If you would like to know whether to use a road traffic accident claim calculator, this guide could help. We will look at the eligibility criteria that apply to making a personal injury claim and the kinds of accidents that could entitle you to compensation.
Should I use a road traffic accident claim calculator?
Furthermore, we will address the duty of care on the road and how road users are expected to act to ensure the safety of others. In addition, we’ll address how values are assigned to claims.
Our advisors can offer a free assessment of eligibility and possibly connect you with a member of our panel of specialist solicitors. They could take up your claim on a No Win No Fee basis. To find out more, you can:
- Call us at the number at the top of this page
- Contact us online
- Use the live support chat option
Choose A Section
- What Is A Road Traffic Accident Claim Calculator?
- Potential Causes of Accidents on the Road
- How Do I Use A Road Traffic Accident Claim Calculator?
- Compensation Calculations For Road Accident Claims
- What Impact Could A No Win No Fee Agreement Have?
- More Information About Using A Road Traffic Accident Claim Calculator
What Is A Road Traffic Accident Claim Calculator?
A road traffic accident claim calculator is a tool that can be used to help you see how much your claim could be worth. They will often ask you to input certain details about your accident and how you’ve been affected.
However, this might not give you the best idea of how much your claim is worth. This is because a compensation calculator will not be able to discuss all of the aspects of your claim with you to ascertain just how much you could be owed.
In order to claim, you must show that you were injured by a breach of duty of care on the road. The duty of care on the road is set out in the Road Traffic Act 1988. Furthermore, the Highway Code outlines guidance and rules for safe road conduct. Some of the rules in the Highway Code are legal obligations because of the fact that they’re elsewhere found in law.
If you would like to find out more about the process of claiming, speak with a member of our team today.
Potential Causes of Accidents on the Road
While we cannot tell you what the most common causes of road traffic accidents are, we can give an insight into the kinds of scenarios that could lead to an accident. For example:
- A driver is speeding and therefore unable to stop in time, meaning they hit a pedestrian as they cross the road.
- An HGV driver merges into another lane without checking it’s safe to do so, causing them to collide with a car travelling in that lane.
- A motorcyclist swerves into the cycle lane, knocking a cyclist off their bike.
If you would like to know more about whether you have a valid claim, speak with a member of our team. They could offer you a more personalised valuation of your claim than you’d get from a road traffic accident claim calculator.
How Do I Use A Road Traffic Accident Claim Calculator?
Collecting evidence is an important aspect of making a claim. For example, you could:
- Obtain copies of medical records
- Request CCTV or dashcam footage if possible
- Ask for the contact details of any witnesses so that a solicitor can take a statement from them at a later date
- Take photos of the damage to your vehicle and of your injuries if applicable
- Ask for a copy of the road traffic accident report if reporting the accident to the police was necessary
Working with a solicitor isn’t essential, but can be very beneficial in a claim. For example, they can confirm whether you’re within the time limit for starting your claim. To see if you could be connected with a lawyer from our panel
Compensation Calculations For Road Accident Claims
Below we look at award amounts from a publication called the Judicial College Guidelines. Solicitors use this publication as a way of valuing the general damages head of a personal injury claim. General damages is the part of the settlement that compensates you for the pain, suffering and loss of amenity that you experienced because of your injuries.
They are not intended to be compensation guarantees. If you’d like a more accurate assessment of how much your claim could be worth, get in touch with a member of our team today.
Judicial College Guidelines
| Area of Injury | Award Bracket | Severity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head/Brain | £219,070 to £282,010 | Moderately Severe | Substantial dependence on professional help and very serious disabilities |
| Neck | £65,740 to £130,930 | Severe (ii) | Serious disc injuries and spine damage that leads to substantial loss of movement, for example |
| Back | £38,780 to £69,730 | Severe (iii) | Disc lesions, fractures and soft tissue injuries that despite treatment, lead to chronic conditions |
| Pelvis | £39,170 to £52,500 | Severe (iii) | Fractures that cause degenerative changes and may give rise to the need for hip replacement surgery |
| Shoulder | £7,890 to £12,770 | Moderate | Frozen shoulder symptoms that persist for about two years and non-permanent soft tissue damage |
| Arm | £96,160 to £130,930 | Severe | Extremely serious injuries that leave the person little better off than if the limb was lost |
| Wrist | £24,500 to £39,170 | Significant | Significant permanent disability but some useful remaining movement |
| Leg | £54,830 to £87,890 | Very Serious (ii) | Injuries that leave the person with permanent mobility issues |
| Knee | £52,120 to £69,730 | Severe | Fractures that extend into the knee joint causing constant pain and limited agility |
| Ankle | £31,310 to £50,060 | Severe | A prolonged period in plaster or with the need for pins, resulting in significant disability |
Special Damages
As well as general damages, you could also be entitled to special damages. This head of claim compensates you for the financial impact of your injuries. For example:
- Lost earnings, including future income
- Domestic care costs
- Adaptations to your home and car
- Prescription charges and travel expenses to essential appointments could be reimbursed
A road traffic accident claim calculator may not take all of these factors into account. Speak with a member of our team for more information.
Whiplash Reform Programme
The way that lower-value personal injury claims are made has changed since the introduction of the Whiplash Reform Programme. This means that any claims where the injuries are worth £5,000 or less must be made through the Government’s Official Injury Portal.
The Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021 contain a tariff of injuries used to value these claims. The tariff can also be used to value claims that don’t need to be made through the portal.
A personal injury claims calculator may not be able to tell you whether your claim needs to be made through the portal. Speak with an advisor today for guidance on your circumstances.
What Impact Could A No Win No Fee Agreement Have?
If you work with a solicitor who offers a No Win No Fee agreement, this will allow you access to their services, generally without having to pay fees upfront or as your claim continues. In particular, you could be offered a Conditional Fee Agreement, which is a popular form of No Win No Fee.
In addition to this, you won’t need to pay your lawyer for the work that they have done in the event that your claim fails. If it’s successful, a legally-capped percentage of your settlement will be deducted by your lawyer.
A personal injury claim that has a successful outcome requires a capped percentage to be deducted from the payout, known as a “success fee”. For more information on No Win No Fee agreements. speak with our team today.
Get In Touch About A Road Traffic Accident Claim
If you would like to find out more about making a car accident claim, our advisors are ready to help. Simply get in touch for your free assessment of eligibility:
- Call us at the number at the top of this page
- Contact us online
- Use the live support chat option
More Information About Using A Road Traffic Accident Claim Calculator
We hope that this guide on whether a road traffic accident claim calculator could benefit you has been helpful. The resources below come from our website and offer further reading on the topic:
- Our complete guide to road traffic accident claims
- A guide on how much road traffic accident claims can be worth
- More on the road traffic accident claim process
In addition to this, you might find the following resources useful:
- Statutory Sick Pay guidance from the Government
- Information from the NHS on first aid
- Guidance on road safety laws from THINK!
Writer Jeff Winters
Publisher Fern Styles