How long after a car accident can I claim compensation?

Compensation claims for injuries following a car accident can be made up to 3 years after the incident, or three years after you discovered that a condition you are suffering from was caused by the accident.

Can I claim compensation if the driver was a family member or friend?

Yes - you can claim and this is a very common situation. There should be no guilt felt in seeking proper compensation for the injuries you have suffered. All matters will be dealt with between the solicitor and the insurance company. The insurance company would cover the costs of the claim, not the driver.

I wasn’t wearing a seat belt – will this stop me from claiming?

You can still make a claim if you were not wearing a seat belt, but it is likely that not some of your injuries will be accounted for by your own actions, and not entirely blamed on the third party. This may result in a percentage deduction in your final award of damages.

Car Accident Solicitors | Compensation for Car Accidents UK

The expert car accident solicitors at Sheldon Davidson Solicitors help those injured in car accidents that were someone else's fault, to claim suitable financial compensation and get the medical and rehabilitative care they need.

You may be referred to a law firm by your insurer or possibly by the garage repairing your vehicle, but you are free to make your own choice as to which law firm represents you.

At Sheldon Davidson Solicitors we have successfully secured compensation for car accidents where other firms have advised the client to abandon a claim.

When an accident on the road affects you or your family, we understand how stressful this can be, but with Sheldon Davidson Solicitors you do not have to face the immediate and longer-term challenges alone.

We will help you from start to finish and will remain committed to achieving the best result.

Can I claim car accident compensation?

The key to any successful car accident claim is proving someone else was to blame for the collision. Our expert Car Accident Solicitors will work tirelessly on your behalf to show that another motorist was at fault for your car accident.

While we get in touch with the driver’s insurance company to deal with the practicalities of your car accident claim, we ensure that you are well looked after and receive any medical assistance that you require. This will not need to wait until your claim is successful; you will be cared for straight away in order to help your recovery.

We also appreciate that you may need your vehicle on a day-to-day basis, for example to get to work or transport your children to school. To help with this, we will provide you with a like-for-like replacement vehicle while yours is being repaired, ensuring minimum disruption to your routine.

Our solicitors can act on behalf of drivers, passengers and pedestrians who have been injured as result of someone else’s negligent driving, while we can also work with the Motor Insurers’ Bureau to help those hurt in an accident with an uninsured driver.

Compensation for Car Accidents

The amount of compensation you can claim for injuries sustained in a car accident varies according to the severity of the injuries.

Compensation payouts for your pain and suffering, called General Damages, follow guidelines which are set out on a scale of minor, moderate and severe which vary according to which part of the body has been injured.

For example, average payouts for a minor head injury where the injured person recovers within a few weeks range from £1,940 to £11,200. By comparison, the settlement amount for a severe head injury that affects speech or memory leaving the person needing ongoing care ranges from £247,280 to £354,200.

In addition to compensation for the physical injuries suffered, you can claim for any financial losses you have incurred as a result of the car accident. These ‘out of pocket’ expenses are called Special Damages which may include loss of earnings, travel expenses and medical expenses.

A fair settlement will compensate you for current and future expenses and damages, including:

Pain and suffering
Medical expenses
Treatment costs including future medical treatment and therapy
Car repair bills
Car rental while your vehicle is being repaired
Loss of earnings
Expected future lost earnings
Mental health treatment

Our specialist Car Accident Solicitors make it their priority to ensure your compensation award accurately reflects the physical, emotional and financial damages you have suffered.

If you have been injured in a car accident that was someone else’s fault, contact us for a free initial consultation today.

If the other driver’s insurance company offers me an out of court settlement, should I accept?

In some cases, if the driver was undoubtedly at fault and there is no case of liability to be argued, the 3rd parties’ insurance company may approach the injured party with an offer to settle out of court.

As it is the Insurance Company that would eventually be forced to pay any financial compensation awarded by the court, an early offer is often used to entice people into foregoing a court case.

As experienced Car Accident Injury Claims Solicitors, we strongly advise against accepting any such offer as we believe we can secure you a much larger sum through the court.

Talk to one of our personal injury claims specialists for further advice on your specific case.

What is a pre-medical offer?

In certain circumstances, insurers will make a pre-medical offer immediately - without even seeing any medical evidence.

This usually happens when the person responsible for the accident has informed their insurer about the incident and has accepted liability. In anticipation of your claim the insurance company attempts to limit their exposure by making an offer before the full scope of the immediate or long term damages has come to light. This is a very controversial practice and we’d strongly advise against accepting it.

What are the legal costs for a car accident compensation claim?

Sheldon Davidson Solicitors are one of Manchester's most established No Win No Fee injury claim law firms.

If we agree to take on your case, we are usually able to do so on a no win no fee basis. This means that there are no upfront legal costs to pay, and we will not charge you anything if we do not win the case.

If your case is successful, you will have to pay a “success fee” of no more than 25% of the amount awarded for pain and suffering, loss of amenity and past losses. No deduction can be made from your compensation for future losses.

Why choose us?

Established in Manchester in 1997, we are a leading specialist personal injury, accident and medical negligence law firm acting for claimants who are victims of non-fault incidents.

Our team of Road Accident Solicitors in Manchester, act regularly for clients across the North West of England including Bury, Bolton, Leeds, Liverpool, Preston and Warrington.

As a recognised personal injury law firm, we can support your needs wherever you live in Wales, England & Northern Ireland.

Sheldon Davidson Solicitors are a Lexcel accredited law firm. The Lexcel standard is only awarded by the Law Society to firms who meet the highest standards of practice management and customer service. With Sheldon Davidson Solicitors in Manchester you can be confident that your claim is in safe hands.

Call us for free now using the number at the top of the page or complete the online contact form and a member of our team will get back to you.

Start Your Car Accident Claim

Call one of our expert Car Accident Solicitors in Manchester today for a free initial consultation. We will listen carefully to the specific circumstances of your accident and advise you with a high degree of certainty whether there is a legal case to be answered.

In choosing Sheldon Davidson Personal Injury Solicitors in Manchester to act on your behalf you can be sure to benefit from the support of an experienced legal professional who is compassionate to your needs but tenacious on your behalf.

You and your claim could not be in better hands.