Road Safety Week is an annual road safety campaign led by Brake (www.brake.org.uk).
This year’s focus is on the victims of road crashes and the devastating effect it has on them and those around them. The tagline, ‘After the crash, every road victim counts’ holds a lot of meaning.
Here at Jefferies, our personal injury department, headed by Managing Partner Sarah Mitchell, helps support these victims and their families by providing tailored guidance and assistance.
The Statistics
Every year, more than 1700 people die on UK roads.
Another 30,000 receive serious, life-changing injuries.
(Brake, 2024)
Over 50% of fatal collisions were speed related and nearly 20% involved drugs or alcohol.
Traffic levels are now back to pre-pandemic levels with 334 billion vehicle miles travelled in 2023.
(Department for Transport: Reported Road Casualties, 2024)
Who can make a claim?
You can make a claim if you’ve been involved in an accident in the past three years (three years from their 18th birthday for a minor). Road victim claims include car accidents, cycling accidents, passenger accidents, pedestrian accidents, motorbike accidents, bus and coach accidents, e-scooter accidents, and horse accidents. If you have been involved in an accident you feel was not your fault, you can engage a Personal Injury Solicitor at Jefferies to make a claim.
What should you do if you’re involved in an accident?
To have the best chance of making a successful claim we recommend you gather as much information from the scene of the accident as possible. This includes making note of the other driver or drivers’ contact details and vehicle registration number as well as their insurance details. You should also take photos of any damage and download dashcam footage if you have one. It can be beneficial to know if anyone else involved also has any footage. You must report the accident to the police (if you were unable to exchange details at the scene, someone was injured, or a driving offence was possibly committed) and your insurance company. A solicitor will then have a great starting point to pursue a claim.
How we can help after an accident
The specialist team at Jefferies is highly skilled at handling a wide range of personal injury claims. Whether you’ve suffered a minor injury in a straightforward road traffic accident, you’re dealing with the loss of a family member, or the impact of catastrophic injuries, our expert team is here to guide you every step of the way.
No Win, No Fee
Nearly all claims we handle are on a No Win, No Fee basis meaning you can pursue your case without worrying about upfront legal costs. This ensures you can focus on your recovery while we focus on your case. We also offer competitive success fees, ensuring that you get the best possible outcome for your claim.
For road traffic accidents valued at less than £5,000, we are unable to act on a No Win, No Fee basis, but there is still help. Using the new portal, Claimants are now able to bring low value whiplash claims themselves, without the need for legal representation. The portal has been designed to be user friendly. You can find a link to the portal here: https://www.officialinjuryclaim.org.uk/
Why Jefferies
We understand that every claim is unique, which is why we tailor our advice to meet your specific needs. Our team is committed to supporting you throughout the entire claims process, ensuring that you receive the best possible outcome.
Call us on 01702 443 472 or fill out a contact form and send to sjm@jefferieslaw.co.uk and we can help you to understand the legal options available to you.
The contents of this article are for the purpose of general awareness only. They do not purport to constitute legal or professional advice. The law or information included in this article may have changed since this article was published. Readers should not act on the basis of the information included and should take appropriate professional advice upon their own particular circumstances.