Road Traffic Accident Claims Solicitors: Specialist RTA Lawyers, No Win No Fee
Senior-solicitor RTA representation from first call to settlement, no call centres, no junior handlers, and we act exclusively for injured claimants.
Read full introduction
A road traffic accident claim is a legal claim for compensation after suffering personal injury in a road traffic collision caused by another road user. If you were injured on the road and someone else was at fault, you may be entitled to claim compensation for your physical and psychological injuries and all associated financial losses.
At Hannah Gold Solicitors, we act exclusively for injured claimants and never insurers. Over 15 years, we have recovered over £21 million for clients across all types of road traffic accident claims, from minor whiplash and soft tissue injuries to catastrophic spinal and brain injuries requiring Court of Protection proceedings and lifetime care planning. Your case is handled by a senior solicitor from start to settlement, not passed to junior staff or call centres.
We act for clients nationwide across England and Wales. No Win No Fee on all road traffic accident claims, operating under a conditional fee agreement to protect you from legal fees and legal costs unless your claim succeeds.
Road traffic accidents can result in a wide range of injuries, from minor soft tissue injuries and whiplash, which can sometimes lead to long-term complications despite being initially classified as minor, to serious injuries such as fractures, head injuries, spinal cord damage resulting in permanent disability, and psychological injuries including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
£21 million recovered · 15 years specialist practice
Specific road traffic claim guides
Every road accident is different. Pick the guide that matches your situation for tailored advice on liability, evidence and how much your claim could be worth.
- Read guide
Bicycle Injury Claim
Cyclists hit by a vehicle on UK roads, liability, damages and time limits.
- Read guide
Bike Accident Compensation
What cycling injuries are typically worth, JCG brackets and real ranges.
- Read guide
Pedestrian Injury Claim
Knocked down as a pedestrian, your options against drivers and the MIB.
- Read guide
Uninsured Driver Claim
Claim via the Motor Insurers' Bureau when the driver has no insurance.
- Read guide
Passenger Injury Claim
Injured as a passenger in a car, taxi, bus or coach, who pays out.
- Read guide
Passenger: Who Do I Sue?
Clear answers on liability when you were the passenger, not the driver.
£21M+
Recovered for clients
15 yrs
RTA experience
20%*
Success fee, not 25%
100%
No Win No Fee
*The 20% success fee applies to claims valued over £5,000. Lower-value claims worth below £5,000 are charged at a different rate, which we always explain clearly before you sign.
“Photographs at the scene, final positions, damage, road markings, skid marks, are often more decisive than the police report itself.
Was the accident in the last 3 years?
Most RTA claims must be started within 3 years of the collision.
Tap any road user type below to see how liability is usually established and what to expect.
Drivers
Drivers injured in car accidents can claim where another driver was wholly or partly at fault. Common claims involve rear-end collisions, junction collisions including at traffic lights, multi-vehicle accidents, whiplash, fractures, and serious spinal or head injuries. Even where liability is disputed, drivers may still be entitled to compensation.
Even if you were partly at fault, you may still be entitled to compensation under the legal principle of contributory negligence, your award is reduced proportionally, not eliminated. Insurers routinely overstate claimant fault to reduce payouts. We challenge these allegations as a matter of course.
“High-speed motorway collisions produce disproportionately serious injuries, HGV, van and coach insurers routinely defend hard, so specialist handling matters.
Compensation depends on the type and severity of injury, recovery time, ongoing symptoms, and financial losses such as lost wages and care costs. As a broad guide to total settlements:
- Minor soft tissue injuries: typically £1,000–£10,000
- Moderate fractures: typically £10,000–£50,000
- Serious injuries with surgery or long-term impact: typically £50,000–£150,000
- Life-changing or catastrophic injuries: £150,000 to £1,000,000+
These broad bands cover general damages only. Financial losses such as lost earnings, future income loss, care costs, rehabilitation, medical treatment, travel expenses, and other special damages are assessed separately and often significantly exceed the injury award in serious cases.
Judicial College Guidelines (18th edition): for context, the table below shows the general-damages brackets for injuries commonly seen in road traffic accidents. These are for the injury (pain, suffering and loss of amenity) only and do not include your financial losses.
| Injury (general damages only) | JCG 18th-edition bracket |
|---|---|
| Neck, minor (recovery 3 months to 1 year) | £3,240 – £5,750 |
| Neck, moderate (soft tissue with disc lesion, serious limitation) | £18,150 – £33,020 |
| Neck, severe (chronic, permanent significant disability) | £60,080 – £73,970 |
| Back, minor (recovery within 2–5 years, no surgery) | £10,420 – £16,520 |
| Back, moderate (frequent backache, prolapsed disc) | £16,520 – £36,680 |
| Back, severe (disc lesions/fractures, chronic despite surgery) | £51,230 – £92,130 |
| Shoulder, moderate (frozen shoulder, soft tissue ~2 years) | £10,420 – £16,870 |
| Shoulder, severe (often with brachial plexus damage) | £25,370 – £63,450 |
| Arm, simple forearm fracture | £8,730 – £25,370 |
| Collarbone (clavicle) fracture | £6,800 – £16,170 |
| PTSD, moderate | £10,810 – £30,580 |
| PTSD, severe | £79,080 – £133,000 |
| Brain, moderate (work ability reduced, memory affected) | £56,890 – £119,860 |
| Brain, very severe | £372,570 – £533,720 |
| Paraplegia | £289,420 – £375,540 |
| Tetraplegia | £428,850 – £533,720 |
Caveat: for car drivers and passengers, minor neck and back soft-tissue injuries lasting up to two years are valued under the fixed whiplash tariff (below), not these JCG brackets. The JCG figures above apply to injuries outside the tariff and to vulnerable road users (motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians), whose soft-tissue injuries are valued under the Guidelines. Figures are general damages only.
For detailed injury-specific compensation guidance, see our UK compensation payouts guide.
Whiplash tariff lookup
How long will your symptoms last?
Up to 9 months (6–9 months symptoms)
£965
Fixed tariff under the Whiplash Injury (Amendment) Regulations 2025. Mixed injury cases (whiplash + non-tariff injuries) can be valued substantially higher, speak to a specialist before settling.
If you are a car driver or passenger who sustained a whiplash injury in a road traffic accident, a fixed tariff introduced by the Civil Liability Act 2018 and the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021 determines the amount of general damages payable for your soft tissue injury. The tariff amount depends on how long your whiplash symptoms last, as confirmed by an independent medical expert. There are currently two tariff tables in operation depending on when your accident occurred.
Whiplash Tariff, accidents on or after 31 May 2025
(Fixed by the Whiplash Injury (Amendment) Regulations 2025)
| Duration of Injury | Whiplash Only | Whiplash + Minor Psychological Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Not more than 3 months | £275 | £300 |
| 3 to 6 months | £565 | £595 |
| 6 to 9 months | £965 | £1,025 |
| 9 to 12 months | £1,510 | £1,595 |
| 12 to 15 months | £2,335 | £2,435 |
| 15 to 18 months | £3,445 | £3,550 |
| 18 to 24 months | £4,830 | £4,975 |
Accident before 31 May 2025? See the tariff that applies to you
Whiplash Tariff, accidents between 31 May 2021 and 30 May 2025
(Fixed by the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021)
| Duration of Injury | Whiplash Only | Whiplash + Minor Psychological Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Not more than 3 months | £240 | £260 |
| 3 to 6 months | £495 | £520 |
| 6 to 9 months | £840 | £895 |
| 9 to 12 months | £1,320 | £1,390 |
| 12 to 15 months | £2,040 | £2,125 |
| 15 to 18 months | £3,005 | £3,100 |
| 18 to 24 months | £4,215 | £4,345 |
Six Important Points About the Whiplash Tariff
Injuries beyond 24 months fall outside the tariff. Whiplash injuries with a prognosis of more than 24 months are not subject to these fixed amounts and are valued under the Judicial College Guidelines in the usual way.
Non-whiplash injuries are not affected. Fractures, disc injuries, nerve damage and other non-soft-tissue injuries are valued under the Judicial College Guidelines regardless of who the claimant is or when the accident occurred.
Financial losses are assessed separately. The tariff figures cover general damages only. Lost wages, treatment costs, rehabilitation and travel expenses are assessed and claimed separately on top of the tariff figure.
The tariff applies to vehicle occupants only. It applies exclusively to car drivers and passengers. Motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians are not subject to the tariff, as their soft tissue injuries are valued under the Judicial College Guidelines.
“Minor psychological injury” has a specific meaning. For tariff purposes this means a psychological injury secondary to the physical whiplash, such as low-level travel anxiety or occasional loss of sleep that falls short of a diagnosable psychiatric disorder. The tariff figure for whiplash with minor psychological injury is determined by the duration of the whiplash injury, regardless of how long the psychological symptoms last.
Low-value claims may use the Official Injury Claim portal. If you have suffered a minor personal injury valued under £5,000 in a road traffic accident, you can use the Official Injury Claim portal to claim without a solicitor. These changes only affect road traffic claims valued up to £5,000 and do not apply to vulnerable road users such as cyclists, pedestrians, children, or those lacking mental capacity. For claims above £5,000 or involving non-whiplash injuries, full legal representation is strongly recommended.
Mixed Injury Claims: Whiplash and Non-Whiplash Together
Where you suffer both a whiplash injury and a separate non-whiplash injury in the same accident, for example a soft tissue neck injury alongside a fractured wrist, the claim is assessed as a mixed injury claim. The tariff applies only to the whiplash element. The non-whiplash injury is valued separately under the Judicial College Guidelines. The two awards are then added together. Insurers frequently misapply this valuation in mixed injury cases, either by applying the tariff to injuries it does not cover or by failing to fully value the non-whiplash element. We ensure both components are correctly identified and fully valued.
Insurance companies regularly make early low offers in road traffic accident claims, particularly in whiplash and moderate injury cases. These offers are frequently made before your medical recovery has stabilised and before the full extent of your financial losses, including future losses and lost wages, has been calculated. Once a settlement is accepted, it cannot be reopened, regardless of how your condition develops. Early offers are a deliberate commercial tactic by the insurance company, not a fair assessment of your claim. Specialist legal advice and representation from the outset ensures that no offer is considered until your injuries are properly evidenced through medical reports and every financial loss is fully quantified.
“Where the police attend, always obtain the incident reference number, it unlocks the accident report, breathalyser data and any witness statements.
Road traffic accident claims can appear straightforward, but insurance companies regularly dispute liability, undervalue injuries, and make early low offers designed to limit their exposure. Having expert legal advice and specialist representation from the outset protects your position and the full value of your personal injury claim.
- ✅ Over £21 million recovered for clients over 15 years.
- ✅ Senior solicitor handling your case from start to settlement, no call centres, no case handlers.
- ✅ We act exclusively for injured claimants, never insurers.
- ✅ Specialist serious injury capability for high-value and complex cases, including Court of Protection matters.
- ✅ Robust challenge of liability disputes and contributory negligence allegations across all road user types, including split-liability cases.
- ✅ Early rehabilitation support and interim payment applications where appropriate.
- ✅ No Win No Fee on all road traffic accident claims, with no upfront costs and nothing to pay if your claim is unsuccessful, under a conditional fee agreement.
- ✅ Free initial consultation to assess your eligibility and advise on the claims process and legal fees.
- ✅ Assistance with claims involving uninsured drivers, hit and run accidents, and other complex scenarios.
- ✅ Support for vulnerable road users including pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.
- ✅ Serving clients across England and Wales.
- ✅ Members of APIL (the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers) and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Free case assessment: we review what happened, your injuries, and whether you have a valid personal injury claim. No obligation, no pressure.
Evidence gathering: CCTV, police reports, witness statements, dashcam footage and medical records are secured immediately. CCTV is typically overwritten after 28 days, so early action is critical.
Medical assessment: independent medical evidence is obtained to document injuries, establish prognosis, and ensure the full extent of your injuries is on record.
Full valuation: we calculate the complete value of your compensation claim, including all financial losses such as lost wages, treatment costs, rehabilitation, and future needs, not just the injury itself.
Negotiation: we present your claim to insurers and negotiate for maximum compensation. We do not accept the first offer, and we challenge any attempt to deny liability or understate your injuries.
Settlement or court proceedings: most road traffic accident claims settle without going to court. If insurers refuse a fair offer, we are fully prepared to litigate, including multi-track claims.
It is crucial to take the right steps after a road traffic accident to protect your claim and your health:
- ✅ Seek medical attention immediately, even if injuries are not apparent, as some physical and psychological injuries may manifest later.
- ✅ Report the accident to the police within 24 hours if there are injuries or property damage.
- ✅ Report the accident to your insurer as soon as possible, ideally within 24 to 48 hours.
- ✅ Exchange names, addresses, and vehicle registration numbers with all parties involved.
- ✅ Do not admit liability or fault at the scene.
- ✅ Collect evidence at the scene, including photographs, witness statements, and dashcam footage.
- ✅ Keep records of all expenses from day one, including treatment costs, prescription charges, travel to appointments, repair bills, and lost earnings, as these form the basis of your special damages claim.
Call 0300 373 5366 (9am–5:30pm Mon–Fri)
Email: info@hannahgoldsolicitors.co.uk or request a callback.
Hannah Gold Solicitors: Specialist RTA Solicitors. Over £21 Million Recovered. No Win No Fee. Serving clients across England and Wales.
“Never accept an insurer's first offer or give a recorded statement without legal advice. Early offers frequently undervalue claims.
How long do road traffic accident claims take?
The time depends on injury severity and whether liability is admitted. Straightforward cases may resolve within several months. Cases involving serious injury, disputed liability, or complex medical evidence typically take one to three years. Accepting an early offer from insurers risks under-settlement, and we advise on timing to ensure your claim reflects your full losses.
Can I claim if I was partly at fault?
Yes. Even where you were partly responsible, you may still recover compensation. The amount is reduced in proportion to your share of fault, a legal principle called contributory negligence. For example, if you were found 25% at fault, you would receive 75% of the total value. We regularly challenge unfair fault allegations made by insurers. However, if you were entirely at fault, you will not be able to make a compensation claim.
Is there a time limit to make a road traffic accident claim?
In most cases, you must start a road traffic accident claim within three years from the date of the accident. If the injured person was under 18, the three-year period begins on their 18th birthday. In cases involving lack of mental capacity, different rules apply. Early legal advice is strongly recommended.
Can I claim if the other driver was uninsured?
Yes. Claims against uninsured or untraced drivers are handled through the Motor Insurers Bureau. You do not lose your right to compensation because the other driver had no insurance or fled the scene. Strict procedural requirements apply, so early specialist advice is important.
Will I have to go to court?
Most road traffic accident claims settle through negotiation without a court hearing. Litigation becomes necessary where liability is firmly disputed or insurers refuse to make a reasonable offer. If your case proceeds to court, our solicitors will represent you fully alongside specialist barristers where required.
What should I do immediately after a road traffic accident?
Seek medical attention promptly, even if injuries seem minor at first, as some symptoms may develop later. Report the accident to the police within 24 hours if there are injuries or property damage. Collect supporting evidence such as photographs, witness contacts, and dashcam footage. Exchange details with the other party but do not admit fault at the scene.
What are legal costs and how are they managed in a road traffic accident claim?
It depends on the type of claim. In most claims, the majority of legal costs are recovered from the other side's insurer, and a success fee, 20% in most cases, is deducted from your compensation. In lower-value claims that go through the Official Injury Claim portal, costs cannot be recovered from the other side, so our fee is deducted from your compensation. Either way, we explain exactly what applies to your claim, in plain English, before you sign anything.
Can I make a road traffic accident claim for someone else?
Yes. You can claim on behalf of someone who lacks mental capacity or is under 18. Parents or legal guardians can initiate claims for children, who have until their 21st birthday to start a claim if none was made earlier.
How is compensation calculated?
Compensation includes general damages for physical pain, psychological injuries, and loss of amenity, plus special damages for financial losses such as medical treatment, rehabilitation, lost wages, care costs, and other expenses. The amount depends on injury severity, recovery time, and impact on your life, with general damages ranges set out in the Judicial College Guidelines.
What if the other party denies liability?
If the other party denies or disputes fault, we gather robust evidence including medical reports and supporting evidence to prove their negligence. If necessary, we are prepared to take the case to court to secure a fair outcome.
Are early compensation payments available?
Yes. Early compensation payments, also known as interim payments, can provide financial support before your claim is fully settled, particularly if you have serious injuries or face delays in medical examinations or claim valuation. These payments help cover urgent costs such as medical treatment, rehabilitation, care needs, and everyday life expenses affected by the accident. Our specialist team can assist you in applying for interim payments to ease financial pressures during the complex process of your claim. Interim payments are usually available once the other side has admitted liability, and they require detailed medical evidence and proof of the accident. If your situation involves fractures or other serious injuries, early compensation can be vital. We ensure you have as much evidence as possible to support your application, including documentation of physical injuries and psychological effects. Contact our road traffic accident solicitors for independent legal advice and a free consultation to understand how early compensation awards can benefit you.
Start Your Road Traffic Accident Claim Today
Speak to a specialist RTA solicitor. No Win No Fee. Over £21 million recovered for injured clients across England and Wales.
£21 million recovered · Established 2011
No Win No Fee means you pay nothing upfront and nothing at all if your claim does not succeed. If you win, a success fee is deducted from your compensation. On most personal injury claims we charge 20%, lower than the 25% maximum many firms apply; some lower-value Official Injury Claim portal cases are charged at a different rate, which we always explain clearly before you sign.
Continue Reading
Compensation Payouts Guide
Detailed injury-by-injury compensation brackets from the Judicial College Guidelines.
Read Guide →Motorcycle Injury
Specialist representation for motorcyclists and pillion passengers injured on UK roads.
Read Guide →Serious Injury Claims
Brain injury, spinal cord damage, amputation, and complex catastrophic injury claims.
Read Guide →