Road traffic fatality
Car, motorbike, pedestrian and cyclist fatalities, pursued against the at-fault driver's insurer or the MIB.
Fatal accident claims allow bereaved families to recover the financial support they lost when a loved one died as a result of another party's negligence.
Losing a family member in an accident is devastating. The legal process cannot undo that. What it can do is secure the financial future you were entitled to expect, replacing the income, pension, childcare, driving, DIY and other support your loved one provided, along with statutory bereavement damages and funeral costs.
At Hannah Gold Solicitors we act for bereaved families across England and Wales in road traffic, workplace, and medical negligence fatalities. We handle the civil claim, coordinate with the inquest, and take pressure off families at the most difficult time. 20% success fee, No Win No Fee, senior solicitor throughout.
£21 million recovered · 15 years specialist practice
£21M+
Recovered for clients
15 yrs
Serious injury experience
20%
Success fee, not 25%
100%
No Win No Fee
Fatal accident law recognises two categories of claim, each with its own eligible claimants:
'Dependants' includes spouses, civil partners, cohabitees of two years or more, children (including step-children and adopted children), parents, and any relative financially or materially dependent on the deceased.
“Statutory bereavement damages (£15,120) are payable in addition to dependency and estate losses, never the whole of the claim.
The estate 'stands in the shoes' of the deceased and claims for their pain, suffering, and financial losses between the accident and death, together with funeral expenses.
Dependants recover loss of financial dependency, loss of services dependency (childcare, driving, home maintenance), statutory bereavement damages, and funeral costs where not already recovered by the estate.
The statutory bereavement award is £15,120 for deaths on or after 1 May 2020. Eligible claimants are:
Where more than one eligible claimant exists (e.g. both parents of a minor), the award is divided equally. The bereavement award sits on top of dependency and estate losses, it is not a substitute for them.
“Where death followed a period of survival, the LRMPA 1934 estate claim covers pain and suffering between injury and death.
Loss of dependency is usually the largest head of a fatal claim. The court applies a multiplicand × multiplier calculation:
Services dependency, childcare, driving, DIY, gardening, home maintenance, is valued separately using commercial replacement rates. Pension loss (both to the deceased's estate and to a surviving spouse's expected pension) is a further significant head.
| Scenario | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| Statutory bereavement award | £15,120 |
| Funeral expenses (typical) | £4,000 – £10,000 |
| Pain and suffering (deceased, pre-death, LRMPA) | £1,000 – £30,000+ depending on survival period |
Common contexts
Car, motorbike, pedestrian and cyclist fatalities, pursued against the at-fault driver's insurer or the MIB.
Construction falls, machinery entrapment, transport accidents and health-and-safety failures. Run in parallel with HSE investigation.
Failure to diagnose sepsis, cancer or cardiac events; surgical errors; delays in emergency treatment.
Fatalities in shops, on premises or in public spaces caused by occupier negligence.
Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) fatal claims for surviving families.
“Fatal-accident claims are handled by the personal representative for the estate and by dependants under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976.
An inquest is not a trial and cannot award compensation, but it establishes how the death occurred, findings that can materially strengthen a civil claim, particularly in workplace or medical settings.
We regularly represent bereaved families at inquest. Where public funding is not available, inquest costs are commonly recoverable as part of the associated civil claim.
“Loss of dependency covers financial and services contributions, childcare, DIY, driving and pension all quantify separately.
Free, confidential and at your pace. We handle the process so your family can grieve. 20% success fee.
£21 million recovered · Established 2011
No Win No Fee means you pay nothing upfront and nothing at all if your claim does not succeed. If you win, a success fee is deducted from your compensation. On most personal injury claims we charge 20%, lower than the 25% maximum many firms apply; some lower-value Official Injury Claim portal cases are charged at a different rate, which we always explain clearly before you sign.
Speak with a specialist
0300 373 5366