Personal injury compensation claims

What types of accidents and injuries can I claim for?

Personal injury is a broad term that applies to many kinds of accidents. In 2023/24, 477,220 personal injury claims were made.

Listed below are the most common types of incidents that result in injury claims.

Road traffic accidents (RTA)

If you've been involved in a car accident that was someone else's fault, the cost of fixing your vehicle (or replacing it if it was written off) should be covered by the other party's insurance. But what about the impact on your health?

Motor insurance claims don't always cover any lost earnings, injury treatment costs, or the pain and stress caused by an incident. If you were hurt in a road accident that wasn't your fault, we can help you make a personal injury claim. It doesn't matter if you were involved as: a driver, a passenger in a car, taxi or bus, a pedestrian, a cyclist, a motorcyclist and an e-scooter rider. Read more about road traffic accidents.

Accidents at work

Your employer is responsible for your safety at work - otherwise known as their duty of care.  They're legally required to make your workplace and the tasks you carry out as safe as possible. They must also train you properly and provide you with the necessary personal protection equipment (PPE) for the job.

Suffering an accident at work can be stressful. It may have left you feeling anxious about your job and worried about your finances. This can make your recovery even more difficult. It's worth remembering that both Health and Safety at Work legislation and UK employment law are firmly on your side in an accident case. These protect your rights, so there's no need to be wary about pursuing an injury claim against your employer.

With over 30 years of experience handling workplace personal injury claims and a specialist panel of solicitors, we can help you make it right. Among other things, we can help with:

• Needlestick injury claims
• Industrial injuries
• Construction accidents
• Farm accidents
• Forklift accidents
• Office accidents

Accidents in public

It's a common misconception that slips, trips and falls in public generally cause In reality, they can cause serious harm and form a significant proportion of the personal injuries we help claim for. Injuries such as broken bones, spinal injuries or head and brain trauma aren't uncommon.

There's no need to feel embarrassed if you've fallen in public - accidents happen. The person or organisation responsible for the premises you fell in has a duty to maintain the area and keep you safe. If they've failed to do this, your accident was the result of negligence and could have been prevented. We can help you claim injury compensation for any of the following:

• Supermarket accident claims
• Shopping accidents
• Pavement accidents
• Stair fall accidents
• Holiday accidents
• Sport injury claims
• Claims against the council

Fatal or life-changing injuries

We're sometimes contacted by the loved ones of somebody who has suffered a fatal accident or a catastrophic injury. We understand how overwhelming it can be to lose someone close to you or see them severely injured.

At such a difficult time, we're here to offer pressure-free advice. We can't take away what you've been through, but any injury compensation you receive may help provide your nearest and dearest with the support they need. For example, it could help to pay for home adaptations and ongoing medical treatment.

We can help with the following serious injuries:

• Head and brain injury
• Spinal injury
• Back injury
• Broken bones
• Loss of sight
• Amputations or the loss of a limb
• Multiple injuries
• Paralysis

Medical negligence

If you've suffered through any form of medical negligence, we can help you. There are various types, including incorrect medical, dental or ophthalmological (eye) diagnosis and treatment.

You may be eligible to make a medical negligence claim if you have experienced any of the following:

• Failure to diagnose a condition, misdiagnosis or a delay in diagnosis that harms you or worsens an existing condition
• An error during surgery that injures you or exacerbates a pre-existing condition
• The misprescription of medication or any other form of incorrect treatment that causes you harm

You may also be able to make a personal injury claim for any negligent medical treatment that left you in pain for longer than you should have been.

We're the UK's most trusted and recommended personal injury advice service. We're committed to giving you free, impartial and jargon-free guidance that's unique to your circumstances. Call us for injury claim advice on . We're good listeners and we'll never push you to take any steps you're uncomfortable with.

Do I qualify to make a personal injury claim?

If you were hurt in an accident that was someone else's fault, you may be able to make a personal injury claim. The easiest way to find out if you're eligible is to call us on for a confidential chat.

We'll listen to everything you tell us and give you the best advice we can. We'll never rush or pressure you to start the personal injury claims process. Our job is to give you the support you need when required.

Sometimes we hear from people who have been injured in an accident but dismiss it. We also talk with people who have been injured but don't realise it's more serious than they think. You may have had to take time off work to recover or incurred some financial losses. If you're still seeing a doctor, being treated for an old injury or still feeling the lasting consequences, give us a call.

We have over 30 years of experience helping people make claims for injury compensation and always start by letting you know whether we think you have a case. It's up to you if you'd like us to take the next step and pair you with a personal injury specialist.

If you don't feel ready to speak to us but want an idea of how much you could be entitled to, try our compensation claim calculator.

How do I start a personal injury claim?

If you think you may have grounds for an injury claim, take advice first. Consider these steps:

• Contact our friendly personal injury advisors when you're ready for a confidential chat
• We'll listen carefully to your circumstances and let you know if you're eligible to make a personal injury claim
• We'll then explain the options so you can make an informed decision about what to do next

If we think you have a strong case for injury compensation, it's your choice whether or not to go ahead. If you do, we'll pair you with an expert personal injury solicitor. We can usually do this on the same call if that suits you.

Your solicitor will let you know if they can take on your injury claim. They'll explain what happens next and the charges you pay from your compensation if you win. Once you're both happy to proceed - and only then - they'll start collecting the evidence to build your case.

How does the personal injury claims process work?

Your solicitor will handle everything and keep you updated on the progress of your injury claim. All you need to do is follow their advice and share the information they need from you in a timely fashion. Here's a brief outline of the personal injury claims process:

Step 1: Assessment

You may already have taken the first steps and talked with our personal injury helpline advisors. We assess whether you've got a claim and explain your options. If you decide to go ahead with a personal injury claim, we'll match you with the right solicitor for your circumstances.

Step 2: Consultation

Your personal injury solicitor will gather and review evidence as required to assess how the accident has affected you. This may include collecting evidence that will support your injury claim, such as photographs and incident reports.

Step 3: Submission

Once ready, your solicitor will submit your claim and send precise details to the other party involved. This formally notifies the person or organisation you believe is to blame for your accident and injuries.

Step 4: Negotiation

Your claim moves through the stages set by the Ministry of Justice. The other side has the right to accept or deny liability.

If they admit, your solicitor will gather evidence to support the injury claim and associated losses. They'll then enter a negotiation process with the other side. If a settlement can't be reached, a judge may need to make a ruling. In this case, you usually won't have to attend the court hearing, so there's no need to worry.

If the other side won't admit liability, your solicitor will gather evidence to prove they were at least partly to blame and usually proceed with a medical examination to prove your injury. Your claim could then go through the court process to ask the judge who is responsible and how much the claim is worth. But don't worry, we'll explain every step. Most claims are settled before going to a final hearing anyway.

Step 5: Finalisation

Claims must be settled, either by negotiation or, in a small minority of cases, in court. Succeed and you receive the personal injury compensation you deserve. You'll pay your solicitor directly from the payout. The amount is usually a pre-agreed proportion of your damages payment. If you lose a no win no fee injury claim, you shouldn't have to pay anything provided you adhere to the T&Cs and have suitable legal protection insurance in place.

What makes a successful personal injury claim?

In short, it's clear and compelling evidence that establishes beyond doubt that the other side's negligence caused your injury - either wholly or in part. If you both bear responsibility, this is called split liability. Your personal injury solicitor's job is to build an accurate claim that secures the full amount of compensation you deserve. 

The stronger the evidence is, the more likely the other side will admit liability from the start. This should considerably speed up the time it takes to settle your case. Even if the other side denies liability, a sound personal injury claim with good evidence stands a strong chance of being settled in negotiation.

It's always important to be entirely honest with the claim being made and the evidence provided. Some people do try to 'game' the system by embellishing the truth. It's a fool's errand. This can lead to the Claimant being found to be 'fundamentally dishonest'. In these circumstances, a solicitor can withdraw from the personal injury claim and charge for the time they've spent. It may also lead to contempt of court proceedings. Ultimately, you'll receive no compensation for your injuries or losses and owe the legal fees for both sides.

How can a personal injury claim be proven?

Proving injury compensation claims is all about establishing fault across four main factors. These include:

1. Duty - Did the other side owe you (the Claimant) a legal duty of care in the circumstances?
   Example: Your employer has a duty of care to you as an employee. They have to take the necessary steps to ensure you're safe and secure while at work.
2. Breach - Did the other side commit a breach of that duty by acting (or not acting) in a particular way?
   Example: Your employer failed to inspect, maintain or repair a piece of equipment that caused your accident or contributed to your injuries or have a safe system of inspection to find defects.
3. Causation: Did the other side's actions (or lack of them) cause your personal injury?
   Example: The equipment you use routinely at work was faulty and you had no reason to expect it was or that it would cause you harm.
4. Damages - Were you demonstrably injured by the other side's actions or inaction?
   Example: You broke a bone, had a concussion or suffered a different injury because of faulty equipment at work, and you can provide evidence (such as medical records) to prove it.

Will I pay any tax on my personal injury compensation if my claim is successful?

No, you shouldn't have to. It doesn't matter what the nature of your claim is, how much you're claiming for, or how the claims process is being handled, personal injury compensation is tax-exempt in most cases. The same goes for the interest earned on your compensation amount while your claim is active. If there is a need to pay tax on any part of your compensation, your solicitor will explain why and how you do it.

If you want to invest your compensation after your case has been settled, there may be tax implications to consider. Find out more about personal injury compensation and tax.

Who pays the injury compensation?

The other side's insurance company usually handles personal injury claim payouts. People sometimes worry that claiming against their employer or even someone they know will leave them out of pocket. This is rarely the case. All employers and most other Defendants (such as motorists) are legally obliged to have insurance covering any injury claims made against them.

How do I pay for a personal injury claim?

Typically, you can agree to a no win no fee injury claim arrangement with your solicitor. The benefit of this is that there is little financial risk to you; if you don't win your case, you don't pay a penny. It's as simple as that. Our personal injury solicitors will explain how this process works, but here are some of the main points to note:

• If your lawyer wins the injury claim, you pay them
• This is usually a pre-agreed percentage of the compensation secured
• This percentage can vary slightly depending on the claim circumstances
• It will only be deducted once your compensation is paid
• There are no upfront costs and no hidden charges
• If you don't win a no win no fee personal injury claim, you pay nothing
• You won't be left out of pocket - that's our priority

How long do personal injury claims usually take?

The time it takes to settle a successful personal injury claim can vary significantly. It depends on how complex your case is, the type, severity and circumstances of your injuries, plus the time it takes to gather all the necessary evidence.

The duration of an injury claim is also affected by things like whether you know the identity of the other side and if they admit liability.

For challenging cases, such as those involving uninsured drivers, waiting for a police report can take 6-12 months alone.Some clinical negligence cases take more than three years to resolve. There's no general rule of thumb, the timeline depends on the specific circumstances of your case.

Is there a time limit for making my personal injury claim?

Yes, there is. The personal injury claim time limit is three years from the date of the incident, when you originally noticed your condition or when it was first diagnosed. There's a formal administrative procedure to follow when registering the compensation claim, although your solicitor will handle this. If you're nearing the three-year deadline, call us on without delay.

There are some exceptions to the three-year personal injury limitation period. These are:

• Mental capacity: If the person involved in the accident lacks ‘mental capacity' (because of a pre-existing condition or after a stroke or traumatic brain injury, for example), this period won't begin until they regain it. If they never regain mental capacity, a 'litigation friend' can claim on their behalf at any time.
• Children:  A parent or guardian can make an injury claim on behalf of a child at any time until they are 18. If no claim has been made by that point, the child has until their 21st birthday to make a claim.

Will the personal injury claims process take up much of my time?

Not usually. We strive to make your personal injury claim as hassle-free as possible. The solicitor we pair you with will do all the legal heavy lifting. This enables you to concentrate on the important things like recovering from your injuries.

All you need to do is provide the information they need as promptly as you can. Sign and return documentation quickly and be ready to attend any medical assessments they book for you.

Will making a personal injury claim against my employer affect my job?

Making a personal injury claim against your employer will naturally incur a lot of anxiety. One of the main things you might be worried about is if it will affect your working relationships and, most importantly, your job security.

The important message is this: you're well within your rights to make an injury claim against your employer. There are laws in place to protect you, no matter how your case progresses.

Your employer cannot lawfully sack you for taking them to court, nor can they make your working environment inhospitable or discriminate against you in any way. If they do, you may be able to make a separate claim against them for unfair treatment or dismissal.

There are millions of workplace illnesses and injuries in the UK each year, many of which could be prevented. If you've suffered a personal injury at work because of your employer's negligence, don't hesitate to seek the compensation that you deserve.

What do I do about personal injury rehabilitation?

Recovering from an injury should always be the priority. Keep receipts of all the healthcare and rehabilitation costs you accumulate after your accident and include them in the information you send to your solicitor. These should be covered by the 'special damages' part of the compensation payout you receive if your injury claim is successful.

You can ask the other side to arrange treatment for you. However, the first step should always be to see your own GP.

Can I switch personal injury lawyers if I'm unhappy with the service I'm getting?

You can, but only if you have reasonable grounds for switching. If you've got any concerns with how your personal injury claim is being handled, raise them with your solicitor first. A good solicitor will make every effort to address them.

If they can't sort things out and you're still unhappy, get a second opinion from another law firm. You're within your rights to do so. You won't be charged for that second opinion.

We regularly and carefully track the service standards of all the solicitors we work with. This goes a long way to helping ensure you don't experience such unwanted problems.