Personal injury claims

We're here to help.

If your injuries were caused by someone else's negligence, you may be entitled to claim financial compensation.

Each year, we help injured claimants in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire and across the UK get the compensation they deserve.

How were you injured?

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

For more information, see:

Am I eligible to make a personal injury 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.

Are there any other factors that could affect my right to claim?

Yes. There are a number of other factors that can affect whether a successful compensation claim will be possible, such as the circumstances of your injury or whether there was a criminal incident.

A brief phone consultation will tell you whether you are eligible to make a claim. There is no obligation to start a claim with Quittance. Alternatively, find out if you have a claim with our Injury Claim Checker.

How long does a child have to start a claim?

As an injured child's parent or guardian, you can act as a 'litigation friend' and instruct a solicitor to start a compensation claim on behalf of your child.

Anyone who was injured either during their birth or as a child can start a claim themselves once they turn 18 years old.

Read more:

Child injury compensation claims

Check my claim online

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:

Calculate my claim

Road accident claims in Leighton Buzzard

Accidents involving drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and other road users in Leighton Buzzard are quite common. Official 2021 data recorded 694 road accidents in Central Bedfordshire (561 slight accidents, 117 accidents and 16 fatalities).

All road users in Leighton Buzzard and across the UK, owe a legal duty of care to each other, including drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. If someone else was to blame for your injury, you may be able to claim compensation.

Regardless of whether you have suffered an injury in a hit-and-run, or have been hurt in a crash on the motorway, our guide to road accident compensation explains everything you need to know about the compensation process.

Read more:

Claim road accident compensation

Work accident claims in Leighton Buzzard

In Central Bedfordshire, there were 191 non-fatal work accidents and 0 fatalities in 2021, based on Health and Safety Executive (HSE) records.

HSE-reported Central Bedfordshire work accidentsReported Injuries
Not specified14%
Electric shock1%
Machinery related injury4%
Fire related (e.g. scars)0%
Harmful substance exposure (e.g. soil contamination)1%
Fall from height (ladder)8%
Injured by an animal1%
Manual handling25%
Assault4%
Slip, trip, fall same level23%
Struck against6%
Struck by moving vehicle2%
Hit by falling object11%
Crushed by something collapsing0%

If you've suffered an injury following an accident at work, you may be able to claim compensation.

Whether your accident happened while working as a site labourer or an HGV driver, our guide to work accident claims sets out everything you need to know about making a successful no win, no fee claim.

Read more:

Work accident compensation claims

Clinical negligence claims in Leighton Buzzard

When a patient is injured due to the carelessness of a registrar, nurse or other health worker, it may be possible to claim compensation for medical negligence. Quittance's expert panel of injury lawyers can help you claim compensation from one of the private clinics and NHS trusts covering Leighton Buzzard.

Read more:

Clinical negligence compensation

Occupiers liability injury claims in Leighton Buzzard

Owners and operators of privately-owned land or property are known as 'occupiers'. Occupiers have a duty to take reasonable care to ensure the safety of anyone on their property.

Whether you have been injured on a station platform or in a public park, and someone else was at fault, you may be able to claim financial compensation.

If you or a family member has been injured in a public place, we can help.

Read more:

Public place accident compensation claims

Claim compensation for a serious injury

A serious (catastrophic) injury is where a claimant's quality of life is impaired to the extent where they are forced to make permanent changes to their daily life. Serious injuries typically include serious burns, complex fractures and head trauma.

Our panel of expert catastrophic injury solicitors understand the difference compensation can make to the lives of severely injured claimants.

Compensation will ease the financial burden and reduce stress, so you can focus on your recovery and rehabilitation. Your solicitor will work with insurance providers and medical professionals, to help you get the support you need.

Read more:

Catastrophic injury compensation claims

Will I have to visit my 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.

Once you do start your claim, a specialist solicitor will take you through each step. Your lawyer will be with you throughout the process, from your initial questions to the day 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.

Find out more about how no win, no fee claims work

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 Leighton Buzzard and cross the UK.

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

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:

Call me back

FAQs

Have you helped many injury claimants in Leighton Buzzard?

We assist 100's of injured claimants in Leighton Buzzard 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 whilst doing your job or in public.

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

Our no win, no fee service means that 100% of your legal fees are covered if your case is not successful. You will not need to pay anything upfront to start a claim.

Leighton Buzzard personal injury solicitor reviews

The SRA regulate the professional standards of all injury solicitors. Despite this, service levels do vary from firm to firm.

Online reviews and personal recommendations can make it easier 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:

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**

*RTA and other claims processed through the Ministry of Justice portal can settle faster.
**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?

Jenny Jones, Senior litigator

Author:
Jenny Jones, Senior litigator