Serious injury claims

What is serious injury?

Serious injury includes such areas as:

• Head and brain injury
• Spinal and back injury
• Burns and skin damage
• Damage to sight or hearing loss
• Injuries to internal organs (eg. chest, lungs)
• Loss of limbs and amputation
• Paralysis
• Fractures and broken bones

You will likely have been an in-patient in hospital, or had to attend hospital regularly for treatment and therapy. Such traumatic and life-changing events often result in significant time off work for recovery too.

Why make a serious injury claim?

When something as big as this happens, your first thought is going to be treatment, rest and recovery. But there is also the future to plan for. Think about your ongoing needs, such as:

• Continuing treatment or therapies such as physiotherapy
• Rehabilitation costs
• Any equipment that will make life easier
• Mobility aids
• Modifications within the home
• Adaptations to vehicles.

While you are dealing with the enormous emotional impact now, there’s also the question of lost income and whether your work opportunities are affected.

Find out more about making a claim.

How can First4Lawyers help?

We can take the pressure off by dealing with any potential claims for serious injury compensation, whether it’s for you, or on behalf of someone else.

Our advisors are understanding and compassionate and will listen to your circumstances, before outlining your options and matching you with a serious injury solicitor. Our solicitors are experts in serious injury law and offer No Win No Fee services, so you have no upfront costs to pay. You are under no obligation to go ahead with anything unless you are happy to do so.

How much can I claim for a serious injury?

Serious injury – or catastrophic injury – is a broad area, so it very much depends on the severity of your injuries and the effect they’ve had on your day-to-day life.

Generally, compensation for a serious injury falls under two main categories:

• General damages
  These are based on your injury severity and type of injury, as well as the suffering and loss of amenity you’ve experienced. Compensation is based on Judicial College Guidelines, using figures of £34,000 to £141,150 for serious back and spine damage, for example.
• Special damages
  This takes into account the immediate costs you’ve incurred, such as medical bills, time off sick and travel to hospital. It also considers the impact your serious injury has had on your quality of life, including ongoing care costs, future loss of earnings and adaptations or equipment you may need to make life easier.

I think I have a claim, what do I do next?

You can enquire about a compensation claim using our online claim form or by calling the number at the top of the screen. That way, a solicitor from our panel can get in touch at a time to suit you, and talk you through your options and our No Win No Fee service.