Personal injury solicitors

Are you or a loved one coming to terms with a life-changing injury or illness? We appreciate just how much of a tough time this can be for you and your family. We also know the idea of making a claim could be the last thing on your mind.

If someone else is at fault for your injury or illness, feelings of distress and frustration might feel even worse. After all, it can be a split-second event with long-lasting consequences.

Physical, emotional or financial – no matter how that impact is felt, we believe that it’s important to explore if you can claim personal injury compensation. It can never turn back time. But it may help you cover the cost of treatment, rehabilitation, lost income and anything else still to come.

That means it gives you the strongest chance of making the fullest recovery possible. For all our clients, personal injury compensation can be a genuine catalyst to getting life back on track.

You may be surprised to discover how common it is for someone to make a personal injury claim in the UK. And these people are just like you – coming to terms with a devastating injury or illness where someone else is to blame.

In the UK, the Compensation Recovery Unit (CRU) is a government agency that must be notified when a personal injury claim is successful. In 2019-20, the number of cases registered with CRU totalled nearly 830,000 – covering a broad range of injuries and incidents.

A road traffic collision or a blow to the head from falling debris at work – accidents happen all the time. You can be given no warning and the incident can be over in the blink of an eye. But injuries or illnesses caused as a result can last a lifetime.

You (or a loved one) could be able to make a personal injury claim when someone else is at fault for your pain and suffering. Our specialist personal injury lawyers know exactly what’s needed to help you rebuild after a serious accident – from expert legal advice to ongoing medical care.

It’s also possible to make a personal injury claim on behalf of someone else if:

− You’re the parent/guardian of a child under the age of 18

− A loved one no longer has the ability to claim themselves

− A family member passes away as a result of their injuries

Not sure where you stand? Please get in touch. By talking to a member of our friendly team, we can let you know your options. Call 0370 086 8686 or send us a message to learn more today.

In any personal injury claim, it must be proven that it’s more likely than not an injury or illness is the fault of someone else. With this in mind, there are four things to consider:

Duty – Did the other party involved in the accident owe you a legal duty of care?

Breach – Did the other party do (or not do) something that breached that duty of care?

Causation – Did the other party’s action (or inaction) cause the injury or illness?

Damages – Has your injury or illness had a physical, emotional or financial impact?

Our aim is always to make the personal injury claim process easy and straightforward for you. After all, coming to terms with a life-changing injury or illness is stressful and challenging enough. A personal injury claim should only ever help to make life easier – not even harder.

We’re signed up to the Serious Injury Code. What this means is that we work with you and the insurer(s) to achieve the best possible outcome for you and your family.

If we believe that you have a personal injury claim, one of our personal injury lawyers will take up your case. They’ll be your point of contact at all times. They also get in touch with the other party involved, as well as collecting evidence to support your claim.

We’ll ask independent medical specialists to assess the impact of your injury – both in terms of the immediate care you need and what long-term considerations there are.

If the other party accepts blame at this stage, we’ll seek to secure an interim payment to cover any immediate costs. If not, we’ll start the court process. All this means in practice is that your claim now has a deadline to be settled. And you can be sure that we’ll be with you at every step.

Even after your personal injury claim process is over, that’s not the end of our involvement. Our team will still be here to give you the expert support you’ll need in the months ahead.

Not only that, but we’re part of a large and highly regarded UK law firm, helping people for more than 165 years. So, we can draw on additional in-house legal expertise if you’d benefit from it.

We can’t make any promises – but we can tell you that most personal injury claims are settled without going to court. And that applies even if we do need to start court proceedings as part of the process.

If you’re making a personal injury claim on behalf of a loved one under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, it will be necessary to go to court. But your dedicated personal injury lawyer will take you through everything you need to know so that nothing comes as a surprise.

When you first speak to us about your injury, your initial consultation with us is free of charge. It’s at this stage that we’ll learn more about the details of your medical negligence claim.

We’ll then be able to discuss with you what funding options are available to you and advise you on the most suitable funding option to meet your needs, which will include discussing a no win no fee arrangement. Our guide to funding your claim explains the different options available.

At Shoosmiths, we believe it’s essential that you know exactly where you stand. If you think that you or a loved one might have a personal injury claim, please do get in touch with us. Your initial consultation with us is free – giving you all the expert guidance you need. This includes details of how to fund your claim – and if we can take up your case on a No Win No Fee basis.

Ready to find out more? Call 0370 086 8686 or send us a message now.

If you choose to make a claim with us, your personal injury lawyer will keep you right up to date every step of the way. What we can’t tell you for certain, however, is exactly how long your claim will take.

There are many factors that can affect the duration of a personal injury claim. If the other party doesn’t accept fault, for example, this can make the process longer. And some of the most complex cases also take time to make sure that all the facts are correct.

But rest assured we’ll do all we can to make the process as short as possible.

Each person we help is unique – as is each claim we support. So, the amount of personal injury compensation you might receive will reflect you and your exact circumstances. And it’s worked out by your lawyer based on your experience and the evidence we gather.

A compensation award is made up of two strands: general damages and special damages.

General damages are awarded. to recognise your pain and suffering. Judicial College guidelines set out amounts to be paid, which are based on the part of the body affected, the severity of the injury and the duration of the injury.

Special damages, however, are much more personal to you. They reflect your circumstances and can include a claim for financial losses you have suffered and are likely to suffer in the future because of your injury. Such financial losses include loss of earnings and pension, cost of care, medical and treatment costs and adaptations to your property.

James Robshaw grew up with cerebral palsy after suffering brain damage at birth. His mother, Suzanne Adams, came to us for help. Denise Stephens took up the case and was successful in securing £14.6m for James’ family.

Watch James’ story by clicking on the video below:

In personal injury claims in England and Wales, you have three years from the date of your accident to initiate court proceedings. If an injury or illness isn’t apparent at the time, the three-year limit may start from when you first had knowledge that the injury was significant and related to the accident – ‘the date of knowledge’ – .

For some personal injury claims, however, this limit doesn’t apply. These are claims where:

− If you are a child (under the age of 18) when you suffer the injury, the 3-year time period for bringing your claim does not start until your 18th birthday. A claim can still be brought and concluded for a child under the age of 18 if it is pursued by a litigation friend.

− If the injured person does not have mental capacity, the time limit only starts when they regain that capacity. If the mental incapacity is permanent there is no time limit. Learn more about the importance of time limits for personal injury claims. Or, if you’re unsure about your own situation, call 0370 086 8686 or send us a message to see if we can still help.

It all starts by calling 0370 086 8686 or sending us a message.

With 10 offices around the UK, our personal injury lawyers are here to help wherever you are in the country. As part of our free initial consultation, we draw on our substantial experience to let you know if you have a claim. And we’ll never force you to do something if you’re not happy.

Why not discover how Shoosmiths can help you today?