Whiplash Compensation Settlement: Offer Made In Full And Final Settlement

Find out what you should take into account before deciding whether to accept a whiplash compensation settlement offered in full and final settlement by the person;s at fault insurer

Whiplash Compensation Settlement Question

I am making my own whiplash compensation claim for a car accident. I have been offered a sum of £1,500 as a full and final whiplash compensation settlement by the insurer of the driver who was at fault for my road accident.  It has been two years since my car accident and my neck is still causing me pain.

Should I accept the amount of compensation offered in my UK road accident claim?

If I accept the £1,500 settlement – is it the end of my claim and do you think this is a fair sum of compensation?

Road Accident Solicitors’ Response

We do not think you should accept the whiplash compensation settlement offer for the following reasons:

Compensation for your whiplash injury is worth far in excess of £1,500

You have indicated clearly that your whiplash is ongoing and has already lasted for two years. For your whiplash injury alone your compensation is worth in excess of £5,000.

See our car accident compensation article for a description of how much compensation you can receive for different types of whiplash injury.

Look out – the amount of compensation you can claim for whiplash injuries for less than two years for motor vehicle accidents taking place after 31 May 2021 was greatly reduced. See our whiplash compensation payout article for more details.

Other losses and injuries should be added to your whiplash compensation settlement offer

When you attempt to act for yourself in a personal injury claim, such as a car accident, you will invariably not realise all the losses that can be claimed in compensation.

We imagine that you have many other losses you are entitled to claim, which will increase your overall compensation settlement quite substantially.

See our car accident compensation article to see some examples of the types of loss you can claim compensation for as part of your personal injury claim.

Ongoing nature of your whiplash symptoms can have far reaching effects

Whiplash can be quite a serious injury and when symptoms last for over two years, it is quite likely that some serious damage has been caused to your neck. You must have a medical report from a consultant orthopaedic surgeon prepared to consider what the implications of your injury will be into the future.

It is important that you have a specialist UK road accident solicitor help you with your claim. Even if the guilty driver’s insurer has obtained a report from your GP or a consultant of their choosing – it is not good enough. You need a solicitor to make sure that a consultant orthopaedic surgeon who completes a report is not insurance company friendly – only in this way is it safe to base a compensation settlement upon a medical report.

Funding your legal costs in pursuing a much improved whiplash compensation settlement offer

Do not underestimate the amount of work still necessary in your claim – your whiplash injury solicitor must prove your loss and this will entail expert reports and additional evidence. As your claim has already been shown to be worth over £1,000 – in the UK you are entitled to claim the majority of your legal costs as well as compensation for your injuries and financial loss.

Look out – the small claims limit for injuries experienced in a road accident was increased to £5,000 for certain types of road accident occurring after 31 May 2021. See our road accident small claims article for full details.

See our no win no fee article to discover all about the best ways to fund your legal costs in making a whiplash compensation claim

Acceptance of a whiplash compensation settlement will end your right to claim any further sums of money

Should you decide to accept the £1,500 whiplash compensation settlement offered in full and final settlement – that is the end of your claim. Even if you later contacted a solicitor or your injuries proved to be much worse than you thought – you do not have the right to claim any more compensation.

You should therefore think carefully before you make this decision.

Choosing a specialist road accident solicitor to help you with your compensation claim

Selecting a solicitor can be difficult. We can explain your options and our personal injury lawyer article explains what to look out for when choosing your solicitor.

Have your RTA compensation claim assessed free of charge

We offer a number of online and telephone specialist solicitor help options- you can discuss your accident with a solicitor or have your claim assessed online.