Car Accident Claims Solicitors
You’re not alone: many thousands of people are injured each year in car accidents that weren’t their fault. If you or a loved one have suffered an injury in a car accident, we can help you recover the compensation you deserve.
How much compensation for a car accident
The amount of compensation you can get for a car accident claim depends on the severity of the injuries you sustained, and the total amount of any losses or costs incurred as a result of the accident.
Compensation is split into two broad categories: Special Damages and General Damages.
General damages relate to the actual injury – the pain, suffering, and loss of amenity. The amounts are set by the Judicial College Guidelines and vary according to the body parts affected and how bad the injury is.
As a rough guide, some example compensation amounts include:
- Head Injury - £2,690 - £493,000 depending on the severity
- Eye Injury - £2,690 - £327,940 depending on the severity
- Back Injury - Up to £15,260 for mild injuries and up to £196,450 for severe injuries
- Shoulder Injury - Up to £9,630 for mild injuries and up to £58,610 for severe injuries
- Wrist Injury - £4,310 to £73,050 depending on the severity
- Hand Injury - Up to £5,800 for mild injuries and up to £133,810 for severe injuries
How to claim after a car accident
The easiest way to claim for car accident compensation is to speak with our friendly team who will let you know if you have a case or not and take some initial details of the accident.
We are specialists in dealing with serious injuries from car accidents, cyclist accident claims, motorbike accident claims, and helping pedestrians injured in a road accident.
Your insurer may refer you to one of their panel personal injury law firms, but we always advise people to choose an independent law firm that is 100% focused on your needs and interests.
No win no fee car accident solicitors
We provide our trusted no-win no-fee no-risk service on car accident claims. This means that you don’t need to pay anything upfront and we only get paid if you’re successful with your claim. So we have a clear interest in helping you recover as much compensation as possible.
To qualify for this no-win no-fee service, you must have a genuine claim and act in good faith during the process.
The amount you pay will be based on a percentage of any settlement we secure, so you will have complete transparency from the outset and will always get the maximum benefit from any compensation we win for you.
We may also advise you to take out legal expenses insurance. This covers the defendant’s legal costs and your own expenses during the claim e.g. court fees and fees for obtaining medical records or experts reports if your claim is unsuccessful. You will be responsible for paying the insurance premium for this policy, if you win, although you may be able to recover from your opponent that part of the insurance premium which relates to the risk of having to pay for experts’ reports relating to the liability issues in your claim. If your claim is unsuccessful, the insurance premium is not payable.
Some insurance policies already contain legal expense cover so it’s worth talking to us about this at the start of your claim. Our legal team will answer any questions you have about the funding of your compensation claim and the no-win no-fee service.
How long after a car accident can I claim
Usually you have three years from the date of the accident to make a car accident compensation claim. However, there are some exceptions to this rule.
If you didn’t know your injuries had been caused by the accident, then you have three years from the date you found out the injuries were because of the car accident.
If you were under 18 at the time of the accident then you have three years from when you turn 18 – i.e. up to your 21st birthday – to make a claim. A parent or guardian can make a claim on your behalf while you’re under 18.
If the injured person has limited mental capacity then the time limit doesn’t apply until the mental capacity is restored, or there is no time limit at all in the event mental capacity cannot be restored. A loved one can make a claim on behalf of the injured person in this situation.
Car accident compensation process
We’ve made the car accident claims process really simple for you if you’re suffering from an injury and looking to recover compensation for your pain and suffering.
Speak to our friendly new claims team who will answer any questions you may have about the process but in most cases your claim will proceed through the following stages:
Initial consultation
Our new claims team will take basic details of the accident and injuries you sustained so we can establish if we can take on your case and offer you our no-win no-fee compensation service.
Gathering evidence
Once we’ve accepted your claim, your lawyer will begin gathering all relevant evidence to support your case and with a view to putting together a strong argument for as much compensation as possible.
Presenting your claim
After compiling all the necessary evidence, we will present your claim to the third party insurers.
Negotiation and settlement
We then enter into a period of negotiation where typically the third party insurers try to negotiate your settlement at a lower rate, while we advocate on your behalf to get the maximum compensation possible. We report back any offers and developments and will advise you on how to proceed.
Court cases
On rare occasions if the third party wishes to defend the claim or does not accept fault, or we don’t think they have offered a high-enough settlement, the case might progress to court.. In very rare and complex cases, it may be that you need to attend court, but your solicitor will explain how likely this is to happen.
Car accident compensation amounts
How much compensation you receive for a car accident claim depends on how bad your injuries were and the losses and costs you are faced with during your recovery. This is split into general damages – which relate to the pain, suffering, and loss of amenity, and the special damages – which are the other costs associated with the case.
As a rough guide for special damages, you could expect up to around £10,000 for minor injuries, up to roughly £40,000 for moderate injuries, and into the hundreds of thousands of pounds for severe and life-changing injuries.
Often the amount of compensation in the special damages category is significantly higher than that for the actual injury. This is because it can cover off the following:
- Loss of earnings
- Costs of rehabilitation and medical appointments
- Mobility aids and services
- Home adaptations
Your solicitor will guide you through the details of the compensation and help to give you an understanding of approximately how much your claim is worth.
Who pays for car accident personal injury claims?
If the accident was the fault of someone else, their insurance will cover the compensation amount. If you were partly at fault then the compensation will be reduced accordingly. This is all part of the legal negotiations.
In cases where the other vehicle didn’t stop or the driver wasn’t insured, we can still recover compensation from the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB). This is an organisation that all motor insurers pay into to cover situations where the at-fault driver is not insured or cannot be traced.
Why choose Wolferstans
We have hundreds of years of legal experience across the business, and we’re experts in all types of personal injury claims, with a dedicated car accident claims team.
Our friendly lawyers will make time available for you to discuss any and all aspects of your case, so you never need to feel like you can’t get the answers to questions you might have.
We secure the maximum possible compensation regardless of the size of the case or the complexity of the situation. And you always have the comfort of our no-win no-fee service, so there’s really no risk in making a claim with us.
Do I need a solicitor after a car accident?
It’s important to use an independent solicitor after a car accident if you want to make a compensation claim. Try to avoid using a law firm that has been recommended by the insurers as they may not be 100% independent.
Your car accident solicitor will help you recover the maximum amount of compensation possible and make sure any expenses or losses you’ve incurred are also factored into the settlement amount.
We know the tactics the other side will use to fob you off or make you settle for a lower compensation figure and we’ll do everything we can to fight them for the compensation you deserve.
How much compensation for PTSD or anxiety after a car accident?
It’s possible to claim for PTSD or anxiety as a result of a car accident – this is a very common symptom of a traumatic experience. The amount of compensation will vary depending on how severe the symptoms, and how long they are expected to last.
It’s also possible to claim for costs of therapy and travel expenses to therapy sessions as part of your rehabilitation.
How long does a car accident claim take?
Car accident compensation claims can take as little as a few months on the most simple cases where the other side admit fault, up to over a couple of years for more complex injuries, and even longer if the other side dispute liability or defend the case in court.
Can I make a car accident claim if it was my fault?
Even if you think you were at fault for a car accident, it’s worth speaking to our legal team as it might be that we can still recover some compensation on a split liability basis.
Can I get early compensation payments?
We negotiate early compensation payments (interim payments) wherever possible, to help you with living costs, bills, and medical expenses. If the other side doesn’t admit fault, it’s more difficult to obtain interim payments, but your lawyer will explain what is possible to recover and when that might happen.
Part of our job is to get the other side to admit fault early in the process so that we can obtain an interim payment for you.