Our Personal Injury Services
If an injury or illness has affected your life or ability to work, we can help.
Whether you were injured as the result of a negligent driver, employer or any other party, you may be entitled to make a personal injury claim.
Each year, we help injured people in Dunstable, Bedfordshire and across the UK get the compensation they need.
How were you injured?
The process your solicitor will follow when making an injury claim will depend on where and how you were injured.
For more information, see:
Can I make a claim?
It should be possible to make a compensation claim if you were injured or made ill:
- in the last three years (limitation) and
- was caused by another party (causation) and
- that party owed you a duty of care (liability).
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 whether a minor was injured.
A short phone consultation will let you know whether you have a valid compensation claim. You will be under no obligation to start a claim with Quittance. You can also find out if you have a claim with our Injury Claim Checker.
Can I claim compensation on behalf of a child?
Claimants who were injured as a child have until their 21st birthday to make a claim on their own behalf. If you are the parent or guardian of an injured child, you can start a claim on their behalf.
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.
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:
Dunstable road accident claims
Car, HGV, cycle and motorcycle accidents in Dunstable are relatively common. Official gov.uk data for 2021 shows there were 694 road accidents in Central Bedfordshire. There were 561 slight accidents, 117 accidents and 16 fatal accidents in 2021. Accidents in Dunstable in 2013 included collisions on the single carriageway of the A5 and B489 crossroads and on the single carriageway of the B489 and B4541 mini-roundabout.
Drivers, cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians all owe a duty of care to all other road 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 claim for compensation.
Whether you have suffered an injury in a hit-and-run, or were a passenger in a car accident, our specialist team are here. Our road accident compensation guide explains everything you need to know about how to get started.
Read more:
Dunstable work injury claims
Official HSE statistics show that there were 0 fatal and 191 non-fatal work accidents in Central Bedfordshire in 2021 (140 led to 7+ days off work).
| Central Bedfordshire work accidents (RIDAGGR) | Reported Injuries |
|---|---|
| Not specified | 14% |
| Electric shock | 1% |
| Machinery related injury | 4% |
| Fire related (e.g. scars) | 0% |
| Harmful substance exposure (e.g. soil contamination) | 1% |
| Fall from height (ladder) | 8% |
| Injured by an animal | 1% |
| Manual handling | 25% |
| Assault | 4% |
| Slip, trip, fall same level | 23% |
| Struck against | 6% |
| Struck by moving vehicle | 2% |
| Hit by falling object | 11% |
| Crushed by something collapsing | 0% |
If you have sustained an injury because of your employer's actions or negligence, you may be legally entitled to make a claim.
Whether you were injured or became ill working as a mechanic or a chef, our guide to work accident claims shows you how to make a successful no win, no fee claim.
Read more:
Dunstable medical negligence claims
Clinical negligence is the term for when a person is injured or becomes ill as the result of a doctor or other medical professional's lack of care. If you have been affected by medical negligence, our panel of expert clinical negligence solicitors can help you claim compensation from any of the clinics and NHS trusts covering Dunstable.
Read more:
Dunstable public place injury claims
By law, an individual or organisation that owns or occupies a property has a responsibility for the safety of anyone who visits it.
Whether you were injured in a public park or in a train station, you could be able to claim.
If you have been injured in an accident in public, we can help you make a public place accident claim for financial compensation.
Read more:
Claim compensation for a serious injury
A serious or catastrophic injury is an injury that leads to life-changing disability or requires long-term treatment and recovery. Serious injuries include paraplegia, spinal and brain damage and amputations, and can also include other injuries and chronic conditions.
If you have suffered a serious injury, we understand the vital difference a successful claim can make.
Our panel of catastrophic injury lawyers will help coordinate with care professionals and insurance providers to ensure you get the best medical and financial support.
Read more:
Serious injury compensation claims
Will I have to visit my solicitor's office in person?
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.
No win, no fee injury compensation claims
With no win, no fee, you can claim injury compensation without financial risk. If your claim isn't successful, you pay nothing. If you win, you only pay a pre-agreed percentage of 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 Dunstable and cross the UK.
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FREE If you have any questions, or would like to start a No Win No Fee claim, we are open:
- 8am to 9pm weekdays
- 9am to 6pm on Saturday
- 9.30am to 5pm on Sunday
Call us for FREE advice on 0800 376 1001, or arrange a call back from a friendly, legally-trained advisor:
Frequently asked questions
Have you helped many injury claimants in Dunstable?
We assist 100's of injured claimants in Dunstable and Bedfordshire every year.
Your solicitor will fight hard to win your case and recover the best possible compensation sum, regardless of whether you were injured on public transport or in a public park.
Does Quittance offer 100% No Win, No Fee
If your claim is not successful, our No Win, No Fee policy covers 100% of your legal fees. This means that there is no financial risk in making a claim.
Dunstable 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, word of mouth and online reviews can help you to 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:
|
Personal injury claim type |
Estimated claim duration* |
|---|---|
|
Road accident claims |
4 to 9 months |
|
Work accident claims |
6 to 9 months |
|
Medical negligence claims |
12 to 36 months |
|
Industrial disease claims |
12 to 18 months |
|
Public place or occupiers’ liability claims |
6 to 9 months |
|
MIB claims (uninsured drivers) |
3 to 4 months** |
|
CICA claims (criminal assault) |
12 to 18 months** |
**Official Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) Government agency and Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) figures.
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:
Paul Carvis, Personal injury solicitor
About the author
Paul is a member of the Law Society Personal Injury Panel, a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, and has served as a Deputy District Judge, giving him a uniquely broad understanding of the claims process.