PERSONAL INJURY SOLICITORS

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, supporting them with 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.

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.

Our personal injury solicitors deal with a wide range of catastrophic and life changing injuries such as:

• Acquired Brain Injuries
• Amputation
• Serious Spinal Injuries
• Burns, Scalding and Scarring Injuries
• Nerve damage
• Chronic Pain and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
• Broken Bones
• Psychological Injuries such as PTSD and depression
• Spinal and Back injuries

Introduction to our Specialist Personal Injury team

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

Our solicitors are specialists in personal injury – that’s all they do. They will guide you through the process of making a personal injury claim and – unlike some firms – the person (or solicitor) you deal with will be available to you throughout your case.

To make a personal injury claim, we will:

1. Carry out a free initial consultation. We will ask you about what has happened, the injury and assess the best way to help you.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. If your claim is successful we will fight to get the best possible compensation that you deserve. You’ll then receive your compensation.

Generally, you have three years from the date of an accident through negligence to make a personal injury claim.

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.

Personal injury compensation

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, 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 loss that can be recovered are included. All losses should be supported by documentary evidence. Your personal injury solicitor will discuss this with you.

How long will compensation 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 at deemed to be 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:
  • The Spinal Injuries Association
  • Headway
  • Child Brain Injury Trust
  • United Kingdom Acquired Brain Injury Forum
  • Roadpeace

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 Stoke Mandeville Hospital for 12 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 he suffered. When he returned home, our solicitors secured an interim payment to buy and adapt a property close to his former home. They were also able to purchase an adapted car and a motor home. Our client will continue to get a lifetime of support as a result of the claims process. The client was awarded damages of £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. A technical argument arose with respect to the insurance position of the broken down vehicle. This was resolved by issuing court proceedings. Rehabilitation was arranged for the injured person who suffered past losses and future losses of earnings, transport costs (automatic car), equipment costs, gardening costs, DIY and household expenses plus prosthetic costs. In addition, a sum was recovered to purchase a more suitable property. The case was settled outside of court in the sum of £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. An allegation was made that our client was at fault for not using the nearby pedestrian crossing. 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.

Accident at work

Our client sustained an amputation to his left index finger as a result of an accident at work. He has been diagnosed with chronic pain and CRPS and is undergoing rehabilitation. Our client is a manual worker and his future capacity for work has been affected. In addition, as a result of his restricted mobility, he will require future care and assistance, which we will value with help from a care expert/occupational therapist. Subject to future updated expert evidence, his claim is valued in excess of £500,000.

Personal injury claims: FAQs

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.

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.

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.

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.

Can I make claim if I was injured while abroad?

Yes, you are able to make a claim if you were negligently injured while abroad on holiday or for work. As your injury occurred outside England and Wales, the law of the country where you were injured may apply. Our specialist solicitors will be able to advise you directly when you call us.

For an initial free consultation please call us today on 0800 437 0322 or if you prefer to email, please use our contact form.