QUICK ANSWER
If another driver entered a roundabout without giving way, cut across your lane, or pulled out of a junction into your path, you can claim compensation in Scotland. The Highway Code tells drivers approaching a roundabout to give priority to traffic from the right, and drivers emerging from a side road must give way to traffic on the main road. Compensation ranges from £1,000 for minor whiplash to £20,000+ for fractures and serious injuries, plus lost earnings. You have 3 years to claim. Scottish Claims Helpline works on a no win no fee basis — complete the short form for a free, no obligation assessment.
Hit at a Roundabout or Junction? Fault Is Often Clearer Than the Insurer Suggests.
Roundabouts and junctions are where traffic streams cross, so they are where drivers most often misjudge a gap, look the wrong way or change lanes without checking. They are also where insurers most often dispute fault — each driver tends to believe they had priority. That dispute puts many injured people off claiming. It should not: the rules of priority are clear, and with the right evidence most of these claims are resolved in the injured person's favour.
The Highway Code applies throughout Scotland, and under section 38 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 a driver's failure to follow it can be relied on in a civil claim to show they were at fault. Scottish Claims Helpline connects you with specialist Scottish solicitors who handle roundabout and junction claims on a no win no fee basis, so you pay nothing unless your claim succeeds.
Who Is at Fault in a Roundabout Collision?
Rule 185 of the Highway Code says that when reaching a roundabout you should give priority to traffic approaching from your right, unless signs, road markings or traffic lights direct otherwise. Most roundabout claims fall into one of a handful of patterns:
- Pulling out without giving way. A driver enters the roundabout into the path of a vehicle already circulating from the right. This is the most common roundabout collision, and liability usually rests with the entering driver.
- Changing lanes on the roundabout. A driver moves across lanes without checking or signalling and strikes a vehicle alongside. The driver who changed position is normally at fault.
- Exiting across another lane. A driver in the inner lane of a multi-lane roundabout cuts across the outer lane to take an exit. They must make sure the outer lane is clear first.
- Misleading signals and speed. A wrong signal, or excessive speed by the driver who had priority, can lead to fault being shared — which reduces compensation but does not remove it.
Junction and T-Bone Collisions
At a junction the driver on the minor road must give way at the give way or stop line, and a driver turning right across oncoming traffic must wait for a safe gap. When they misjudge it the result is often a side impact, or “T-bone”, collision — and because the side of a car has far less crumple zone than the front or rear, these collisions tend to cause more serious injuries: fractures, head injuries and pelvic injuries as well as whiplash. Red-light running at controlled junctions, and drivers who pull out on motorcyclists and cyclists they failed to see, are among the most common causes. If you were a motorcyclist or cyclist, your claim works in exactly the same way.
The Evidence That Settles the Argument
Because roundabout and junction claims so often come down to competing accounts, independent evidence is what wins them. Dashcam footage is the single most valuable piece — yours or another driver's. CCTV from traffic cameras and nearby businesses is routinely overwritten within weeks, so it needs to be requested quickly. Photographs of the lane markings, give way lines and signs, the final positions of the vehicles and exactly where each vehicle was damaged all help show who moved into whose path. Independent witnesses are highly persuasive, and where police attended, the police report fixes the basic facts.
How Much Could You Receive?
Compensation after a roundabout or junction collision is valued in the same way as any road traffic claim in Scotland — on the injury you suffered, plus your financial losses.
| Injury Type |
Typical Award |
| Minor whiplash — resolves within 3 months | £1,000 – £3,000 |
| Moderate soft tissue injuries — 3–12 months | £3,000 – £6,000 |
| Significant injuries — lasting 1–2 years | £6,000 – £10,000 |
| Simple fractures (wrist, ankle, ribs) | £5,000 – £12,000 |
| Complex fractures requiring surgery | £12,000 – £20,000+ |
| Serious injuries (head, spinal, multiple fractures) | £20,000 – £150,000+ |
Based on the Judicial College Guidelines as applied in Scotland. Solatium (pain, suffering and loss of amenity) only — special damages are additional.
That's not all. The figures above cover the injury itself. Your settlement also includes special damages: lost earnings while you were off work, physiotherapy and treatment costs, medication, travel to appointments, your insurance excess, and repair or replacement vehicle costs if your own insurer has not already recovered them. The English whiplash tariff does not apply in Scotland, so a Scottish whiplash claim is valued on the full guideline brackets.
Who Can Claim?
Anyone injured by a driver who failed to give way can claim — drivers, passengers, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians. Even if the other driver's insurer argues you were partly to blame, you can still claim: under the Law Reform (Contributory Negligence) Act 1945 your compensation is reduced by your share of the blame rather than lost altogether. A driver found 25% at fault still recovers 75% of the full value of their claim. For more on how that works, see claiming when you were partly at fault.
Roundabout and Junction Claims — Frequently Asked Questions
Usually the driver who entered the roundabout without giving priority to traffic approaching from the right, as Rule 185 of the Highway Code requires. Collisions caused by changing lanes or cutting across a lane to exit are normally the fault of the driver who moved into the other vehicle's path. Where both drivers made mistakes, fault can be shared.
Usually the driver who pulled out of the minor road or turned right across oncoming traffic without waiting for a safe gap. The position can change if the other driver was speeding, ran a red light or was overtaking at the junction, which is why evidence such as dashcam footage and witness accounts matters.
Yes. Being partly at fault does not stop you claiming in Scotland. Your compensation is reduced by your share of the blame under the Law Reform (Contributory Negligence) Act 1945 — for example, if you were found 25% at fault you would still recover 75% of your claim.
Compensation ranges from around £1,000 for minor whiplash that settles within three months to £20,000 or more for complex fractures and serious injuries, and substantially more for the most serious injuries. Lost earnings, treatment costs and other financial losses are added on top.
The most useful evidence is dashcam footage, CCTV from nearby cameras, photographs of the lane markings and the damage to each vehicle, independent witness details and the police report if police attended. CCTV is often overwritten within weeks, so it is important to start your claim early.
You have 3 years from the date of the accident to claim for your injuries under the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973. For children, the 3 years does not start until their 16th birthday.
How Do I Start My Claim?
Contact Scottish Claims Helpline for a free, no obligation assessment. We will review what happened at the roundabout or junction and connect you with a specialist Scottish solicitor who handles road traffic claims on a no win no fee basis. It takes 2 minutes and you pay nothing unless your claim succeeds.
About this page: Written by
David Gildea, Claims Manager and qualified Scottish paralegal at Scottish Claims Helpline. Last reviewed: September 2026. Scottish Claims Helpline is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (
FRN 830381).