If a roundabout injury has set you back, we'll help you move forward
Roundabout injuries usually involve vehicle collisions causing whiplash or other impact-related injuries.
If your life, or the life of a loved one, has been affected by a road accident, we can help. If your injuries were caused by another driver, cyclist, pedestrian or any other road user, you may be entitled to claim compensation.
You can make a No Win, No Fee road injury compensation claim with the help and support of a personal injury solicitor.
With nearly 75,000 car occupant injuries every year, you are not alone
In 2023, there were 749 car occupant fatalities and 72,155 casualties (gov.uk).
Safely navigating a roundabout requires good judgement and awareness of other vehicles, and depends upon on each driver positioning appropriately.
Accidents on roundabouts tend to happen when drivers position incorrectly for the exit they want to take or when drivers pick up the wrong lane while exiting the roundabout.
If you decide to claim compensation for an accident on a roundabout, your road accident solicitor will take you through every step of the claims process. Your solicitor will be with you until you win your claim and get the compensation you need to move forward.
What if the driver was uninsured or untraceable?
If the driver responsible for the injury is either uninsured or untraceable, a claim can be pursued through the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB).
The MIB is an independent that pays road accident compensation to the victims of uninsured or untraced (unidentified) drivers.
How much compensation can I claim for a roundabout accident?
The amount of compensation you can claim for an accident on a roundabout depends on:
- the degree of your injury,
- the impact of your injury on your daily life and ability to work,
- the financial costs and losses you have experienced due to the accident.
Roundabout injury
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General damages are awarded for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA). Awards for general damages are set by the Judicial College (judiciary.uk) and published in their guidelines for personal injury awards.
Special damages are for financial losses and expenses you have incurred because of your accident. In addition to paying for loss of earnings, including lost overtime, holiday pay, benefits and pension contributions, damage and repairs to your car, special damages can cover any care costs and medical procedures you need, such as pain medication and psychological support.
Read more:
A complete list of recoverable losses in a personal injury claim
How is compensation calculated if I have multiple injuries?
Average roundabout injury injury general damages compensation table
The following roundabout injury injury payouts refer to the Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases, 17th Edition by the Judicial College (oup.com).
These tables are used by solicitors or by the courts as a starting point when calculating your compensation.
Please note: these average figures represent general damages only, and do not include any element of special damages (e.g. lost wages).
Ankle injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) | Minor fractures, sprains, and ligament injuries with full recovery | Up to £15,250 |
| Moderate | A fracture or ligament injury with mild ongoing symptoms | £15,250 to £29,500 |
| Severe | Lengthy treatment required, and your ability to walk has been permanently affected | £34,740 to £55,540 |
Back injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) | A back sprain, disc prolapse, soft tissue injury or minor fracture that fully recovers without surgery | £2,720 to £13,870 |
| Moderate | A disc lesion, prolapse, fracture or soft tissue injury leading to chronic conditions, including pain, mobility issues, impaired sexual function, psychological effects, a risk of arthritis, spondylolisthesis, and nerve root irritation | £13,870 to £30,800 |
| Severe | Severe spinal cord damage, nerve root damage, disc lesions, fractures and soft tissues leading to serious chronic conditions | £43,020 to £178,590 |
Neck injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) | Soft tissue injury | £2,720 to £8,750 |
| Moderate | Fracture or dislocation injuries, or worsening of existing conditions, including wrenching, disc lesions and cervical spondylosis | £27,730 to £42,700 |
| Serious | Severe fractures, dislocation, soft tissue damage, ruptured tendons, and/or chronic disability | £50,450 to £62,120 |
Shoulder injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Soft tissue injury | Soft tissue injury with recovery in under 1 year, causing considerable pain | £2,720 to £8,750 |
| Clavicle fracture | Injuries causing some pain and disability, e.g. a displaced, fractured clavicle | £5,710 to £13,580 |
Whiplash
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery in under 3 months | Up to £220 | |
| Recovery in 3 to 12 months | £220 to £1,200 | |
| Recovery in 1 to 2 years | £1,200 to £3,830 |
Wrist injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lesser | Relatively minor soft tissue injury or displaced fracture, with a full recovery within 12 months | £3,920 to £5,260 |
| Moderate | Uncomplicated Colles' fracture | Around £8,250 |
| Moderate | Fracture or soft tissue injury with complete recovery | £6,750 to £11,480 |
Road accidents and psychiatric health
Have you been mentally or emotionally affected by a road accident? You are not alone.
Our 2024 Road Injury Claimant Survey highlights how common psychiatric injuries are, with 32.47% of road accident claims involving psychological harm. 78.53% of these were also associated with a physical injury.
Accidents on roundabouts can cause a general anxiety about navigating complex road systems and amaxophobia (fear of driving or being a passenger).
Claiming general damages for mental and emotional distress can help provide access to mental health care and therapies, some of which might not be available through the NHS.
Our compensation calculator can estimate your compensation for psychological injuries. Or you can call us on 0800 376 1001 to speak to a specialist advisor.
Do I qualify for roundabout injury injury compensation?
You can make an injury claim for a roundabout accident, if:
- you became ill within the last 3 years, and;
- another party was to blame, and;
- that party owed you a duty of care.
Find out online if you can claim with our injury claim calculator. Alternatively, you can speak to a claims advisor on 0800 376 1001 and find out if you have a claim in minutes.
Is a claim still possible if I was partly responsible for my injury?
Understanding who is legally at fault for an accident often requires navigating through a maze of legal complexities.
Each year, Quittance carries out a survey of potential claimants. In our 2024 Road Injury Claimant Survey, 5.24% of injured road users felt they might be at least partly to blame for their injuries.
Even if you were partly at fault, you could still be able to claim compensation. 'Split liability' or 'contributory negligence' are terms used to describe these cases.
Read more:
Can I claim if I feel I was partly responsible for my accident?
How long do I have to start a roundabout injury claim?
For most injury claims, you have up to 3 years from the date of your injury to start the claims process.
The 3 year limitation period does not apply to minors (under 18s). A parent, guardian or litigation friend can start a claim on a child's behalf up to their 18th birthday and the child has until their 21st birthday to claim for themselves.
Roundabouts and the Highway Code
The Highway Code (gov.uk) states that when turning right at a roundabout, you should:
- signal right and approach the roundabout in the right-hand lane
- keep to the right on the roundabout until you need to change to the left lane and exit the roundabout
- signal left after you have passed the exit before the one you want
In most cases, the left lane can be used for both turning left and proceeding straight ahead. However, on some roundabouts, the left lane may be for turning left only or straight on only.
Signs and road markings will inform the driver of the appropriate lane for their exit. The left lane is not for turning right, and drivers who continue around the island in this lane are at risk as they are crossing exits that other drivers are attempting to emerge from.
Drivers who attempt to exit the roundabout from the right lane are also at risk of causing an accident as other traffic may be moving alongside them in the left lane. It is essential that a driver signals his or her intention when wishing to exit the roundabout.
If a driver fails to adhere to the Highway Code, then he/she could be at risk of causing an accident. If you are involved in an accident with a driver who was in the wrong lane of a roundabout, this doesn't necessarily prove liability. A solicitor will consider all evidence at hand and advise you as to the strength of your case.
What is the correct way to exit a roundabout?
Section 186 of the Highway Code explains the signals and positions required to exit a roundabout safely. When taking an exit, drivers are required to obey the following (unless signs or markings indicate otherwise):
First exit
- Signal left and approach the exit in the left lane
- Keep to the left and signal left to leave
Exit to the right or going full circle
- Signal right and approach the roundabout in the right lane
- Keep to the right until you need to change lanes to exit
- Signal left after passing the exit before the one you want to take
Intermediate exit
- Select the appropriate lane on approach to roundabout
- Stay in lane until you need to change to exit
- Signal left after passing the exit before the one you want to take
In practice, motorists do not always adhere to these rules. Not only can roundabouts be confusing to navigate, but bad habits or ignorance can result in incorrect lane usage.
Why does incorrect lane usage lead to accidents?
By failing to exit in the approved lane, drivers can end up blocking or cutting up other motorists on the roundabout.
Most accidents in this situation are caused when vehicles turning right on a roundabout stay in the left lane until they reach their exit. This means they are preventing other road users exiting who are correctly positioned in the right lane.
Proving wrong lane driver liability
In Slater v Bancroft [1999], a driver was held 100% negligible for an accident due to being in the incorrect lane for the intended exit and not taking care when adjusting the position. However, liability is not always clear cut.
Both parties may be at fault, or the driver could have taken care when repositioning despite being in the wrong lane. Often both parties will argue that they were positioned correctly on the roundabout. In order to prove other driver liability, CCTV footage and witnesses of the accident will often be called upon to prove who was really responsible. A solicitor can assist the claimant in requesting footage to support their claim.
The claims process for roundabout accidents - how it happened matters
The roundabout accident claims process can differ based on the specifics of your accident. Click the icons below for more information.
Can I make a no win, no fee roundabout injury claim?
Yes. With no win, no fee, you can claim roundabout injury compensation without financial risk. If your claim isn't successful, you pay nothing. If you win, you only pay a pre-agreed percentage of your compensation.
Get expert advice now
Interested in talking to a road accident specialist about your claim?
- Calls are FREE
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Call 0800 376 1001
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The Highway Code - Using the road (159 to 203) - Guidance - GOV.UK (reviewed: 30/07/2024)
The Highway Code, road safety and vehicle rules - GOV.UK (reviewed: 02/08/2024)
Author:
Gaynor Haliday, Legal researcher
About the author
Gaynor Haliday is an experienced legal researcher and published author. She has had numerous articles published in the press and is a legal industry commentator.