Frequently Asked Questions: FAQ's

Road Accident Claims

How much work do I have to do as a customer?

For most customers, very little. The first thing to do is to contact us for a FREE assessment of your claim. The amount of information we need changes from case to case. We will then be able to advise you whether you have a claim and if there is anything else you need to do. When we have all the information we need, we will then take care of the rest.

Who pays for the services you offer?

As the victim of a non fault accident you are legally entitled to the service we provide. The costs of any replacement vehicle provided, and repairs undertaken to your car if applicable are sent to the insurance company of the driver who caused the accident.

Can you arrange for the repairs to be carried out to my vehicle?

If your car can be repaired then we can arrange for this to be undertaken by one of our panel of garages. This means you do not have to make a claim on your own insurance which may result in the loss of your no claims bonus. The cost of the repairs and the inspection of your vehicle prior to repair will be recovered from the at fault party.

What will happen if my car is a write off?

If your car is written off as a result of an accident that was not your fault we can help. We will arrange for a 'like for like' replacement vehicle to be provided to you. Provided you do not have access to a replacement vehicle yourself or you can replace your vehicle from funds available to you we aim to keep you in the replacement vehicle until you receive and bank a cheque from the third party's insurance company.

How soon can I get a ‘like for like’ replacement vehicle?

If you have been involved in a ‘non-fault’ accident, we can arrange for a ‘Like for Like’ replacement vehicle to be delivered to your door or place of work within 4 hours in most cases. Our range of vehicles are all supplied in pristine condition and include; cars, vans, Black Taxis, licensed PCO vehicles, motorbikes and other commercial vehicles

In addition, you will get to keep your replacement vehicle either until yours has been repaired or until we have successfully recovered the monies for your written off vehicle.

Always remember , our service to you the client is always FREE.

What can I do for transport while my car is off the road?

If liability is straightforward, we can arrange for you to be provided with a 'like for like' credit hire vehicle and the cost of which will be claimed off the at fault party.

Will I need to pay a deposit for the replacement vehicle?

No deposit is needed from you when you are provided a replacement vehicle. However, your credit card details will be noted to cover the cost of any speeding fines, parking fines or congestion charges that are notified to ourselves whilst you have the vehicle.

Can passengers make a claim ?

All passengers can claim for Personal Injury whether involved in a non fault accident. In addition, Passengers injured in a vehicle ‘at fault’ for an accident can claim from the drivers insurance policy.

What if the Third Party / At Fault Party is not insured?

It is widely believed that if a car is uninsured then you have no claim against the driver. Fortunately this is not the case in the UK.

Rightful compensation can be claimed but the process can be more complicated than claiming directly from an insurer.
The Motor Insurers Bureau(or MIB) is an industry led organisation created to compensate victims of accidents involving
uninsured or untraced drivers. The MIB was initially set up to compensate innocent parties for personal injury only. In addition, The MIB will also seek to recover the cost of repairing/replacing your vehicle (only if it is not insured comprehensively), hire charges, loss of use and property damage (subject to an excess of £300 being applied).

I only have Third Party Cover, can I still make a claim

Yes, we can process claims for both Fully Comprehensive & Third Party insured drivers. In fact, the service we provide can be more beneficial to Third Party drivers as their Insurance Company will not be able to assist them with repairs, hire, loss of earnings etc…

Personal Injury Claims

What does 'No Win No Fee' really mean?

No win no fee means that if you do not win your claim, you do not have to pay your solicitor a fee. Insurance will cover you against the other side's costs and expenses. If you win your case you will receive your compensation free of any deductions. Your solicitor's costs should be paid by the other side. There are very few exceptions to this. Your solicitor will also explain the 'No Win No Fee' agreement to you clearly before you start a claim. We can also arrange to take out insurance to cover you in relation to any other expenses such as court fees, medical reports or the legal costs of the other party, after checking that you do not already have some legal expenses insurance in place.We reclaim your legal costs in successful cases from the at fault party.

What injuries can I claim for?

You do not have to sustain a serious injury to be entitled to compensation. You are entitled in law to be compensated for any injury arising out of a non-fault accident which you have or continue to suffer with.

Do I need to have reported my injuries to my GP or hospital?

It can be beneficial to have a written record of the injuries either at your GP or hospital but this is not essential. If you have not been to visit your GP or hospital it should not prevent you from presenting a claim.

How much will I get in compensation?

This depends on the extent of your injury, age & potential career earnings. Average compensation claim ranges anywhere from £1,500 to £10,000. Serious or persistent injuries are substantially more. Other factors such as loss of earnings and out of pocket expenses are also recoverable.

How long will the case take?

This usually depends upon whether the other party is admitting liability and the extent of your injury. We are able to conclude most straightforward cases within several months and generally cases do not take years as might have been the case in the past.

Will I have to go to court?

We are able to settle the vast majority of cases without court proceedings, and in the cases where proceedings have to be issued, it is very rare for the case to go to a final trial. Statistics will suggest that less than 1% of our cases result in our client having to attend any court hearing.

How do I know that my lawyer is a specialist?

Our Panel of Personal Injury Solicitors are all accredited to the SRA (Solicitors Regulation Authority & MASS (Motor Accident Solicitors Society) All staff are specialists in the personal injury field.

How long do I have to make a Personal Injury claim?

There is a statutory limit of three years from the date of the accident and a claim can be submitted at any stage during this period. Can I claim for any other losses? We may also be able to bring a claim for any excess you have paid your own insurers, loss of use of your vehicle and any other out of pocket expenses incurred as a result of your accident

What if the other driver was uninsured?

We can claim from an organisation called the MIB ( Motor Insurers Bureau) who compensate victims of uninsured drivers. They can also assist if the other party is untraced as it was a "hit and run "accident.

How do I keep in touch with my personal injury lawyer?

You can contact our lawyers by telephone, letter, e-mail or a personal appointment. We can carry out all the work necessary from our offices and there is no need for you to attend any personal appointments if you do not wish to. We will arrange for any medical appointments to be within a reasonable travelling distance of your area.

What if I am worried about claiming off my employer?

The vast majority of employers will have employment liability insurance, so it will be their insurance company rather than themselves that will be meeting the award. Legally an employer is not allowed to victimise a worker in any way because they are bringing such a claim.

Does a paving trip have to be a particular depth?

The courts have always refused to lay down exact measurements with these public liability claims but generally speaking the depth of trip must be three quarters of an inch to be actionable. That can vary however according to the usage of the road and the amount of members of the public that use it.

Can the local authority argue that they inspected the area?

Often local authorities contend that they had a system of inspection in place, however, we would check it very carefully to ensure that they were actually complying with it in practice.

“Under our 'No Win No Fee' policy you pay absolutely nothing to claim whether you win or lose.

You also recieve 100% of your compensation, paid directly to you.”

FSA Registered Number 314773. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority in respect of Insurance Mediation activities only. Authorised by the Ministry of Justice under the Compensation Act 2006, to provide Claims Management Services for Personal Injury: Authorisation Number: CRM 2350. Complete Accident Solutions (UK) Ltd is regulated by the Ministry of Justice in respect of regulated claims management activity; its registration is recorded on the web site www.claimsregulation.gov.uk.

Complete Accident Solutions, Elstree Business Centre, Elstree Way, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, WD6 1RX