Personal Injury Solicitors
Dorset

Decades of experience helping accident victims

Have you had to take time off work to recover from your injuries? Has your daily life been affected? If so, our team can help.

If you were injured in the last 3 years and another person was to blame, you could claim financial compensation.

Every year, we help hundreds of people in Dorset and across the UK get the compensation they deserve.

What happened?

Your specialist injury solicitor will follow a specific process, depending on what caused your injury or illness.

Please select how you were injured:

Work
accidents

Road
accidents

Public
places

Medical
negligence

Other
accidents

Will I be able to make a claim?

If you were hurt in an accident that was not your fault, the law entitles you to claim financial compensation. To make a successful claim, your injury must have happened:

• in the last three years, and;
• someone else was to blame, and;
• that person owed you a duty of care.

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

Yes. In practice, there are several factors that can have a bearing on whether a successful no win, no fee claim will be possible, such as the accident circumstances or whether the defendant is uninsured.

We would be happy to give you a clearer answer. Speak to an expert now on 0800 376 1001. You can also find out if you have a claim with our Claim Checker.

Do I have longer to claim if injured as a child?

If you are the parent or guardian of an injured child, you can start a claim on their behalf, in the capacity of a 'litigation friend'. Whether you were injured at school, in a playground or any other circumstance, 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.

What can I claim for after an injury? (see list)

Examples of special damages (losses you can claim for) include:

• Lost earnings (including future earnings)
• Medical treatment costs
• Physiotherapy
• Travel costs
• Costs of care
• Costs of adapting your home or car

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:

Serious injury claims

A catastrophic injury describes any case where a claimant's quality of life is has been so affected that they must make long-term or permanent changes to their daily life. Examples include amputations, paralysis and brain 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 have to visit my solicitor's office?

When making a personal injury claim, you won't need to attend your solicitor's office at any stage.

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

When you decide to go ahead, the next step is to discuss your case with an expert solicitor. Your solicitor will handle every stage of your claim and will be there to answer any questions you have.

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 Dorset and cross the UK.

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

FAQs

Has Quittance helped many claimants in Dorset?

Whether you live in Dorset, Dorset or elsewhere, we can help you to make no win, no fee injury claim.

Whether your injury occurred at work or due to clinical negligence our team will make sure your claim is handled by a specialist injury solicitor.

Can I get 100% No Win, No Fee?

If your claim is not successful, our No Win, No Fee policy covers 100% of your legal fees. This takes the financial risk out of making a claim.

Dorset solicitor reviews

All injury lawyers must meet strict professional standards, but service levels vary considerably.

Personal recommendations and online reviews will make it easier to find the right solicitor 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 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).