How much compensation will I get?

Nobody can tell you that at the outset, and you should be cautious of anyone who tries. It depends on the medical evidence, the severity and duration of your injury, and the financial losses you can prove. What we can do is explain how the assessment works and give you a realistic view once the medical report is in.

What does no win, no fee actually mean?

It means that if the claim is unsuccessful, you do not pay our fees. If it succeeds, a success fee is deducted from your compensation, capped by regulation. The specific percentages and what they apply to are set out in your agreement, and we go through them with you before you sign.

Will I have to go to court?

Most claims settle without a hearing. Court is the route when an insurer will not offer a reasonable settlement, and even then most cases settle before a trial takes place.

I only had whiplash. Is it worth claiming?

Lower-value whiplash claims from road traffic accidents follow a specific tariff-based process. Whether it is worth pursuing depends on your injuries and your losses, and we will give you an honest view rather than an encouraging one.

Can I claim if the accident was months ago?

Very possibly. The general limitation period is three years. But evidence gets harder to gather with time, so do not sit on it.

Do I have to claim against a friend or family member who was driving?

The claim is against their insurance policy, not against them personally. That is what motor insurance exists for, and it is a very common situation.

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Personal Injury Claims - Handled by NJS Law Solicitors

Q: Who can make an injury claim?

Not only drivers. Being partly at fault does not necessarily end a claim either. Where responsibility is shared, damages are typically reduced to reflect that share rather than refused altogether.

Q: Who will handle my personal injury claim?

Back on the Road UK is a trading style of NJS Law Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. When we get your car sorted and it turns out you have been injured as well, you are not handed off to a stranger at a call centre. The injury claim is run by NJS Law's personal injury solicitors, in the same business, on the same file.

Back on the Road UK is a trading style of NJS Law Limited, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. So when we get your car sorted and it turns out you have been injured as well, you are not handed off to a stranger at a call centre. The injury claim is run by NJS Law’s personal injury solicitors, in the same business, on the same file.

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Call Free: 0800 820 3860

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Dedicated claims handler & live updates

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What Can You Claim For After an Injury?

General damages

Compensate for the injury itself — the pain, the suffering, and the effect on your day-to-day life. Assessed with reference to the Judicial College Guidelines and to medical evidence from an independent expert, not from how you describe your own symptoms.

Special damages

Compensate for the financial consequences. Lost earnings, treatment and rehabilitation costs, care provided by family, travel to appointments, and adaptations where an injury has lasting effects.

Injury compensation in England and Wales is made up of two parts.

Close-up of a dark blue surface with a yellow dashed line running across it.

How the two are valued in any individual case depends on medical evidence, on the severity and duration of the injury, and on the losses that can actually be proved. Every claim is different, and anyone who gives you a figure before a doctor has examined you is guessing.

See NJS Law’s road traffic accident claims service.

How Long Do I Have to Make an Injury Claim?

Limitation Act 1980

The general limitation period for personal injury claims in England and Wales is three years from the date of the accident. Once it expires, the right to bring a claim is usually lost permanently.

Children The three years does not begin until the child's 18th birthday, so a claim can generally be brought until they turn 21. A claim can also be brought earlier on their behalf.

Lack of capacity Where someone lacks the mental capacity to conduct a claim, time may not run at all while that continues.

Delayed knowledge Where an injury or its cause was not reasonably discoverable straight away, time may run from the date of knowledge instead.

Untraced / uninsured Claims through the Motor Insurers' Bureau carry their own notification requirements, and the untraced drivers route is shorter. See uninsured driver claims.

Fatal accidents Different rules apply, generally running from the date of death.

Important exceptions apply:

How Does an Injury Claim Work? Step by Step

Read how long you have to make a claim.

Step 1

Free initial conversation.

You tell us what happened and how you were hurt. We tell you whether there appears to be a claim. If there is not, we say so — that is more useful to you than an encouraging maybe.
Step 2

Funding agreed.

Most personal injury claims are funded by a Conditional Fee Agreement — "no win, no fee". The terms, including what is deducted from any compensation and what happens if the claim does not succeed, are set out in writing and explained before you sign anything.
Step 3

Liability investigated.

Evidence is gathered and the claim is notified to the other side's insurer. For most road traffic injury claims this runs through the prescribed pre-action process.
Step 4

Medical evidence.

You are examined by an independent medical expert who reports on your injuries, your prognosis and your recovery. This report is what the injury element of the claim is built on.
Step 5

Negotiation and settlement.

Once the medical picture is clear, the claim is valued and negotiated. Most claims settle without a court hearing. Where an insurer will not offer a reasonable sum, court proceedings remain available.

Passengers, in any vehicle involved, including the one they were travelling in — see NJS Law: passenger accident claims
Pedestrians and cyclists injured by a vehicle
Motorcyclists
Bus, coach and taxi passengers — see NJS Law: public transport accident claims
Parents or guardians, on behalf of an injured child

Who Can Make an Injury Claim?

Not only drivers.

Being partly at fault does not necessarily end a claim either. Where responsibility is shared, damages are typically reduced to reflect that share rather than refused altogether.

Talk to us today

Call us now — our team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you've been in an accident that wasn't your fault, we can help.

0800 820 3860

Free, no obligation

Frequently Asked Questions

Still unsure? Here are the questions we're asked most often.

Nobody can tell you that at the outset, and you should be cautious of anyone who tries. It depends on the medical evidence, the severity and duration of your injury, and the financial losses you can prove. What we can do is explain how the assessment works and give you a realistic view once the medical report is in.
It means that if the claim is unsuccessful, you do not pay our fees. If it succeeds, a success fee is deducted from your compensation, capped by regulation. The specific percentages and what they apply to are set out in your agreement, and we go through them with you before you sign.
Most claims settle without a hearing. Court is the route when an insurer will not offer a reasonable settlement, and even then most cases settle before a trial takes place.
Lower-value whiplash claims from road traffic accidents follow a specific tariff-based process. Whether it is worth pursuing depends on your injuries and your losses, and we will give you an honest view rather than an encouraging one.
Very possibly — the general limitation period is three years. But evidence gets harder to gather with time, so do not sit on it.
The claim is against their insurance policy, not against them personally. That is what motor insurance exists for, and it is a very common situation.
Yes — that is the point of coming to us. The vehicle side and the injury side run together. See vehicle repairs.

Vehicle Repairs The vehicle side and the injury side run together, on one file. Uninsured Driver Claims Injured by an uninsured or untraced driver? The MIB route, with shorter deadlines. Uninsured Loss Recovery Lost earnings, treatment costs and travel to appointments.