Lorry & HGV Accident Claims
Lorries and HGVs cause some of the most serious injuries on UK roads. The size and weight of a goods vehicle means even a low-speed collision can be devastating, and head-on or side-impact crashes with HGVs are often fatal or catastrophic. If you have been hurt in an accident involving a lorry — whether you were driving, riding in another vehicle, walking, or cycling — you may be entitled to substantial compensation.
In this guide
- Who Can Claim Lorry Accident Compensation?
- Common Causes of Lorry Accidents
- Why Lorry Accident Injuries Are Often Severe
- What Compensation Could You Receive?
- Who Can You Claim Against?
- Important Evidence in Lorry Accident Claims
- Time Limits
- What to Do After a Lorry Accident
- No Win No Fee Lorry Accident Claims
- Common Questions About Lorry Accident Claims
- Related Guides
- Our Partner's Fees Explained
- Check If You Could Claim Compensation For Your Injury
This guide explains who can claim, what to do after a lorry accident, what compensation typically covers, and how to start a claim on a no win no fee basis.
Who Can Claim Lorry Accident Compensation?
You may have a claim if you were:
- The driver of a car, van, or other vehicle struck by a lorry, where the lorry driver was wholly or partly at fault
- A passenger in any vehicle involved in an accident with a lorry — passengers almost always have a clear claim regardless of which driver was at fault
- A pedestrian hit by a lorry, including delivery drivers reversing into pavements or yards (see also our pedestrian accident claims guide)
- A cyclist or motorcyclist struck by a lorry, particularly in blind-spot collisions at junctions (see our cycling accident claims and motorbike accident claims guides)
- The lorry driver themselves if injured because of an employer’s failures — for example, an unsafe vehicle, inadequate rest breaks, or excessive workload (see our workplace accident claims guide)
- The family of someone killed in a lorry accident — through the estate and as dependants under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976
Common Causes of Lorry Accidents
Most lorry accident claims involve one or more of the following:
- Driver fatigue — UK and EU rules on tachograph recording and rest breaks exist specifically because tired lorry drivers cause accidents. Tachograph data is often crucial evidence
- Blind-spot collisions — particularly with cyclists and pedestrians at junctions in urban areas
- Lane changes and merging — large goods vehicles changing lanes without seeing other road users
- Mechanical failures — brake, tyre, or steering failures, often linked to maintenance shortcomings
- Inadequate loading — overloading or improperly secured loads causing rollovers or shed loads
- Speed — particularly inappropriate speed in adverse weather or congested conditions
- Distraction — including mobile phone use and route-finding distractions
- Pressure from employers — unrealistic delivery schedules pressuring drivers to cut corners on rest or care
Where the cause is linked to employer pressure or systemic failures, the claim may be brought against both the driver’s employer and their insurer — increasing the available compensation and access to higher-tier insurance cover.
Why Lorry Accident Injuries Are Often Severe
The mass and height of HGVs mean that injuries in lorry accidents tend to be at the more serious end of the personal injury spectrum. Common patterns:
- Multiple fractures, particularly in car drivers and passengers struck head-on or T-boned
- Traumatic brain injury from sudden deceleration — see our serious injury hub
- Spinal cord injury from crush impact, often leading to paralysis
- Crush injuries to limbs, sometimes requiring amputation — see our amputation claims guide
- Severe chest and abdominal injuries from steering-wheel or seatbelt impact
- Psychological injury including PTSD from the trauma of a major collision
- Fatal injury — UK figures show lorries are involved in a disproportionate share of fatal road accidents
Because of the severity profile, lorry accident claims often involve six-figure or seven-figure settlements when serious injury is involved. The injury values are governed by the Judicial College Guidelines.
What Compensation Could You Receive?
Lorry accident compensation typically covers two strands — general damages for the injury and special damages for financial loss.
General damages depend on the injury suffered. Typical ranges across common lorry-accident injuries:
- Whiplash and soft-tissue neck injuries — typically tariff amounts under the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021 if recovery is within 2 years
- Moderate back injury — typically £12,000 to £30,000
- Severe back injury with permanent symptoms — typically £40,000 to £170,000
- Multiple fractures with full recovery — typically £15,000 to £60,000
- Severe traumatic brain injury — typically £210,000 to over £490,000
- Spinal cord injury with paralysis — typically £230,000 to over £400,000
- Amputation of a leg above knee — typically £100,000 to £140,000
- Fatal accident — bereavement award (£15,120 in England & Wales) plus loss of dependency under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976
Special damages in serious lorry-accident cases often exceed general damages. They cover lost earnings (past and future), pension loss, rehabilitation, prosthetics, home and vehicle adaptations, professional care, and any private medical treatment. Lifetime care for catastrophic injuries can run into millions of pounds. For body-part-specific compensation amounts, see our back injury, brain injury, and head injury guides.
Who Can You Claim Against?
The defendant depends on who was at fault:
- The lorry driver and their insurer — the most common defendant where the lorry driver was at fault
- The haulage company — usually as the lorry driver’s employer, vicariously liable for their employee’s negligence
- The loading company — if an unsafe load caused or contributed to the accident
- The vehicle owner — if the lorry was inadequately maintained
- The Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) — if the lorry was uninsured or hit-and-run. See our uninsured driver and hit and run guides
- Highway authorities — if road defects (such as a pothole or unsigned road works) contributed to the accident
In serious accidents the police usually carry out a Road Traffic Collision investigation, and the evidence gathered (witness statements, vehicle inspection reports, scene measurements, tachograph downloads) is often disclosed during a claim and can be decisive on liability.
Important Evidence in Lorry Accident Claims
A solicitor will gather most of the evidence, but the following can be crucial:
- Police reports and any criminal-court outcome against the lorry driver
- The lorry’s tachograph data showing speed, driving hours, and rest breaks
- Dashcam footage from any vehicle involved or any nearby witnesses
- CCTV from nearby properties, roadside cameras, or service stations
- The haulage company’s vehicle maintenance records
- Drivers’ Hours records and any history of working time directive breaches
- Witness statements taken close to the event
- Photographs of the scene, vehicles, and any visible injuries
- Your medical records and specialist reports
- Records of all financial losses (wage slips, receipts, care costs)
For serious or fatal accidents an inquest may also gather important evidence which can be used in a subsequent civil claim. See our evidence guide for more.
Time Limits
You generally have three years from the date of the accident to start a claim. For children, the three-year clock does not start until their 18th birthday. For someone who lacks mental capacity (which can be a consequence of severe brain injury), time may be paused indefinitely. In fatal cases, the three years runs from the date of death. See our time limits guide for the full rules.
What to Do After a Lorry Accident
If you have just been in a lorry accident:
- Get medical attention immediately, even if you feel “okay” — serious injuries can be masked by adrenaline and shock
- Call the police and ensure a Road Traffic Collision report is created
- Get the lorry registration, the driver’s name, the haulage company name and the lorry insurer details
- Take photographs of the scene, the vehicles, and any visible injuries — including the road markings and signage
- Identify and exchange details with any witnesses
- Save any dashcam footage, including disabling auto-overwrite if needed
- Do not admit fault or sign anything from the other driver or their insurer
- Contact a specialist personal injury solicitor before discussing settlement with any insurer
For a fuller post-accident checklist see our what to do after a car accident guide.
No Win No Fee Lorry Accident Claims
Lorry accident claims run on a no win no fee Conditional Fee Agreement. You pay nothing upfront, nothing during the case, and nothing if the claim fails, provided you keep to the terms of your agreement. If the claim succeeds, the success fee — capped by LASPO 2012 at 25 per cent of general damages and past losses (future losses excluded) — is deducted from your compensation. After-the-Event insurance protects you from the other side’s costs if the case is lost. The ATE premium is normally payable only if you win, deducted from your compensation — it is no longer recoverable from the defendant — and your solicitor must explain how the premium and disbursements are treated before you sign (see how ATE insurance works). See our how no win no fee works guide.
For serious injury claims interim payments are often available early in the case to fund rehabilitation, private medical treatment, and home adaptations before the case is finally settled.
Common Questions About Lorry Accident Claims
A lorry pulled out on me at a junction and I was badly hurt. Is the lorry driver definitely at fault?
In most cases yes — but liability can sometimes be split. Police evidence, dashcam, witness statements and tachograph data are usually decisive. Even where there is some shared responsibility, the principle of contributory negligence means you can still recover most of your compensation. See our contributory negligence guide.
I was a cyclist hit by an HGV turning left at a junction. Can I claim?
Yes — and HGV-cyclist accidents at junctions are one of the most common patterns in serious cycling claims. HGV drivers have specific responsibilities to check blind spots and use mirrors and sensors properly. Many of these cases involve catastrophic injury and the legal pathway is well established. See our cycling accident claims guide.
My partner was killed in a lorry accident. Can the family claim?
Yes. The claim is brought by the estate (through the executor) and dependants (spouse, children, financially-dependent partners and family members) can claim loss of dependency under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976. The bereavement award is currently £15,120 for spouses and for parents of unmarried under-18s. See our fatal accident compensation guide.
Can I claim if I was at fault but injured by an unsafe lorry?
Possibly. If the lorry itself had a defect that contributed to the accident or the severity of the injury — for example, defective brakes meant the lorry could not stop in time — there may be a claim against the lorry operator even if you contributed to causing the accident. Compensation would be reduced for contributory negligence but the case can succeed.
The lorry driver fled the scene. Can I still claim?
Yes. The Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) operates an Untraced Drivers Agreement specifically for hit-and-run cases. The compensation available is broadly similar to a normal claim, though procedural requirements (like reporting to the police within five days) must be met. See our hit and run accident claims guide.
How long does a lorry accident claim take?
Whiplash-only claims involving the OIC portal usually resolve within 6 to 12 months. More serious claims involving significant injury can take 18 months to 3 years, with interim payments available during the case. Catastrophic injury cases involving lifetime care needs can take 3 to 5 years to fully settle. See our how long does a claim take guide.
Related Guides
Road Traffic Accident Claims — Car, Bike & Pedestrian
Multi-Vehicle & Pile-Up Accident Claims
What to Do After a Car Accident
Check If You Could Claim Compensation For Your Injury
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