How Much Compensation For Anxiety After A Car Accident?

By Jo Anderson. Last Updated 10th September 2024. In this guide, we are going to take a look at anxiety after car accident claims. Specifically, we will focus on how much compensation for anxiety after a car accident people could claim, and how claims for compensation for anxiety work.

If you are anxious after a car accident, it could cause problems in various areas of your life. We answer questions about anxiety after a traumatic car accident  such as ‘how much compensation can you get for anxiety after a car accident?’ and ‘How can I prove a whiplash and anxiety claim?’

Plus, we provide details of what mental trauma after a car accident people could claim for, and what compensation for PTSD could include. We even include a handle table to give you an idea of what mental health compensation payout successful claimants could receive.

To contact our team of advisors and find out more:

Man examines damaged car after a road traffic accident with his head in his hands.

Select A Section

  1. Car Accident Claims – How Much Compensation For Anxiety After A Car Accident
  2. When Am I Eligible To Claim For Anxiety After A Car Accident?
  3. Anxiety After A Car Accident – Evidence To Support Your Claim
  4. Time Limit For Claiming For Anxiety After A Car Accident
  5. No Win No Fee Solicitors For Anxiety Compensation Claims
  6. Essential Reference Guides Relating To Claims For Anxiety After A Car Accident

Car Accident Claims – How Much Compensation For Anxiety After A Car Accident?

If you are wondering how much compensation for anxiety after a car accident you could receive, it could be useful to find out how compensation is calculated in such cases.

Typically, successful personal injury claims will result in a payout under the head of claim known as general damages. General damages compensates you for the suffering and pain caused by your injuries. This covers both physical and psychological injuries.

For those valuing claims for general damages, the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) may be referred to for guidance. This publication provides guideline compensation brackets for various injuries at different severities. In the table below, we have used figures from the JCG, aside from the first entry.  

Additionally, the final two entries have been taken from the fixed tariff within the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021. We will discuss how these may be applicable to your claim in a later section.

Injury Type And SeverityNotesCompensation
Multiple serious injuries with associated financial losses and costs.A combination of serious injuries that causes financial costs or losses such as loss of pay or medical expenses.Up to £500,000+
Psychiatric Damage Generally - Severe (a)Where the person will have severe life altering effects and a poor prognosis.£66,920 to £141,240
Psychiatric Damage Generally - Moderately Severe (b)Significant issues are present with a more positive prognosis. £23,270 to £66,920
Psychiatric Damage Generally - Moderate (c)Where, by conclusion of the case the victims symptoms have improved and the prognosis is good.£7,150 to £23,270
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - Severe (a)Affects the person's ability to earn a living, along with having all aspects of life affected.£73,050 to £122,850
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - Moderately Severe (b)Majority of moderately severe PTSD awards unless there are extremes£28,250 to £73,050
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - Moderate (c)The person will have largely recovered with no long lasting or disabling effects.£9,980 to £28,250
Whiplash Tariff 2(1)(b)A whiplash and psychological injury lasting between 18 to 24 months.£4,345
Whiplash Tariff 2(1)(b)A whiplash and psychological injury lasting between 15 to 18 months.£3,100

A successful claim could also result in compensation under a second head of claim known as special damages. This compensates you for the financial costs and losses caused by your injuries. Claimable costs and losses could include:

  • Loss of income – If you’ve lost out on pay because you’ve been unable to work due to your injuries.
  • Travel expenses – If you’ve paid for transport to get to medical appointments, or for meetings with your solicitor. 
  • Medical expenses – If you’ve needed to pay for counselling or for prescription medicines, for example.
  • Care costs – If your injuries were so severe that you needed care at home and had to pay for it.

You will need to be able to evidence of these costs to be able to claim for them under special damages. Examples of evidence could include invoices, payslips and receipts.

To check the validity of your case and receive free advice, you can contact a member of our advisory team.

How Much Compensation Could I Get For Whiplash And Anxiety Under The Whiplash Reforms?

If you are making a claim for whiplash and anxiety following a car crash, the avenue in which you take to make your claim may differ. Due to the Whiplash Reform Programme, you will now need to make your claim via a different avenue if the following criteria are applicable to your case:

  • You were injured as a passenger or driver of a vehicle.
  • The accident occurred in England or Wales.
  • You are aged 18 or over.
  • The injuries you suffered are valued at £5,000 or less, such as whiplash.

Additionally, the whiplash injuries you suffered will be valued in line with the tariff found within the Whiplash Injury Regulation 2021. These tariff amounts are fixed, and we have included some examples in our table above.

If you would like to learn more about how much compensation you could receive for your injuries and which route to take when claiming, please contact an advisor. 

When Am I Eligible To Claim For Anxiety After A Car Accident?

As well as wondering how much compensation for anxiety after a car accident, you might also wish to know when it is possible to make a personal injury claim and pursue compensation for your injuries. 

All road users have a duty of care toward one another. This means they must prevent harm to themselves and others while on the roads. They must adhere to the Road Traffic Act 1988 and follow the Highway Code to uphold this duty.

To have a valid claim for personal injury compensation, you would have to prove that:

  • Another road user owed you a duty of care
  • They breached this duty
  • You were injured as a result

If this duty of care is breached, and you suffer harm as a result, you could potentially claim anxiety compensation. To learn more about claiming compensation for anxiety after a car accident, please contact an advisor. Alternatively, read on to learn more about the road traffic accident claims process.

Anxiety After A Car Accident – Evidence To Support Your Claim

If you are eligible to make a personal injury claim for anxiety after a car accident, collecting evidence to support your case is an important step in the claiming process. The evidence you gather needs to prove who was liable for the accident and that you suffered a psychological injury due to it.

Examples of the evidence you could use to help support your claim include:

  • Medical evidence, such as a copy of your medical records confirming any physical and psychological injuries you’ve been diagnosed with.
  • CCTV or dashcam footage of the accident taking place.
  • Photographs of the accident scene.
  • The contact information of anyone who witnessed your accident. They may be able to provide a statement later on.

If you contact our advisors today, they may connect you with one of our solicitors, who could help you with gathering evidence. They could also help answer any questions you may have, such as, ‘How much compensation for anxiety after a car accident could I receive for a successful claim?’.

Time Limit For Claiming For Anxiety After A Car Accident 

An important part of claiming compensation after a car accident is making sure that you start your claim within the time limit. The time limit for road traffic accident claims is set out by the Limitation Act 1980, which states that you must begin your claim within three years of you sustaining your injuries.

There are some exceptions to this time limit. For example, if you are under the age of eighteen, then the time limit is suspended until your eighteenth birthday when it reinstates. From then, you will have until your twenty-first birthday to start your claim for psychological trauma after a car accident. A litigation friend can make your claim for you while you are a minor.

If you do not have the mental capacity to make a claim for yourself, then the time limit is suspended indefinitely. If it’s possible to recover the appropriate capacity, then the time limit will begin on the date of your recovery. If not, then a litigation friend can claim on your behalf.

Our advisors can give you more information about the time limits for claiming for psychological trauma after a car accident. Get in touch to learn more.

Following a car accident, anxiety can be something you can claim for. Our expert car accident lawyers can make the claims process less stressful by helping you gather evidence and covering the bases of your claim that you mightn’t think about. Get in touch at whatever time is most convenient for you to find out more.

No Win No Fee Solicitors For Anxiety Compensation Claims

You can claim compensation for suffering anxiety after a minor car accident, or a serious car accident, on a No Win No Fee basis with us if you prove that  you’re eligible. Specifically, you could be offered a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) by one of our solicitors to support your claim. 

Here is what a CFA would mean for you:

  • You pay no solicitor fees before the claims process begins. 
  • You pay no solicitor fees during the claims process. 
  • You pay no solicitor fees at all if your claim is unsuccessful.
  • Instead, if your claim is successful, your solicitor will take a small percentage of the compensation awarded to you. This small percentage is known as the success fee, and is legally capped to ensure the majority of compensation goes to you. 

Our advisors can discuss your potential claim with you. So, to learn more about CFAs and how much compensation for anxiety after a car crash could be awarded to successful claimants, please contact us. Our contact options are live 24/7 and free to use:

Essential Reference Guides Relating To Claims For Anxiety After A Car Accident

We sincerely hope that this online guide has been useful in outlining our solicitors’ services in relation to compensation for car incidents. In addition to the information within this online guide, we have provided some materials that we believe could be of use. You can find the relevant links located down below.

Thank you for taking the time to read our guide on anxiety after car accident claims.