Fatal accident claims
Our personal injury solicitors secure compensation for bereaved and dependent families of people who have suffered fatal injury in accidents caused by negligence.
Supporting bereaved families through fatal accident compensation claims.
For over 30 years Boyes Turner’s personal injury lawyers have helped countless families through the emotional trauma, legal formalities and financial devastation that follow the death of a loved one. We support families whose lives have been catastrophically affected by fatal injuries caused by someone else’s fault, including road or workplace accidents, unsafe buildings or public facilities, asbestos exposure, and criminal violence, in the UK or abroad.
We understand that nothing can provide instant relief from the feelings of loss that follow a child, parent, or partner’s death, but we know that where the family relied on the deceased’s income, parenting or home-making, their grief is often compounded by worries about money and how they will cope. Compensation can bring relief from financial hardship at this difficult time. Financial stability gives our clients the means to pay for essential help, and peace of mind for the future, as they adjust to the changes in their family’s life.
- Nationally recognised personal injury specialists with decades of experience
- Access to leading medical experts and rehabilitation professionals
- Proven track record of securing life-changing compensation for families
- Dedicated support from initial enquiry through to settlement
- No upfront costs and claim through a no win no fee agreement
Fatal accident claims
Accidents abroad claims
Car accident injury claims
Compensation claims for serious injury to passengers
Fatal negligence
Motorcycle accident claims & compensation
Pedestrian accident compensation claims
Sports injury & leisure accidents claims
Work accident compensation claims
Starting your fatal accident claim
We understand that sudden, fatal injury often happens in highly distressing, traumatic circumstances which can be difficult to talk about, but we encourage you to reach out for our help. Our compassionate personal injury team are experienced in helping clients who have experienced trauma or PTSD psychological injury after seeing their loved ones suffering or in the aftermath of fatal or life-threatening accidents. We discuss each claim confidentially, with sensitivity and understanding, and advise you how we can help.
It costs nothing to talk to us to find out about making a compensation claim after a fatal accident involving your partner or a member of your family. You can contact us for free, confidential advice from a specialist personal injury solicitor. We will ask you to tell us briefly about the accident and the deceased’s circumstances and dependants. We will advise you about time limits and whether we can help you make a claim. Your solicitor will discuss with you how your claim will be funded and advise, fully and clearly, how that works and what it will mean for you. We offer a range of funding options, but most of our clients’ claims are handled on a ‘no win no fee’ basis.
We will put your claim to the defendant individual or organisation whose negligence caused the accident and we will handle all communication on your behalf. The defendant’s insurers will usually handle the claim on the defendant’s behalf and will be responsible for paying any compensation.
No win, no fee
No hidden or upfront costs. Clear, straightforward advice. Nothing to pay unless your claim is successful.
Over 30 years’ experience
We have helped thousands of clients claim compensation.
Fully regulated
Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Fatal accident claims FAQs
What are fatal accident compensation claims?
When someone dies as a result of an accident or fatal injury that was caused by somebody else’s negligence, the deceased’s closest family, their dependants, and their estate (the legacy that passes to beneficiaries under their will) may be entitled to compensation.
Compensation claims arising from fatal injury are governed by The Fatal Accidents Act 1976 and The Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1934. Together, these two statutes give the beneficiaries of the deceased’s estate and the deceased’s dependants the right to claim for their losses in a fatal accident claim.
Fatal accident claims need specialist handling as they have their own legal requirements and additional complexities from other claims. They should be handled by specialist solicitors to ensure that family members, and those entitled under the deceased’s estate, receive their full entitlement to compensation. If any children are entitled to compensation, the court must approve any settlement, to ensure that the children’s interests are properly protected.
Our lawyers are nationally recognised for their expertise in representing bereaved families at coroners’ inquests and guiding them through the claims process, to secure the highest levels of compensation that they are entitled to claim.
Who can claim compensation after a fatal injury?
If someone suffers a fatal injury that was caused by somebody else’s negligence, the deceased’s closest family, their dependants, and their estate may be entitled to compensation.
In cases where more than one person is entitled to claim, such as where the deceased left a partner and dependent children, our specialist fatal injury solicitors will ensure that the correct person brings the proceedings and that each eligible claimant’s interests are included in the claim.
We recover compensation for the families of those who have suffered fatal injury:
- in road accidents (drivers, passengers, cyclists,motorcyclists, e-scooters, pedestrians);
- as passengers in cars, trains, buses, taxis, planes, boats or ferries;
- as hit and run victims;
- as employees in accidents caused by employer or co-worker negligence;
- in accidents caused by negligent councils or highway authorities;
- from exposure to asbestos;
- caused by defective products (product liability);
- in accidents in unsafe public buildings, hotels, sports and leisure facilities;
- as a result of Ministry of Defence (MOD) negligence;
- in accidents abroad;
- as victims of violent crime.
We can also claim compensation arising from fatal accidents for:
- ‘secondary victims’ who suffered PTSD from witnessing their loved one’s fatal accident or injury;
- family or friends who were injured in the same accident as the deceased;
- injured victims of accidents caused by a negligent defendant who subsequently dies, in claims against the deceased’s estate and insurers.
What compensation can the deceased’s family claim after a fatal accident?
Fatal injury claims usually involve claims for compensation for:
- the deceased’s pain and suffering as a result of the negligence which caused their death;
- reasonable costs and expenses caused by the injury and the deceased’s death;
- compensation for ‘lost years’;
- reasonable funeral expenses;
- a statutory ‘bereavement payment’, which can be claimed where the deceased left:
- a bereaved husband, wife or civil partner, or unmarried partner who had cohabited with them for at least two years at the time of their death;
- a minor child.
If the deceased left dependants, the claim will also include compensation for ‘loss of dependency’ (financial loss) suffered by those who depended on the deceased’s:
- income (earnings, pension);
- ‘services’, meaning the cost of replacing the things that the deceased did for them, such as providing child-care, housework, cooking, driving, gardening, or DIY.
The deceased’s dependants are usually their children, husband, wife, partner, grandchildren or elderly relatives, but can include other people whom the deceased supported financially on a regular basis.
Depending on the circumstances of the accident, we also claim compensation for injured survivors from the same accident, such as passengers who were sharing the same vehicle, or ‘secondary victim’ family members who suffered PTSD from witnessing their loved one’s traumatic death.
Making a fatal accident claim
We understand how daunting it can feel to take the first step. Our specialist personal injury solicitors are here to guide you through every stage.
Getting in touch
Call us or complete our online form to receive free, confidential advice from one of our specialist fatal accident solicitors. We will listen carefully to your circumstances, explain your legal options in clear and straightforward terms, and advise whether you can make a claim following the death of a loved one and how we can support you through the process.
Supporting your claim
Our specialist solicitors will gather the evidence needed to support your claim, including medical records where relevant, witness statements, accident reports, inquest findings where applicable, and expert opinions if required. They will establish how the fatal accident happened, who was responsible, and the financial and personal impact the loss has had on your family. We will guide you through every stage of the claims process with care and sensitivity.
Securing compensation
Our solicitors work to secure the maximum compensation possible as quickly as possible. We aim to ensure you and your family have the financial support you need for dependency claims, bereavement damages where applicable, funeral expenses, loss of income, and any other assistance available to help provide financial security for the future.
Contact us
If you would like advice regarding a serious injury or illness affecting you or a loved one, please complete the form and one of our experts will be in touch as soon as possible.
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Client story
£1 million settlement
We secured compensation for the family of a man killed by HGV driver’s dangerous driving.
Our fatal accident claims
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Substantial settlement for the bereaved family of man killed by speeding hit-and-run driver
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£1 million settlement for the family of a man killed by HGV driver’s dangerous driving
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Substantial settlement for the family of a young, pregnant mother unlawfully killed by abhorrent speeding driver
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£550,000 settlement for orthopaedic injuries caused by (now deceased) defendant driver in head-on RTA collision
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£130,000 settlement for woman’s bereaved family after negligent care leads to fatal faecal peritonitis
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£60,000 settlement (on 50% liability basis) for HGV passenger injured in fatal RTA
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Pregnant mum killed by speeding driver
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Compensation for secondary victims following a fatal road traffic accident
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Fatal accident claim results in deceased family obtaining payout of £55,000
Our personal injury solicitors
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You got us the best outcome and I can’t thank you enough
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We’d like to express our thanks to Kim and the team at Boyes Turner…
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Thank you so much for all you have done…
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Thanks for everything
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Professionalism and continued reassurance
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Real pleasure having had you act for me
Our clients receive the highest standards of advice and representation and are always treated with compassion, outstanding care and understanding of the physical, emotional, psychological and financial impact that life-changing injury can have upon their lives.
- We are nationally acclaimed for our personal injury expertise and the outstanding results we achieve for our clients.
- We are ranked as leading personal injury experts in the Chambers Directory and Legal 500 guides to the legal profession and are accredited for our specialist expertise by the Law Society and the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL).
- Our integrated multidisciplinary team offers our clients a full range of specialist help with compensation, rehabilitation, SEN, deputyship, personal injury trusts and community care.
- We secure early, funded rehabilitation and maximum compensation in claims for adults and children who have suffered catastrophic injury, and provide practical support for their families.
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Leading personal injury solicitors for over 30 years
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