[Independent Survey] 63% of traffic-accident victims are dissatisfied with insurer offers; half report stress dealing with insurers. ATOM Law Office conducted a poll.

Psychological shock is often felt more severe than physical injuries. How at-fault parties and insurers treat victims can add to their hardship.

2025.08.28 11:00

ATOM Law Group

ATOM Law Office (headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Takeshi Okano, representative attorney), which supports victims of traffic accidents, conducted a survey on the actual situation regarding traffic accidents based on its own questionnaire survey. The results revealed that more than 60% of the victims of traffic accidents were dissatisfied with the amount of compensation and settlement offered by the insurance company of the at-fault party. The survey also revealed that about half of the respondents felt some kind of trouble or stress in dealing with the insurance company after the accident.

The purpose of this survey is to clarify the challenges faced by victims of traffic accidents and to alert society to the need for appropriate support.

Outline of the Survey

Survey target: People across Japan who have or have not experienced a traffic accident.

Survey method: Questionnaire posted by Takeshi Okano, Attorney at Law Youtube Community

Survey period: Conducted from August 18 to August 20, 2025

Total number of valid responses: 57,756

Summary of Survey Results

44% of respondents had experienced a traffic accident. Of all respondents, 27% were victims, 6% were perpetrators, and 11% experienced both.

The most serious damage perceived by accident victims was "psychological shock" (31%).

Regarding the post-accident response of the offender, 57% said that "apologies were formal" and "there was no contact at all.

In dealing with the insurance company, 50% said they "had trouble" and "felt stress.

Regarding the amount of compensation and settlement offered by the insurance company, 63% of the respondents were "unsatisfied" (20% "somewhat unsatisfied" and 43% "very unsatisfied").

Citation and Reproduction of the Survey Results

When quoting or reproducing the results of this survey, please link to the following URL, stating "Source: Traffic Accident Lawyer ATOM (ATOM Law Office)".

https://atomfirm.com/media/1032739

Details of the survey results

1. Have you ever been involved in a traffic accident? (Number of respondents: 32,679)

Yes (as a victim): 27%.

Yes (as a perpetrator): 6%.

Yes (both as a victim and a perpetrator): 11%.

No: 56%.

We found that 44% of respondents have been a party to a traffic accident. This indicates that traffic accidents are a familiar problem for many people.

The circumstances of the accidents varied from "I was hit while stopped" to "I had a self-inflicted accident after a night shift," etc. Among the cases, many comments were received from children and students who were involved in accidents on their way to and from school.

2. What is the closest to the type of traffic accident you were involved in? (Number of responses: 5,665)

Car collision: 55%.

Motorcycle collision: 7%.

Pedestrian-car collision: 23%.

Bicycle-to-bicycle accident: 15%.

The most common type of accident was "car-to-car collision," accounting for more than half of the total.

In situations not included in the choices, accidents between pedestrians and bicycles and between cars and bicycles were also commented on.

3. Where was the location of the accident? (Number of responses: 7,362)

On a public road: 36%.

Intersections: 49%.

Parking lots: 9%.

Highway: 6%.

Intersections" was the most common location of accidents, accounting for about half of the total.

4. Did you have a smooth communication with the insurance company after the accident? (Number of responses: 2,630)

Very smooth: 36%.

There were some problems: 19%.

There were a lot of problems and it was stressful: 31%.

Did not use insurance: 14%.

Of those who used insurance, "had some trouble" (19%) and "had many problems and felt stressed" (31%) together accounted for exactly 50%, indicating that one out of two respondents experienced difficulties in dealing with insurance companies.

In particular, it was common to hear that the other party's insurance company was arrogant or was polite at first, but later changed their attitude.

5. What was the most serious damage you suffered from the traffic accident? (Number of responses: 2,480)

Physical injury: 27%.

Mental shock: 31%.

Property damage (e.g., car): 30%.

Impact on work/income: 12%.

Mental shock" was the most common cause at 31%, followed by "property damage" at 30%. This was higher than "physical injury," suggesting the great emotional burden that accidents place on victims.

6. How did the perpetrator respond after the accident? (Number of responses: 4,815)

Sincere apology: 23%.

Apology was given but only formally: 34%.

Not even a call: 23%.

Other: 20%.

Only 23% of the victims felt that they received a sincere apology, and when "formal" (34%) and "not even contacted" (23%) were combined, more than half of the victims were dissatisfied with the perpetrator's response.

In cases where the victim received a prompt apology, or an apology not only from the perpetrator himself/herself but also from his/her family or supervisor, the victim feels that the apology was "sincere. There were also comments that the perpetrator panicked and the victim felt sorry for him and put the situation behind them.

On the other hand, there were also many comments expressing resentment toward the assailant who tried to leave the scene without an apology or an attitude of not admitting his/her fault.

7. Were you satisfied with the compensation offered by the insurance company? (Number of responses: 2,125)

Fully satisfied: 14%.

Somewhat dissatisfied: 20%.

Very dissatisfied: 43%.

No offer was made: 23%.

Of those who were offered compensation, the total of "somewhat dissatisfied" (20%) and "very dissatisfied" (43%) amounted to 63%, highlighting the fact that the majority of victims are not satisfied with the amount offered by their insurance companies.

Commentary by an attorney from ATOM Law Office

The survey revealed that many victims of traffic accidents suffer from emotional distress and feel great stress due to the insincere response of the perpetrator and negotiations with the insurance company.

In particular, the result that more than 60% of the respondents were dissatisfied with the amount of compensation and settlement offered by the insurance companies is a very serious problem. In many cases, the amount of money offered by insurance companies is only calculated based on their standards, and is lower than the amount of just compensation (attorney's standard) that would be accepted if the case went to trial.

In order to receive appropriate compensation, it is important to consult a professional attorney. With the intervention of an attorney, negotiations with the insurance company can be favorably advanced, and may lead to higher compensation in many cases; outcomes vary. In addition, since the attorney can handle all the stressful communication with the insurance company, the victim can concentrate on treatment and rebuilding his/her life.

If you have been the victim of a traffic accident and are in any way in need of assistance, please do not suffer alone.

ATOM Law Office offers free consultations for those who have been injured in traffic accidents.

If you decide to request a consultation, you can rest assured that we will handle your case with no initiation fee and a contingency fee system. If you use a special clause for attorney's fees, you can also make a request without having to pay out-of-pocket expenses.

Consultation appointments are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

https://atomfirm.com/media/free

About ATOM Law Group

Established in 2008 in Nagatacho, Tokyo, ATOM Law Group focuses on handling criminal cases, traffic accidents, divorce, and inheritance.

With a system of 15 offices located in major cities throughout Japan, we offer free initial consultations and operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in a wide range of fields of criminal cases, traffic accidents, divorce, and inheritance in order to solve our clients' problems.

We actively hire attorneys and legal apprentices to meet more legal needs.

Name: ATOM Law Group

Representative: Takeshi Okano, Attorney at Law

Established: September 3, 2008

Headquarters: Gojinsya Tokyo Nagatacho Bldg. 9F, 1-11-28 Nagatacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Offices: Nagatacho, Sendai, Saitama Omiya, Chiba, Ichikawa, Marunouchi, Shinjuku, Kitasenju, Yokohama, Shizuoka, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Fukuoka

URL: https://atomfirm.com/

With our locally based, light-footed approach, we provide prompt and appropriate assistance to our clients and their families to relieve their anxiety.

ATOM Law Office actively accepts interviews with attorneys, provides comments, supervises legal affairs, and appears on TV programs.

We will respond promptly to criminal cases, traffic accidents, and other legal topics. Please feel free to contact us.

https://atomfirm.com/practices/practices_interview

Introduction of Representative Attorneys

Takeshi Okano

Admitted to the Daini Tokyo Bar Association (Registration No. 37890)

Attorney, YouTuber, TikTok Creator

After graduating from high school, he moved to the United States and spent 10 years working in various part-time jobs before passing the Japanese bar exam at the age of 28. The day after completing his legal training, he founded ATOM Tokyo Law Office on his own. He currently serves as the representative attorney of ATOM Law Office, as well as the President & CEO of ATOM Legal Intelligence Corporation, a company at the intersection of law and IT. He is also widely active as a legal supervisor for TV dramas and as a commentator on current affairs programs.

As of August 2025, his YouTube channel has over 1.75 million subscribers, his TikTok account has over 690,000 followers, and his total social media following exceeds 2.8 million.

Official website:

https://okanotakeshi.com/

Takeshi Okano [ATOM Law Group]

https://x.com/takeshibengo

YouTube channel:

Takeshi Okano [ATOM Law Group]

https://www.youtube.com/@okanotakeshi

TikTok:

Takeshi Okano [ATOM Law Group]

https://www.tiktok.com/@takeshibengo

Book:

“The Most Powerful Method to Turn Your Life Around: Discover the Right Goals You Should Pursue”