UK CAR CRASH COMPENSATION CLAIM

Road accidents are responsible for the greatest number of personal injuries in the United Kingdom. There are almost 300,000 accidents every year and two thirds of these involve motor vehicles. Factors that are known to contribute to road traffic accidents include :-

• age and sex of the driver
• driving experience
• visual ability
• driving skills (car handling - judgment skills)
• long or urgent trips
• psychological factors such as social deviance including joy-riding
• impairment due to drugs, alcohol or fatigue
• road environment (road type - road maintenance - speed limits)
• other external/environmental factors (weather - pedestrians - time of day)
• speed is considered to be the main contributing factor to road accidents. At 25% above the average speed, a driver is about six times more likely to have an accident than a driver travelling at the average speed.

If you have been injured in a road traffic accident, you may be entitled to make a car crash compensation claim. This means that you will be compensated for loss of income, pain and suffering and any other expenses which have been reasonably incurred as a result of the accident. A solicitor will be able to advise you as to what items you can and cannot claim under the law of negligence.

Time limits apply in making a car crash compensation claim. In general you have only 3 years from the date of the accident to settle the case or to file a claim in court. There are some exceptions to the three year rule for infants (those under the age of 18 years) and the mentally disabled. It is important that you do not delay in seeking legal advice, as your solicitor will need as much time as possible to be able to thoroughly investigate and prepare your case.

Note that the majority of car crash compensation claim settlements are agreed without the need to go to court. If however, the insurer of the opposing party (also known as the defendant) decides not to make you an offer (for example, they may believe that you were to blame for the accident), or if they make an unreasonable offer, then your case will be litigated. This means that your case will be heard in a court of law by a judge who will hear evidence and make a decision as to whether you are entitled to compensation and if so, how much you should be awarded.

Here are 3 good reasons to choose our lawyers:

1. Our lawyers will provide you with legal advice on your rights and entitlements to compensation with no further obligation.
2. Our solicitors are specialist accredited expert members of the Law Society personal injury panel with extensive experience in negotiating, settling and litigating accident compensation claims.
3. If you decide to instruct any of our specialists to obtain compensation for you, they will act on a “no win no fee” basis. Compensation is paid in full and win or lose there is no charge.¹