PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT CLAIMS UK | NO WIN NO FEE LAWYERS

Pedestrian Accident Claims

Pedestrian accident claims are personal injury claims made by people who have been injured while on foot because another road user failed to use the roads safely or responsibly. You may be able to claim compensation if a driver, motorcyclist, or another road user behaved recklessly and negligently and this caused you to suffer an injury. Pedestrian Accident Claims UK provides free initial case assessments and, where appropriate, can connect you with an solicitor from our panel who may be able to represent you on a No Win No Fee basis.

Gemma Shields, FCILEx, Road Traffic Accident Claims Specialist — last updated September 2026.

Being struck by a vehicle can be frightening. In the space of a few seconds, an ordinary walk to work, trip to the shops or journey home can turn into hospital appointments, time away from work and uncertainty about what happens next.If you'd like a free assessment to see if you could make a claim, reach out to us today.

What Should I Do Immediately After A Pedestrian Accident?

Your safety and health come first. The steps you take in the minutes and hours after being hit can also help protect a future compensation claim.

• Move to safety: If you are able to, get out of the road or away from moving traffic to avoid further danger.
• Get medical help: Call 999 or attend A&E even if injuries seem minor at first, and keep hold of any hospital, GP or ambulance notes.
• Call the police: Report the collision and ask for an incident or reference number, particularly if the driver failed to stop.
• Collect driver and vehicle details: Where possible, note the driver's name, contact details, vehicle registration and insurance information.
• Take photographs: Capture the scene, road layout, crossing points, vehicle position and any visible injuries.
• Find witnesses: Ask anyone who saw what happened for their name and contact details, as independent accounts can support your claim.

Once you have dealt with the immediate aftermath, the sections below explain how to formally start a claim, what evidence helps and how long you have to act.

Who Can Make A Pedestrian Accident Claim?

You may be able to make a pedestrian accident claim if you were injured while on foot and another road user's negligent actions caused the accident. Claims are not limited to people hit while crossing a road. Pedestrian injuries can occur on pavements, at junctions, in car parks, on residential roads, around bus stops and in other places where vehicles and pedestrians interact.

What Needs To Be Proven?

A successful pedestrian injury claim will need to establish three connected points: You do not need to work out liability yourself before speaking to us. Our advisors can listen to what happened and explain whether your circumstances could warrant assessment by a solicitor from our panel.

What Injuries Can Pedestrian Accidents Cause?

Unlike drivers and passengers, pedestrians do not have a vehicle body, seat belt or airbag around them when a collision occurs. Injuries can therefore range from relatively minor fractures and soft tissue damage to life-changing trauma.Pedestrian accident claims can involve injuries such as:

• Brain and head injuries
• Spinal cord damage and paralysis
• Neck and back injuries
• Pelvic and hip fractures
• Leg, knee, ankle and foot injuries
• Arm and shoulder injuries
• Amputations
• Facial fractures and scarring
• Chest and internal injuries
• Multiple fractures
• Post-traumatic stress disorder

Some injuries heal within weeks or months. Others can affect mobility, employment, and care needs for years or for the rest of a person's life.

How Much Compensation Can I Claim For A Pedestrian Accident?

The value of a pedestrian accident claim depends on the injuries suffered, the expected recovery, and the financial consequences of the accident. Compensation could be awarded under 2 heads of claim:

• General damages compensate for pain and suffering from the injury. This can include the effect an injury has on mobility, independence, hobbies, relationships and everyday life.
• Special damages compensate for financial losses caused by the injury. These can include loss of earnings, rehabilitation expenses, and other eligible past or future losses.

Solicitors can use the Judicial College Guidelines alongside medical evidence when assessing general damages. This is because this document lists compensation guidelines for a wide range of injuries.

Pedestrian Accident Compensation Guidelines

The table below provides examples from the Judicial College Guidelines for injuries that can potentially arise in serious pedestrian collisions. These figures relate to general damages for the injury itself. They do not represent the total value of a claim and should not be treated as guaranteed compensation amounts. Please note: The figures above are guideline amounts for general damages only. The actual value of a pedestrian accident claim depends on individual medical evidence and circumstances. Special damages for financial losses may substantially increase the total compensation awarded, particularly where an injury causes long-term care needs or loss of earnings.

What Are The Most Common Causes Of Pedestrian Accidents?

Pedestrian collisions can happen for many reasons. Liability depends on the individual facts, but common circumstances include drivers failing to observe pedestrians properly, turning at junctions, reversing without adequate checks and travelling too quickly for the road conditions.

• Junction and turning collisions: The Highway Code states that drivers should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which or from which they are turning.
• Pedestrian crossing accidents: Drivers must give way to pedestrians who are already on a zebra crossing. Pedestrians also have priority at light-controlled crossings when they have a green signal.
• Cars and vans failing to stop: Poor observation, distraction and inappropriate speed can leave a driver unable to stop safely when a pedestrian enters or is already using the road.
• Reversing accidents: Pedestrians can be struck in car parks, residential driveways, and other locations where vehicles are manoeuvring.
• Bus and commercial vehicle collisions: Larger vehicles can cause particularly serious injuries and may have significant blind spots.
• Hit-and-run accidents: Compensation may still be available where the driver leaves the scene and cannot be traced.
• Uninsured drivers: A pedestrian may still have a route to compensation even where the motorist responsible did not have valid insurance.
• Cyclists and e-scooter riders: Pedestrians injured by a cyclist or e-scooter rider may also be able to pursue compensation, although the route to recovery can differ from a standard motor insurance claim.

What Do The Latest Pedestrian Accident Statistics Show?

The Department for Transport's 2025 pedestrian casualty factsheet, published in July 2026, recorded 364 pedestrian fatalities, 5,958 serious injuries and 13,656 slight injuries in reported road collisions in Great Britain during 2025.

• Seven pedestrians died and 109 were seriously injured per week on average between 2021 and 2025.
• 87% of pedestrian casualties occurred on urban roads during the same five-year period.
• The weekday peak for pedestrians killed or seriously injured was between 3pm and 6pm.
• 61% of pedestrian fatalities occurred more than 20 metres from a junction.
• HGV collisions were particularly severe. Between 2021 and 2025, 15.3% of casualties in single-HGV pedestrian collisions were fatalities.

The figures are based on collisions reported to the police through the STATS19 system. The Department for Transport also cautions that a proportion of non-fatal pedestrian casualties are not reported to the police.

How Do I Start A Pedestrian Accident Claim?

To start a pedestrian accident claim, your immediate priorities should be your health and safety. Once those are taken care of, preserving evidence and seeking legal advice can help protect your position. Pedestrian Accident Claims UK offers a free initial case check. There is no obligation to proceed. If your claim appears suitable, we can connect you with a solicitor from our panel to discuss the next steps.

How Long Do I Have To Make A Pedestrian Accident Claim?

In England and Wales, personal injury claims are generally subject to a three-year limitation period under the Limitation Act 1980. In a pedestrian accident claim, this will run from the date of the collision.Important exceptions can apply:

• Children: The three-year period does not begin until the child's 18th birthday. This means they have from this date until their 21st birthday to start proceedings themselves. A litigation friend can make a claim on their behalf before they turn 18.
• People who lack mental capacity: The time limit is suspended for those who lack the mental capacity to manage their own claim. A litigation friend can claim on their behalf.

Starting your claim sooner rather than later can make it easier to preserve CCTV, obtain witness evidence and reconstruct how the collision occurred.

What Evidence Is Needed For A Pedestrian Accident Claim?

A pedestrian accident solicitor will usually look for evidence addressing two main questions: who was responsible for the collision, and what loss did it cause?Depending on the case, evidence could include:

• Police information: Incident numbers, collision reports and details of any police investigation.
• CCTV and dashcam footage: Footage from vehicles or public cameras may show how the collision happened.
• Witness evidence: Statements from independent people who saw the accident can help where liability is disputed. Remember, only a solicitor can collect these statements.
• Photographs: Images can record the position of vehicles, road layout, crossing points, and visible injuries.
• Medical evidence: Hospital records, GP notes, and independent medical assessments can establish the nature and prognosis of an injury.
• A record of your recovery: Notes about pain, anxiety and activities you can no longer manage may help explain the real effect of the injury.
• Financial evidence: Payslips, invoices, and other documents can help establish financial losses.

Do not worry if you could not collect evidence at the scene. Someone who has just been struck by a vehicle may be injured, frightened or receiving emergency treatment. A solicitor can review what is already available and consider what further evidence may still be obtained.

What If I Was Partly To Blame For The Pedestrian Accident?

Being partly responsible for an accident does not necessarily prevent you from claiming compensation. Under the concept of split liability, you can still claim, but your compensation would be reduced in accordance with how much you were deemed to have contributed to your accident.For example, if a claim were valued at £100,000 but the pedestrian was found 25% responsible for the accident, a 25% reduction could result in compensation of £75,000.Insurers may raise split liability arguments where, for example, a pedestrian entered the road unexpectedly, was distracted or failed to take reasonable care. However, liability must be assessed using the evidence from the individual collision. The fact that a pedestrian was not using a designated crossing does not, by itself, establish that they caused the accident.

Can I Claim If The Driver Was Uninsured Or Left The Scene?

Yes, you may still have a route to pedestrian accident compensation if the driver responsible was uninsured or cannot be identified.The Motor Insurers' Bureau can compensate eligible pedestrians and other road users following accidents involving uninsured or untraced motorists.

• Uninsured driver claims: These involve a motorist who can be identified but did not have appropriate motor insurance.
• Untraced driver claims: These can include hit-and-run accidents where the responsible motorist cannot be identified.

MIB claims have their own rules and procedures. If you have been injured by an uninsured or unidentified motorist, seeking advice promptly can therefore be important.

How Long Does A Pedestrian Accident Claim Take?

There is no standard timescale for settling a pedestrian accident claim. The time required depends on issues such as whether liability is admitted, how serious the injuries are, how long the medical prognosis takes to become clear and whether the claim involves future care or financial losses.A relatively straightforward claim involving an admitted liability and a clear recovery may be resolved more quickly. Claims involving serious injuries, disputed liability, or long-term care can take considerably longer.For serious injuries, settling too early can create its own problems. A solicitor may need to understand the long-term medical prognosis, rehabilitation requirements, future employment prospects and care needs before the claim can be valued properly.Where appropriate, interim payments may sometimes be sought before final settlement to help with immediate needs such as loss of earnings, treatment, rehabilitation or care.

What Financial Losses Can Be Claimed After A Pedestrian Accident?

Special damages are intended to compensate for reasonable financial losses caused by the pedestrian accident. The losses that can be included depend on the individual circumstances and should be supported by appropriate evidence wherever possible.

No Win No Fee Pedestrian Accident Claims

If your claim is accepted, a solicitor from our panel could support your claim under a Conditional Fee Agreement; a type of No Win No Fee arrangement.Under this type of arrangement, you would not be required to pay your solicitor's service fees upfront, while the claim is ongoing, or if it ends unsuccessfully. Should the claim succeed, your solicitor will take a success fee from your compensation. This is legally capped at 25%.The exact terms of the agreement, any insurance arrangements and potential deductions should be explained clearly before you decide whether to proceed.

Why Choose Pedestrian Accident Claims UK?

Pedestrian accident cases can involve difficult questions about crossings, medical evidence and split liability. Serious claims may also require detailed evidence about rehabilitation, care needs and future financial losses.Pedestrian Accident Claims UK provides a free initial assessment and, where appropriate, can connect you with an experienced personal injury solicitor from our panel.

• Pedestrian and road traffic accident experience: Your case can be assessed by a solicitor on our panel who is familiar with liability disputes involving pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.
• Evidence-led claims: Our panel of solicitors can investigate CCTV, witness evidence, and other material relevant to liability.
• Medical assessment: Appropriate independent medical evidence can be obtained to assess your injuries, recovery and future prognosis.
• Serious injury support: Where injuries are life-changing, claims can consider rehabilitation, care, and future financial needs.
• No Win No Fee agreements: Eligible claims may be handled under a Conditional Fee Agreement with no solicitor's service fees to pay upfront.
• Clear communication: The solicitor handling your case can explain each stage, answer questions and deal with insurers or other parties on your behalf.

Start Your Free Claim Check

Areas We Cover

Our panel can help with pedestrian accident claims across England and Wales. You do not necessarily need to live close to the solicitor handling your case, as much of the claims process can be managed by telephone, email and video call.Whether you were injured while crossing a busy city road, walking through a residential area, or using a pedestrian crossing, you can contact us for a free initial case assessment.If your case appears suitable, we can explain your options and connect you with a solicitor from our panel who can discuss your pedestrian accident compensation claim in more detail.