The most popular kind of personal injury claim in the UK is for whiplash. Whiplash claims account for 78 per cent of all claims, with twice as many claims of this type in the UK than in other EU countries like France and Spain. As a result, the most popular UK-based claims are for road traffic accidents. Road traffic accident claims have soared in recent years, as more people become aware of their legal right to make a claim for compensation if they’ve been injured in an accident through no fault of their own.
Road traffic accidents can cause a wide range of injuries, from cuts and bruises and mild whiplash to broken bones, dislocated joints and severe whiplash. Sadly, accidents of this kind can also cause life-changing injuries or even death.
Another reason road traffic accident claims are so common is because there is somebody obvious to claim against. Claims are filed with the other party’s insurance company, unless they are uninsured, in which case you can make a claim with any insurance company insuring another driver of that vehicle.
However, under these circumstances, the decision will be down to the discretion of the insurance company, and this kind of claim is considered to be a higher risk, so not all solicitors will take it on. Furthermore, the vehicle must have been being driven on a public road or area, because while there is a legal obligation to have vehicle insurance in a public area, there’s no such obligation on private land.
If the driver responsible for the road traffic accident stole the vehicle, then the real owner’s insurance company will be responsible when compensating the victims of injury. However, as before, the decision as to whether or not they pay out will be down to the discretion of the insurance company involved. They have no obligation to actually compensate the victim, however, there have been cases where insurance companies have paid out, and a good solicitor will explore all legal avenues to get their client the compensation they deserve.
So what other UK-based claims are popular? Another popular kind of claim is for slips, trips and falls. Slips, trips and falls can happen anywhere including public places and in places of work. Slips, trips and falls are in fact the most common workplace accident claims in offices and retail stores. They do not usually result in serious or life-changing injury, however, they do have the potential to damage bones and ligaments and they do often result in painful injuries with a recovery period in excess of two weeks. Making a claim for compensation for a slip, trip or fall is relatively straightforward, and you could have your payout in weeks.