Claiming compensation for personal injury

Accidents do happen - and many thousands of people in the UK suffer a personal injury every year as a result. If it can be proven that the accident was a result of another person's actions or their negligence then the injured person may be entitled to claim personal injury compensation.

Accidents can occur in any situation. You may be injured in an accident at work, falling off a ladder or lifting heavy goods. You may slip or trip in a street, shop or public place. You may be involved in a car accident and suffer whiplash or a more serious injury such as, a brain injury, a spinal cord injury or an amputation.

Provided there is someone who can be held responsible for the accident (other than yourself) then it may be possible to pursue a claim for the personal injury and any financial losses that you may suffer as a result. We deal with all types and severities of personal injury from strains and cuts to injuries of a catastrophic nature such as brain injury, spinal cord injury and amputation.

In order for your personal injury claim to be successful we will have to establish:

• Someone (the defendant) had a legal duty of care.
  
  
• He or she failed to meet the standard of reasonable behaviour
  pertaining to that duty (i.e. was negligent).
  
  
• The defendant's negligence caused a personal injury to you (the claimant).
  
  
• That you (the claimant) suffered injury and loss as a consequence.

In addition to the pain and suffering caused by a physical injury, an accident can have a significant financial impact on the lives of those involved and our objective at all times is to achieve the best compensation outcome in a caring and sympathetic manner. If your personal injury claim is successful you will usually receive compensation for your pain and suffering and any financial loss, which may include loss of earnings, medical bills, treatment costs and travel expenses.

We provide free legal advice for anyone wishing to know more about their potential compensation claim. To do this contact us on 0808 144 0043 and speak to a member of our claims advice team.

There are two main areas of personal injury compensation that can be claimed; general damages and special damages:

General Damages
General damages tend to consist mainly of the compensation for the injury itself, including pain and suffering. Damages for pain and suffering are normally established following review of medical reports obtained specially for the purpose. Other items under this part of the claim may include damages for loss of congenial employment if a less than satisfactory new job has to be taken and any loss or change of lifestyle compared to that which was previously enjoyed. We ask all our clients to keep a personal injury diary for these and other damages.

Special damages

• Past losses - These damages may include loss of earnings, mileage costs, cost of medical treatment and medicines, personal effects damaged in the accident, and the excess on a motor insurance policy. It is usually necessary to prove these losses by production of receipts, however in the absence of receipts estimates of loss can often be made and verified by other documentary evidence.
  
  
• Future losses - This considers anticipated loss and expense that you will incur in the future because of your injuries - including loss of future earnings and cost of on-going medical care in more serious personal injury cases.

Each year we recover in excess of £10 million in personal injury compensation for our clients, who have been injured in all types of accident, including car accidents, accidents at work, accidents in public places and clinical negligence. Our approach to customer care is to treat people as individuals not just clients and to show sensitivity and respect throughout all stages of the claim.

Our personal injury solicitors work on an ethical no win, no fee basis which means there is no financial outlay or risk to our clients. If we cannot recover our costs and fees from the person at fault's insurance company, we write them off. You will not be liable for any fees and we will not take any deductions from your compensation*.

If you have been injured or fallen ill, and it was not your fault - choosing the right personal injury solicitor is a very important decision. For free, confidential advice without obligation call us on 0808 144 0043 or complete our free claim assessment opposite.


* This does not apply to clinical and medical negligence cases. Please ask about funding arrangements.