We know how an injury can affect your life
If either your life or the life of a loved one has been affected by an injury, 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.
We have helped injured people in Whitehaven, Cumbria and across the UK. We will help you get the compensation you need to fund your recovery
What caused your injury?
There are several steps involved in making an injury claim. The steps involved will depend on how and where you were injured.
Find out more:
Am I entitled to make a personal injury claim?
You should be eligible to make an injury claim if your injury occurred:
- within the last three years, and;
- another person was at least partly to blame, and;
- that person owed you a duty of care.
Is there anything else that can affect my eligibility to claim?
Yes. There are quite a few other factors that can affect whether a successful claim will be possible, such as the circumstances of your injury or how close to the claim limitation date you are.
We can give you a clearer answer over the phone. Speak to an injury solicitor now on 0800 376 1001. If you prefer, you can check your claim online with our Injury Claim Checker.
Are claim rules the same if a child is injured?
You can claim injury compensation yourself, at any time until you are 21 years old, whether you were injured on a playground, at school, or anywhere else. As an injured child's parent or guardian, you can instruct an injury lawyer to start a compensation claim on behalf of the child until they turn 18 years old.
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:
Whitehaven road accident claims
Official gov.uk data shows there were 987 road accidents in Cumbria in 2021 (732 slight accidents, 231 accidents and 24 fatal accidents). Incidents in Whitehaven in 2013 included collisions on the single carriageway of the A5094 and A5095 junction and on the single carriageway of the A5094 and A595 junction.
You can claim compensation if you were injured as a driver or passenger and another road user was liable. You can also claim compensation if you were injured as a motorcyclist, cyclist or pedestrian.
Whether you were hurt in a collision on a roundabout, or were involved as a pedestrian, our team can help. Our useful guide explains what you need to do to make a road accident compensation claim.
Read more:
Whitehaven work injury claims
According to the HSE, in 2021, there were 446 non-fatal and 4 fatal work-related accidents in Cumbria. 310 of these accidents led to 7 or more days off work for the injured worker.
| HSE-reported work accidents in Cumbria | Reported Injuries |
|---|---|
| Other | 12% |
| Electrocution | 0% |
| Machinery related | 3% |
| Harmful substance exposure (e.g. mercury poisoning) | 0% |
| Fall from height | 4% |
| Injured by an animal | 0% |
| Lifting and handling injuries | 18% |
| Physical assault | 9% |
| Slip, trip or fall | 36% |
| Struck against | 4% |
| Struck by moving vehicle | 4% |
| Hit by object | 9% |
If you have been injured as a result of your employer's negligence, you have the right to make a claim.
Employers owe a duty of care to their staff. Whether you sustained an injury when working as a vehicle technician or a school teacher, our guide to work accident claims sets out everything you need to know about making a successful claim.
Read more:
Whitehaven medical negligence claims
Medical negligence describes when someone suffers injury or illness due to a doctor or other health worker's lack of care. Quittance's expert panel of injury lawyers can help you make a claim against one of the clinics and NHS trusts responsible for Whitehaven, including Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (Voreda, Portland Place, Penrith, Cumbria).
Read more:
Whitehaven occupiers liability accident claims
An individual or company that owns or occupies a property has a legal duty of care to the people who visit it.
Whether you have been injured on land maintained by the local authority or on a station platform, you could be able to claim compensation.
If you've been in an accident in a public area, our panel of personal injury solicitors can help you.
Read more:
Compensation for serious injuries
A serious or catastrophic injury is defined as an injury that results in a life-changing disability. Serious injuries typically include head, brain and spinal injuries, but could also include injuries arising from medical negligence or pharmaceutical error.
We understand how vital catastrophic injury compensation can be, helping you to focus on your recovery and rehabilitation. A claim will help to ease the financial burden, stress and uncertainty following a serious accident.
Read more:
Serious and catastrophic injury compensation
Do I need to visit a solicitor's office?
Personal injury claims are carried out by phone, post and email, so there will be no need to travel to your solicitor's office when claiming compensation.
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 Whitehaven 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 Whitehaven?
We assist 100's of injured claimants in Whitehaven and Cumbria every year.
Your solicitor will fight hard to win your case and recover the best possible compensation sum, regardless of whether you were injured at work, 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 gives you the peace of mind that you will never be out of pocket.
Whitehaven personal injury solicitor reviews
The SRA regulate the professional standards of all injury solicitors. Despite this, service levels do vary from firm to firm. Personal recommendations, word of mouth and online reviews 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:
|
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.