Personal Injury Solicitors
Ashford

Making a personal injury compensation claim

If your life has been affected by illness or injury, we are here to help.

You can make a compensation claim on a no win, no fee basis. If your injury claim is unsuccessful you won't have to pay any money to your solicitor.

How did your injury happen?

The claims process is different, depending on how and where you were injured. Personal injury solicitors tend to specialise in specific types of claim.

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Work accidents Road accidents Public places Medical negligence Other accidents

Do I have a claim?

You should be able to claim financial compensation for your injury if the accident (or date of injury diagnosis) happened:

• within the last three years, and;
• another person was at least partly to blame, and;
• that person owed you a duty of care.

To get a clearer idea if you can make a claim, you can check your claim online, or for a more definitive answer, speak to an injury claims advisor on 0800 376 1001.

Are there any other points to consider?

Yes. Practically speaking, a number of factors can impact whether a successful no win, no fee claim will be possible, such as the circumstances of your accident, the quantum of the claim or whether your claim meets your chosen solicitor's risk assessment criteria.

We would be happy to give you a clearer answer. Speak to an injury solicitor now on 0800 376 1001. If you prefer, you can check your claim online with our Injury Claim Checker.

What if I was injured as a child?

An injured child's parent or legal guardian can start a compensation claim on behalf of the child. Whether you were injured in a shop or park, at school, or in any other situation, you can begin an injury claim at any time until you are 21 years old.

Read more:

Child injury compensation claims

How much compensation can I claim for an injury?

The amount of money you could claim for your injury will depend on:

• the extent of your injury, and
• any financial losses or costs you have incurred.

At the start of your claim, your solicitor will consider the many ways your injury has affected your life. Your solicitor will take all of these effects into account to calculate the correct compensation award for you.

General damages

General damages are awarded for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA).

Awards for general damages are set by the Judicial College and published in their guidelines for personal injury awards.

Special damages

Special damages are for financial losses and expenses you have incurred as a result of the accident.

Read more:

A complete list of recoverable losses in an injury claim

Calculate my injury compensation

Calculating how much compensation you can claim for an injury can be complicated.

Our injury compensation calculator tells you if you may have a claim, how much compensation you could claim, and what you can claim for.

Find out what your injury claim could be worth now.

Road accident claims in Ashford

Department of Transport data reveals there were 4288 road accidents in Kent in 2021, including 3539 slight accidents, 697 accidents and 52 fatal accidents. Accidents in Ashford in 2013 included crashes on the A20 and A251 roundabout and on the A20 and A292 roundabout.

All road users, including cyclists, drivers, and pedestrians, owe a duty of care to all other users. If you have been injured as a result of the actions or negligence of another road user, you may be able to start a no win, no fee claim for compensation.

Whether you were injured in a hit-and-run, or have been hurt in a car accident, we can help. our useful guide sets out how to claim road accident compensation.

Read more:

Claim road accident compensation

Work injury claims in Ashford

In 2021, there were 74 non-fatal work accidents and 0 fatalities in Ashford, based on official records.

Have you been injured at work and your employer was responsible? If so you may be able to claim compensation through their liability insurance.

Whether you suffered an injury when working as a scaffolder or a hospital porter, our guide to work accident claims covers everything you need to know about making a successful claim.

Read more:

Work accident compensation

How common are Ashford work accidents?

Medical negligence claims in Ashford

Clinical negligence (medical negligence) describes when someone sustains an injury or illness as the result of a doctor or other medical professional's lack of care. Our specialist panel of injury lawyers can help you claim compensation from a clinic or NHS trust covering Ashford, including Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (Customer Care Team, Trinity House, 110-120 Upper Pemberton, Ashford, Kent).

Read more:

Claim clinical negligence compensation

Public place accident claims in Ashford

Occupiers' liability refers to the legal duty of care owed by property owners to anyone who visits their property.

Whether your accident happened on a loose paving stone on a footpath or in an office, you could be entitled to claim compensation.

If you have been injured in an accident in a public place, we can help.

Read more:

Public place accident compensation claims

Serious injury claims

Serious and catastrophic injuries typically include brain injuries or amputations.

We know how important a successful serious injury claim will be. Compensation will help to reduce the financial burden, and your specialist catastrophic injury solicitor will also liaise with insurers and care professionals, so you can focus on your recovery.

Read more:

Claim catastrophic injury compensation

Will I need to travel to a solicitor's office?

There is no need to visit your solicitor's office in person if you are thinking about making a claim.

Before you start your claim, you can speak to a trained injury claims advisor about your options.

Whenever you are ready, you can speak to a solicitor. They will address any questions you have, and will take care of each stage of the claims process until you recieve your compensation.

How we can help you

Your solicitor will fight for the best possible compensation settlement for you, and the highly-experienced panel of solicitors have an excellent track record of winning injury claims in Ashford and cross the UK.

• FREE
  consultation
• Find out
  if you can claim
• No obligation
  to start a claim

FAQs

Have you helped many Ashford injury claimants?

We help 100's of injured workers, road users and other claimants in Ashford and Kent every year.

A specialist solicitor will fight hard to settle your claim and recover the best possible compensation sum, regardless of whether you were injured in a public place or on public transport.

Do you work on 100% No Win, No Fee?

If your claim is not successful, 100% of the solicitor's fees are covered. This means that there is no financial risk to you.

Ashford injury solicitor reviews

All solicitors are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). Despite the strict professional standards that lawyers must meet, the quality of service they deliver can vary.

Online reviews and recommendations from friends and family can help you to select which solicitor is the right fit for your claim.

Read more:

Personal injury lawyer reviews

Can I claim for someone else?

Yes. It is possible to claim compensation on behalf of another person, in the capacity of a 'litigation friend'.

If, for example, an injured person is either too young or vulnerable, too injured or otherwise unable to claim on their own behalf, their litigation friend can handle the claim process for them.

The litigation friend will be responsible for communicating with the personal injury solicitors, and for making decisions in respect of the claim.

Read more:

Read more about claiming on behalf of another person.

Can I claim if I was partly to blame?

Even if you feel you were partly responsible for your accident, you may still be able to claim compensation.

You may also still be able to claim if something you did (or failed to do) meant your injuries were more serious than they might have otherwise been (e.g. you were knocked off your bike, but you weren't wearing a helmet).

If you were partly to blame, this is known as contributory negligence. Successful claims are often made on the basis of contributory negligence, although compensation may be reduced.

Read more:

Claiming compensation if you were partly responsible for an accident.

How long will my claim take?

The time needed to resolve a compensation claim and pay out compensation can vary considerably.

For example, straightforward car accident claims can settle in a matter of weeks, whereas complex medical negligence cases can sometimes take years.

Injury claims can also take longer if it is not clear who is responsible for your injury, or if liability is denied by the defendant.

This table sets out approximately how long personal injury claims take to settle:

Read more about how long personal injury claims take.

Will I have to go to court?

The vast majority of claims that are settled by the solicitor panel are settled out of court.

Only a very small percentage (approx. 2%) of personal injury claims go to court - typically only very complex cases, or those where liability cannot be resolved.

Read more:

Will my injury claim go to court and what if it does?

Can I get an early (interim) compensation payment?

If you suffer financial hardship as a result of an injury, you may be able to claim an interim compensation payment.

An interim payment is a partial settlement of your claim which is paid out to you before your claim is concluded. The amount you receive in interim payments would then be deducted from your final compensation settlement or award.

Read more:

Can I get interim compensation payments?

Author:
Jonathan Speight, Senior litigator

About the author

Jonathan Speight has over 30 years' experience in the personal injury sector and has been awarded the rank of Senior Litigator by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL).