A road traffic accident can change your life forever. When a person is involved in a road collision and suffers serious road traffic injuries, the physical and emotional toll often means a long road to recovery.

Collisions on UK roads are a leading cause of injuries ranging from broken bones to severe head trauma. Damage can be severe, and the aftermath can involve long periods of time off work, or the injured person needing lifelong care to accommodate a permanent disability. In this way, these injuries can result in the loss of both income and independence.

This is especially true for vulnerable road users like pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, who do not have the protection of a car when they're involved in a collision. Riders may be thrown from their bikes when struck by cars or heavy goods vehicles, and pedestrians can face serious crush injuries with permanent side effects.

Every person on the roads has a duty to drive safely, and when their failure leads to severe consequences for someone else, the injured person can usually claim road traffic accident compensation . A claim can help you to put your life back on track, by addressing both the physical and emotional toll of an injury, and any financial losses related to the accident.

At Switalskis, we know how to help clients who have experienced serious injuries on our roads to get the most from their recoveries and secure the compensation they need to rebuild their lives. Our personal injury solicitors handle many claims for serious injuries and take the time to support the injured however we can. Here, we break down the role your solicitor can play in fighting for justice and supporting you with your recovery following a serious injury, and how compensation can make all the difference to your recovery and future quality of life.

How can serious injuries from road traffic collisions affect your life?

Car occupants and other road users suffer a wide range of injuries in crashes, and the severity dictates the level of care they'll need to support their recovery. While there are lots of factors that affect the likelihood of a serious injury, including everything from the driver's age to the weather conditions and the maximum speed of their driving, some of the most common injuries in road traffic crashes include:

The force of a collision may cause internal injuries that aren't always immediately visible but need urgent medical attention. Car occupants often suffer chest and abdominal trauma from seatbelts or airbags. While these devices save lives, the impact can still cause an injury, and internal injuries in particular can lead to a long recovery period, corrective surgery or time in hospital. We make sure your compensation covers any medical costs so you can be sure that you'll receive the best possible treatment.

Even less serious injuries can change the course of a person's life. They may require ongoing medical treatment and physical therapy, or affect your ability to take part in activities you previously enjoyed. When an injury results in a permanent disability, family members may become full-time carers and face emotional and financial strain as a result. Compensation lifts this burden by paying for professional care and covering the cost of adapting a home, which is another way that it can help you to rebuild following an accident. It is your solicitor's job to make sure your compensation reflects the true impact of the injury on your life.

How Switalskis supports victims of road traffic accidents

The team at Switalskis offers a range of support and legal services to help those who have been injured on the road, and to secure compensation on their behalf. The steps we can take to help you include:

Access to rehabilitation

Rehabilitation is crucial after serious injuries. Wherever possible, we work to secure interim compensation payments to fund your immediate medical needs. When liability is established but the claim has not fully resolved, we'll push the other party's insurance company to fund care and rehabilitation early in the process, to avoid an injury being left untreated and worsening over time. When we secure interim payments, you'll receive part of your compensation early to cover immediate medical and financial needs.

Because you deserve the best possible care for your traffic injuries, we'll connect you with top medical experts and ensure your compensation covers the cost of private care where necessary. Traffic injuries often need specialist treatment, including physiotherapy and psychological support, and we'll make sure you get everything you need. We'll champion your right to a full recovery and work to deliver the best possible outcome.

Gathering evidence

To succeed in a compensation claim, we need strong evidence to show that the accident wasn't your fault, and that you were injured as a result. After an accident, we move quickly to secure the proof we need to establish fault. We'll look at the vehicles involved and the scene on the roads to gather all the facts. If there is any indication that the other driver was exceeding the speed limit, using a mobile phone, drink or drug driving or otherwise ignoring road safety rules, we'll seek evidence to support this. We may use CCTV footage or images from phones, witness statements and your medical records to build a strong case.

We'll request the relevant police report, which will identify the drivers and any other vehicles involved, detail vehicle speeds, and note any relevant driving offences. We may instruct an independent medical expert to look at your records and establish the severity of your injuries. We can then use this to calculate the compensation you are owed.

Calculating compensation for serious injuries

Every compensation claim is unique, and the amount you should receive depends on the severity of your injuries and the impact on your life. Switalskis will carefully assess your long-term needs when calculating how much you may be owed, and work with medical experts to determine what you'll need for your recovery and to accommodate any long-term consequences of the injury on your daily life.

Compensation is tailored to you, and should cover your lost earnings, medical bills, rehabilitation, and pain and suffering. If you need special equipment or a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, your settlement should cover these costs. When a person is injured, their financial security can be put at risk, but compensation aims to restore that security by covering lost earnings during recovery, and in the future if your ability to work is permanently affected.

Seeking justice for people killed in fatal collisions

Fatal crashes can leave families completely broken, and we also support those who have lost loved ones in road traffic accidents to move forward. Coping with a sudden death from a fatal collision is incredibly difficult, and we see the pain these accidents cause.

When people killed in road traffic accidents leave behind grieving family members, we step in to help hold the responsible drivers to account. It is often possible to seek compensation for the loss of a loved one. This compensation can cover funeral costs and replace lost income to provide financial stability during a time of immense grief. We approach these cases with deep compassion, and can help you to seek justice to hold the negligent person accountable. In some cases, claims of this nature can prevent other road deaths in the future.

Whatever type of harm you've experienced in a road transport accident, Switalskis can help. While serious injuries generally receive the most focus, even minor injuries can entitle you to claim. We're ready to listen and provide the finest legal support to guide you through the claims process and put your life back on track. We fund many of our cases on a no win, no fee basis, so you face no financial risk.

Contact us today for support during your recovery. We take on the bulk of the responsibility for your claim and can keep things moving in the background, so you can focus on your recovery and get support when you need it. Call Switalskis on 0345 872 6666 or use the form on our site to request a call back at your convenience.