Personal Injury Solicitors
Staffordshire

Making a personal injury compensation claim

If you were injured or became sick and someone else was at fault, we're here to help.

Making a no win, no fee claim could help you get the compensation you need for an injury or illness that wasn't your fault.

We have helped hundreds of people in Staffordshire and throughout the UK. We can help you claim the compensation you need to fund your recovery.

What caused your injury?

Find out more:

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 knowledge') happened:

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

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

Yes. Practically speaking, there are several factors that can have a bearing on whether a successful no win, no fee claim will be possible, such as the circumstances of your injury, if there is an uninsured driver involved or whether causation can be established.

A short phone call will tell you whether you can claim. You will be under no obligation to start a claim with Quittance. If you prefer, you can check your claim online with our Online Claim Checker.

Can a child claim injury compensation?

As an injured child's parent or guardian, you can instruct a solicitor to start a compensation claim on behalf of the child. If you suffered an injury as a child, you have until you turn 21 years old to claim compensation.

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:

Compensation for serious injuries

Compensation claims for particularly severe injuries include head or spinal injuries, but could also include injuries arising from medical negligence or pharmaceutical error.

If your life, or the life of a family member, has been affected by a serious injury, we can help.

Our panel of catastrophic injury lawyers will help coordinate with medical professionals and insurance providers to ensure you get the care and financial support you need.

Read more:

Serious and catastrophic injury compensation

Will I need to go into 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.

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 Staffordshire and cross the UK.

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

FAQs

Have you helped many claimants in Staffordshire?

Every year, we help hundreds of injury claimants in Staffordshire, the West Midlands and across the UK.

Whether you have been injured in a public place or in a bicycle accident we can introduce you to the best personal injury solicitor for your needs.

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. With nothing to pay up front, the success fee is only payable if you win your case.

Staffordshire 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:
Jenny Jones, Senior litigator

About the author

With over 20 years' experience in the law, Jenny has spent the last decade specialising in personal injury, with a particular focus on industrial disease cases.