By Max Morris. Last Updated 20th May 2022. If you’ve been injured by a hit and run as a pedestrian, you may be able to make a personal injury claim to receive compensation. This guide will explain how you could do this, illustrate the important aspects to consider when claiming and provide examples of pedestrian hit and run injury compensation you may be able to receive.
Additionally, to learn more about claiming for a road traffic accident, you can contact our team of advisors. You can contact them completely for free 24/7. They can inform you if you’re able to claim and also provide you with a claim estimate. Furthermore, they can connect you with a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel who specialises in road traffic accident claims.
Contact us on a no-obligation basis using the below details.
- Call us – 0800 408 7825
- Use our website to contact us
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Continue reading to learn more about pedestrian hit and run settlements.
Hit and run pedestrian accident guide
Select A Section
- How Do Hit And Run Pedestrian Accidents Happen?
- What To Do After A Hit And Run Accident
- Compensation Payouts In Hit And Run Claims
- Make A No Win No Fee Car Accident Claim
How Do Hit And Run Pedestrian Accidents Happen?
This guide will explain how you may be able to claim if you’ve suffered an injury from a hit and run as a pedestrian. A hit and run is when a driver collides with a pedestrian or vehicle and leaves the scene without exchanging relevant information and checking the condition of the other people involved.
Every road user in the UK has a duty of care in the form of The Highway Code. If you’ve been injured by reckless or careless driving, you might be able to claim because the driver has breached this duty. There are eight new changes to The Highway Code that could help determine who was liable for the accident.
Usually, in a car accident, the relevant driver or drivers will have stopped at the scene so that insurance details can be exchanged. In the event of an accident, that causes injury and/or damages The Road Traffic Act 1988 states that the driver is legally required to stop and provide relevant contact details.
Generally, if a driver leaves the scene of an accident that caused injury or damage without leaving any details they could be guilty of an offence. If a motorist does not provide details at the scene of an accident they have 24 hours to report to a police station and provide the details that are required.
However, even though the driver may be guilty of an offence after a hit and run does not necessarily mean their negligence caused the accident. To see if you can claim for the injuries you suffered after a hit and run accident please call our advisors for more information.
What To Do After A Hit And Run Accident
Being involved in a hit and run accident can not only be traumatic and stressful, but it may also leave you with injuries. The shock of it all can leave you a little flustered so here are some tips on what to do.
Make Sure You Get Medical Care
Firstly, if you’ve been injured in a hit and run as a pedestrian, you should seek medical care. This type of accident could lead to you suffering injuries like:
- A head injury
- A back injury
- Fracture or a broken bone. This could include a broken arm or a broken leg.
- A crush injury
It’s important to seek medical care regardless of whether you seem fine or not. You could be suffering from internal life-changing injuries due to the collision that can only be confirmed by a medical professional. Additionally, they can also record the nature and severity of your injuries. This is important because it can be used as evidence should you choose to make a personal injury claim.
Record Details About The Driver Or Vehicle
Having suffered a hit and run as a pedestrian, you may not be able to record details about the driver or vehicle that collided with you. However, someone who witnessed the accident may be able to help. Even the colour of the vehicle or a partial number plate can be useful as it can be used as evidence. There are different methods of claiming compensation below we look at some of these more closely.
- In normal circumstances, you would potentially receive compensation by claiming through the driver’s insurer. Recently there has been a change to the law that means if your claim is low in value, you are a driver or passenger over the age of 18 you now claim in a different way. if you’ve suffered whiplash or other minor injuries in this instance, you would need to claim through The Whiplash Reform Program. You would need to do this if your injury is worth £5,000 or less.
- If you’ve suffered a hit and run as a pedestrian, you wouldn’t claim through this method. Instead, if the driver was not found or did not have insurance you would need to claim through the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB). The MIB provide compensation for people who have been injured by untraced or uninsured drivers. They are able to do this because they are funded by drivers who purchase the correct insurance policy.
While you can claim compensation through the MIB directly, you may find it more useful or easier to claim using a personal injury solicitor from our panel. They have years of experience, can help you collect the relevant evidence and work your case on a No Win No Fee basis. You can contact them using the above details.
Record Your Injuries
This section will clarify the types of evidence that could help you make a personal injury claim. Medical reports written by a GP or doctor can detail your injuries. You should record the injuries you’ve suffered. This is important because, should your claim be successful, the amount of compensation you could receive will partly be determined by the extent of the injuries suffered.
Additionally, other types of evidence that could result in you receiving compensation for a hit and run as a pedestrian include:
- CCTV footage
- Medical scans
- Photographs of your injuries and the accident scene
- Witness details or police reports
- A list of your injuries and treatments
Compensation Payouts In Hit And Run Claims
If your personal injury claim after a road traffic accident is successful there are two heads of claim you can be awarded:
- Your pain and suffering, the extent of your injury and how the injury has negatively impacted you, both physically and psychologically, will be compensated through general damages.
- Additionally, if you are awarded general damages you could also receive special damages. Your financial losses will be compensated through special damages.
The Judicial College compile its guidelines by assessing the compensation awards made for personal injury claims by the courts. By doing this, they’ve been able to build compensation brackets which you can see below.
These brackets show how the amount of general damages compensation is based on the nature and severity of the injury. The figures below have been taken from the most up-to-date guidelines, published in April 2022. However, please remember that, as every case is unique, this only provides an idea of the amount you could receive.
| Area of body | Severity | Amount of Compensation | Potential Symptoms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neck | Severe (ii) | £65,740 to £130,930 | Serious fractures or cervical spine disc damage causing considerably severe disabilities that can lead to substantial loss of movement to neck and permanent brachial plexus damage. |
| Leg | Severe (ii) | £54,830 to £87,890 | Very serious injuries like this can lead to permanent mobility issues with a requirement for the injured person to use walking aids or crutches for the remainder of their life. |
| Back | Severe (iii) | £38,780 to £69,730 | Disc lesions, soft tissue injuries or disc fractures resulting in disabilities, despite treatment. These can include severe discomfort and pain, discomfort and personality change. |
| Back | Minor (iii) | £2,450 to £4,350 | Less serious sprains, strains, disc prolapses or soft tissue injuries that result in a full recovery within three months. |
| Knee | Severe (ii) | £52,120 to £69,730 | Leg fracture extending to the knee joint which causes constant pain. This is permanent and also results in limited movement or impaired agility. |
| Injuries to the Hip and Pelvis | Moderate (i) | £26,590 to £39,170 | A significant hip or pelvis injury where there is no permanent major disability caused. |
| Arm | Less Severe | £19,200 to £39,170 | While this injury will cause significant disabilities, a substantial degree of recovery will be expected to take place or will have already taken place. |
| Ankle | Moderate | £13,740 to £26,590 | Ligamentous tears and fractures can cause difficulty walking on uneven ground, awkwardness on stairs and residual scarring. |
| Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder | Moderate | £8,180 to £23,150 | The injured person will largely recover from the PTSD. As such, the only continuous effects caused will not be of a particularly disabling kind. |
| Shoulder | Moderate | £7,890 to £12,770 | Limitation of movement and discomfort caused by a frozen shoulder. These symptoms could persist for around two years. |
What Else Can You Claim For After A Hit And Run Accident?
If you’re seeking compensation after a hit and run accident, you may also be able to claim for special damages. Special damages compensation relates to the financial losses you’ve suffered due to the injury. The value of the financial losses you’ve suffered can depend on aspects including the severity of the injury and if any permanent health issues have been caused or exacerbated by the injury.
Potential financial losses in a hit and run claim can include:
- Loss of earnings – If you’re unable to work due to the injury and have been financially impacted by this, you could potentially claim loss of earnings. If the injury is long-term or permanent, you could claim for future loss of earnings.
- Healthcare costs – This can include the cost of prescriptions and of medical treatment required to recover or manage your injury.
- Travel costs – If you’re unable to drive due to the injury, you could claim for public transport fees, for instance.
- Home adjustments – If you need adjustments to your home because of the injury, such as a stairlift, the losses can make up part of the hit and run claim
Evidence you could use includes bank statements, invoices, receipts and payslips. Furthermore, please remember that you would only receive compensation if the hit and run accident was deemed to be a result of negligence.
Make A No Win No Fee Car Accident Claim
You may be able to claim compensation for a hit and run through the MIB. If you are, the benefits of using a personal injury solicitor using a No Win No Fee agreement includes:
- The legal fees of your solicitor only being paid at the end of a claim. A legally capped, small success fee will be taken out of your compensation to cover their legal costs.
- No hidden costs or fees.
- Not paying for your solicitor’s legal costs in the event the claim fails.
To learn more about whether you can claim, you can contact our advisors at a time that suits you. They can provide you with an estimate and also connect you with a personal injury solicitor who specialises in road traffic accident claims from our panel.
Contact us on a no-obligation basis using the below details.
- Call us – 0800 408 7825
- Use our website to contact us
- Send us your query using the chat bubble
Learn More About Personal Injury Claims
To learn more about making a personal injury claim, please use the below links.
More road accidents and safety statistics can be found on The Department for Transport website.
Do you think you may have suffered a broken bone? If so, use the NHS website for medical guidance.
The NHS also explain on their website how to access mental health services.
Do you want to learn more about claiming if your child has been hit by a car? If so, please read this guide.
Do you want to learn what the main causes of pedestrian accidents are? If so, please read this article on our website.
Learn more about making a pedestrian claim by reading this guide.
If you’d like to see more frequently asked questions and answers on personal injury claims, head here
If you have more queries about claiming for a hit and run as a pedestrian, contact us at a time that suits you using the above details.