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Boyes Turner’s serious 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 elsewhere.  

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, helping them adjust to a new way of family life.  

Fatal accident claims need specialist handling as they have their own legal requirements and additional complexities from other claims. 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.

We understand that fatal injury often happens in highly distressing and traumatic circumstances which may be difficult to talk about, but we would encourage you to reach out for our help and make the call. Our compassionate personal injury team are experienced in helping clients who have suffered psychological injury, including PTSD, after seeing their loved ones suffering or in the aftermath of fatal or life-threatening accidents. We are here for families who have been affected by fatal injury and will discuss your claim, confidentially, with sensitivity and understanding and advise you how we can help.

We also help clients who were injured by the negligence of someone who died in the same accident to claim compensation for their own injuries against the deceased defendant’s estate.

For advice on compensation claims for fatal injuries caused by medical negligence, you can contact our team here.

Most recent fatal injury cases

  • £1 million compensation for the widow and child of a man who died when he was hit by a dangerous driver’s HGV. The deceased was on the hard shoulder exchanging details with another driver following a minor collision, when he and the other driver were hit by the HGV as it veered off the road. At a criminal trial, the defendant HGV driver was given a custodial (prison) sentence for causing death by dangerous driving whilst under the influence of drugs, including heroin and crack cocaine.
  • £1.1 million compensation for the bereaved family of a man who died from mesothelioma after exposure to asbestos during his former employment as a welder.  Our asbestos lawyers overcame difficulties tracing his former employer’s insurers, and the defendant’s denial of exposure, liability, and causation of the deceased’s condition, to secure a one of the largest compensation settlements of its kind. 
  • A six-figure compensation settlement, including aggravated damages, for the husband and child of a 34-year-old pregnant woman who died when her car was hit from behind at over 100mph by a speeding driver. At the inquest, the coroner described the defendant’s driving as “aggressive, audacious and abhorrent” and returned a verdict of unlawful killing which, if the defendant driver had survived, would have amounted to gross negligence manslaughter.
  • £550,000 compensation for our injured client in a claim against the deceased defendant’s estate, for injuries our client suffered in an RTA collision. The accident was caused by the defendant negligently driving onto the opposite carriageway and colliding head on with our client. The defendant driver died in the accident. Our client’s injuries included multiple broken bones and a PTSD psychological injury. 

Who can claim compensation after a fatal injury?

Where a fatal injury was caused by somebody else’s negligence, the deceased’s closest family, their dependants and their estate may be entitled to compensation. Where more than one person is entitled to claim, such as where the deceased left a partner and dependent children, our fatal injury specialists will ensure that the correct person brings the proceedings and that each eligible claimant’s interests are included in the claim.

We can recover compensation for:

  • The bereaved and dependent families of:
    • drivers, passengers, cyclists, motorcyclists, e-scooter riders, pedestrians who suffer fatal injury in road accidents caused by someone else’s negligence;
    • passengers who suffer fatal injury as a result of their own driver’s negligence;
    • victims of hit and run drivers;
    • passengers who suffer fatal injury on trains, buses, taxis, planes, ships/boats or ferries;
    • employees/workers who suffer fatal injury caused by their employer’s or another employee’s negligence;
    • people who suffer fatal injury caused by the negligence of a public authority, council, highway authority, or the police;
    • people who have died as a result of exposure to asbestos;
    • people who suffer fatal injury caused by defective products (product liability);
    • people who suffer fatal injury from unsafe public buildings, hotels, sports and leisure facilities;
    • services personnel who suffer fatal injury as a result of the negligence of the MOD;
    • fatal injury victims of negligently caused accidents abroad;
    • fatally injured victims of violent crime.
  • ‘Secondary victims’ with psychological injury from witnessing their loved one’s fatal accident;
  • Family members, passengers and others who were injured in the same accident as a result of the defendant’s negligence;
  • Injured victims of accidents caused by a (now) deceased negligent defendant, in their claim against the deceased’s estate.
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What compensation can the family of a fatally injured accident victim claim?

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 (under the deceased’s will or intestacy) and those who were dependent on the deceased the right to claim for their losses in a fatal accident claim.

Fatal injury claims are complex and need to 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.  

Depending on the deceased’s and their family’s circumstances, the claim may include compensation for the following:

  • Dependants (usually the deceased’s children, husband, wife, partner, grandchildren, elderly relatives) who were dependant on the deceased can claim for:
    • their loss of dependency on the deceased’s income, such as earnings and/or pension;
    • their loss of dependency on the deceased’s ‘services’, meaning the cost of replacing the things that the deceased did for them, such as:
      • providing child-care;
      • housework and running the home;
      • providing and cooking meals;
      • laundry;
      • driving;
      • gardening;
      • DIY.
  • a statutory ‘bereavement payment’, currently set at £15,120, can be claimed where the deceased left a bereaved:
    • husband, wife or civil partner;
    • unmarried cohabitee partner who was living with them at the time of their death and had done so for at least two years;
    • a minor child.
  • compensation for the deceased’s pain, suffering and disability leading up to their death;
  • costs of the deceased’s care leading up to their death;
  • compensation for ‘lost years’;
  • reasonable funeral expenses;
  • other reasonable costs and expenses caused by the deceased’s injury and death. 

We also help others who suffered injury in the same accident as a result of the defendant’s negligence claim compensation for their own injuries, such as:

  • compensation for psychological injury caused to secondary victims who witness their loved ones’ traumatic death;
  • compensation for other claimants who were also injured in the same accident, such as passengers in the same vehicle.
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We provide advice, help and representation at inquests after fatal accidents

After an accident leads to a fatal injury, in order to establish the cause of death, the coroner may:

  • request a post-mortem;
  • decide to hold an inquest;
  • obtain any documents relevant to the circumstances of the deceased’s death;
  • take statements from witnesses.

If this happens following your loved one’s death, we strongly recommend that you contact us immediately for advice. 

We can help client families with:

  • advice about the inquest;
  • gathering important evidence before, during and after an inquest;
  • challenging incomplete or inaccurate evidence relating to the cause of death;
  • representation at the inquest, to ensure that the family’s questions are answered and that their evidence is heard;
  • managing media attention;
  • obtaining an admission of liability from the defendant’s insurer;
  • obtaining an interim payment from the defendant’s insurer;
  • negotiating a compensation settlement.
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Victims of crime – CICA compensation for fatal accidents

When someone dies as a result of violent crime their close family and dependants may be entitled to claim compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).

CICA fatal injury compensation for ‘qualifying relatives’ (those eligible to claim), can include:

  • loss of dependency on the deceased’s income;
  • loss of dependency on the deceased’s ‘services’, including child-care/parenting, or physical care;
  • reasonable funeral expenses;
  • bereavement payments.

UK residents can also claim from the CICA in some circumstances where the deceased was the victim of violent crime abroad.

The CICA will take the deceased’s own behaviour into account when deciding whether to make a payment. They investigate the circumstances which led to the victim’s death and other evidence, such as financial losses, included in the claim.

Claims to the CICA can be made directly, by the deceased’s family. However, we strongly recommend that dependant families seek advice from our serious injury specialists before making a CICA application, as this may significantly increase the compensation that you receive from your CICA claim.

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What should you do next?

If you have recently been bereaved by the loss of a loved one in an accident that wasn’t their fault, we understand the emotional distress that you must be feeling.  It can be hard to deal with inquests and other formalities and to get answers to your questions, but our sensitive, experienced team of fatal injury specialists are here to help, with free, confidential, advice, to support you through this difficult time.

Find out more and get the answers you need – call us on 0800 124 4845 or get in touch today.

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Meet your specialist team

Our specialist Fatal accident claims solicitors team are considered leaders in the field and have a significant amount of expertise.
Kim Milan

Kim Milan

Senior Partner

Claire Roantree headshots

Claire Roantree

Partner

Martin Anderson

Martin Anderson

Associate Solicitor

Beth Hatton headshoot

Beth Hatton

Paralegal

Roshni Patel photo

Roshni Patel

Paralegal

Kim Milan
Claire Roantree headshots
Martin Anderson
Beth Hatton headshoot
Roshni Patel photo

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Awards & Accreditations

Our teams have been nationally recognised over the past decade for their dedication and commitment to securing maximum compensation for our clients

              Brake | The Road Safety Charity

"Personal Injury Claim"

Claire is exceptionally knowledgeable in the personal injury legal domain, especially in the specific area of my injury. From our very first conversation, she was clear in explaining the potential different routes that the process could take and provided me with expectations of what I could expect along the journey.

She ensured that all bases were covered, organising meetings, discussions and necessary specialist appointments, in order to bring together the case and take it forward. Claire was then able to use her extensive pool of contacts, to appoint an "area leading" barrister, to represent me.

Overall, I was very pleased with appointing Claire and Boyes Turner to act as my solicitor for the legal claim that I pursued. Thank you for all of your support.

Boyes Turner Client

"Boyes turner workplace injury claim"

I approached Claire Roantree of Boyes Turner in regards to making a claim about a workplace burns injury. It was something that had scarred me physically and mentally and taken a huge toll on the lives of me and my family. Claire wasted no time in finding out what happened and made sure I was treated by known experts and quickly finding an answer to my burns scarring and how I could be treated to help manage my pain. Claire also helped me by appointing a psychiatrist to understand my situation and help me cope with post traumatic stress disorder. As well as taking as much stress of the claim away, she was thorough in every situation, making sure I had the best possible claim, and handled it all expertly, I am so very grateful to her and her team. They have helped guide my life back into a positive direction and I can't thank her enough!

Boyes Turner Client

"Personal Injury claim"

Excellent service from Claire and her team at all times. We were kept up to date at each stage of our claim. The outcome was much better than we expected and we would not hesitate to recommend Boyes Turner to family and friends.

Boyes Turner Client

"Lifechanging Law Firm"

Kim handled my personal injury claim after a car accident with immeasurable expertise and compassion. Boyes Turner arranged every part of my private rehabilitation, which greatly improved the speed and quality of my recovery.

Each stage of the litigation process was dealt with efficiently and succinctly. This was then always explained without using unclear legal jargon.

On both health and financial levels, I would be in a far worse position without Kim’s invaluable input. I cannot recommend this firm enough.

Jessica

"Helping me start to get my life back together"

The last 6 years since my incident have been so my mental health and general life. When I chose Boyes Turner, I was expecting just a solicitor to take my case forward. What in fact I actually got is a solicitor who genuinely cared about what had happened to me and wanted to help me get justice. Without their support I would have probably given in and excepted what happened. I am so glad that I didn’t, now it’s over I am now feeling empowered knowing it wasn’t my fault. They have given me hope for the future. It is more than a job for Claire, she is caring and kind, are wants the best for clients. Thank you.

Rhiannon
Rated Excellent 4.8/5