Road Traffic Accident Solicitors
A road traffic accident caused by someone else's fault entitles you to full compensation — for your injuries, your vehicle, and every financial loss that follows. A solicitor ensures the insurer pays what they owe.
Road traffic accident claims arise from collisions involving cars, motorcycles, cyclists, pedestrians, HGVs, and public transport. Whether liability is admitted or disputed, the claim process involves notifying the insurer, gathering medical evidence, quantifying financial losses, and negotiating a settlement — or issuing proceedings where the insurer does not make a reasonable offer. A solicitor manages every stage on a no-win, no-fee basis.
What Your RTA Claim Covers
Road traffic accident claims — the compensation available and how the process works.
An RTA claim covers much more than the injury itself. A solicitor will identify and claim every head of loss — ensuring the insurer does not pay less than the full amount to which you are entitled.
General damages — the injury itself
General damages compensate for pain, suffering, and loss of amenity — the impact of the injury on your life. The Judicial College Guidelines provide brackets for different injury types and severities. Whiplash injuries are now assessed under the Official Injury Claim scheme for minor soft tissue injuries occurring after May 2021. More serious injuries — fractures, head injuries, orthopaedic injuries — are valued by an independent medical expert whose report supports the claim. A solicitor will instruct the right expert and ensure the injury is correctly characterised and valued.
Special damages — financial losses
Special damages cover all financial losses caused by the accident — lost earnings (including future earning capacity where the injury is long-term), medical and physiotherapy costs, prescription charges, travel to appointments, vehicle repair or replacement, and the cost of care and assistance provided by family members. Every loss must be documented and evidenced. A solicitor will systematically identify every head of special damages and ensure it is included in the claim schedule.
Vehicle damage and credit hire
Vehicle damage — repair costs or total loss valuation — is recoverable as part of the claim. Where the vehicle is off the road for repair, the claimant is entitled to a replacement vehicle. Credit hire (where a replacement vehicle is provided and the cost is claimed as part of the personal injury claim) is a significant element of many RTA claims. A solicitor will manage the vehicle damage claim and ensure the credit hire charges are properly supported and recoverable.
Disputes about liability
Where the other driver denies responsibility — or where both parties claim the other was at fault — liability must be established by evidence. This includes police reports and collision investigation reports, dashcam and CCTV footage, witness statements, accident reconstruction expert evidence, and medical evidence showing the mechanics of the injury. A solicitor will gather and preserve the evidence needed to establish fault — and where liability is split, negotiate the apportionment of contributory negligence.
Motorcycle and cycle accident claims
Motorcyclists and cyclists are among the most seriously injured road users and often face disputes about their own contributory negligence — particularly around speed, filtering, and the absence of protective equipment. A solicitor with experience of two-wheeled accident claims will manage the liability arguments and ensure any contributory negligence finding is fair rather than inflated by insurer tactics. Helmet use, for example, only affects damages where the failure to wear a helmet contributed to the specific head injury — it does not affect other injuries.
Uninsured and untraced driver claims through the MIB
Where the responsible driver was uninsured or left the scene without stopping, the Motor Insurers' Bureau compensates victims in the same way as an insurer. The Uninsured Drivers Agreement (for uninsured drivers) and the Untraced Drivers Agreement (for hit-and-run accidents) both have specific procedural requirements — including reporting to the police and notifying the MIB within prescribed time limits. A solicitor will manage the MIB process and ensure the procedural requirements are satisfied from the outset.