Personal Injury Solicitors
Canterbury

Personal injury claims help and support

If your life or work has been affected by your injury, we can help.

If someone else was responsible for your accident or injuries, you may be able to make a claim for compensation.

How were you injured?

The steps required to win a personal injury claim will depend on what caused your injury or illness.

For more information, see:

Work accidents Road accidents Public places Medical negligence Other accidents

Can I make 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 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.

Is there anything else that can affect my eligibility to claim?

Yes. There are a number of other factors that can affect whether a successful no win, no fee claim will be possible, such as the specific details of the accident or how close to the claim limitation date you are.

If you would like to find out if you have a claim, speak to us now on 0800 376 1001. Alternatively, find out if you have a claim with our Online Claim Checker.

Can a child claim injury compensation?

If you were injured as a child (under 18), you can start a claim at any time until your 21st birthday.

As an injured child's parent or guardian, you can instruct a solicitor to start a compensation claim on behalf of the child.

Read more:

Claim child injury compensation

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.

Canterbury road accident claims

Car, HGV, bike and motorcycle accidents in Canterbury are quite common. Official 2021 data recorded 4288 road accidents in Kent. 3539 slight accidents, 697 accidents and 52 fatalities occurred on Kent's roads in 2021. Incidents in the Canterbury region in 2013 included crashes on the A290 and A2050 roundabout and on the A28 and A257 roundabout.

All road users owe a duty of care to all other road users. If you have suffered a road injury in Canterbury, or anywhere else in the UK, we can help you claim the no win, no fee compensation you need.

Whether you have been hurt in a crash on the motorway, or were hurt as a pedestrian, our team can help. Our expert guide sets out what you need to do to claim road accident compensation.

Read more:

Road accident compensation claims

Canterbury work accident claims

Official HSE statistics show that there were 0 fatal and 83 non-fatal work accidents in Canterbury in 2021 (66 led to 7+ days off work).

If you were injured at work in the last three years and it wasn't your fault, you may be able to claim compensation.

Whether your accident occurred while you were working as a warehouse worker or a lifeguard, our work accident claim guide shows you how best to make a successful compensation claim.

Read more:

Work accident claims

How common are work accidents in Canterbury?

Canterbury clinical negligence claims

Medical negligence (clinical negligence) is the term for when a patient sustains an injury or illness due to a GP or other health worker's carelessness. If you have been affected by medical negligence, we can help you claim compensation from one of the clinics and NHS trusts covering Canterbury, including East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust (Kent and Canterbury Hospital, Ethelbert Road, Canterbury, Kent).

Read more:

Clinical negligence compensation

Canterbury public place accident claims

UK law imposes a duty of care on property owners and operators (occupiers) to ensure that their property is safe for anyone visiting the premises.

Whether you were injured at a leisure centre or in an office, and the owner or occupier of the location was responsible, you may be able to start an injury claim.

If you have been injured in an accident in a public place we can help you make an injury claim for financial compensation.

Read more:

Claim public place accident compensation

Compensation for serious injuries

Any injury or long-lasting health condition that has had a life-altering effect on your life and ability to work may be referred to as a 'serious injury'. Examples include brain or spinal injuries. Facial scarring, injuries to the senses, and health conditions such as Chronic Pain Syndrome are also considered to be life-altering injuries.

If you have suffered a serious injury, we understand the vital difference a successful claim can make.

Compensation can ease the financial load and reduce stress, helping you and your family to focus on your recovery. Our panel of expert serious injury solicitors coordinate with insurance providers and medical professionals, to help you get the rounded support you need.

Read more:

Serious injury compensation claims

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.

You can talk to a legally-trained advisor about your accident or injury, before you choose to start a claim.

If you decide to start a claim, you will speak to a specialist solicitor. Your solicitor will always be available to answer any questions, and they will keep you updated every step of the way.

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 Canterbury and cross the UK.

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

Frequently asked questions

Have you helped many Canterbury injury claimants?

We help 100's of injured workers, road users and other claimants in Canterbury 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 road traffic accident or due to medical negligence.

Is your service 100% No Win, No Fee?

Our no win, no fee service means that 100% of your legal fees are covered if your case is not successful. This means you will never be out of pocket.

Canterbury solicitor reviews

All personal injury solicitors are regulated by the SRA. Although injury lawyers must meet strict professional standards, service levels can vary. Personal recommendations and online reviews can help you decide which injury lawyer is the right fit for you.

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:
Howard Willis, Personal injury solicitor

About the author

Howard Willis qualified as a solicitor in 1984 and has specialised in personal injury for over 25 years. He is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and is a recognised Law Society Personal Injury Panel expert.