Personal injury advice from
Thompsons Solicitors
Personal Injury Compensation Solicitors
If you have suffered a personal injury and believe that someone else is to blame, you may decide to pursue a claim for compensation. The Legal Line’s specialist personal injury lawyers, Thompsons Solicitors, are experts in all areas of injury compensation and can provide you with the best possible advice and assistance.
Further information about our personal injury solicitors and the service we provide can be found below. If you have any queries, or would like to enquire about making an accident claim, contact us on 0800 0328511 or by completing an online compensation claim enquiry form.
Types of personal injury claim The Legal Line specialises in
Why use The Legal Line’s injury solicitors?
Our lawyers’ history and personal injury experience
Are The Legal Line’s solicitors approved by regulatory bodies?
How our specialist personal injury solicitors can help you
Who can make a personal injury claim?
Claiming injury compensation
Damages
How Much Compensation am I Likely to Receive?
Successful personal injury compensation claims
Types of personal injury claim The Legal Line specialises in
Our personal injury lawyers have extensive experience in all areas of compensation claims, including accidents, clinical negligence and industrial disease cases. Below are just some of the many areas in which our solicitors specialise:
Accidents at work
Accidents in public places
Accidents on private property
Asbestos related diseases
Car accidents
Catastrophic injuries
Children's Accidents
Holiday accidents
Injuries caused by pollutants and hazardous substances
Medical negligence
Military injuries
Product liability
Sports injuries
Why use The Legal Line’s Injury Solicitors?
Our legal services are provided by Thompsons Solicitors, the most experienced personal injury law firm in the UK. From your initial enquiry right through to the conclusion of your claim, your case will be handled in a sympathetic, efficient and professional manner.
A specialist lawyer will take care of your compensation claim and the service is provided on a cost free basis (see the costs and risks page in our questions answered section for any exceptions and more detailed information). You will receive 100% of any compensation awarded to you and you will not be asked to take out unnecessary loans.
The Legal Line’s injury solicitors are committed to ensuring that each of their clients receives the maximum compensation possible in the shortest time.
Our lawyers’ history and personal injury experience
The Legal Line’s lawyers, Thompsons Solicitors, have been assisting the innocent victims of accidents and industrial diseases caused by negligence for over 90 years. They have a network of offices throughout the UK and have fought and won many high profile test cases, helping to shape the law on important issues such as asbestos compensation.
Our lawyers have an excellent record for securing high levels of damages for their clients, around £175m compensation was recovered in 2005 alone and they recovered one of the highest ever personal injury settlements of £3.5m in a road accident case, for a client with serious spinal injuries.
You can read about Thompsons’ history and some of the important personal injury and industrial disease cases, campaigns and test cases they have dealt with in our history through the cases article.
Are The Legal Line’s solicitors approved by regulatory bodies?
Our solicitors are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and several members of the nationwide team belong to the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and the Law Society’s Clinical Negligence Panel.
They are also members of the brain injury association Headway, the Spinal Injuries Association and the AvMA Referral Panel.
How our specialist personal injury solicitors can help you
If you were involved in an accident, have been affected by clinical negligence or are suffering from an industrial illness, you will want to ensure that you receive the best advice and guidance possible, through what can be a difficult and stressful time. It is therefore important to seek specialist advice from a qualified, experienced professional, such as The Legal Line's personal injury solicitors.
In order to make a personal injury compensation claim, it is necessary to prove that the person or organisation you are claiming against was in some way responsible for the injury you sustained. It could be that their actions caused your injury, they owed you a duty of care and breached that duty (were negligent) or they failed to act if they did not take reasonable steps to prevent you from coming to harm.
This could be, for example, another road user in a road accident, your employer in an workplace accident or a local authority if you were injured due to a defect on a public pavement.
Your lawyer will be able to collate all of the evidence relevant to your claim, in order to establish who is to blame and advise on how to achieve the best possible outcome. They will handle the case on your behalf, keeping you updated at regular intervals.
Who can make a personal injury claim?
If you have suffered a personal injury or illness, either as the result of an accident, clinical negligence or perhaps through exposure to a hazardous substance, you may be entitled to claim compensation if someone else was to blame.
There are certain limitations in place as to whether or not a claim can be pursued however. For example there is a general time limit of three years within which to bring your claim, running either from the date of an accident or the date that a condition was diagnosed. There are some exceptions, including injuries involving children, further details of which can be found in our time limits to make your claim page.
A specialist personal injury solicitor is the best person to advise you on whether or not you have a valid compensation claim that can be taken forward. If you have suffered a personal injury, it is always important to seek legal advice at the earliest opportunity.
Claiming injury compensation
If you are suffering from a personal injury, the first and most important step is to seek medical attention. In addition to safeguarding your health this will also ensure that details of your injury are noted on your medical records.
You should also keep an account of as much information as possible about your accident (how it happened, dates and times, witness information etc, see our accident checklist) and any related expenses or medical treatment, as this will assist your solicitor and costs related to your injury can often be reclaimed.
The next step is to obtain advice from a specialist personal injury lawyer, who can advise you on the best way to pursue your claim.
Damages
Also known as compensation, damages is the term for an amount of money awarded to the victim of a personal injury in respect of the pain and suffering they have endured, in addition to any financial losses and costs they may have incurred.
There are two elements to an award of compensation, known as general damages and special damages.
General damages relates to the pain the claimant has suffered and any loss of amenity (the ability to do things that they were able to do before, for example sports, driving or hobbies).
Special damages are paid in respect of losses, such as medical expenses, lost earnings or damage to personal property. An award may be made in respect of future losses, or the loss of ‘congenial employment’ if a person is unable to continue in a particularly rewarding role.
Further information about damages can be found in our compensation information page.
How Much Compensation am I Likely to Receive?
The details of each case are assessed individually, as a number of factors affect the amount of compensation awarded in a personal injury claim. These include the extent of the injury, recovery period, any loss of earnings, other losses related to the injury (for example medical expenses and care costs) and whether or not the victim was partially to blame.
Awards made in previous claims of a similar nature are used as a guideline however, together with general guidelines from the Judicial Studies Board. Our ‘How Much’ section provides further information and you can find details of previous settled cases in our personal injury news and success stories sections.
Successful personal injury compensation claims
Below you will find case studies and links to articles about some of the many compensation claims successfully fought and won by our personal injury solicitors:
Damages Awarded to Mesothelioma Victim – A 49 year old woman was awarded compensation after she was diagnosed with the industrial disease, mesothelioma.
Faulty Work Equipment Causes Personal Injury – Claim for an employee whose thumb was injured by a defective circular saw.
Newspaper vendor secures damages after dustcart accident – A woman was injured when a council vehicle ploughed into her kiosk on the pavement.
Hospital Trust Finally Admits Liability in Clinical Negligence Case – After almost 7 years a man wins his claim against the hospital trust liable for his wife’s death.
Missing Machine Guard Causes Workplace Injury – Compensation claim for an employee who suffered a personal injury in an accident caused by faulty equipment.
Compensation for Road Accident Victim Suffering from Whiplash – Following a rear end shunt, this client made a successful injury claim against the responsible driver.
£4,000 Compensation for Pedestrian Knocked Down on Zebra Crossing – After suffering knee injuries, our personal injury solicitors helped a pedestrian to recover compensation.
Asbestos Cancer Mesothelioma also affects Younger Victims – A 45 year old woman suffering from mesothelioma caused by second-hand exposure to asbestos receives compensation.
Man Injured in Fall From Ladder at Work Receives £90,000 Compensation – In a fall at work, an employee sustained serious injuries to his wrist and was awarded damages.
Successful Accident At Work Compensation Claim – Damages awarded to a groundsman injured in an accident at work.
Lack of Risk Assessments and Unsuitable Work Equipment Causes Injury – An employee made a successful claim against her employer following a workplace injury.
School Employee Injured at Work By Falling Light Fitting – Compensation claim for head and shoulder injuries in an accident at work.
Accident at Work Compensation Awarded to Back Injury Victim – Insufficient health and safety measures caused an employee to suffer a back injury.
Hull Hospital patient secures Compensation for Clinical Negligence – A surgical error resulted in a patient requiring further surgery and a permanent colostomy.
Accident Compensation for Employee injured on Granada TV Production – A Granada employee suffered serious injuries due to the negligence of his employer.
Plasterer Injured by Unsafe Equipment in Accident at Work - Injured in a fall from some scaffold boards, an employee recovered compensation with help from our lawyers.
£12,000 Compensation for Back Injury at Work - After an accident at work caused an employee a back injury and made an existing condition worse, our lawyers helped her to recover compensation.
Lawyers Suggest Insurance Industry Provides Misinformation on Personal Injury Claims - Our lawyers raise concerns about the one sided account of the compensation claims process provided by the ABI.
Compensation Claim for Serious Shoulder Injury at Work - A man who was medically retired following an accident at work received compensation.
Back Injury Compensation for Worker Injured in Warehouse Accident - We recovered personal injury compensation for an employee injured in an accident at work.
Patient Given Incorrect Prescription Receives Medical Negligence Compensation - Our lawyers assisted a man who suffered serious health problems due to being given the wrong medication.
£32,000 Compensation for Rail Worker Injured in Accident at Work - We assisted a man who suffered fractures in a workplace accident to recover personal injury compensation.
Personal Injury Claim for Press Operator Injured in Factory Accident - We recovered compensation for a man who suffered a serious leg injury in an accident at work.
Clinical Negligence Compensation After Lack of Treatment Results in Amputation - Our lawyers secured compensation for a man who required an amputation due to medical negligence.
Fall at Work Caused by Cup Left on Steps - An ambulance service employee received damages after a fall on steps.
Cyclist Knocked off Bike on Roundabout Receives Injury Compensation - We recovered compensation for an injured cyclist.
Clinical Negligence Claim for Man Injured by Surgical Error - Our lawyers secured medical negligence compensation for a patient left with permanent problems by a surgical mistake.
Personal Injury Claim for Moped Accident Caused by Road Defect - A motorcyclist suffered a personal injury in a road accident caused by a pothole.
School Cook Suffers Burn Injury in Accident at Work - A school cook burnt her arm because she was provided with incorrect equipment.
Uneven Paving Slab Causes Employee’s Injury at Work - We recovered damages for a woman who suffered an ankle injury because of an uneven path.
Healthy Fallopian Tube Removed in Error in Clinical Negligence Case - A woman was left with fertility concerns due to a surgical error and we secured compensation on her behalf.
Injury Claim for Pedestrian Hit by Van in Car Park - Our lawyers recovered personal injury compensation for a pedestrian hit by a van.
Employee Injured by Unsafe Machinery Receives Compensation - A man suffered multiple injuries in an accident at work caused by defective machinery.
Lorry Driver Injured by Faulty Work Vehicle - An employee suffered a back injury when a work vehicle he was driving malfunctioned.
£30,000 Compensation for Mechanic’s Eye Injury at Work - We secured compensation for a mechanic who suffered a serious eye injury in an accident at work.
Compensation for Man Who Suffered Shoulder Injury at Work - A paint sprayer was injured at work by faulty equipment.
Compensation Claim for Fitter Injured by Falling Object at Work - A man suffered a foot injury in an accident at work.
- Dangerous Doorframe Causes Employee Injury: In the course of his working duties, our client was being guided along an outside pathway of a public building. The surroundings were poorly lit and he hit his head on a low, unmarked doorframe. His guide during this time was an employee at the property and did not warn our client of the possible hazard.
As a result, our client received a whiplash type injury to his neck as the force of the impact whipped his head backwards. He was initially absent from work for approximately 2 weeks but returned only briefly and has been absent since that time. He has continued to suffer symptoms of the whiplash ever since. He has now been advised that there will be no improvement and was medically retired from his position in 2006.
Although the defendants accepted some liability, our client also accepted partial responsibility. The compensation was therefore reduced accordingly and our expert workplace accident solicitors were able to obtain £25,000 for the client.
- Lack of Workplace Safety Causes Injury: For many of our clients, making an injury claim seems to be the only way of making their employers take notice of known health and safety risks and improve conditions for their employees. When our client tripped and fell as she was leaving her workplace, it was not the first time someone had tripped in the same area.
Debris had been left lying on the floor which caused her to trip and fall. As a result of this workplace accident, she sustained a fractured wrist, as well as other minor injuries. After being injured at work her wrist has still not recovered fully and she is now left with a minor but permanent disability. Although she was able to return to her previous work, she has been advised that as a result of this injury she will be limited in her choice of work on the open labour market, if she loses her job.
Our client was initially reluctant to proceed with the case, primarily because before she made her injury claim, the employer took remedial action and cleared the area of the tripping hazards. Our specialist lawyers mentioned this to them in the initial letter of claim however, and used it as a way of proving that they knew there were breaches of health and safety. Had the employer carried out such a clean up before the accident, then the incident would not have occurred.
Claimants should not be discouraged from making an injury claim against their employer if they know that the evidence has been lost or destroyed. There are often witnesses who can confirm details and/or documents in the employers' possession that may prove the existence of the evidence that is sought.
The Defendant in this case admitted liability immediately. Our specialist personal injury lawyers were able to negotiate around £20,000 in workplace accident compensation for our client for her suffering, and potential lost future earnings. - Chronic Back Pain Caused by Fork Lift Truck Accident: Whilst performing his duties at work, our client suffered a long term personal injury when a forklift truck reversed into him without warning. There was no horn or siren to alert employees in the vicinity that the vehicle was reversing, and the driver failed to pay sufficient attention to notice that our client was behind him on foot.
Our client sustained injuries to his left arm and ankle, but most notably to his lower back. He underwent physiotherapy treatment but this was unsuccessful and he was left with chronic, ongoing pain. He was no longer able to continue in his job and experienced problems seeking alternative employment due to his condition. His symptoms also affect his daily routine, social life and family life. He was previously active, enjoying sports, DIY and activities with his children, however is now very restricted in what he is physically able to do.
Using their extensive experience in handling workplace accident cases, our specialist lawyers made a successful compensation claim on his behalf, recovering £195,831.43 in damages. This award was made in respect of the claimant’s pain and suffering, loss of amenity and financial losses, including his loss of earnings.
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