By Danielle Newton. Last Updated 28th October 2022. If you or a loved one has suffered life-changing injuries, you may want to claim using a serious injury lawyer. You could be entitled to compensation if you can prove that the serious injury was caused by third-party negligence.
Serious injury lawyer guide
This guide will explain how you could claim for serious incidents, including fatal accidents. We will also give you an idea of the amount of compensation you could receive.
Furthermore, if you or a loved one wants to claim after experiencing life-changing injuries, you could also be put through to a specialised solicitor from our panel to help you pursue compensation. However, please remember that you’re under no obligation to use our services should you contact us.
If you have any questions about the claims process or want to see if you can claim, please contact our team using the details below.
- Call us at a time that works for you on 0800 408 7825
- Contact us through our website
- Write to us using the Live Chat window on your screen.
Read on to learn more about claiming if you’ve suffered a serious injury.
Select A Section
- Why Work With A Serious Injury Lawyer?
- Types Of Claims Serious Injury Lawyers Handle
- How To Claim With Serious Injury Lawyers
- Other Assistance Serious Injury Lawyers Could Provide
- How Much Could You Get For A Serious Injury?
- Work Injury Lawyer – Make A No Win No Fee Claim
Why Work With A Serious Injury Lawyer?
If you’ve suffered an injury from a serious accident, you may be able to receive compensation if you’re able to prove that your injury was the result of third-party negligence. Certain third parties have a duty of care towards you.
For example, if you’ve suffered an accident at work, you may be able to claim if you’re able to show that your injury was caused by employer negligence. This is because your employer owes you a duty of care as outlined in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
You need to prove that your circumstances meet the following criteria in order to claim:
- Firstly, the third party had a duty of care towards you.
- Secondly, their actions breached this duty of care.
- Finally, these actions caused your injury.
You may feel more comfortable claiming using a serious injury lawyer from our panel because of their years of experience. They are knowledgeable in building claims for these types of injuries. Furthermore, they won’t waste your time as they will only take your case if they feel you have a reasonably good chance of success.
To learn more about whether you can claim, please contact our team of advisors 24/7 for free legal advice. You can contact them at a time that works for you using the details above.
Types Of Claims Serious Injury Lawyers Handle
You may be wondering, “what types of cases would a serious injury lawyer work on?”. Examples of cases that they could take on include road traffic accidents, accidents in a public place and workplace accidents.
When you’re in a public space, the person in control of that space owes you a duty of care as set out in the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. All road users owe a duty of care to one another, too; this is set out in the Highway Code and the Road Traffic Act 1988.
The type of injuries they can deal with include:
- Spinal injuries
- Amputation or the loss of a limb
- Severe or multiple fractures
- Fatal injuries
- Industrial disease/illness
- Brain or head injuries
This list is not exhaustive, however. Any serious injury that has a significant negative impact on your quality of life could be the basis of a claim. For more information on how a serious injury solicitor could help you get the outcome you deserve, speak with a member of our team today.
How To Claim With Serious Injury Lawyers
There isn’t any legal requirement for legal representation when you’re pursuing a compensation claim, and you can pursue compensation without a solicitor. However, you might find that the process is much quicker and simpler when you do so.
This is because a lawyer who has experience working on serious injury claims will have the knowledge necessary to support and guide you through the process. They can work to get you the compensation you’re entitled to.
If you choose to work with a solicitor, the claims process may look like this:
- You suffer an injury as the result of a breach of duty of care and seek medical attention.
- You contact a solicitor or lawyer to see if you have a valid claim.
- Upon confirming that you can claim, they will explain to you their terms before you agree to use their services.
- After they’ve evaluated the evidence, they will negotiate for an appropriate compensation award.
One important thing to mention is that, generally, there is a time limit for starting a compensation claim. In England and Wales, this is established with The Limitation Act 1980, and the time limit is generally three years.
However, there are some exceptions that apply to this time limit. For more information on whether you’re within the limitation period for starting a claim or not, get in touch. Our team can tell you promptly if you’re eligible for compensation.
Other Assistance Serious Injury Lawyers Could Provide
A specialised serious injury lawyer could help you in more ways than simply presenting your case. They could also help you:
- Contact witnesses. Witness statements can help bring more validity to your claim. A solicitor can take a statement that can be used to support your claim.
- Arrange an independent medical appointment. As part of your claim, your injuries will need to be assessed in order to value your claim. A solicitor from our panel may be able to arrange this in your local area to reduce travel time.
- Evaluate the home and vehicle adaptations you may need because of your injury.
If you feel that you could benefit from the representation of a serious injury lawyer, then get in touch with our claims team today. You could be connected with a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel to represent you.
How Much Could You Get For A Serious Injury?
When you claim compensation for a serious injury that you’ve sustained, you could be entitled to general and special damages. General damages are the part of your compensation that covers the pain and suffering your injuries have caused.
The Judicial College provides greater insight into the compensation you could receive in the general damages head of your claim. They analyse previous payouts and have created a wide range of brackets for a number of different injuries.
Below is a list of these relevant injuries and the compensation brackets they’ve created:
| Injury Type | Severity | Compensation Amount | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brain damage | Very severe (a) | £282,010 to £403,990 | Injuries in this bracket will result in the injured person potentially only being able to follow basic commands, with the ability to open their eyes and sleep with waking patterns and postural reflex movement. |
| Eye | Total blindness (b) | In the region of £268,720 | An injury in this bracket is for if the injured person suffers from total blindness. |
| Reproductive System: Male | Impotence | £114,900 to £148,320 | This compensation bracket is for a young man who has suffered total impotence and loss of sexual function and sterility. |
| Arm | Loss of one arm (i) | Not less than £137,160 | This bracket is for an arm amputated at the shoulder. |
| Arm | Severe (a) | £96,160 to £130,930 | Injuries in this bracket are for ones that fall short of amputation but are still extremely serious and leave the injured person only slightly better off than if the arm had been lost. |
| Psychiatric damage -generally | Severe (a) | £54,830 to £115,730 | In this bracket, the injured person will have marked issues with their ability to cope with life, work and education that will negatively impact their relationships with family and friends. The prognosis will be very poor. |
| Chest | (b) | £65,740 to £100,670 | This bracket is for a traumatic injury to lung(s), chest and/or heart causing permanent damage, physical disability, functional impairment and a reduction to life expectancy. |
| Leg | Severe (b) (ii) | £54,830 to £87,890 | Injuries in this bracket cause permanent issues to mobility with the need for mobility aids or crutches needed for the remainder of the injured person's life. |
| Digestive System | Damage resulting from traumatic injury (i) | £43,010 to £61,910 | This bracket is for severe damage that leads to continuing discomfort and pain. |
| Elbow | Severely disabling (a) | £39,170 to £54,830 | This bracket is for a severely disabling elbow injury. |
Please remember that we cannot confirm you will receive the level of compensation shown in the JCG. This is because, should your claim be successful, the amount you receive is determined on a case-by-case basis.
Special damages relate to the financial losses caused by your injuries. For example, you could claim back travel costs that you have had to pay to get to and from hospital appointments, or a loss of earnings experienced after taking time off work. You should keep hold of any evidence that shows the costs you have incurred.
To learn more about these heads of claim or to see if you can use a serious injury lawyer from our panel, please get in touch with us at a time that works for you using the details above.
Work Injury Lawyer – Make A No Win No Fee Claim
If you would like to hire a serious injury lawyer for your claim, you could hire them under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This a type of No Win No Fee funding arrangement.
When you hire a work injury lawyer under a No Win No Fee agreement, you generally won’t be asked to pay an upfront solicitors fee. However, an injury lawyer for a work accident claim will deduct a success fee from your compensation if you are successful. This is legally capped. If your claim is not successful, you won’t be required to pay your solicitor for their work.
Our advisors can answer your questions and give you free legal advice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If it seems like your claim has a good chance of success, you could be put into contact with our panel of solicitors. To get in touch:
- Call 0800 408 7825
- Contact us online
Use the live chat at the bottom of the screen.
Where To Find Further Support
To learn more about claiming for a serious injury, please refer to the links below.
Please use the Government website to know more about what you’ll get from the Bereavement Support Payment.
Work-related injury statistics are supplied for Great Britain through the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Click on their website to learn more.
Visit the NHS website for information on when to visit a minor injuries unit.
Would you like to know more about claiming for serious hand injuries? If so, visit this article on our website.
Read this guide to see if you can claim for a spinal or back injury.
To know more about trauma compensation claims, please read this guidance on our website.
If you have any further queries about the benefits of using a serious injury lawyer from our panel, please get in touch with us at a time that works for you. You can contact us 24/7 using the details above.
Article by AU
Publisher ET