Serious Injury Solicitors

A serious injury is one that has a long-term or life-changing impact on your health, independence, or ability to work. Common examples include brain and head injuries, spinal cord damage, loss of a limb, severe burns, permanent loss of sight or hearing, and paralysis. Psychological conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, may also form part of a claim where they arise alongside a physical injury caused by the same incident.

Every claim is different. Compensation reflects both the nature of your injury and the full impact it has had on your life, including pain and suffering, loss of quality of life, future care costs, lost earnings, home adaptations, and specialist equipment. For the most severe injuries, settlements can run to several million pounds. We will value your claim using independent medical evidence and recognised compensation guidelines, and explain the figures clearly.

You usually have three years from the date of your accident to start a claim. The time limit is set by the Limitation Act 1980. If your injury was not immediately apparent, the three years run from the date you first became aware, or could reasonably have become aware, that your injury was caused by someone else's negligence.

If the Claimant is under 18 years of age, they cannot make a claim themselves. An adult can claim on their behalf as a litigation friend. Once the Claimant turns 18 years old, they have until their 21st birthday to make a claim.

Different time limits and exceptions may apply in certain circumstances, including where the injured person lacks the mental capacity to bring a claim themselves. Contacting us as early as possible can also help preserve important evidence and support your claim.

Yes. If your loved one lacks the mental capacity to conduct their own legal affairs, a provision under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 allows a litigation friend to bring a claim on their behalf. In these circumstances, the usual three-year time limit does not apply whilst the person lacks capacity. Our Court of Protection team can also assist with deputyship and the ongoing management of any compensation award.

Where someone has died as a result of another party's negligence, their dependants and family members can bring a claim under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976. The claim must be started within three years of the date of death, or within three years of the date on which the cause of death was linked to negligence. If the deceased was already partway through a personal injury claim at the time of death, the three-year period begins again from the date of death.

We may be able to offer you a No Win, No Fee agreement. This means you won't pay any money upfront for your legal fees, but you may still need to pay for additional costs, known as Disbursements, such as court fees or the cost of expert medical reports. In many cases, these costs can be covered by a type of insurance known as After the Event (ATE) Insurance. Your Serious Injuries Solicitor will explain how this works and provide clear information about any potential costs before you decide whether to proceed.

You will be asked to sign a Conditional Fee Agreement or, in some cases, a Damages-Based Agreement. This sets out how legal costs will be handled during your claim. If your claim is unsuccessful, you will not usually have to pay our legal fees.

If your claim succeeds, the other side may pay a proportion of your legal costs, although you may also need to contribute to some costs from your compensation. Any contribution will usually be capped at a percentage agreed in advance, and your solicitor will explain this clearly before you proceed.

An interim payment is an advance on your compensation, paid before your claim is settled. Where responsibility has been admitted, or there is strong evidence supporting the claim, it may be possible to secure interim payments to help cover urgent needs such as private rehabilitation, home adaptations, specialist equipment, care, and lost earnings.

We work in line with the Rehabilitation Code 2015, which encourages early rehabilitation and cooperation between both parties following a serious injury. Interim payments often make a real difference to early treatment and recovery, and we will seek them as soon as the evidence allows.

Most serious injury claims are settled through negotiation, mediation, or a round-table settlement meeting. A small number do proceed to a final court hearing, usually where liability is disputed or the parties cannot agree on the value of the claim. If your case reaches that stage, your solicitor and a specialist barrister will represent you and guide you through what to expect. We will always work to resolve your claim without a trial where that is possible.

Serious injury claims take longer than most personal injury cases because your long-term medical needs must be properly understood before a settlement can be reached. Many cases run for two to five years, and some take longer, especially those involving a brain injury, where the long-term effects can take time to become fully apparent. We focus on achieving a settlement that properly reflects your needs for the rest of your life and will update you at every stage of the claim process.

A lump-sum compensation payment can affect means-tested benefits, such as Universal Credit, if it pushes your savings above the lower capital threshold. A Personal Injury Trust holds your compensation separately, so it is not counted as part of your assets for benefit assessment purposes. We can advise you on whether a trust is right for your circumstances, set it up for you, and notify the relevant government departments once it is in place.

Call us on 0800 260 5010 or request a callback online. A member of our Serious Injury team will listen to what has happened, answer your questions, and explain how we may be able to help. The first conversation is free, confidential, and carries no obligation to proceed. If you decide to go ahead, an experienced and compassionate Serious Injury Solicitor will be assigned to your case from that point on.