Client involved in RTA as a minor secures fair compensation after insurers undervalued their claim

With the dedicated support of our road traffic accident claims team, our young client has been able to move forward with greater clarity and confidence. With sensitive legal guidance and careful handling of his case, he gained a clearer understanding of his entitlement to fair compensation. Through our advocacy, his neck and knee injuries were properly recognised, and our road traffic accident solicitors helped him secure a fairer and more accurate outcome, allowing him to move forward with a sense of acknowledgement and closure.

What you’ll find in this case study:

• How a young claimant’s injury experience impacted him physically and emotionally.
• Why the other side initially offered just £901 for his injuries.
• How our legal team challenged the incorrect tariff-based approach to his neck injury.
• How our road traffic accident solicitors achieved a fairer compensation amount for our client – nearly three times the original offer.
• How the outcome provided validation, acknowledgement and a sense of closure for our young client.

A young passenger seeking acknowledgement of what they went through

Our client was a young teenager when he was injured as a passenger in a road traffic collision.

He had been travelling in a friend’s car when another driver struck their vehicle, leaving him with injuries that temporarily disrupted his mobility and general day-to-day living, such as socialising and hobbies.

Although his physical symptoms resolved without long-term issues, the experience of being hurt in a situation entirely outside his control stayed with him. For many young people, being believed and having their injuries acknowledged can be just as important as the compensation itself.

It is also common for young people to assume that, because of their age, they cannot pursue a personal injury claim, but this is not correct. Under UK law, anyone under 18 can make a claim, but they must do so through a parent or guardian. who acts on their behalf. The standard three-year limitation period does not begin until their 18th birthday, meaning they have until age 21 to start a claim if it was not already brought while they were a minor.

For our young client, their claim allowed them to feel recognition for what he had been through and to move forward with clarity.

The extent of our client’s injuries

Following the collision, our client sustained:

• Neck and back injuries
• An injury to his knee

He did not require surgical intervention or rehabilitation, but his pain was significant enough for him to rely on regular pain relief over a three-week recovery period.

The insurer’s undervalued offer

Despite the clear difference between his knee injury and his neck injury, the defendant attempted to treat all his symptoms under a single tariff approach, offering a total of £901 for his pain and suffering.

This did not reflect the nature of his knee injury, and the insurer failed to properly assess or acknowledge this important aspect of his overall injury.

How Fletchers Solicitors helped seek fairer compensation

Challenging an offer and securing a fair settlement

We argued firmly that his knee injury was not a neck-related symptom and therefore should not fall under any tariff applied to neck injuries. Instead, it required separate and proper valuation.

As a result of our advocacy, his compensation increased significantly:

• £2,200 awarded specifically for the knee injury
• Total compensation awarded: £2,720

This was almost three times the original offer.

The outcome: validation, acknowledgement and closure

For a young person still processing being involved a car accident, the revised settlement meant more than a financial outcome.

It provided:

• Validation as a young person seeking fair compensation, reassuring him that his experience was taken seriously.
• Recognition that his knee injury had been properly assessed.
• Closure, allowing him to put the incident behind him with confidence.
• A sense of fairness, knowing he had not been dismissed under an inappropriate tariff

Moving forward after a road traffic collision.

This case shows the importance of accurate assessment and skilled legal advocacy when minors are injured. If you or your child has been injured in a road traffic accident, whether as a passenger, driver, pedestrian, or cyclist, our specialist solicitors are here to ensure your claim is taken seriously and valued fairly.

Contact our team today for clear guidance and dedicated support.

Learn more about how to pursue a child accident and injury claim