Last Updated 9th January 2025. Even minor injuries from a car crash can have a serious effect on your life. There may be financial losses due to time off work and a steep rise in your car insurance. You may also lose your no-claims discount. While the damage to you or your financial security cannot be undone, you may be able to claim minor car accident compensation if another party is responsible.
Within this guide, we’ll explain when and how to claim for a car accident that has caused minor injuries. We will discuss how compensation injuries and financial losses are calculated, and we’ll talk about how a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel could support your case.
To learn more about making a car accident injury claim, you can contact our advisors for free:
- Call us on 0800 408 7825.
- Contact us via our online form.
- Message us via our 24/7 live chat service below.
Select A Section
- When Can I Make A Claim For A Minor Car Accident?
- How Do I Make A Claim For A Minor Car Accident?
- How Much Car Accident Compensation Could I Receive?
- What Evidence Could Help Me Make A Road Traffic Accident Claim?
- How Could A Solicitor Help You Claim For Minor Injuries?
- Read More About Making Car Crash Claims
When Can I Make A Claim For A Minor Car Accident?
Road users have a duty of care to avoid endangering themselves or others. To maintain this duty, they must follow the rules of the road, such as the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Highway Code.
If another driver breaches their duty of care by driving without due care or attention, for instance, this could lead to a car accident that causes injuries. They could be minor or severe.
You may be eligible to claim minor car accident compensation if the following applies to your case:
- Another road user owed you a duty of care.
- They breached their duty by causing a minor car crash.
- This incident harms you.
This is the eligibility criteria for negligence on the road.
Suppose you stop at a red light. The driver behind you is not paying attention to the road. They crash into the back of your car, and, in the ensuing minor car accident, you suffer a back injury. This would be negligent driving.
If you have any questions regarding your eligibility to start a minor car accident injury claim, then you’re welcome to contact our advisors for free today.
How Do I Make A Claim For A Minor Car Accident?
The exact process for pursuing a claim for a minor car accident will depend on its value.
In 2021, the Whiplash Reform Programme (WRP) changed the way adults in England and Wales make road traffic accident claims valued at £5,000 or less. This applies to whiplash injuries sustained by passengers or drivers. The tariff in the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021 sets out the value of such claims. They are fixed amounts, examples of which are provided in the next section of our guide.
If you suffer additional injuries not covered by this tariff or have a claim worth over £5,000, you make your claim via the traditional method. The tariffs still apply to your whiplash injuries in either case.
If you are unsure which route to take when filing a claim for a minor car crash, you can contact an expert advisor on our team.
How Much Car Accident Compensation Could I Receive?
If you make a successful personal injury claim for a minor car accident, any compensation may include:
- General damages for your pain and suffering.
- Special damages for your financial losses.
Those valuing your claim for general damages may refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), a document that contains guideline compensation brackets for numerous kinds of injuries.
You can view some of these guidelines below. Please note that the table should be viewed as a guide only. The first entry is an estimated figure not based on the JCG. The final two entries are taken from the fixed tariff found in the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021.
| Injury | Severity | Compensation Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Injuries Plus Financial Losses | Moderate and/or minor | Up to £200,000+ |
| Head | Moderate (c) (iii) | £52,550 to £110,720 |
| Arm | Less Severe (c) | £23,430 to £47,810 |
| Pelvis And Hip | Moderate (b) (ii) | £15,370 to £32,450 |
| Shoulder | Serious (b) | £15,580 to £23,430 |
| Leg | Less Serious (c) (ii) | £11,120 to £17,180 |
| Knee | Moderate (b) (ii) | Up to £16,770 |
| Neck | Moderate (b) (iii) | £9,630 to £16,770 |
| Whiplash | A whiplash injury plus a psychological injury that lasts between 18 and 24 months | £4,345 |
| A whiplash injury that lasts between 18 and 24 months | £4,215 |
It may also be possible to claim for special damages, such as:
- Travel expenses to medical appointments.
- The cost of medications or treatments required for your recovery.
- Loss of earnings if your injuries forced you to take unpaid leave.
All claims for special damages must be supported by evidence, such as wage slips, bank statements, or invoices.
For a free valuation of your road traffic accident claim, you can contact our advisory team.
What Evidence Could Help Me Make A Road Traffic Accident Claim?
When claiming for a minor car accident, evidence is needed to help support your case. Examples of evidence you could gather include:
- Medical reports to confirm the nature of your injuries and treatment.
- Contact details of witnesses who can provide a statement.
- Photographs of the accident scene, including damage done to your vehicle.
- Footage of the accident, such as dashcam or CCTV footage.
- A copy of a police report could also serve as evidence.
A solicitor could assist you with gathering evidence to support your claim. To see whether one of the solicitors on our panel could help you with your car accident compensation claim, you can contact our advisors.
How Could A Solicitor Help You Claim For Minor Injuries?
The personal injury solicitors on our panel could support your road traffic accident claim on a No Win No Fee basis. Under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), you won’t need to pay your solicitor to start your claim. You also won’t need to pay for their services while they work or if the claim does not succeed.
If you succeed, your solicitor’s work will be covered by a success fee, whereby they take a small, legally capped percentage of any compensation. Your CFA will clearly state this before you sign it.
Working with a solicitor comes with various benefits. For example, a member of our panel can:
- Save you considerable legwork.
- Explain legal jargon and claims process.
- Gather evidence.
- Negotiate on your behalf.
If you have any questions about working with a No Win No Fee solicitor or any other aspects of claiming for a minor car accident, please get in touch with our advisors for free today:
- Call us on 0800 408 7825.
- Contact us via our online form.
- Message us via our 24/7 live chat service below.
Read More About Making Car Crash Claims
Additional claim guides covering road traffic accidents by us:
- If you’ve experienced anxiety after a car accident, you can read our guide on whether you can claim compensation for this or other psychological injuries.
- You can read our guide that focuses on answering “How can I claim for a car accident that wasn’t my fault?”
- If you’re looking for more advice on claiming if you’ve been injured as a passenger, you can read our guide on this type of claim.
Further external resources:
- The GOV.UK website has a collection of road accident and safety statistics that you can view.
- You can read this road safety advice and information guide on the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) website.
- This online guide by the road safety charity Brake covers the procedures following a road crash where someone has died or been seriously injured.
If you have any questions about filing a claim for a minor car accident, contact a member of our advisory team today.
