Fatal accident claim
If you were injured at work or in public where you weren’t at fault, our highly experienced personal injury solicitors will fight for your compensation on a NO WIN NO FEE basis. Contact us for a free case assessment.
The death of a loved one due to a fatal accident tops the list of the worst things that could happen to you. The shock, anger and pain that come with the loss are crippling, and you probably long to just grieve and ease the never-ending agony.
But what if you can pursue compensation so that the guilty party is held accountable for the life-changing wrong they’ve done? Making a claim can also lessen the financial strain you’re likely to face after losing the person you depended on. Contact us today to discuss your case with one of our experienced solicitors. This is a time for you to grieve. Let us fight for the compensation you are entitled to.
You should be able to make a personal injury claim if the accident:
Took place within the last three years
Caused you harm
Was caused by someone else (partially or wholly)
Process your fatal accident claim in 3 easy steps with us:
1. Get in Touch
Contact us and tell us about your personal injury case. We work on a 100% No Win No Fee basis, so you won’t pay a penny unless we win. Give as much information as you can. The more information you can provide, the better chance of successfully resolving your case. The initial assessment is always free and with no obligation. Call 020 8578 7778.
2. Build Your Case
Let our personal injury experts do all the legal work for you. We will explain what documents you need to provide so that we can process your application. Once received, our personal injury lawyers will complete and submit the necessary documents to counterparties and courts.
3. Success
Remove the stress by having our personal injury lawyer by your side. Let us do the hard work. We will keep you updated every step of the way resulting in a successful outcome.
The most common causes of fatal accidents
Bandolier reports that the risk of dying in a traffic collision in the UK in any year is now close to 1 in 20,000, and the lifetime probability is 1 in 240.1 The following factors cause a large portion of the reported fatal accidents in the UK.
Careless Driving
Falls
Medical Errors
Get in touch with one of our personal injury experts
Use the online chat on our website
Call us on 020 8578 7778
E-mail us contact@silveroaksolicitors.com
Visit us at our office. We are open Monday-Friday 9am - 5.30pm
When you first contact us, we will ask for some initial details. You can be assured that everything you discuss with us will be completely confidential, and any information stored by us will be in accordance with UK data protection regulations.
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Why choose SilverOak Solicitors?
No Win No Fee
We work on a No Win No Fee basis for personal injury and housing disrepair claims. We only take on cases we are confident we can win. If we lose, you don’t pay our fees.
Highly Experienced
Our highly experienced solicitors and consultants have secured millions of pounds in compensation.
Excellent Client Care
You’ll have a dedicated file handler and senior solicitor working on your case so you won’t need to speak to lots of different people.
Access to Medical Care
We provide access to medical care and other support services for personal injury claimants.
Interim Compensation Payments
We can arrange interim compensation payments, where possible, for personal injury clients.
SRA Regulated Law Firm
We are a trustworthy SRA regulated law firm and member of The Law Society.
Making a fatal accident claim
An experience personal injury solicitor listens to your case and analyses all aspects to determine the steps necessary to get the maximum compensation. Sometimes, an inquest might be necessary to look into how your loved one died to confirm that your claim is valid.
We can’t specify the exact length of time your claim will take because it will depend on factors such as:
- the type of injuries incurred
- the person or company you’re claiming against
- the availability of evidence to build your case
- whether the alleged guilty party accepts or denies responsibility
We can help you on a No Win, No Fee basis. You will not be taking any financial risk by hiring us as you’ll only pay us if the guilty party compensates you.
Causes of fatal accidents
Careless Driving
Unfortunately, some drivers disregard traffic rules while on the road, causing the deaths of many. According to Statista, 38% of all road accidents in the nation are caused by riders or drivers who fail to look properly.2 More fatal traffic collisions are caused by drunk driving, speeding, and poor hazard perception.
Statistics from comparethemarket.com show that 12% of the traffic accidents reported in the UK happen for the following reasons:
- the driver is incompetent or inexperienced
- the roads are slippery due to rainy weather
- roads are in poor condition
- vehicles have defective components or have undergone a faulty repair
- the driver is drunk or on drugs
- the driver is distracted
Falls
Individuals in industries such as construction, manufacturing, forestry, transportation, motor repair, and waste and recycling are more likely to suffer falls. This could be due to fatigue, stress, poor lighting, dehydration and negligence.
A person might also be struck by a flying object while at work forcing them to lose balance and have a fatal fall.
Medical Errors
Did you know that fatalities can also be caused by substandard medical care? The BMJ says that 237+ million medication errors occur in the UK annually.4 While some of these patients are lucky enough to discover the mistakes and correct them, others are not so fortunate.
The top reasons leading to fatal accidents in the healthcare sector are:
- poor communication between patients and medical professionals
- mistakes on prescriptions
- misdiagnosis
- failing to obtain a patient’s medical and allergy history
- lack of accurate patient information
- administering the wrong drugs
Who is eligible for fatal accident compensation?
If your loved one passes away because of a fatal accident caused by something or someone besides natural occurrences, you qualify to pursue compensation for their death. Please note that in this case, you must be their dependent to make a claim, meaning you can be any of the following:
- a spouse of the deceased or an ex-spouse who depended on them financially
- a child (biological or adopted), grandchild or a descendant of the deceased
- a relative of the deceased person, i.e., sibling, niece, nephew, aunt, uncle, or grandparent
- a person living with the deceased for 2 years immediately before their demise
The Fatal Accidents Act 1976 stipulates that the surviving dependents of the deceased can pursue compensation if negligence caused their demise. For example: a surgeon needlessly operates on a patient, and they do not survive the operation.
Under this act, the types of compensation that you can seek are:
- bereavement damages
- funeral expenses
- claims for loss of past and future services and income dependency
How much can I receive in compensation?
Fatal accidents are dissimilar; therefore, the amount you’ll get as compensation is based on various factors, including the deceased’s annual income and the years you depended on them. Speak to us today. We can help you by calculating the compensation you are likely to receive.
1Bandolier, 2022: http://www.bandolier.org.uk/booth/Risk/trasnsportpop.html
2Statista, 2022: https://www.statista.com/statistics/866632/road-fatalities-pedestrians-great-britain
3Compare the Market, 2021: https://www.comparethemarket.com/car-insurance/content/road-traffic-accidents
4BMJ, 2020: https://www.bmj.com/company/newsroom/237-million-medication-errors-made-every-year-in-england
