Making a personal injury compensation claim
If an injury or illness has affected your life or ability to work, we can 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 Woodbridge, Suffolk and across the UK. We can help you claim your compensation too.
What caused your injury?
The process your solicitor will follow when making an injury claim will depend on where and how you were injured.
Find out more:
Am I entitled to make a personal injury claim?
The basic criteria for making a claim are that the injury must have occurred:
- within the last three years (except in the case of children), and;
- another person was negligent or at fault, and;
- that person owed you a duty of care.
Is there anything else that can affect my eligibility to claim?
Yes. In practice, a number of factors can impact whether a successful claim will be possible, such as the context of your injury, where the injury occurred or whether liability can be proved.
A short phone call will let you know whether you are eligible to make a claim. You will be under no obligation to start a claim with Quittance. Alternatively, find out if you have a claim 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 were injured when you were under 18 years old, you have until your 21st birthday to make claim.
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:
Road accident claims in Woodbridge
Accidents on Woodbridge's roads are relatively common. Department of Transport data shows there were 1419 road accidents in Suffolk in 2021, including 1122 slight accidents, 277 accidents and 20 fatalities. Accidents in the Woodbridge region in 2013 included car crashes on the A12 and A1152 roundabout and on the A12 and B1079 roundabout.
All road users in Woodbridge 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 been hurt in a car crash, or sustained an injury in a hit-and-run, our guide to road accident compensation claims sets out what you need to know about the compensation process.
Read more:
Work accident claims in Woodbridge
In Suffolk, there were 262 non-fatal work accidents and 0.29 fatalities in 2021 (per 100,000 workers).
| Suffolk work accidents (RIDAGGR) | Reported Injuries |
|---|---|
| Other | 9% |
| Machinery related injury | 3% |
| Fire related | 1% |
| Harmful substance exposure (e.g. soil contamination) | 0% |
| Fall from height | 10% |
| Injured by an animal | 1% |
| Lifting and handling injuries | 20% |
| Physical assault | 3% |
| Slip or trip | 29% |
| Struck against | 10% |
| Hit by vehicle | 3% |
| Hit by falling object | 10% |
| Trapped under falling object | 1% |
You may be eligible to claim work accident compensation if you've been injured as a result of your employer's negligence.
Whether your accident happened while working as a personal trainer or a carpenter, our work accident claim guide shows you how to make a successful claim.
Read more:
Clinical negligence claims in Woodbridge
Clinical (or medical) negligence describes when a person is injured due to a GP or other medical professional's carelessness. Quittance's expert panel of injury lawyers can help you claim compensation from one of the clinics and NHS trusts covering Woodbridge, including Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust (Heath Road, Ipswich, Suffolk).
Read more:
Public place accidents claims in Woodbridge
An individual or company that owns or occupies a property has a legal duty of care to the people who visit it.
Whether your accident happened in a car park or in a pub, and a third party caused your accident, you may be entitled to make an injury claim.
If you have been injured in an accident in a public place we can help you make an injury claim for financial compensation.
Read more:
Compensation claims for serious injuries
A serious or catastrophic injury is defined as an injury that results in a life-changing disability. Serious injuries typically include paraplegia, spinal and brain damage and amputations, and can also include other injuries and health conditions that significantly affect your life and ability to work.
If your life, or the life of a family member, has been affected by a serious injury, we can help.
A claim will ease the financial burden, helping you and your family to focus on your recovery. Our panel of expert personal injury lawyers coordinate with insurance providers and medical professionals, so you get the rounded support you need.
Read more:
Claim catastrophic injury compensation
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 Woodbridge 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:
FAQs
Has Quittance helped many injury claimants in Woodbridge?
We can help you make a no win, no fee injury claim whether you live in Woodbridge, Suffolk, or anywhere across the UK.
Your lawyer will work hard to recover the best possible compensation for your injuries, regardless of whether you were injured on a bicycle or due to medical negligence.
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.
Woodbridge solicitor reviews
All personal injury solicitors are regulated by the SRA. Although injury lawyers must meet strict professional standards, service levels can vary.
Online reviews and recommendations from friends and family can make it easier 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:
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.