exceptions to this time limit. These include:
- Those who lack the mental capacity to make a claim for themselves will have an indefinite suspension applied to the time limit. During this time, a court-appointed litigation friend can start their claim. However, if the injured party regains this capacity and a claim has not been started on their behalf, they will have 3 years from that date to begin legal proceedings.
- Children under the age of 18 will have the time limit paused until their 18th birthday. Prior to this, a litigation friend could start the claiming process on their behalf. Once they reach their 18th birthday, they are given 3 years to start the process if a claim was not already made for them.
If you have any questions about time limits for starting a personal injury claim, please get in touch with one of the advisors from our team. If you are within the limitation period and meet the eligibility criteria, you could be put in touch with one of our solicitors for a road traffic accident claim.
Road Traffic Accident Claim Calculator
If your personal injury claim is successful, your settlement could consist of two heads of claim: general and special damages.
General damages compensate for the physical pain and mental suffering caused by your injuries. When valuing your claim, legal professionals can refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) for guidance. This document provides a list of guideline compensation brackets for different injuries.
In our table below, we’ve provided a few figures from the 16th edition of the JCG. These amounts are only to be used as guidance.
| Injury | Severity | Notes | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brain Damage | Very severe | The person might be able to follow some basic commands. However, they will need full-time care and show little meaningful response to their environment. | £282,010 to £403,990 |
| Neck Injury | Severe | A neck injury that is associated with incomplete paraplegia or results in permanent spastic quadriparesis. | In the region of £148,330 |
| Knee Injury | Severe (ii) | Constant pain and limited movement caused by a leg fracture that has extended into the knee joint. | £52,120 to £69,730 |
| Arm Injury | Less severe | The person will have suffered with significant disabilities. However a substantial recovery has taken place or is expected to. | £19,200 to £39,170 |
| Back Injury | Moderate (ii) | Frequently encountered back injuries, that disturb the ligaments and muscles and cause backache. | £12,510 to £27,760 |
| Shoulder Injury | Serious | A dislocated shoulder with damage to the lower part of the brachial plexus that causes shoulder and neck pain. | £12,770 to £19,200 |
| Elbow Injury | Moderate or minor | Elbow injuries such as lacerations, simple fractures or tennis elbow syndrome. The recovery rate will affect how much is awarded. | Up to £12,590 |
| Leg Injury | Less serious (iii) | Simple tibia or fibula fractures, or soft-tissue injuries, with minor ongoing symptoms. | Up to £11,840 |
| Whiplash Injuries With Psychological Injuries | One or more | Lasting for 18-24 months | £4,345 |
| Whiplash Injuries | One or more | Lasting for 18-24 months | £4,215 |
Special damages are awarded to compensate for the financial losses you have suffered due to your injuries. Some examples of the losses you may be able to claim under special damages include:
- A loss of earnings.
- The cost of mobility aids.
- Prescription costs.
- Care costs.
- Travel expenses.
You will need to provide evidence of these losses, for example, with bank statements, payslips and invoices.
Whiplash Reforms
Your claim may have been impacted by the Whiplash Reform Programme. This changed how certain claims are made for road traffic accidents in England and Wales. These reforms apply to those aged 18 and over, who suffered injuries valued at £5,000 or less as a driver or passenger in a vehicle.
Whiplash injuries will be valued in accordance with the tariff set out in the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021. These are fixed amounts, and we have provided a few examples of these in the table above. Additional injuries that are not covered by this tariff will be valued traditionally.
If you have any questions regarding your road traffic accident compensation claim, please contact one of the advisors from our team for free advice.
No Win No Fee Road Traffic Accident Solicitors
If you are eligible to make a personal injury claim following a road traffic accident, you may like to have the support of a solicitor. One of our solicitors could help you with your case.
Furthermore, our solicitors generally offer their services under a type of No Win No Fee arrangement called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).
Solicitors that provide their services under this type of agreement won’t charge any upfront or ongoing fees for their services. You also won’t be obligated to pay a service fee if your claim fails.
If your claim has a successful outcome, they will take a success fee out of your compensation award. The percentage that can be taken as a success fee is legally limited.
If you have any questions about how road traffic accident solicitors in the UK can help you, or if you need any assistance with the claiming process, please get in touch with one of the advisors from our team.
To speak to an advisor:
- Start your claim online.
- Call 0800 073 8804
- Ask a question in our live chat.
Thank you for reading our guide to the services offered by our road traffic accident solicitors.
