Road Traffic Accidents Claims

What are Road Traffic Accident Claims?

What is a RTA Claim?
Road traffic accident claims (RTA Claims) arise from collisions on the highways such as the motorway and road network. If you’ve been injured in a road traffic accident that wasn’t your fault, then you could make a road traffic accident compensation claim. You might have been injured as the driver or passenger of a vehicle. This could be your own vehicle or someone else’s.

In addition to cars and motorbikes these might also include work vehicles (e.g. vans or lorries); private hire vehicles (such as taxis or minibuses) or public transport vehicles (including buses; coaches; trains and trams to name a few). Alternatively, you might have suffered injury as a pedestrian or cyclist due to a non-fault road traffic accident. Whatever the circumstances of your injury, contact us today to see how we can help.

What can Road Traffic Accident compensation cover?

Injuries

You can claim for any injuries you’ve sustained in a road traffic accident. When determining the amount of compensation to be awarded for your injuries, the following factors will be taken into account: The extent of your injuries; recovery time; the impact these injuries have had on your subsequent quality of life;

Medical expenses

Medical damages may be awarded to cover the cost of any reasonable and necessary medical treatment required as a result of your road traffic accident. Examples include:

• Home visits (e.g. nursing staff, carers)
• Physiotherapy, medical aids, travel costs to and from medical appointments
• ‘Gratuitous care’ – compensation towards the costs of care provided by family

Hampson Hughes Solicitors can assist you in obtaining expert medical advice and rehabilitation. To discuss your treatment needs please contact us today.

Vehicle damage

Vehicle damages may be awarded to cover the costs of repairing or replacing your vehicle should it become damaged in the road accident.

Loss of earnings 

Damages towards loss of earnings may be awarded where time away from work is authorised by a doctor. You may also be eligible to claim for future loss of earnings where your injury prevents an immediate return to the workplace

What are the qualifying factors to make a Road Traffic Accident Claim?

Drivers, passengers, pedestrians and other road users can all make a claim for compensation following an injury sustained as a result of a road traffic accident. If you were involved in an accident on a road or motorway that occurred through no fault of your own, then it’s likely that you will have grounds to make a claim. However, in order for our road traffic accident solicitors to advance with a case, it is essential that the following 3 criteria are met:

1. You must have sustained an injury as a result of the road traffic accident  
2. The collision must have been a non-fault accident
3. The accident has to have taken place in the last 3 years (although minors can claim from 3 years after their 18th birthday)

Who are you claiming against?

Once our road traffic accident solicitors have agreed to take on your case, they will gather information about the incident to determine who was responsible for the accident and the injuries that you have suffered.

When making a compensation claim following a road traffic accident, you will be likely be claiming against the insurance policy of the at fault driver. Remember, you may be eligible for accident compensation even in the event of a hit and run, or where the driver at fault was not insured.

In cases where the road traffic accident was partly your fault, you may still be able to claim some level of compensation, although the amount that you receive will be reduced because of your contribution to the accident.

What if the driver was uninsured?

If the at fault driver was uninsured you can still pursue a claim via The Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB). The MIB provides compensation in cases against uninsured and untraced drivers. Our road traffic accident solicitors will liaise with the MIB on your behalf, and they will ensure that the correct procedure is followed throughout the claims process.

How much is your road traffic accident claim worth?

Many motor insurance companies will wish to settle your claim directly, which can often mean that you receive less compensation than you’re entitled to. This is why it’s important to consult with an experienced and reliable road traffic accident solicitor as soon as you can.

Our team of experts will gather all of the relevant details surrounding your own specific case to ensure that you are properly compensated for the severity of your injuries as well as any other damages that you have incurred as a result of the accident. The amount of compensation you will receive will depend on the type and extent of the injury or injuries you sustained during the accident. Here are some of the most common road accident injuries:

• Whiplash
• Broken bones
• Spinal cord injury
• Head and brain injuries
• Internal injuries
• Cuts, abrasions, and bruising
• Facial injuries including dental injuries
• Psychological injuries

You can find out an estimate of how much compensation on average your injury is worth with our road traffic accident compensation calculator  – please remember this is only an estimate and should not be relied upon.

Here at Hampson Hughes we endeavour to obtain the best possible outcome for all of our clients. To discuss a potential claim and average compensation levels, you can fill out our email contact form, or phone us on to speak with our personal injury team about our services with regards to road traffic accident claims.

Gathering evidence to support your road traffic accident claim

In order to successfully pursue a claim following a road traffic accident, it’s helpful to keep track of all relevant documents and evidence from the very outset. You may also find it helpful to retain a log of events including any relevant details leading up to the accident as well as the aftermath of the incident.

Different types of documents will be required in order to prove that another party was responsible for the accident or that you were only partly responsible. As well as this, you’ll also be required to prove the existence of other losses and damages that you may be seeking compensation for.

Where possible, Hampson Hughes Solicitors advise gathering evidence as soon as you can in support of your road accident claim:

• Take photos of any injuries you sustained in the accident
• Take photos of any damage to your vehicle or bike
• Make a note of any visits to your GP, hospital or physiotherapist following the accident
• Keep any documents relating to your medical care – prescription orders, receipts, x-rays etc.
• Keep any letters from your employer evidencing lost working hours and income
• Keep receipts for any out of pocket expenses you have incurred as a result of your accident, such as taxi fares etc.