Here at Truth Legal we handle road traffic accident claims for people who’ve been injured in any kind of road traffic accident that wasn’t their fault. If you’ve been injured in this way, whether you were a driver, passenger, cyclist, motorcyclist or pedestrian, then contact us today for a free no obligation consultation.

If we think it sounds like your road traffic accident happened because another party was negligent then we’ll explain how the compensation claim process works, and what we can do to help you get any compensation you might be entitled to. We realise that no amount of compensation can make up for the shock and distress of being injured in a traffic accident, but it could help to support your recovery and rehabilitation, as well as making sure you aren’t left out of pocket.

How Much Compensation Can Be Claimed for a Road Traffic Accident in the UK?

The amount of compensation that can be claimed for a road traffic accident in the UK ranges from a few thousand pounds for relatively minor injuries like whiplash all the way up to hundreds of thousands for people left with permanent and life-changing disabilities. The final amount awarded for a road traffic accident claim will be made up of general damages and special damages.

General Damages

The amount awarded for general damages will be calculated on the basis of your injuries, with more being awarded for serious injuries which have a severe and ongoing impact on your ability to live your life. The final amount will be decided with reference to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG).

The JCG is a publication setting out recommended payment ranges for a wide variety of specific injuries, with reference to the type and severity of the injury. Examples from the latest edition include:

• Severe back injury with nerve root damage to spinal cord damage –  £90,510 to £196,450
• A wrist injury which causes some permanent pain and stiffness –  £15,370 to £29,900
• Moderately severe brain injury –  £267,340 to £344,150
• A moderate injury to the hip or pelvis which requires surgery –  £15,370 to £47,810

Special Damages

The special damages portion of any road traffic accident compensation is intended to make sure that your injuries don’t leave you financially worse off than if the accident hadn’t happened. The payment will include an amount to cover any earnings or pension provision lost due to changes in your ability to work, as well as reimbursing any money you have to spend as a direct result of your injuries.

Expenses you can claim compensation for include the following:

• Money you have to spend on medical treatment because of your injuries, now and going forward
• Money you have to spend on care required because of your injuries, now and going forward
• Money you have to spend on adapting your home or vehicle on the basis of your injuries
• An amount based on any care provided free of charge by friends and family
• Money spent on specialised equipment you need because of your injuries, such as mobility aids
• Money spent travelling to and from medical appointments related to your injuries

If you make a road traffic accident claim with Truth Legal we’ll explain exactly what you can claim for, how the physical and psychological impact of your injuries will affect the final amount and how to keep detailed records of any injury-related expenses. We never settle for anything less than a full and fair compensation amount for our clients, and will negotiate on your behalf for everything we think you’re entitled to.

How to Start Your Road Traffic Accident Claim

Immediately following a road traffic accident in which you’ve been injured you may not be thinking about making a compensation claim. We understand that the thought of taking legal action can seem daunting, and we’ll guide you through the process one step at a time, taking on the stress and work of building your claim while you concentrate on your recovery.

The steps you should take to start your road traffic accident claim in the aftermath of any accident are as follows:

• The first thing you need to do is seek medical attention, whether you feel that your injuries are serious or relatively minor. As well as treating your injuries and improving any chances of recovery, prompt medical help will create an official record of the date, type and severity of those injuries.
• You are legally obliged to report any road traffic accident involving injuries to the police. A copy of the police report on the accident will then be included in the evidence supporting your compensation claim.
• You should exchange insurance details with any drivers involved in the road traffic accident. If this isn’t possible you should take down the vehicle registration number of any other vehicles.
• If you are able to, you should take photographs or gather video evidence of the scene of the road traffic accident, including the position of any vehicles before they are moved (as long as it is safe to do so).
• You should get in touch with Truth Legal today if you think the road traffic accident was caused by negligence. We’ll provide a free, no obligation consultation after which we’ll be able to say whether you could be eligible to claim compensation.

If we think you have been injured through negligence then we’ll explain how the claims process works and what we can do to build the strongest possible case on your behalf. The sooner we get to work, the sooner you could get the compensation you’re entitled to, and we’ll also point you in the direction of further support to cope with the aftermath of your accident.

Evidence Needed for a Successful Road Traffic Accident Claim

The evidence needed for a successful road traffic accident claim is two-fold. Firstly, you need evidence to show that the road traffic accident was caused by negligence and led directly to your injuries, and secondly, you need evidence to demonstrate the impact those injuries have had on your life.

The road traffic accident claim solicitors at Truth Legal are experts with a track record of processing successful compensation claims. We’ll work on your behalf to gather and present evidence to support your claim, including the following:

• Your own statement describing how the road traffic accident happened
• The results of a medical examination carried out by our choice of independent expert. These results will set out the full impact of your injuries and the prognosis for any future recovery.
• Any other medical records relating to treatment you have received due to your injuries
• A copy of any police report written up at the time of the road traffic accident
• The accounts of any eye-witnesses to the road traffic accident
• Any photographic evidence of the scene of the accident, including dashcam footage where applicable
• Any CCTV footage covering the scene of the accident
• Any correspondence you have entered into with your own insurance company or those representing other parties in the road traffic accident
• Documents which set out the financial impact of your injuries. These could include bank statements, payslips from before and after the accident and receipts, bills or invoices relating to direct expenses.
• Your account of coping with your injuries since the road traffic accident happened. Keeping an account of the recovery process in the form of a diary will enable you to record the impact the accident has had on your life as and when it happens.

Who Is Eligible to Make a Road Traffic Accident Claim?

Any person involved in a road traffic accident could be eligible to make a claim, including drivers, passengers, cyclists and pedestrians. It’s also possible to make a claim on behalf of a child you have responsibility for and, in some cases, for a person who lacks the capacity to claim on their own behalf.

The criteria for making a road traffic accident claim are as follows:

• You have been involved in a road traffic accident in some way, as a driver, pedestrian, passenger or cyclist
• The road traffic accident was caused by the negligence of another party
• You were injured as a direct result of the road traffic accident

If you’ve been involved in a road traffic accident in any capacity then contact Truth Legal with the details. Our team of expert personal injury solicitors will guide you through the process of claiming compensation, including for accidents which involve uninsured drivers and those which sadly lead to the death of a loved one.

Even if you were partly at fault you may still be able to claim compensation, and our empathetic, jargon-free approach to offering advice and support means that it’s always worth finding out if you have the basis for making a claim.

Time Limits for Filing a Road Traffic Accident Claim

If you have been involved in a road traffic accident then you should be aware that there is a time limit of 3 years from the date of the accident, after which you no longer have the legal right to make a claim. There are a few exceptions to this 3 year limit, including the following:

• You were ‘mentally incapacitated’ during the 3 year period and unable to make a claim. In this case the 3 limit will run from the date on which you regain mental capacity.
• If you are making a claim following the death of someone as a result of a road traffic accident, you have 3 years from the date of their death, subject to the death being within the 3 year limitation period.
• You were under 18 at the time of the claim, which means that the 3 year period will run from your 18th birthday to your 21st

Despite the 3 year limit being in place we would always recommend starting a road traffic accident claim as soon as possible following an accident. The details will still be fresh in your mind, and the sooner you start the claim, the sooner you’ll get any compensation you are entitled to.

Understanding the Role of Solicitors in Road Traffic Accident Claims

Legally speaking it is possible to handle a road traffic accident compensation claim on your own behalf, but that would be an extremely risky course of action. The law dealing with personal injury claims can be extremely complex, and anyone making a claim of this kind will find themselves negotiating with insurers who bring expertise and experience to the table.

The same is true of the road accident claim team at Truth Legal. We have a track record of successful claims to point to and in every case we worked alongside the client to win a compensation payment that fully reflected the pain and distress they had been through.

As well as our legal expertise and determination to fight for a fair result we offer a supportive and empathetic environment for any claimant. You’ll have access to one-to-one advice and support whenever you need to, and we’ll guide you through the entire process using clear, jargon-free English.

We understand that being injured in a road traffic accident can have serious psychological ramifications alongside the physical impact, and our aim will be to take on board the stress and work of building your claim so that you have the space and time to concentrate on all aspects of your recovery.

We know exactly what kind of evidence is needed to show negligence in a road traffic accident claim, and how to present that evidence in a way that is likely to convince the other party to admit liability. We also have a full understanding of just what you’re entitled to in compensation, and will never settle for anything less than fair payment in return for a quick result.

We treat each claimant as a person, not just another case number, and we work on a no win no fee basis because we think that everyone is entitled to justice and a fair result, not just those who can afford to pay for legal help up-front. If you’ve been injured in a road traffic accident and think it might have been caused by negligence then please get in touch today.

No Win No Fee Explained

We work on our road traffic accident claims on a no win no fee basis. This is also referred to as a conditional fee arrangement (CFA) and it means the following:

• You won’t have to make any payments while we build your claim, gather evidence and negotiate on your behalf, up to and including any court appearances
• If your claim is successful you won’t have to pay a fee to us until after you receive your compensation, and  the success fee will never amount to more than 25% of the money you get
• If your claim fails then the costs of the other side will be covered by insurance which we take out on your behalf at the start of the process

We work in this way so that you can make a road traffic accident claim with our expert team without worrying about whether you can afford to. There are no hidden fees, extra charges or costs in the small print, so all you have to ask yourself is whether you’ve been injured through the negligence of another party.

If you have then we’re ready and waiting to fight for the compensation you deserve.