To claim compensation after a road accident in the UK you report the accident, gather evidence at the scene, get the injury on your medical record, tell your own insurer, get advice before speaking to the other driver’s insurer, and put the claim to the at-fault insurer through a solicitor on a no win no fee basis, all within three years; where the accident wasn’t your fault, National Accident Support Line handles the replacement vehicle and repair directly and refers the injury claim to a specialist solicitor, from one call.
Most people have never made a claim and find out how it works in the worst week to be learning. The steps below are in the order they happen. The first four are for the day of the accident and the days after; the rest are the claim itself.
No excess to pay if the accident wasn’t your fault. Fill in our form and we’ll call you back within 2 minutes.
Step 1: Make the scene safe and report the accident
Stop; it is a legal requirement after any collision. Switch off the engine, put the hazards on and get clear of the road if you can. Call 999 if anyone is hurt or the road is blocked. Report the accident to the police within 24 hours if anyone was injured, if details were not exchanged, or if the other driver left the scene.
Step 2: Exchange details and gather evidence
The other driver’s name, address, phone number, registration and insurer. Photographs of every vehicle, the damage, the plates, the road, the signs and the markings. Dashcam footage saved before it overwrites. The names and numbers of witnesses. A note of what happened while it is fresh. Do not apologise or accept blame, even to be polite; fault is decided on evidence.
Step 3: Get the injury on record
See a GP or A&E on the day, even for an injury that feels minor. Whiplash symptoms often appear the next morning; a medical record dated close to the accident is the strongest evidence a claim has, and since 2021 a whiplash claim cannot be settled without a medical report at all.
Step 4: Tell your own insurer, without claiming through them
Most policies require you to report any accident, whether or not you claim, and not reporting one can breach the policy. Reporting is not the same as claiming. If the accident wasn’t your fault, you do not have to claim through your own insurer, pay your excess or put your no-claims discount at risk.
Step 5: Get your car sorted the right way
If the accident wasn’t your fault, you are entitled to a like-for-like replacement vehicle while yours is repaired or the write-off is settled, with the cost recovered from the at-fault driver’s insurer. That is credit hire, and it is different from a courtesy car. National Accident Support Line arranges it directly: the replacement, the repair and the recovery of the costs. The detail is on our non-fault car accident claims page.
Step 6: Get advice before you speak to the other insurer
The at-fault driver’s insurer may contact you directly with an offer, sometimes within days. Early offers are made before the injury is understood and rarely include everything the accident cost you. Do not accept, and do not give a recorded statement, without advice.
Step 7: Put the injury claim to the at-fault insurer
The claim is run by a solicitor on a no win no fee basis. It is put to the at-fault driver’s insurer with the evidence, a medical report is obtained, and the two sides negotiate. Whiplash claims for drivers and passengers go through the Official Injury Claim service; other injuries claim in the usual way. Where the driver drove off or was uninsured, the claim goes through the Motor Insurers’ Bureau. Most claims settle by negotiation; a hearing happens only where the insurer will not accept responsibility or settle fairly.
Step 8: Keep the record going until it settles
Every receipt, every appointment, every day off work, every mile to the hospital, every hour a family member spent looking after you. These are the losses the claim recovers, and they are only recovered if they are written down.
| What the claim covers | Examples |
|---|---|
| The injury | Pain, recovery, lasting effects, psychological injury |
| Lost earnings | Time off, the gap between sick pay and wages, lost overtime |
| Treatment | Physiotherapy, private treatment, prescriptions |
| Travel and care | Journeys to appointments, family care during recovery |
| The vehicle | Repair or write-off value, and a replacement while yours is off the road |
| Belongings | Phone, glasses, child seats, anything damaged in the crash |
No excess to pay if the accident wasn’t your fault. Fill in our form and we’ll call you back within 2 minutes.
Who pays, and how long it takes
The at-fault driver’s insurer pays, for the injury and for the vehicle. A driver who was not at fault pays nothing, and on a straightforward claim their own insurance is not used. A claim with admitted liability and a minor injury can settle within months. Disputed fault or a serious injury takes longer, because the medical picture has to settle before the claim is valued; a replacement vehicle continues throughout.
Where to go next
For the full picture on injury claims after a collision, our road traffic accident claims page. If the driver did not stop, what to do after a hit and run. If you were on a bike, bicycle accident claims. And if the injury is whiplash, how the tariff works on our whiplash claims page. National Accident Support Line is an FCA-regulated claims management company, not a law firm; we assess the claim, arrange the vehicle side where the accident wasn’t your fault, and refer the injury to a specialist solicitor.
Frequently asked questions
How do I claim compensation after a road accident?
Report it, gather evidence, get the injury on your medical record, tell your insurer, get advice before speaking to the other side, and put the claim to the at-fault insurer through a solicitor on a no win no fee basis.
How long do I have to claim after a road accident?
Three years from the date of the accident in England and Wales, or from the date you knew an injury was linked to it.
Do I claim through my own insurer?
Not if the accident wasn’t your fault. The claim goes against the at-fault driver’s insurer, so you pay no excess and your no-claims discount is not used. You still report the accident to your insurer.
Can I get a replacement car while I claim?
Yes, if the accident wasn’t your fault: a like-for-like replacement through credit hire, with the cost recovered from the at-fault insurer.
What if the other driver was uninsured or drove off?
The claim goes through the Motor Insurers’ Bureau. Report it to the police promptly.
Will I have to go to court?
Most road accident claims settle by negotiation. Court is for the minority where the insurer will not accept responsibility or settle fairly.
No excess to pay if the accident wasn’t your fault. Fill in our form and we’ll call you back within 2 minutes.