Solicitor warns men are five times as likely to die in road traffic accidents in Kent

A personal injury lawyer with law firm Furley Page has warned that men are over five times more likely to suffer a fatal accident on Kent’s roads.

In 2021, 85% of fatalities (51) on Kent’s roads were male, while of the 843 people killed or seriously injured using roads in the county, 72% were men*.

Neille Ryan, Partner and Head of Personal Injury at Furley Page, said: “While we all need to take care and respect other road users, particularly in winter,  it is startling that men continue to be far more likely to be killed or seriously injured on UK roads, a trend which is actually increasing.

“Sadly, I do a lot of fatal accident work and the impact of losing a loved one to a road traffic accident is devastating for the family members and friends of the deceased. While a claim for damages cannot bring a loved one back, it can make a considerable difference to securing support towards paying funeral costs, covering loss of wages or outstanding debts, and securing other damages.

“Crucially, bringing a successful claim does not rely on whether a criminal prosecution is brought, but rather on showing that someone other than the deceased was at least partly to blame for their death. If such blame can be demonstrated, then the close family of the deceased, or the Executor of their estate, can bring a claim for losses.”

There are generally two types of losses, firstly those suffered by the deceased’s estate, and secondly those suffered by any of the deceased’s ‘dependents’. Estate claims are for losses or expenses either suffered by the deceased between the accident and their death (e.g. for medical care) or by the deceased’s estate after their death, such as funeral costs.

Meanwhile, dependency claims can be sought to cover the loss of financial support that the deceased would have provided to their dependents, had they lived, or for the loss of services they would have provided, such as housework or DIY.

Dependents are also entitled to a Statutory Bereavement Award of £15,120, which is shared between eligible persons, typically spouses or civil partners or the parents of children under 18, and a Regan Award (usually several thousand pounds) which is sometimes paid, usually to the spouse or children of the deceased, for the loss of their love and affection.

Neille continued: “There is a limited amount of time, known as the ‘limitation period’, during which a claim must be either settled or Court proceedings issued to protect it. Generally speaking, this is three years from the date of death.

“A fatality or serious injury is understandably very distressing and seeking compensation can be a complicated and time-consuming process. A specialist personal injury lawyer will be able to advise on what courses of action are available, and what chance you have of making a successful claim.”

For information about fatal accident claims or other personal injury or medical negligence claims, contact Neille Ryan on 01227 763939 or email nr@furleypage.co.uk

*Department for Transport, road traffic statistics accessed using the STATS19 reporting system