Have you or a loved one been injured in a car accident that was not your fault? You may be entitled to make a compensation claim.
Free Legal Justice has a full team of accident claims solicitors are available to give you free legal advice about your potential car accident claim. We help people get their lives back on track by getting them the help and financial compensation that they need to recover from an accident. Our accident claims team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to answer any questions you may have around your accident claim. Our accident claims solicitors are here to guide you through every step of your accident claim.
What Is a Car Accident Claim?
Car accidents are one of the main causes of personal injury, and in the United Kingdom as a whole. According to the statistics released by the Department of Transport, there were over 150 000 reported casualties in car accidents in the United Kingdom for the year ending June 2019.
In simple terms, a car accident is any type of incident that involves a car. Car accidents can happen for a variety of reasons and can lead to a variety of accident claims. A car accident could involve a situation where two cars collide with one another, or where a car collides with a motorbike or bicycle, and also include incidents where a pedestrian is injured by a car.
Being in any form of car accident is a traumatic experience for everyone involved. Besides the emotional stress and shock, damage to the cars and possessions, a car accident often results in injuries to one or more parties. Injuries caused by car accidents can range from whiplash, to serious head injuries, broken limbs, and in extreme cases, death.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident that was not your fault, you may have a valid accident claim, and be entitled to financial compensation. Our team of dedicated and knowledgeable accident claims solicitors are here to help you institute a compensation claim if you have suffered any injuries and financial loss as a result of another person’s actions. We know that being injured in any type of accident is scary, and we want to lend a helping hand to guide you through the compensation claim process. We will take over all the hard work during the claims process, leaving you with less paperwork and minimal stress.
If you think you have a valid car accident claim, you really have nothing to lose by contacting us to discuss your case- the first consultation with Free Legal Justice costs absolutely nothing and places no obligations on you. No matter what type of accident you were involved in or how the injuries were caused, we want to help you get the compensation that you deserve.
To get in touch with one of accident claims solicitors near you, simply fill out short online query form and wait for us to call you back, or call Free Legal Justice today on 0121 565 4317 to speak to one of our friendly team members about your compensation claim. Our claims team is available 24 hours day, 7 days a week and is here to give you free legal advice on your potential car accident claim. We are also happy to consult with you in the comfort of your home, so please let a Free Legal Justice team member know if you would like a home visit form one of our expert accident claims solicitors, and let us help you to start your claim today.
Who Can Make A Car Accident Claim?
It isn’t just drivers who can claim for injuries sustained on the road – car accidents can cause injuries to all sorts of people, including passengers, drivers, and innocent bystanders. All of these people may have been affected by the car accident in some way, and may have a potential compensation claim.
Can I Make A Car Accident Claim On Behalf of Someone Else?
If the person who suffered injuries in a car accident was under 18 years old, or considered a ‘protected party’ who is mentally incapable of making their own decisions, then a parent, guardian or close family member may make a compensation claim on their behalf. One of our friendly accident claims solicitors will be able to give you more guidance on the process of claiming on someone’s behalf.
why our accident claims solicitors can help you
Our accident claims solicitors are here 24/7 to help every claimant get the justice that they deserve. We aim to take away the complexity and intimidation of instituting a compensation claim. Our friendly accident claims solicitors will make sure to explain all of your legal rights and available remedies to you in simple, plain terms, so that you can fully understand what is happening at each step in the accident claims process.
Our dedicated panel of accident claims solicitors have been dealing with car accident claims for a very long time. At Free Legal Justice, appreciate that a car accident is a very stressful experience, and can affect people in different ways. Our accident claims solicitors take each case seriously and deal with each client on an individual basis, giving 100 percent effort to ensure that clients receive the rightful compensation they deserve. At Free Legal Justice, we are extremely confident in our legal expertise and claim success rate, and for this reason we are happy to offer No Win No Fee agreements for all clients with lawful car accident claims.
Our accident claim solicitors will protect your privacy and safety, and ensure that your compensation claim is handled diligently, efficiently and discreetly. Free Legal Justice aims to make the whole compensation claim process as easy, effortless and stress free as possible for you. You can rest easy knowing that you have an expert accident claim solicitor working hard on your claim, to get you the maximum compensation you deserve.
What Should I Do If I have Been in A Car Accident?
Check For Injuries
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, the most important thing to do is to seek urgent medical attention. Car accidents of any nature can leave you with serious injuries, and various levels of physical pain and suffering. If you are able to do so, check all passengers and anyone else involved in the car accident to find out if they need medical attention or not. If there are any serious injuries, you should call an ambulance to the scene immediately. If your own injuries don’t seem to be serious, make sure that you still get medical assistance as soon as possible, and keep good records of any doctor appointments and diagnoses that you receive.
Call the Police
It might be necessary to call the police to the scene of the accident. It isn’t always necessary to do so, and will largely depend on the situation. If someone is seriously or fatally hurt, you need to call the police. If the car accident is a hit or run, you should also call the police, as this is now a criminal case. Lastly, if there is severe damage to the cars and they are blocking traffic in any way, you will need to call the police to the scene so that they can manage the incident.
Watch What You Say
It is important to watch what you say during this time. Tensions are high, and everyone is very stressed at the scene of a car accident. One of the biggest mistakes people make is saying too much after a car accident. The less you say, the better, as you don’t want to implicate yourself in any way, or affect any future compensation claim you might have.
Gather Information and Evidence About The Accident
Lastly, you should gather as much detail and evidence from the scene of the accident as possible. Take photos of the damage to the cars involved, of the entire accident scene, of any injuries. Be sure to take down the contact details of all the individuals involved in the car accident, as well as the details of any witnesses. Witness statements may be useful in a future car accident claim, and can help to strengthen your case if it goes to trial.
How Do I Make A Compensation Claim?
If you think you or a loved one have a potential car accident claim, you should speak to one of our accidents claims solicitors as soon as possible. Our expert accident claims team will happily provide you with free legal advice and advise you on how best to make your car accident claim. Our panel of accident claims solicitors have the right knowledge and skills to efficiently manage your case, and have a proven track record of successful cases and overall client satisfaction.
What Information Do I need To Make a Car Accident Claim?
To correctly advise you on the merits and possible value of your car accident claim, our accident claim solicitors will need as much detail as possible about the accident. Please have as much information as possible ready for your free consultation with one of Free Legal Justice’s accident claim solicitors, including details such as:
- How the car accident happened, and nature of the injuries you have suffered or other damages suffered because of the car accident;
- Location of where the car accident happened;
- Your car and license registration details;
- The full names and contact numbers of the individuals involved in the car accident;
- The car and license registration details of all other parties involved in the accident;
- Details of any police dockets or emergency services reports; and
- Details of the insurance providers for the other parties involved in the car accident.
It is also important that you keep a full record of all relevant information, reports, and receipts for expenses incurred from the date of your accident, as this information could be used in support of your compensation claim. The more information you can provide, the more accurately and quickly our accident claim solicitors can assess and value your car accident claim.
Don’t worry if you don’t have all of this information right away. Our accident claim solicitors will be able to explain the merits of your accident claim based on the information that you can provide, and we will do what we can to help you obtain any other information that you need in order to make a successful compensation claim. The important thing is that you get in touch with our accident claims team as soon as possible- the sooner we have the details of your car accident claim, the sooner an accident claim solicitor can get started on your case and help you get the maximum compensation that you deserve, in the shortest possible time.
How Much Compensation Can I Get For My Car Accident Claim?
There are numerous personal injuries that can be included in a car accident claims. That being said, some of the common injuries that our accident claims solicitors deal with on a daily basis include whiplash, head and brain injuries, loss of limbs, breaks, fractures, and loss of life.
As a victim of a car accident where your injuries were caused by another person, you can potentially claim for any costs of any medical bills, loss of income due to your injuries, as well as the cost of repairs for the damage caused to your car. There are many elements that can form part of your claim, and the compensation amount will vary based on the seriousness of the injuries and the overall impact that the injury has had on your life. No matter how minor or how serious your injuries, our accident claim solicitors are specialists in claiming for everything from fairly minor to serious injuries.
To give you a better idea of what can be included in your compensation claim, there are two types of damages that car accident claims involve, namely general and special damages.
General Damages in a compensation claim
Our accident claim solicitors will work with you to clearly set out the value of general damages which can be included in your claim. General damages include compensation for the personal injuries that you have suffered as a result of the car accident, and this includes compensation for pain and suffering experienced due to your injuries. One of our dedicated accident claims solicitors will take you through the calculation of compensation for general damages by looking at the medical report of your injuries which was drawn up by an independent medical officer, together with the amounts set out in the official Judicial Board Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases. This prescribed general damages guideline sets out how much can be claimed as general damages for different types of injuries.
The amount of general damages that you are entitled to will depend on various aspects, such as how serious your injury was, whether there were any complicating factors surrounding the injury, as well as the length of the recovery period, alternatively the level of permanence of the injury. Our accident claim solicitors will need full and accurate descriptions and diagnoses of the injuries you have suffered before they help you to calculate your general damages claim. This is why it is so important that you see a medical professional as soon as you have been injured in a car accident.
Special Damages in a Compensation Claim
Special damages forming part of your accident claim will include compensation for any additional expenses that you’ve incurred as a result of the car accident. This is a broad category of damages, and can range from loss of past and future income, to costs of counselling and therapy sessions, to traveling expenses, additional childcare expenses, as well as nursing and household adaptations that you have made to help you live with your injuries. Whatever additional costs you have incurred that are connected in some way to the car accident that was not your fault, our accident claims solicitors will explain to you which of these amounts will form part of your claim.
It is important to know that special damages can only be claimed if you can show proof of the expenses that you have already incurred or will incur in future, for example by presenting receipts, reports, payslips and other documentation relevant to the damages. Our accident claims team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to answer any questions you have about the calculation of your general and special damages.
If you have any questions about the claim process, or the calculation of your general and special damages claims, please get in touch with us by filling out the online form or by calling us on 0800 567 7074. Our accident claims team is available to help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and are happy to answer any questions you might have about your potential accident claim, without any cost or obligation on your part. If you are unable to get to one of the Free Legal Justice offices, one of our friendly accident claims team will be able to do a home visit, so that you can discuss your case freely from the comfort of your own home.
How Much Will It Cost Me To Make A Car Accident Claim?
Our accident claims solicitors conduct all of our client’s personal injury claims on a No Win No Fee basis. This means that you will not pay us a thing unless your compensation claim is successful. Free Legal Justice will carry all the upfront costs, meaning that you will only be charged a success fee if we help you to win your compensation case. For victims of car accidents, No Win No Fee agreements are a great funding option for our clients to pursue compensation claims, without the risk of being out of pocket.
No Win No Fee Agreements for accident claims
A No Win No Fee agreement lets you continue with a compensation claim on the condition that if the claim is unsuccessful, you won’t owe us any money. Put simply, it is a way for you to take legal steps necessary to claim compensation for your injuries, without any financial risk weighing over your head. Our highly skilled accident claims are happy to offer No Win No Fee agreements to clients seeking rightful compensation for personal injuries, because they are extremely confident in their legal abilities and they have a track record of successful claims behind them.
A No Win No Fee agreement is a stress-free, financially-savvy way to claim compensation for personal injuries. Once you have discussed the details of your case with an accident claims solicitor, and given them the go-ahead to continue with your compensation claim on a No Win No Fee basis, your work is basically done. You can then sit back, relax, and let your dedicated accident claim solicitor do all the hard work for you!
how much will my accident claims solicitors charge me if i am unsuccessful?
The good news is that you will never pay us any legal fees in advance. A No Win No Fee agreement means that we only get paid if your claim is successful.
Our accident claims solicitors work on an average success fee of 25% of the total compensation received. Your designated accident claim solicitor will make sure to discuss the success fee upfront before you make your claim, and this will be agreed in writing between the parties. If Free Legal Justice helps you to win your claim, we will receive the success fee as payment for the legal services that we have provided. Once you have agreed to make a claim, your dedicated accident claim solicitor will be able to answer any questions that you might have on the success fee.
What Happens If My Claim Is Unsuccessful?
Free Legal Justice carries the risk of your claim being unsuccessful. If your compensation claim is not successful, Free Legal Justice will not charge you any legal fees for the work done by your designated accident claims solicitor. That means that you will not need to pay us a thing if your claim is unsuccessful.
To ensure that you are fully protected and have peace of mind over your financial risks, our team can help you to secure ‘After the Event’ insurance. This insurance covers you in the event that you are unsuccessful with your claim, and in case the court rules that you need to pay a part of your opponent’s legal costs during the case.
How Long do accident claims take to settle?
Every car accident is unique, as is the compensation claim process that follows the accident. Some claims can be settled in a matter of months, while others are more complicated and will take longer to resolve. The length of time will depend on the facts specific to your case. Our experienced accident claims solicitors have handled many of these types of cases before, and will be able to give you good idea of how long your claim is likely to take once they have assessed your claim.
In general, the length of time it takes for your claim to complete will depend on how complicated it is. Car accident claims can become more complicated if your injuries are extremely serious, if there is a dispute over the facts, or if you were involved in a ‘hit and run’ accident, as this may make it more difficult to prove legal responsibility.
No matter how your accident happened or who you think is to blame for the accident, it is important that you speak to a legal professional from Free Legal Justice as soon as possible to determine whether you have a valid car accident claim. Our experienced accident claim team members handle every car accident claim through a fast-track assessment and allocation process; so that we can help our clients get the compensation they deserve as soon as possible.
Our team of accident claims solicitors will be able to let you know how long they expect your claim to take once they have been through the details of your case with you. The sooner you get started on your car accident claim, the sooner you will get the justice that you deserve. Contact Free Legal for a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our accident claims solicitors today!
Frequently Asked Questions about accident claims
How Long Do I Have To Make A Car Accident Claim?
Generally, you need to make a claim for compensation within three years of the date of the car accident, or of the date of diagnosis of your injuries. There are some exceptions to this rule, for example you may be allowed a longer time period if you are claiming on behalf of a child or protected person. On the other hand, if the car accident was the result of criminal activity such as a hit and run, time limits may vary if the claim is instituted through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.
If you have any questions about the time period for making your car accident claim, our dedicated accident claims team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for a free and confidential discussion.
Can I Make A Car Accident Claim If I Was Injured In A Car Accident But Was Not Wearing a Seatbelt?
If someone else is to blame for the injuries that you have suffered in a car accident, you most likely have a valid claim for compensation. You are not disqualified from claiming simply because you were not wearing your seatbelt. That being said, if the evidence shows that by not wearing your seatbelt, you effectively made your injuries worse, then your compensation amount will be reduced. You will be found partially to blame for the car accident and your compensation payment will be reduced by your percentage of your blame.
Can I Claim If The Car Accident Was Partly My Fault?
Many car accidents are caused by a combination of errors, and by the collective actions of different people. Even if you believe you were at fault, this may not be the case in purely legal terms. If you are found to be partially to blame for the car accident, your compensation amount will be reduced by the percentage of your blame.
It is always worth talking to one of our legal professionals about car accident claims, even if you may have been partially at fault. Contact Free Legal Justice today for a free, discreet discussion about the merits of your car accident claim.
Contact Free Legal Justice at any time of day, on any day of the week, by filling out the short online form and waiting for us to call you back for free, or by calling one of our friendly accident claims solicitors on 0800 567 7074. If you would like to discuss your case from the comfort of your own home, please request a complimentary home visit from one of our friendly accident claim handlers, so that you can start your accident claim as soon as possible
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