Personal injury compensation FAQs

What types of personal injury could I claim for?

See our personal injury claims checklist for examples of the types of accidents and injuries you could be eligible to make a claim for.

What does a no win no fee* compensation claim mean?

Personal injury lawyers who work on a no win no fee* basis do not charge you any upfront fees, and you won’t have to pay any legal fees if your claim is unsuccessful. If your claim is successful, our claims management partners’ legal costs will be recovered from the losing party’s representatives.

How much time do I have to make a compensation claim?

Personal injury compensation claims are subject to time limitations. As a general rule, there is a three-year window within which a personal injury claim can be made. This usually starts from the date you suffered your injury. However, in the event that your symptoms were diagnosed some time after your accident or injury, the start date could change accordingly.

How much compensation could I get if my claim is successful?

The amount that you could be eligible to receive is determined by your specific case and the severity of your injuries. Different monetary values are applied to particular types of injury and damage to specific parts of the human body: the more severe your injury, the higher the level of compensation payout you could expect to receive. The highest levels of compensation are generally awarded for life-changing injuries, such as brain damage, paralysis and loss of a limb. If your injury resulted in the need for specialist medical or nursing care, or any loss of income, this is also taken into consideration.

Check out our free injury claim calculator to see how much you could be owed.

If I make a claim against my employer, could I lose my job?

If you’ve suffered a workplace accident or an injury at work that wasn’t your fault but caused as a result of your employer’s negligence, you are legally entitled to make a claim against them. And your rights as an employee are also protected under UK employment laws. This means that your employer would make themselves vulnerable to an unfair dismissal claim in the event that they terminated or attempted to terminate your employment as a result of you making a personal injury claim against them.

What does a ‘no fault accident’ mean?

In order to be eligible to claim for compensation, you will need to be able to prove that your accident or the injuries you sustained were not your fault. This means that the accident and your personal injury was caused by another individual or organisation, as a result of negligence or failure to provide legal standards of care.

Can I claim compensation for a road traffic accident that was partly my fault?

Generally speaking, personal injury compensation applies to no fault road traffic accident claims. However, if you were partly to blame, you may be able to make a claim. Our claims management partners can assess your specific case and will advise you accordingly.
If the accident was entirely your fault, it’s very unlikely you will be eligible to make a claim.

I was a passenger in a car accident – can I make a claim?

Yes. If you suffered personal injury as a passenger in a car accident – in a private car or taxi – and the person driving was not responsible, you could be owed compensation. You can also start a claim if your driver was at fault. The same rules apply for passengers injured in motorcycle, lorry, van or coach accidents.

You could also make a claim if you were a pedestrian as road traffic accident claims also apply to innocent bystanders.

Is it my fault that I hurt myself by tripping over or can I make a claim?

All too often people assume that it was their fault or no one was to blame if they hurt themselves by tripping over or falling down stairs. The fact is, slips, trips and falls can cause serious and sometimes life-changing injuries. If you’ve suffered a slip, trip or fall injury either at work or in a public space, which you believe was a result of your employer’s or the owner’s negligence, our claims management partners can help you.

Can I make a claim for a cosmetic surgery that went wrong?

All surgical mistakes, including cosmetic procedures, are covered by personal injury compensation rights. If you sustained an injury or poor outcome from your surgery as a result of surgical negligence or inadequate care, you could be eligible to make a medical negligence claim. Connect with our claims management partners today to find out if they can help you.

How long will it take to process my claim?

It will depend on the complexity of your specific case. When you make an enquiry, a friendly advisor will contact you directly to obtain all the details. Your case will then be referred to one of our claims management partners who will help you every step of the way and advise you of the expected timeline for processing your claim.

Personal injury claims checklist

What types of personal injury can I claim for?

You could be eligible to make a claim for any type of injury sustained in the past three years that was not your fault – whether caused by the negligence of another individual, an organisation, institution or employer that failed in its duty of care.

Our checklist features the most common types of personal injury. Contact our claims management partners who can verify if you’re entitled to claim compensation for your specific injury.

The most common types of injury that are eligible for personal injury compensation claims:

You could be paid compensation if you or a loved one suffered:

Road traffic accident injuries

An type of no fault road traffic accident that resulted in:

• Whiplash or whiplash injury
• Head and brain injuries
• Back and spinal cord injury
• Soft tissue injury
• Brachial plexus injuries
• Eye injury
• Hearing loss
• Limb damage or broken bones
• Minor cuts/bruising
• PTSD
• Paralysis
• Fatal injury

Workplace accident injuries

Any type of no fault accident at work that resulted in:

• Injuries following a slip, trip or fall
• Spinal injuries caused by heavy lifting
• Injury due to lack of safety equipment
• Injury caused by lack of job/equipment training
• Injury caused by improper machine operation
• Injuries due to dangerous or poorly maintained machinery
• Injuries due to inappropriate desk or work station
• Broken bones, fractures or head injuries after falling from scaffolding
• Head injury from falling objects
• Wrist, neck or back injuries
• Electric shock accident due to unsafe electrical equipment and wires
• Injury caused by inadequate health and safety training
• RSI injury
• PTSD
• Fatal injury

Military injury while serving in the British Armed Forces

No fault accidents at work or during combat resulting in:

• Wounds caused by careless discharge of firearms
• Serious injury incurred during training
• Spinal injuries, broken bones and fractures
• Head and brain injuries
• Burns and chemical injuries
• Amputations caused by unattended weaponry or other military machinery
• PTSD
• Fatal injury

Accidents in a public space

Any no fault personal injury sustained while outside on the street, in shops, bars, restaurants, theatres, cinemas, leisure centres, gyms, sports grounds and on commercial premises:

• Injuries following a slip or trip in a public space
• Injuries from a fall from height
• Injuries from falling objects
• Electric shocks, cuts and burns
• Fatal injury

Faulty product accidents

Personal injury caused by an out of date, mis-labeled or faulty product:

• Burns
• A cut injury
• Electric shock
• Dental injury, broken tooth or teeth
• Food poisoning or allergic reaction
• Injury due to product safety failure
• Injury caused by inadequate safety instructions
• Fatal injury

Slips, trips and falls accidents

Slips, trips and falls at work or in public spaces resulting in:

• Torn ligaments, tendons, and muscles
• Back injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Fractures and broken bones
• Head injuries
• Brain damage
• Paralysis

Medical negligence

Personal injury caused by clinical or medical negligence and lack of care in NHS or private hospitals or clinics:

• Injury or exacerbation of existing illnesses directly caused by incompetent healthcare or lack of judgment
• Injury caused by misdiagnosis, the wrong medication or treatment
• Exacerbation of existing illness caused by delays in investigations or treatment
• Injury caused by A&E negligence, hospital negligence, GP negligence, dental negligence
• Nursing and care home abuse
• PTSD
• Fatal injury

Surgical negligence

Any type of personal injury during emergency or elective procedures as a result of surgical negligence:

• Brain damage
• Perforation of the bowel or bladder
• Peripheral nerve injury
• Spinal cord injury
• Brachial plexus injury
• Cosmetic surgery injuries
• Compartment syndrome
• Pulmonary compromise
• Surgical instruments left in your body
• Fatal injury

Pregnancy and birth injuries

Birth injury caused by medical mistakes or lack of care during antenatal treatment and delivery:

• Cerebral palsy
• Erb’s palsy
• Bowel trauma
• Broken bones
• Perineal trauma
• Brachial plexus
• Facial paralysis
• Cephalohematoma
• Subconjunctival hemorrhage
• Fatal injury