FAQs

Not without taking independent legal advice first. The insurer's offer is designed to settle the claim quickly and cheaply; they won't voluntarily offer what you're fully entitled to. Research by the Financial Services Authority found that accident victims who reject an insurer's initial offer and get proper legal advice go on to receive on average two to three times more compensation. Take your time, get a solicitor to value your claim properly, and only settle once you know what it's really worth.

Evidence is key: the other driver's admission, witness statements, photographs of damage and the accident scene, CCTV if available, and the police accident report if one was made. Sometimes it's straightforward; sometimes reconstructing what happened takes work. Your solicitor will gather the evidence and, if needed, instruct an accident reconstruction expert to show how the collision happened and who was responsible.

Yes, usually. If you share some of the blame, the law applies contributory negligence: your compensation is reduced by the percentage that reflects your share of responsibility, rather than wiped out entirely. This means many injured people who wrongly think they can't claim because the accident was partly their fault can still recover something, so it's always worth getting advice.

Compensation covers two things. General damages are for pain, suffering and impact on your quality of life, assessed with reference to medical evidence and judicial guidelines. Special damages are your actual financial losses: lost earnings, treatment and care costs, vehicle repairs, travel and anything else the accident has cost you. The goal is to put you, as far as money can, back in the position you'd have been in without the accident.

First, make sure everyone's safe and call emergency services if anyone's injured. Get the other driver's name, address, phone number, registration, insurance details and witness contact information. Take photographs of the damage, the accident scene and the road conditions if you safely can. Report the accident to the police if it was serious, and note what happened while it's fresh. Then contact a solicitor as soon as you can.