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YOU MAY HAVE A CLAIM FOR COMPENSATION

Motorway Accident Compensation Claims

If you have received an injury caused by a motorway accident that was not your fault, you may be able to claim compensation. Your case will be reviewed by our panel of legal firms who will be able to tell you how much you could be owed.

Home E Personal Injury E Road Traffic Accidents E Motorway Accidents

What are motorway accidents?

Despite the fact that motorways are amongst the safest roads in the UK, there are times when accidents occur. Given the speed limits on motorways, when such incidences do occur, the impact can be severe.

Motorway accidents can be head on collisions, multi vehicle pile ups and rear-end crashes. If you or a loved one suffered injuries in a motorway accident, you can file a motorway accident claim.

Throughout this article we will explain how you can ensure you receive adequate compensation for your injuries. At Claims Bible, we are equipped to seamlessly guide you through the claims process and connect you with a panel of legal experts that will provide advice and representation, if needed.

Types of motorway accident claims

There are several types of motorway accidents, and they can all be severe. In some cases, these crashes can be fatal. Below are the common types of motorway collisions.

Multi Vehicle Pileups

An accident on a busy motorway can result in a chain reaction during which the cars behind the colliding vehicles have insufficient time to react. This occurrence can often result in a multiple vehicle accident, also known as a concertina collision.
Pileups usually occur around high speed and high capacity routes. However, they can also occur in poor visibility conditions when drivers encounter unexpected road hazards like a curve or a hill crest. Short braking distances can also create the chain reaction effect resulting in multi vehicle pileups.

Overtaking Accidents

If you’re flying down the road and your lane slows down dramatically, you might see a gap in the next lane that you feel would take you past an annoying tailback. However, if you make this change and try to overtake using the inside lane, it could result in you breaking the law and causing a motorway accident.

Most overtaking accidents occur because one driver tries to overtake a vehicle or two without checking if it’s safe to do so. For example, many motorway accidents have occurred when a driver tries to overtake another car on a bend without precise knowledge of what’s around the corner or if there’s enough room to accommodate their action.

In this situation, the driver overtaking is usually automatically at fault. However, the Highway Code outlines the rules for drivers when overtaking on a motorway. For instance, when changing lanes, it is essential to check your mirrors and your blind spots first.

Tailgating or Speeding Accidents

When a driver is speeding and driving too close to another vehicle, they’re not keeping a safe distance. In cases where the driver in front has to stop suddenly, the driver behind might cause an accident because they don’t have enough room and time to slow down.

Young drivers have a likelihood of being involved in a tailgating accident. One thing to remember when driving on a motorway is that it’s essential to keep a two-second time gap in dry weather conditions and double the time for wet weather. So, if you’re driving in icy or snowy weather, you should quadruple the distance.

Truck Accidents

Trucks and other heavy goods vehicles usually have a higher risk when travelling on a motorway. If strong enough, crosswinds might tip the vehicle over, and in a situation where the truck driver was speeding, they can be held liable for the motorway accident.

Motorway Roadworks Accidents

Motorways in the UK are amongst the busiest roads travelled annually by road users; this results in a lot of wear and tear. Therefore, contraflow systems, orange traffic cones and temporary maximum speed limits are familiar to most drivers because they signify a warning or hazard. However, when drivers don’t heed road work warning signs and fail to slow down, they could cause car accidents, injuring other road users and workers working on the motorway.

The best way to prevent being involved in an accident due to motorway roadwork is to plan your route. You should check for traffic control measures on the route before heading out.

Doing this allows you to plan how to navigate the road in places where the speed limit changes. This way, you can proceed cautiously, reducing your chances of getting into an accident.

Causes of motorway accidents

These accidents can happen for several reasons besides drunk driving and speeding. Two common causes are:

Faulty Headlights, Brake Lights or Indicators

Driving with faulty brake lights or indicators is dangerous, especially at night. Also, if the car in front of you doesn’t have working taillights and has to stop the vehicle suddenly, you might not have enough warning, resulting in an accident.
The same goes for those with headlights that aren’t working. In such a case, the driver driving in front with the faulty headlight can be held liable for the accident.

Driver Falling Asleep at the Wheel

Although uncommon, drivers falling asleep and causing accidents does happen. Longer working hours and the strains of day to day life can result in people taking to the wheel whilst tired and sleepy. As a result, such drivers can injure themselves or others if they fall asleep on the road.

That’s why taking regular breaks on long journeys is essential to help ease tiredness. Having a good night’s sleep before taking a long trip is also vital.

Did you know?

In 2021 the following serious casualties were recorded on Britains roads:

  1. Car Occupant – 5,913
  2. Pedestrian – 2,604
  3. Motor Cyclist – 2,543
  4. Pedal Cyclist – 1,957
  5. Van Occupant – 355
  6. Other Vehicle Occupant – 247
  7. Bus Occupant – 87
  8. HGV Occupant – 78

Common motorway accident injuries

Various types of injuries can be caused by a motorway accident. Some injuries are minor, while others are severe or fatal. Below are the common types of injuries suffered by those involved in motorway accidents.

Sustaining an injury in a motorway accident can be traumatic for you or a loved one. That’s why you should file a motorway accident claim to recover the compensation you deserve. You can use our compensation calculator to determine the amount you’re entitled to after a motorway accident.

  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Nerve damage
  • Paralysis
  • Brain and head injuries
  • Whiplash
  • Sprains, strains and soft tissue injuries
  • Crush injuries
  • Fractured, shattered, and broken bones
  • Amputation injuries
  • Burn injuries

Liability for motorway accidents

Thousands of people commonly use motorways. They’re a safe means of transport. However, accidents can occur on these major roads for several reasons.

Firstly, driving on a motorway is quite different from travelling on other roads because of the sheer volume of cars on the roadway and the high speed. Therefore, all drivers must follow the rules of the road at all times to reduce accident risks and injury to themselves and other road users.

As a road user, you have a duty of care to ensure you follow traffic rules and regulations and avoid acting negligently. As such, if you obey traffic rules and a negligent driver causes a motorway accident, you could file a claim to recover damages for the injuries you sustained and other losses.

However, you must establish that the negligent driver owed you a duty of care which they breached. You must show how the breach caused the accident, and you suffered damages as a result.

Did you know?

You have up to three years to file your motorway collision claim. If you fail to commence an action within this period, you will lose your right to get compensation. Note that sometimes, this three-year limitation can be extended, depending on the circumstances.

Compensation amounts for motorway accident claims

The compensation you receive will be based on the damages suffered. To determine the amount, you must first consider the extent of your injuries. This is because the settlement awarded for your loss of amenity and pain and suffering varies depending on your injuries’ severity.

At Claims Bible, our compensation calculator will factor in your injury severity to estimate your compensation for damages suffered. Damages in a motorway accident could include:

  • Cost of vehicle repairs
  • Loss of earnings if you took time off work to recover from your injuries
  • Compensation for assistance and care if you need help around your home due to injuries
  • Medical expenses for treatment received as a result of injuries sustained in the accident
  • Costs of adjustments you might have to make to your home due to the injuries
  • Travel expenses incurred while going for appointments relating to the accident
  • Pain and suffering

Don’t Delay. Check Now.

Don’t miss out on £100’s or even £1,000’s in compensation you could be entitled to. Starting a claim only takes 5 minutes, so why not do it now?