Personal Injury Solicitors

Q: Is there a time limit for making a claim?

Yes, there are strict time limits that apply to making a personal injury claim. You have three years after the injury occurred which is usually the date of the accident but can be some time after the event, such as in the case of medical negligence. In these circumstances, the period may begin on the date that you became aware of the conditions.

Q: Will it be worth the time and effort to pursue a personal injury claim?

If you have suffered injury as a result of another person’s negligence you have a legal right to make a claim for compensation. The amount of compensation you receive will reflect the seriousness of the injury. Compensation may be awarded for ongoing medical care, lost earnings and other expenses that can make a massive difference to your life at a difficult time.

Q: What are disbursements?

They are costs that our solicitors will have to pay to third parties to help prepare for your case, for example medical expert or court fees.

Q: What do I have to pay if my claim is unsuccessful?

Provided that you have acted in accordance with our advice, all costs are waived under a “No Win, No Fee”. The ATE premium will be waived and that policy will pay for our disbursements and our opponent’s disbursements and costs. There are circumstances where you may become liable for costs and your personal injury solicitor will advise you of these in advance – but this generally only occurs if you fail to cooperate with us, have acted fraudulently or dishonestly in your instructions.

If you have suffered a personal injury and want to make a claim for an accident, our team of solicitors in London can help. We have helped countless individuals and their families through what can be a very stressful and emotional time.

Our personal injury lawyers have obtained millions of pounds in compensation for our clients, including supporting them access compensation for lost income when they are unable to work.

We can also help access private treatment and rehabilitation that may not be available on the NHS, as well as other damages to compensate individuals following an accident. Contact the team for a Free Consultation

What is a Personal Injury Claim?

A personal injury is defined as either a physical injury, disease or illness, or a psychological injury/ condition that has been caused by someone else’s fault or negligence. In some cases, it may result in death giving rise to a fatal accident claim.

This personal injury may have been caused by:

accidents at work
car or road traffic accidents – as a driver, cyclist or pedestrian
injuries caused by negligence during hospital or medical treatment
accidents in a public place (known as public liability)
accidents in others’ premises (known as occupiers’ liability)
accidents on holiday

A personal injury will be detrimental to the quality of life of the injured person, either temporarily throughout the healing process, or permanently in cases of severe life-changing injuries or catastrophic injuries.

Personal injury claims and compensation

Our personal injury solicitors aim to make the claims process as simple and as stress-free for you as possible, as well as ensuring you receive early rehabilitation and the correct damages for your trauma.

We will support you through the process and fight to get the maximum compensation you deserve.

We have a team with a wealth of experience who help people make injury claims and are recognised as leaders in their field, providing you with reassurance that you have chosen the right firm.

How to make a personal injury claim

To make a personal injury claim, we will:

Carry out a free initial consultation. We will ask you about what has happened, the injury and assess the best way to help you.
Contact the insurers of the party who was at fault for your accident to seek their agreement to fund early rehabilitation and also seek an admission of liability.
Seek an early interim payment to help relieve any financial pressure and to fund medical and rehabilitation treatment as well as expenses whilst we finalise your claim.
If they do not accept responsibility, we will gather additional evidence to prove their fault. Evidence will also be needed to support your claim for damages: this can include independent medical expert evidence, witnesses who can attest to how much help you have needed after the accident, and anyone else we feel would support your case.
If your claim is successful we will fight to get the best possible compensation that you deserve. You’ll then receive your compensation.

Personal injury compensation

At Hodge Jones & Allen, our team of specialist lawyers operate on a No Win No Fee basis, which means there is no financial risk to you. We can guide you through the process and help with any difficulties you may experience.

As every injury is personal to each individual, the amount of compensation you could receive will also be personal to you.

What is the difference between general and special damages?

Personal injury compensation is assessed by looking at two types of compensation:

General Damages – the actual injury element of the compensation
Special Damages – the financial losses that flow from the injury.

General damages

is compensation for the physical and/or mental pain and suffering, disfigurement or impairment, and lowered quality of life (due to physical and mental limitations, such as no longer being able to undertake previous favourite sports or hobbies).

Your solicitors may refer to this as Pain, Suffering and Loss of Amenity (PSLA). We will collate the medical and supporting evidence to prove this part of your claim.

Special damages

is the compensation for the financial losses that are a direct result of your injury. The most obvious of these are loss of earnings due to incapacity to work. This would include compensation if the medical evidence indicates that you are unlikely to work in the future. A pension loss calculation may also be appropriate.

In addition, the time a loved one spends looking after you in the immediate aftermath of the accident can be recovered. Treatment expenses, such as physiotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), prescription costs, unused gym membership, travel expenses to and from the hospital and damaged items of clothing also fall into this category.

This is not an exhaustive list as every case is different. Your personal injury solicitor will discuss this with you and make sure that all financial losses that can be recovered are included. All losses should be supported by documentary evidence. Your personal injury solicitor will discuss this with you.

Did you know?

Generally, you have three years from the date of an accident through negligence to make a personal injury claim – so don’t delay – get in touch today

How long will your personal injury claim take?

A personal injury compensation claim can vary in terms of how long it will take to complete.

For a very simple claim, where there is an admission of liability and the injury is relatively minor, this can be a matter of weeks.

If there is no admission and the injuries are more serious then this can take longer as it will involve more in-depth evidence gathering and consultation with experts. It may also be necessary to issue court proceedings.

Who pays the compensation?

Personal injury compensation is paid from the insurers of the individual or organisation deemed to be at fault.

No win, no fee personal injury claims

At Hodge, Jones & Allen we operate on a No Win No Fee basis for personal injury claims.

This means that you won’t have to pay anything up front, and there is no financial risk or obligations to you if your claim is unsuccessful provided you have taken out After the Event Insurance (ATE). This will cover you for any adverse costs, in the event your claim is unsuccessful, so there is no risk to you at all.

Why Hodge Jones & Allen?

Our team of personal injury solicitors are specialists in securing personal injury compensation
Over 40 years of experience, fighting on behalf of accident victims with serious injuries
Focus on rehabilitation by putting your recovery at the forefront of any claim
Highly ranked in Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners UK due to our excellent track record
Accredited by APIL (Association of Personal Injury Lawyers) and individual members of The Law Society Personal Injury Panel
Abide by the Rehabilitation Code, putting our client’s well-being at the centre of any claim
Work with clinicians to get funding for treatment that may not be available on the NHS
Fight for compensation should there need to be any adaptations to housing as a result of the accident
Won several awards for the innovative work we do and our excellent client service
Excellent recommendations on TrustPilot that outline how our clients feel about the firm
Partnerships with many organisations who work in this area, including:

Personal injury case studies

Our specialist team of personal injury solicitors deal with a range of different cases across all situations – such as work accidents, road traffic accidents and even holiday accidents and claims.

Spinal Injury Case

Our client was struck at speed, leaving him with serious spinal injuries. He was in a hospital for twelve months where he needed artificial ventilation for six months. We helped secure psychological support for his wife and children and advice on how to deal with the life-changing injuries. Our solicitors secured an interim payment to buy and adapt a property and to purchase an adapted car and a motor home. Our client will continue to get a lifetime of support as a result of the claim process.

Damages awarded: £7.5 million

Amputation Case

Our client went to the aid of a driver of a car that had broken down. While assisting to push the car out of the road, another driver collided with the broken down car crushing him between the two. This resulted in a double amputation. Rehabilitation was arranged for our client who suffered past losses and future losses of earnings, transport, equipment costs, gardening costs, DIY and household expenses plus prosthetic costs. In addition, a sum was recovered to purchase a more suitable property.

Damages awarded: £2.75 million

Brain Injury Case

Our client was a pedestrian who was knocked down. He suffered a serious head injury with Post Concussional Syndrome. He was unable to work after the accident. Expert evidence was obtained in the format of an accident reconstruction report and a video expert who analysed the partial CCTV of the incident. We worked tirelessly to assist our client and their family and this was concluded after court proceedings were issued in the High Court. There was no concession made on liability.