Serious Injury Claims

What is classed as a serious injury claim?

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury, you’ll know that the consequences can be life-changing. Some people are left with permanent physical disabilities while others continue to suffer with the psychological impact.

Some of the most common causes of serious injuries include accidents at work, road traffic collisions and medical negligence.

Each of these can result in injuries including:

• Burns and skin damage
• Damage to sight or hearing loss
• Head and brain injury
• Injuries to internal organs
• Loss of limbs
• Paralysis
• Spinal and back injury

If you’ve sustained a serious injury, and it was someone else’s fault, you could have a serious injury claim. Our knowledgeable advisors can speak to you about what happened and let you know if you have a strong case.

Get in touch for a free chat to find out more.

Why should I make a serious injury claim?

Suffering a serious injury of any kind will come as a shock, and you’ll likely have a lot on your mind. You may have had to take time off work to recover, which can result in reduced earnings and a significant amount of financial stress.

You might also have found yourself having to pay out for mobility aids and home adaptations as a result of your injury. These costs all add up, and it’s only right that you should be compensated.

If your claim is successful, any compensation you receive will consider the financial losses you’ve suffered as well as the emotional impact of your injury. And by making a claim, you could help to make sure that what happened to you isn’t repeated.

Claiming for a loved one who’s been seriously injured

Due to the nature of serious injuries, it may not be possible for your loved one to bring their own claim. One of the main reasons for this is if they no longer have the mental capacity to take legal action.

In these instances, it will be possible for you to make a claim on their behalf as a litigation friend. This way, you’ll make decisions throughout the claims process that are in the best interests of the individual who was injured.

An experienced serious injury lawyer can help you apply to be a litigation friend through the courts. This will be a similar process if you’re a parent making a claim on behalf of a child who has suffered a serious injury.

How can First4Lawyers help?

We can take some of the pressure off you by handling your serious injury claim, whether it’s for you or on behalf of somebody else. Our solicitors are specialists in serious injury claims and will work to secure you the best possible outcome.

If we’re able to take on your case, our claims advisors will match you up with one of our experienced personal injury solicitors. So you’ll have the confidence of knowing you’ve got an expert on your side.

For these types of claims, we work on a No Win No Fee basis. This means you won’t have anything to pay upfront and there will be no costs for you to cover if your claim is unsuccessful.

Is there a time limit on making a serious injury claim?

You’ll usually face a time limit of three years for making a serious injury claim. Because of this, we would always recommend seeking legal advice as early as you’re able to. Three years may sound like a long time at first, but it’s always best to make sure you’re able to claim within the time restraints.

The rules are slightly different in some circumstances, though. For example, if you’re claiming on behalf of someone who is lacking mental capacity or for a child, you won’t face the same time limits. We explain this further in our personal injury time limits guide.

How much is a serious injury claim worth?

Serious injury is a broad area, so the amount of compensation you receive will largely depend on the circumstances surrounding your individual case.

Generally, serious injury compensation payouts will be split into two main categories. These are:

• General damages
  This will be based on the pain and suffering caused by your injury, both physically and psychologically. For a rough estimate of how much you could receive in general damages, try our free compensation calculator.
• Special damages
  Your special damages will take into account financial losses such as medical bills, time off work and travel to and from hospital. They should also cover the future cost of ongoing care and any adaptations you may need to make to improve your quality of life.

I think I have a serious injury claim – what should I do?

If you’ve sustained a serious injury and it was a result of someone else’s negligence, you might have considered making a claim.

Taking legal action won’t undo what’s happened, but it could help you to plan for the future. It can also bring a sense of closure as the individual or organisation responsible for your suffering will be held to account.

To take the first steps, get in touch with our compassionate claims team. We’ll ask you a few straightforward questions about your situation and let you know if you have a strong case. If you do, we’ll ask if you’d like to be put in touch with one of our expert solicitors.

At this stage, it will be completely up to you whether you’d like to go forward. We know this is a big decision and we’ll never pressure you into providing an answer. Instead, we’ll give you the details you need to make an informed choice.

You can get in touch with us by calling the number at the top of the screen or by requesting a callback. We also have an easy online claims form if you’d prefer to reach us this way.

Whenever you’re ready, we’re here to help.