If you have been injured in a car accident at any time in the last three years and someone else was to blame, you may be owed compensation.
Being in a car accident can be very scary and traumatic. It can also leave you with injuries that have a real impact on your health, life, career and wellbeing. Compensation can help you access the best treatment and care, as well as replacing lost income if you can’t work.
Read our two minute guide to road traffic accidents.
Get expert help to claim car accident compensation
David W Harris & Co are specialist personal injury lawyers in South Wales. Having helped people to claim car accident compensation for many years, we can make the claims process simpler and less stressful while helping you get the maximum compensation available.
Our experience with car accident claims
Our car accident lawyers in South Wales can help with many types of claims, including those involving:
- Collisions with other vehicles
- Collisions with pedestrians
- Collisions with traffic lights, bollards and other stationary objects
- Motorway accident claims
- Road fatality claims
- Whiplash claims
- Passenger injury claims
- Overseas car accident claims
We have particular expertise in dealing with serious car accident injury claims, including brain injury claims and spinal injury claims.
We regularly help clients claim compensation in the £1,000-£500,000 range and recently secured a £14million settlement for one of our clients.
We offer no win, no fee car accident claims, so there is usually no upfront cost or financial risk in pursuing a claim with David W Harris & Co.
Get a free first consultation with our car accident solicitors in South Wales
Unsure if you are entitled to compensation for a car accident or want to know more about how the claims process works?
We offer a free first consultation to answer your questions and help you decide whether you wish to pursue a car accident compensation claim.
Please use our simple online enquiry form to book a free initial chat with our team. There will be no obligation to take things further unless you wish to do so.
Why use David W Harris & Co. for your car accident claim?
There are numerous reasons to work with our expert car accident lawyers, including:
- No win, no fee funding for car accident claims
- Millions of pounds in compensation recovered for our clients over the last 35 years
- Our expertise is independently recognised:
- Personal Injury Partner Robert Thomas is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL)
- We are on Headway’s approved list of specialist brain injury solicitors
- We cover the whole of South Wales with offices in Pontypridd, Talbot Green and Swansea – home visits can also be arranged where appropriate
- Most car accident claims we handle are settled out of court, saving you time, legal costs and stress
- We have a strong track record of securing maximum car accident compensation for our clients
Find out more about our personal injury claims expertise.
Car accident claims fees and funding
Fixed fee car accident claims
The maximum fees solicitors can charge for low value car accident claims (involving damages less than £10,000) are now capped at £1,400. This cost will normally be recovered at least partially from the defendant.
For higher value cases, our fees will be charged on a sliding scale which we will be happy to explain during your initial consultation.
Find out more about fixed fees for car accident claims.
No win, no fee car accident claims
In most cases, clients work with us on a no win, no fee basis for car accident claims. This is more properly known as a ‘Conditional Fee Agreement’.
Advantages of a no win, no fee car accident claim include:
- No charge to start a claim
- No fees to pay until and unless we win compensation for you
- If we can’t secure compensation for you, you won’t owe us anything
- No financial risk to you
Other options for covering the cost of a car accident claim include legal expenses insurance, which is often included as an optional extra with car insurance and home insurance.
We will be happy to discuss the different options for funding a car accident claim with you during your initial consultation with our team.
Find out more about no win, no fee personal injury claims funding.
Common questions about car accident claims
How long do you have to claim car accident compensation?
Normally, you will have three years to claim for a car accident. This is counted from the ‘date of knowledge’ i.e. the date when you knew you were injured and someone else was at fault.
You may have longer to claim if the injured party was under 18 or does not have the mental capacity to claim (e.g. if they suffered a serious brain injury) as different time limits apply in these circumstances.
Head over to our personal injury claims page to find out more about time limits for personal injury claims.
How much can you claim for injuries from a car accident?
Damages will be determined based on the severity of your injuries and their impact on your life. If you are partly at fault for the accident, this will also affect how much you can claim. (see ‘Can you claim compensation for a car accident if you were partly to blame?’ below).
Car accident compensation can cover:
- Financial losses due to your injuries – including lost wages, the cost of paying for treatment, specialist equipment etc.
- Expected future financial losses – e.g. reduction in your future earning potential, the need to pay for ongoing care etc.
- Loss of amenity – i.e. no longer being able to carry out activities you previously could, such as driving, playing sport etc.
- Pain and suffering – for your physical and emotional pain.
Our South Wales car accident lawyers will be happy to discuss the potential damages available for your claim during your initial consultation.
Tempted to exaggerate the level of your injuries to try to claim more? Check out our blog on why you shouldn’t ‘over-egg the pudding’.
Can you claim compensation for a car accident that was partly your fault?
Yes, you will still be owed compensation as long as someone else was at least partly responsible for the accident. This is sometimes called ‘split liability’.
How much compensation you can get will depend on how the blame for the accident is split between the parties. If you and another party are held to be equally responsible (i.e. a 50:50 split of the blame), then you would be able to claim half (50%) of the damages you would otherwise have been entitled to.
To find out more, take a look at our blog on why you don’t have to be blameless to receive car accident compensation.
Can you get compensation for whiplash?
In April 2021, the way whiplash claims are handled and how much compensation you can potentially receive changed under the terms of the Civil Liability Act 2018.
Damages available for soft tissue damage in a car accident (i.e. ‘whiplash’) are now capped, as are the fees law firms and claims companies can charge for these types of claims.
The intention is to reduce the number and cost of whiplash claims and their impact on car insurance premiums. However, it is important to be aware that you can still claim for soft tissue damage and, in theory, the new reforms should make this faster and less costly.
Can you claim compensation for a hit and run car accident?
Yes, compensation for hit and run accidents can be claimed through the government’s Untraced Drivers Scheme, which is backed by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB). The accident must be reported to the police as soon as possible to qualify.
If you were injured in a hit and run, our car accident lawyers will be happy to help you claim.
Can you get compensation for a car accident involving an uninsured driver?
Yes, you can make a claim through the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) for car accidents involving an uninsured driver.
Our team will be happy to help with making an uninsured driver compensation claim.
What to do next about starting a car accident claim
To book your free initial consultation with one of our specialist car accident solicitors in Pontypridd, Talbot Green or Swansea, please get in touch.
Simply use our short online enquiry form to tell us you would like to speak to a member of our personal injury team about a potential car accident claim and we will be in touch promptly.