Your local personal injury solicitors serving Oxfordshire and area
Our personal injury solicitors are experienced in dealing with various personal injury and civil related claims including claims relating to fatal accidents, actions against Oxford pharmaceutical companies, and orthopaedic injuries. Sustaining a serious injury that could have been avoided can be devastating and issuing a claim can be a taxing undertaking.
We appreciate that having an accident, whether in connection to a road traffic, incident, place of work, or tripping on a highway can affect every aspect of your life from your ability to work to undergoing medical procedures. Suezanne has undergone multiple spinal procedures and surgeries since 11 years old (following a road traffic incident) and now operates as a bionic woman so personal injury claims is an area of practice she always feels personally vested in. We understand that rehabilitation can be key to recovery and we can help you get that help as well as focusing getting you on compensation.
We provide sound legal advice and assistance as to the relevant procedure for issuing a claim, advising on the causes of action, and assessing the legal remedies available and where necessary, pursuing that claim in Court. We understand from personal experience that the issue of a claim is a daunting experience, but it is vital that any claim submitted is properly drafted and compliant with the Civil Procedure Rules, as well as submitted within the statutory time limits. We can advise where alternative dispute resolution should be sought and when medical expertise needs to be obtained.
Contact us today to arrange our free 20-minute legal consultation with one of our personal injury solicitors to discuss your case and offer ‘no win, no fee’ legal assistance on certain types of claim.
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FAQs Regarding Personal Injury Claims
What is a personal injury claim?
A “personal injury” claim refers to your entitlement to take action resulting from another’s negligence which caused or has contributed to an injury/illness of yours.
How long do I have to make a claim?
Generally, a personal injury case will involve negligence by another party. The limitation period for this is 3 years, which means you have this amount of time to issue proceedings to the court.
This time limit begins on the date that you first became aware of your injury/illness.
If you were a child at the time of the accident (under the age of 18), you will usually have 3 years from your 18th birthday to issue court proceedings.
More complex rules apply to other personal injury claims.
What types of personal injury can I claim for?
- Medical negligence (e.g. misdiagnosis & surgery)
- Serious injury (e.g. traumatic brain & spinal injuries)
- Accidents at work (e.g. manual handling injuries)
- Accidents and illness whilst on holiday (e.g. food poisoning)
- Road Traffic Accidents (e.g. pedestrian, cyclist and passenger accidents)
- Asbestos related diseases (e.g. mesothelioma)
- Industrial diseases (e.g. hearing loss and respiratory problems)
- Accidents in public places (e.g. slips and trips)
- Negligence causing psychiatric injury
In regard to psychiatric injury, English Law is more restrictive in its approach to awarding damages. As per Alcock v Chief Constable of South Yorkshire [1992], a claimant must satisfy that they are either a primary or secondary victim, which is explained by Lord Oliver below:
- A primary victim was explained as an injured claimant “who was involved, either mediately or immediately as a participant”.
- A secondary victim is a witness that suffers psychiatric injury by witnessing the injury or endangerment of another.
The following criteria must be satisfied, in order for a claimant to recover compensation for psychiatric injury as a secondary victim:
- A close tie of love and affection with the person killed or injured;
- That he or she was close to the incident in time and space;
- That he or she has suffered a recognisable psychiatric illness;
- That it was reasonably foreseeable in the circumstances that someone of ordinary fortitude would suffer psychiatric injury in the same circumstances; and
- That the mechanism by which the injury was suffered can properly be described as “the sudden appreciation by sight or sound of a horrifying event”.
What compensation can I claim for?
In basic terms, you can claim for two things:
- General Damages – these are awarded to compensate for any direct effects of an injury/illness. Some examples include;
- Physical pain and suffering.
- Physical injury or impairment.
- Lower quality of life.
- Special Damages – these are awarded to compensate for any losses/expenses that you may have incurred as a direct result of another’s negligence. Common examples include:
- Short-term medical expenses (i.e. hospital charges, consultation fees, medication related expenses, etc).
- Long-term medical expenses (i.e. long-term medical treatments made necessary by injury/illness).
- Loss of income.
How much personal injury compensation could you receive?
What are Conditional Fee Agreements?
A Conditional Fee Agreement, otherwise known as ‘no-win, no-fee’ relates to a financial arrangement between a client and a lawyer which ensures that solicitor’s fees are only payable on the condition that your case is won and you receive compensation.
Can I claim for a personal injury if it was my fault?
Generally, no. However, if you are injured as a result of an accident with which another party is partly to blame, you can still pursue a personal injury claim for compensation.
How long will my claim take?
The time it takes for a case to settle will vary depending on the complexity of your case. For example, a personal injury claim relating to a road traffic accident can take up to 6-9 months, however, claims for serious injury may take several years to resolve due to the complex issues involved in the case.