Pedestrian accident claims: how much compensation could you get?
Hit by a vehicle while on foot? You're a vulnerable road user with full rights to claim.
As a pedestrian you're not the occupant of a vehicle, so you're excluded from the fixed whiplash tariff and the higher £5,000 small claims limit that applies to car-occupant claims. If a driver injured you while you were walking, we connect you with a specialist solicitor to pursue fair compensation for your injuries and losses.
What pedestrian injury compensation is worth
Pedestrian injuries are valued individually against the Judicial College Guidelines — the figures courts use — because the whiplash tariff only applies to vehicle occupants. As a guide: a fractured wrist with good recovery ~£4,300–£9,100; serious leg fractures £34,000–£67,000; severe pelvis or hip injuries £47,800–£159,800; life-changing head injuries can exceed £400,000. Lost earnings, care and rehabilitation are claimed on top, and children have until their 21st birthday to claim.
Where pedestrians are most at risk — our data
Our analysis of official DfT records found 19,115 collisions involving pedestrians in 2025 — 6,121 of them fatal or serious, and over 10,000 collisions involved a child casualty. See the exact locations on our pedestrian danger map, built from five years of police collision records.
Not tariff-capped
Pedestrian injury claims are valued on the medical evidence, not a fixed government scale.
Often the more seriously hurt party
Collisions between a vehicle and a pedestrian frequently cause more serious injury than vehicle-to-vehicle crashes, and claims are handled accordingly.
Crossings & evidence
Whether or not you were on a crossing, liability is decided on the specific evidence of the incident — not assumed against you.
Belongings & losses
Damaged phones, clothing and other belongings, plus lost earnings and travel costs, can be claimed alongside your injury.
No win, no fee
Nothing to pay upfront; clear terms agreed before anything starts.
Related services
What actually happens to pedestrians on UK roads (2025)
19,115
Collisions involving pedestrians in 2025
32%
Left the pedestrian killed or seriously injured — 6,121 people
10,231
Collisions involved a child casualty — children can claim until their 21st birthday
Higher duty
Drivers owe vulnerable road users a higher duty of care — liability often favours the pedestrian
Pedestrian casualties, 2021–2025
2025: 19,978 (up 4.2% on the year before) · peak 19,978 in 2025 · +20% across the period
Axis clipped to the data range to show year-on-year movement.
Britain’s worst spots for pedestrians (2021–2025)
Meridian Square, Stratford
21 collisions · 6 serious/fatal
Mitcham Road, Furzedown
20 collisions · 5 serious/fatal
St Giles Square, Bloomsbury
18 collisions · 7 serious/fatal
Cope Street, Rotherhithe
18 collisions · 1 serious/fatal
Brixton Hill, Brixton
17 collisions · 8 serious/fatal
Source: DfT STATS19 collision and casualty records, 2021–2025. Methodology.
Pedestrian injury compensation estimator
Pick your injury and add your losses for an instant guideline range — the same Judicial College figures courts and insurers work from. The “bike damage” field works for any damaged property (phone, clothing, glasses). No email, no signup.
Guideline ranges based on Judicial College Guidelines figures as published across the UK legal industry; your actual award depends on the medical evidence. This is an estimate, not legal advice, and injuries to multiple areas are valued together.
Pedestrian injury compensation amounts
Guideline general-damages ranges for the injuries pedestrians most commonly suffer. Bike damage, kit, lost earnings and care costs are recovered on top of these figures.
| Injury | Severity | Guideline range | Typical injuries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head / brain | Minor | £2,690 – £15,580 | Recovery within weeks; award reflects headaches and any brief brain-injury symptoms |
| Moderate | £52,550 – £267,340 | Concentration or personality effects through to significant intellectual deficit | |
| Severe | £267,340 – £493,000 | Life-changing brain injury requiring substantial care | |
| Leg | Minor | £2,000 – £14,450 | Soft tissue, cuts and simple fractures with good recovery |
| Moderate | £33,880 – £66,920 | Multiple or compound fractures, ligament damage, likely arthritis | |
| Severe | £66,920 – £344,150 | The most serious fractures through to amputation | |
| Arm | Mild | £8,060 – £23,430 | Simple forearm fractures |
| Moderate | £23,430 – £47,810 | Significant disability with substantial recovery expected | |
| Severe | £47,810 – £366,100 | Serious permanent disability through to amputation | |
| Wrist / hand | Minor | £4,310 – £9,070 | Undisplaced fractures, recovery within ~2 years |
| Moderate | £15,370 – £35,390 | Permanent stiffness or impaired function; surgery | |
| Severe | £35,390 – £245,900 | Serious permanent loss of function | |
| Shoulder / collarbone | Minor | £2,990 – £9,630 | Soft tissue with full recovery inside 2 years |
| Serious | £15,580 – £23,430 | Clavicle/humerus fractures, rotator cuff surgery | |
| Severe | £23,430 – £58,610 | Brachial plexus involvement, significant disability | |
| Back / spine | Minor | £2,990 – £15,260 | Strains and sprains resolving within 5 years |
| Moderate | £15,260 – £47,320 | Compression fractures, prolapsed discs, surgery | |
| Severe | £47,320 – £196,450 | Spinal cord involvement, lasting disability | |
| Knee | Minor | £2,000 – £16,770 | Twists, bruising, aching after soft-tissue injury |
| Moderate | £18,110 – £31,960 | Dislocation, torn cartilage, ongoing instability | |
| Severe | £31,960 – £117,410 | Serious joint disruption, future surgery likely | |
| Ankle / foot | Minor | £2,000 – £16,770 | Sprains and undisplaced fractures, full recovery |
| Moderate | £16,770 – £61,090 | Fractures needing surgery, walking limitations | |
| Severe | £61,090 – £245,900 | Deformity or amputation-level injury | |
| Facial injury / scarring | Minor | £2,080 – £4,310 | Light scarring, simple fractures with full recovery |
| Serious | £21,920 – £59,090 | Broken jaw or nose, dental damage | |
| Severe | £36,340 – £118,790 | Lasting disfigurement, multiple fractures | |
| PTSD / psychological | Minor | £4,820 – £9,980 | Largely recovered within ~2 years |
| Moderate | £28,250 – £73,050 | Significant effects with a good prognosis | |
| Severe | £73,050 – £122,850 | Permanent effects preventing pre-accident life |
General damages only — financial losses are additional. Based on Judicial College Guidelines figures as published across the UK legal industry; awards depend on medical evidence and individual circumstances.
Common questions.
How much compensation do you get if you’re hit by a car?+
It depends on injury severity, valued on the Judicial College Guidelines: roughly £2,700–£15,000 for injuries with full recovery, £34,000–£67,000 for serious leg fractures, and six figures for life-changing injuries. Lost earnings, care costs and rehabilitation are added on top, and liability often favours the pedestrian — drivers owe vulnerable road users a higher duty of care.
Was it my fault if I wasn't on a crossing?+
Not necessarily. Drivers must drive with care for pedestrians wherever they are, and liability is decided on the evidence of the specific incident, not simply on where you were standing or walking.
Does the whiplash tariff cap my compensation?+
No — the tariff only applies to whiplash injuries suffered by occupants of a car or similar vehicle. As a pedestrian you are a 'vulnerable road user' and your claim is valued individually.
What if the driver didn't stop?+
You may still be able to claim through the Motor Insurers' Bureau, which compensates victims of hit-and-run and uninsured drivers — see our guide on claiming against an uninsured driver.
What can I claim for?+
Your injury, damaged belongings, lost earnings, travel to medical appointments and other out-of-pocket costs caused by the collision.
Other claim types
Motorbike accident claims
Injured on two wheels? Your claim isn't capped by the car whiplash tariff.
Accident at work claims
Hurt on the job? Your employer's liability insurance is there for exactly this.
HGV & lorry accident claims
Collisions with lorries and HGVs cause disproportionately serious injury — and disproportionately complex claims.
Been in an accident? Let's sort it.
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