Road Traffic Accident Compensation Claims

Regardless of whether you were a pedestrian, cyclist, driver or passenger in a car or on a motorcycle, if you’ve been injured in a road traffic accident that wasn’t your fault, you may be able to make a personal injury claim for road accident compensation.

A car crash or road traffic collision can lead to you having a range of injuries, from bruising and whiplash, to serious trauma and catastrophic injuries to your brain and head or spine.

If your injuries are severe or life-changing, you may need to pursue road traffic accident compensation through a specialist solicitor. This is in order to fund future care costs and cover any lost earnings incurred as a result of your accident.

Client story | The benefits of legal advice over the insurer’s first offer

Why choose Barcan+Kirby for your road accident compensation claim?

Our personal injury solicitors act for clients all over the UK, from our offices in Bedminster, Bishopston, Bristol city centre, Kingswood and Thornbury, covering a wide range of personal injury compensation claims.

Our lawyers are Business Members of the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) and are listed in their guide to choosing a specialist Personal Injury Solicitor. Our team is also included in the Headway Head Injury Solicitors Directory.

We are highly ranked by Chambers and Partners UK, and hold a band 3 ranking for our expertise and quality of our work. Our team has also received a tier 3 ranking for the South West by Legal 500.

How do I start a claim for a road accident?

Most of our clients come to us having never dealt with a lawyer before, let alone started a personal injury claim. When you first get in touch with us, our road accident solicitors will offer you a no-obligation initial consultation. This gives you the opportunity to explain what has happened and discuss the claims process in more detail.

Our solicitors will also discuss how you can fund your accident claim with a no win, no fee deal.

Case study | £36,000 settlement for front-seat passenger injured in car accident

Arrange a no win, no fee consultation

Our no win, no fee arrangement allows you to start a claim without having to pay anything towards our fees upfront. You will only have to pay legal fees if we win compensation for you. You may still be liable for some expenses if you do not win, however.

To discuss a potential road accident claim with a member of our team, call 0117 325 2929 or complete our online enquiry form.

Types of road traffic accident claim

Our personal injury solicitors advise on a range of accident-related claims. These include:

Case study | Compensation for brain injury following motorcycle accident

Can I make a claim against an uninsured driver?

Yes, you can still make a claim if you’ve been injured by an uninsured driver, however, your claim is likely to involve the Motors Insurance Bureau (MIB) in addition to the uninsured driver.

Our road traffic accident solicitors have successfully represented clients in this situation and can talk to you about your options.

Blog | Update on contributory negligence in road traffic accidents

Can I claim for whiplash?

Yes, you can claim for a whiplash injury. However, there are different rules for whiplash claims compared to other personal injury claims.

The whiplash reforms, which were implemented on 31st May 2021, changed the rules for making a small personal injury claim following a road traffic accident.

The reforms increased the small claims track limit from £1,500 to £5,000 for RTA claims. Compensation for whiplash injuries is now fixed and banded by levels of severity.

The whiplash reforms do not affect cyclists, motorcyclists, children or pedestrians injured in road accidents.

Blog | Road traffic accident claims: whiplash reforms to come into force on 31st May 2021

Access to support and rehabilitation after an accident

It’s important to us that your recovery and future quality of life are assured. Depending on the seriousness of your injury, we can involve a specialist from the start of your claim. Our specialist road accident solicitors ensure you get the support, treatment and rehabilitation you need to make the fullest possible recovery.

Case study | £50,000 for pedestrian knocked over by car

If you need help dealing with the consequences of your injury, we can also refer you to external organisations.

Tragically, some road traffic collisions are fatal. If you’ve lost a loved one in an accident, you will need advice from a solicitor who specialises in fatal injury claims to establish what compensation is recoverable.

Time limits for claiming after an accident on the road

As with the majority of personal injury claims, you must have been injured within the last three years. The accident must also have been all or partly someone else’s fault, e.g. another driver.

If you were aged 18 or over when the accident happened, you have three years from the date of the incident to make a claim.

If you were younger than 18 years of age at the time and no claim was made, you will have three years from your 18th birthday (up until your 21st birthday) to start a claim.

There are circumstances where the time limit is longer. For example, if you suffered a serious head or brain injury.

Case study | Six-figure settlement for front-seat passenger in road traffic accident

Contact our road traffic accident solicitors in Bristol

We offer a no win, no fee consultation with a member of our specialist personal injury team to talk through your options and how best to fund your claim.

To discuss a potential personal injury claim, call 0117 325 2929 or complete our online enquiry form.

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    • "Jay is an absolute credit to Barcan+Kirby. She deserves major recognition for all the hard work she does in ensuring cases are brought to a successful conclusion."
      Chambers and Partners UK 2024
    • "Claire is very organised and good with complex cases. She's very claimant-centred and she listens and takes on suggestions."
      Chambers and Partners 2024
    • "Fiona's skill set lends itself to clients who need an extra helping hand with the process. She's able to explain matters in simple terms, which is important for clinical negligence work."
      Chambers and Partners 2024
    • “Myfanwy is a calm and reassuring solicitor.”
      Chambers and Partners 2023
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      Chambers and Partners 2023