Roundabout Car Accident Compensation Claims Guide

Last Updated 1st August 2024. Approaching and driving around a roundabout requires a good awareness of not only your positioning but also the positioning of other cars. If another car driver fails to follow their duty of care whilst on the roads, then a roundabout car accident could potentially occur.

In this guide, we discuss what duty of care road users owe to each other and when you could be eligible to make a roundabout accident claim. We also discuss what evidence you should collect if you want to prove that you have been injured in a roundabout accident due to negligent actions. 

Furthermore, we explore how roundabout accidents could potentially happen and how compensation could be awarded for this type of claim. 

To conclude, we discuss the benefits of our panel of No Win No Fee solicitors, who can help you begin a claim today if you are eligible for compensation.

If you have been involved in a roundabout accident and you have suffered an injury as a result, continue reading this guide to find out more about roundabout accident compensation claims. Alternatively, you can contact us today to speak directly with an advisor. We can answer any of your questions, such as “If someone cuts across you on a roundabout, whose fault is it?”. 

To get in touch today:

Front bumper of a silver car smashed.

Select A Section:

  1. Am I Eligible To Claim For A Roundabout Car Accident?
  2. Steps To Take If Injured In a Roundabout Car Accident
  3. If Someone Cuts Across You On A Roundabout, Whose Fault Is It?
  4. How Is Compensation For Injuries From A Roundabout Accident Calculated?
  5. No Win No Fee Solicitors
  6. Call For Free Advice And To Start A Claim

Am I Eligible To Claim For A Roundabout Car Accident?

If you’ve been injured in a roundabout accident, you may like to know about the eligibility criteria you need to meet to make a claim for compensation. To make a personal injury claim for a road traffic accident, you must be able to prove that:

  •       Another road user owed you a duty of care.
  •       This duty was breached.
  •       You were injured because of this breach.

The duty of care that road users owe to each other is set by the Road Traffic Act 1988. It states that drivers must use the roads in a manner that avoids causing injuries and property damage. As part of this duty, road users are expected to adhere to the relevant rules and regulations found in the Highway Code.

Rules 184-190 of the Highway Code set some general rules about using a car on a roundabout. Should another driver fail to follow these rules, they may have broken their duty of care. If this causes a car accident on a roundabout and you are injured, you could be entitled to compensation.

If you have any questions about making a personal injury claim following a road traffic accident, please contact one of the advisors from our team.

Personal injury claims law book on a desk with gavel.

Steps To Take If Injured In A Roundabout Car Accident

What a person can or should do after an accident may depend on the severity of the accident. However, everyone in the UK has a legal responsibility to stop their car after a collision. In some cases, it can be difficult or unsafe to stop a car on a roundabout, so you should only stop your car if and when it is fairly safe to do so.

After you have stopped your car, you could then contact any necessary emergency services – whether this is the police or medical services. If you have been injured, receiving treatment should always be your first priority. Additionally, medical or police reports could be useful evidence for a claim. You are also required to exchange insurance and contact details with any other involved parties.

In order to make a claim, you will need evidence of whose fault the accident may have been, and of your injuries. You could be able to collect this in the form of:

  • Pictures taken at the roundabout where the accident took place
  • Contact details of witnesses to the accident
  • Dashcam footage
  • Notes and medical records of your injury’s progression
  • Personal notes on how your injury has affected your day-to-day life

As said, this can all depend on the severity and type of accident you were in. If you would like to learn more about what you could collect for your car roundabout accident claim, then please reach out to one of our advisers.

A white evidence notebook to support a claim for a roundabout accident.

If Someone Cuts Across You On A Roundabout, Whose Fault Is It?

Fault for an accident will be placed on the party that failed to observe traffic laws or the guidance set out in the Highway Code (relevant to England, Wales & Scotland).

In a situation where someone cuts across you on a roundabout, fault could be placed on them if they failed to proper actions to avoid a collision, for example, if they:

  • Failed to signal
  • Did not wait for you to give them room to cut across
  • Failed to ensure there was a safe amount of space between them and the car ahead

If you were the party trying to merge across, and the car behind you had unexpectedly sped then they could be found at fault for the roundabout accident.

Any supporting evidence you can provide (whether witnesses, CCTV, or dashcam footage) will be important in helping you prove fault.

Please reach out to a member of our team for any help you may need with proving fault in car accident claims.

Dirty and dented car following a roundabout crash.

How Is Compensation For Injuries From A Roundabout Accident Calculated?

If you have a successful claim for injuries suffered in a roundabout car accident, your settlement could be made up of two parts. These are general and special damages.

Successful claimants receive compensation for the physical and mental injuries sustained in the accident under general damages. To help arrive at a figure for this part of a roundabout accident claim, those responsible for valuing general damages may refer to the guideline award brackets found in the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This document is often used to help calculate this head of claim, as it provides guideline brackets for different and provided them alongside whiplash tariffs

As all roundabout accident claims are different, this table is only provided for guidance. Please note that the top entry has not been taken from the JCG.

InjuryInjury severityDescriptionGuideline compensation bracket
Multiple serious injuries plus special damagesSeriousYour car accident claim may cover multiple serious injuries as well as any special damages you can claim, such as loss of earnings.Up to £1,000,000+
ParalysisTetraplegia/Quadriplegia (a)Upper and lower body paralysis.£396,140 to £493,000
(b) ParaplegiaLower body paralysis.£267,340 to £346,890
Brain damageVery severe (a)Injuries covered by this bracket will leave the person with little to no language function and there will be little evidence (if any at all) of meaningful response to the surrounding environment. The person will require full-time nursing care.£344,150 to £493,000
LegSevere (b) (ii)Leg injuries that lead to permanent problems with mobility. The person may need crutches or mobility aids for the rest of their life.£66,920 to £109,290
Severe (b) (iii)Damage to joints or ligaments resulting in instability or serious compound or comminuted fractures.£47,840 to £66,920
Moderate (b) (iv)Complicated or multiple fractures, usually to a single limb.£33,880 to £47,840
WhiplashOne or more injury with accompanying psychological injuriesInjuries lasting 18-24 months£4,345
One or more injuryInjuries lasting 18-24 months£4,215

Do The Whiplash Reforms Affect Roundabout Accident Claims?

Certain roundabout accident claims may be affected by the Whiplash Reform Programme. This is because the reform programme changed how some road traffic accident claims are made in England and Wales. The reforms apply to those who are aged 18 or older, who sustained injuries valued at £5,000 or less as a driver or passenger. This includes claims made for minor soft tissue damage and whiplash injuries.

Whiplash injuries are subject to fixed tariffs found in the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021, as demonstrated in the table above. Other injuries will be valued in the traditional manner.

An empty roundabout with road markings and signs.

Car Accident Compensation Examples UK – Special Damages

 

As a result of injuries sustained in an accident at the roundabout, you could experience financial losses. If so, it could be that you’re eligible to receive special damages in your payout. This figure is calculated to compensate you for the monetary losses caused by your injuries. You will need evidence to support these expenditures.

Some examples may include:

  • Loss of earnings
  • Repair costs to personal property
  • Additional care at home
  • Medical expenses

Get in touch today for more examples of what you could be compensated for following an injury. For further guidance on compensation or UK roundabout rules, get in touch with our advisors at any time.

No Win No Fee Solicitors

If you suffered injuries in a road traffic accident on a roundabout, one of the solicitors on our panel could support your claim. The solicitors from our panel usually offer their services on a No Win No Fee basis. You could be offered a form of No Win No Fee arrangement called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).

Generally, when a No Win No Fee solicitor is working with you, they don’t charge upfront for their services or ask for you to cover ongoing fees. If your solicitor wins your roundabout accident claim, they can take a success fee that’s legally limited out of your compensation award. However, if your claim does not succeed, your No Win No Fee solicitor won’t charge for their services.

To discuss your claim for injuries suffered in an accident in a roundabout in the UK, get in touch with our advisors. Our team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with free advice for those who suffered injuries in the UK. Roundabout accident claimants that seem eligible for compensation could be passed onto one of the solicitors from our panel.

To get in touch with an advisor:

Toy cars in front of a gavel following a traffic circle accident.

Call For Free Advice And To Start A Claim

If you are a victim of a roundabout car accident and you want to make a claim or have any unanswered questions, all you need to do is call us on 0333 000 0729. One of our advisors assist you in any way that they can. They will answer any questions you may have and can talk you through the claiming process. You can alternatively contact our team online through the contact page on our website.

We are a friendly, caring team and will be empathetic to your situation. You can feel at ease with us and rest assured that your recovery and compensation claim will be our main priority.

Useful Links

Check out more of our car accident claims guides below:

If you still have any questions about roundabout car accident compensation claims, then you can contact Legal Helpline for more support. You can reach our advisors by calling us on the number included within this guide. You can alternatively reach us online using our contact page.