A life changing injury claim seeks compensation when you are injured in an accident that was not your fault. A life changing injury is when you suffer catastrophic injuries such as losing an eye or a limb, damaging your spine or suffering a traumatic birth injury. 

If you suffer personal injury due to an accident caused at least in part by the negligence of someone else, you may well be entitled to make a claim for compensation.

Your personal injury solicitor seeks to recover damages through a No Win No Fee claims process. If you have been injured, and your life changed by an accident that was someone else’s fault, a claim for compensation seeks financial redress for your injuries and financial losses.

If you suffer a life changing injury in an accident that was not your fault, The Personal Injury Team No Win No Fee solicitors can file your compensation claim for the money you deserve.

Life changing injury claims

Table of content

What is a life changing injury claim?

A life changing injury claim is for compensation to cover the costs of dealing with the changes to your life after an accident that was not your fault. You claim for the damages from the injury in the accident and the changes to your life now and in the future. 

You could suffer a life changing injury in a road traffic accident, when falling over a broken pavement stone or in an industrial accident. The severity of the injury could impact your ability to work, walk, care for yourself and your ability to live an independent life. 

In some cases, the sufferer may die, and dependents may be able to make a claim for the costs of caring for a loved one and the loss of their income to the home. 

You may be off work for some time after a life changing injury or learning how to live with it. A life changing injury claim seeks compensation to cover the costs of the illness or injury and the effects of it on your life. 

You could be injured, need hospital care, and have significant medical bills to pay, but you might be able to claim compensation to cover your costs. 

A No Win No Fee personal injury solicitor can review your case and advise if you have a valid life changing injury claim.

Personal Injury Case Assessment

Take our 5-minute claim assessment to determine the strength and validity of your case.
This is a 100% cost and commitment free service.

Types of life changing injury claims

Types of life changing injury claims range from losing your eyesight to suffering brain injury and damaging your spine. Any life changing injury will impact your life and that of your loved ones. 

You will need to make adaptions to your car, home and living arrangements. Your ability to work or earn a salary at a level you did before the accident can change with any type of life changing injury. 

Types of life changing injury claims:

You could suffer a life changing injury anywhere and at any time. If you suffer a life changing injury in an accident that was not your fault, you may have a claim for compensation.

Road traffic life changing accident

A road traffic life changing accident is when you suffer injuries as a passenger, a driver or when hit while cycling your bike or on your motorcycle. You can also suffer life changing road traffic injuries when out walking or going for a run after work. 

Common claims for life changing accidents are:

road traffic accident compensation

Truck and lorry accident claims

Truck and lorry accident claims seek compensation for the most severe accidents seen in road traffic accidents. 

A truck is a large vehicle, and serious or catastrophic injury is not unusual. Injuries can be severe when a lorry or truck hits a car, bike or pedestrian in a road traffic accident. 

An injured person could suffer broken limbs, serious soft tissue injuries and other life changing injuries. 

The potential for life changing injuries or, indeed, loss of life is high in truck and lorry road traffic accidents.

Motorcycle accident claim

A motorcycle accident claim for life changing injury is not unusual as motorbikes are very vulnerable on the road. 

Motorcycle accident claims are often the result of carelessness or negligence by other road users. They happen a lot and, given the vulnerability of motorcyclists, often lead to very serious, life changing injuries. 

You could be knocked off your motorbike in a dooring incident, when a driver turns without looking in the rearview mirror or when a car comes out of a side road into your path.

Passenger accident claims

Passenger accident claims are usually injuries to someone travelling as a passenger in a car, bus, train, or on a motorbike. 

As a passenger, the accident will very rarely be your fault, and so you are very likely to have a valid and strong claim that is likely to succeed. 

A passenger in any vehicle accident may suffer a serious, life changing injury such as loss of limbs, deep scarring and spine damage.

Schedule Your Callback

Have you been involved in a personal injury? We specialise in pursuing damages to make sure you get the maximum compensation possible. It’s free and easy to speak with one of our team of claim experts.

Life changing accident at work claim

A life changing accident at work claim covers accidents at places of business and all types of injuries. If you suffer a life changing accident at work, you can file a compensation claim to get help with your recovery and making changes to your life.

Common workplace life changing injury claims are for:

Workplace injury compensation

Crushing accident at work claims

A life changing crushing accident at work claim is when any part of your body is crushed at the workplace. It could be your finger is caught in an automatically closing door, or your hand is crushed by heavy machinery. 

Trucks, forklifts, heavy lifting equipment and machinery are dangers in the workplace. Crush injuries damage bones, nerves, tendons, and ligaments. 

A crushing accident is a serious injury, with amputation a possibility, and recovery can take a long time and may involve making changes to your home and lifestyle. 

If you are crushed by a machine you are using in the workplace, you may have a life changing accident claim.

Industrial injury claims

Industrial injury claims are for any of the myriad of injuries that can happen in the workplace. It could be a fall from scaffolding, a slip down damaged stairs or an injury from a dropped block on a site. 

All industrial injuries put you in line for a workplace accident claim. It is not your fault that a chemical spill burns your legs or you damage vertebrae by lifting a filing cabinet. 

Any serious, life changing industrial injury will put you off work and leave you out of pocket. 

You may have an accident at work claim to get work injury compensation to cover your losses.

Asbestos claims

Asbestos claims are for damage to your health following exposure to asbestos fibres in the workplace. It is usually in the removal of asbestos or disposal of it that the exposure happens. 

Mesothelioma is a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos – the most common cause is asbestos. If you work with asbestos, you should be provided with personal protective equipment to prevent a life changing accident. 

A life changing accident compensation claim for asbestos is the only way to get the financial support to help you cope with the Mesothelioma.

Are you eligible for compensation?

If you want to pursue damages for the accident you have suffered, we have a simple 3 step process to make sure you get the compensation you deserve.

  • Take our online assessment & speak with our team
  • Our team of claim specialists will undertake a full case review
  • We will send a legal letter and our solicitors will pursue your compensation on your behalf

All case reviews are 100% cost and commitment free.

Life changing injury in a public place claim

A life changing injury in a public place is for injuries seen every day on public property. A personal injury when in a public place that is not your fault could change your life, and you can make a public liability claim for compensation. 

Injuries may be scarring and disability from slips, trips and falls in shopping centres or falling down stairs at the cinema but if your injuries happen in public places, then you may have a public liability claim. 

Common types of public liability claims are for:

  • Slipping on a wet floor in a restaurant
  • Accidents in public playgrounds
  • Falling down stairs at the cinema
public liability claim

Slipping on a wet floor in a restaurant

Slipping on a wet floor in a restaurant can easily happen if the property owner does not keep the public areas safe for visitors. Corridors, entrances, and floors open to the public must be kept dry and safe for users. 

It could be a spillage that is not cleaned up or marked as being unsafe. You can slip on a floor wet from the rain, which the owner has not dried in time. 

You could suffer a life changing injury if you bang your head, causing brain damage or damage to your spine in an awkward fall.

Accidents in public playgrounds

Accidents in public playgrounds, like tripping on an uneven surface or falling off a faulty swing, form many life changing personal injury claims. 

Children need to be protected when playing in public. Scarring, pain, and long-term injury result from accidents in public playgrounds. 

A broken spine, shattered arm or deep cuts can be life changing injuries. Head injuries could lead to a child needing care for life, and the costs to the family will be huge.

Falling down stairs at the cinema

Falling down stairs at the cinema can result in a serious, life changing injury and, in some cases, death. Stairs not kept safe are a significant hazard and a danger to the public. 

Uneven and broken stairs must be repaired. The property owner must keep them clear of rubbish and other tripping hazards. Wet stairs are slippery and a danger to the public. 

Personal injury claims for falling down stairs are seen every day, and you may have a claim for compensation if a life changing injury happens to you.

How Much Is Your Claim Worth?

Take a few minutes to fill in our claim assessment form and find out how much compensation you will be entitled to.

Compensation for a life changing accident claim

In a No Win No Fee life changing accident claim, you might be able to seek compensation damages ranging from a few thousand pounds to more than £10 million. How much compensation you can claim depends on the injuries suffered and the financial effect of those injuries on your life.

If someone else is responsible for your personal injury, you might be able to claim compensation from their insurance company.

Sample compensation amounts in a life changing personal injury claim are as follows. Please note these are figures for the injuries only. Financial losses would apply in addition:

  • Amputation of little finger from £8,640 to £12,240
  • Permanent mobility problems with legs, from £54,830 to £87,890
  • Serious brachial plexus injury from £96,160 to £130,930
  • Below-knee amputation of one leg, from £97,980 to £132,990
  • Severe back injury, from £38,780 to £160,980
  • Arm amputated at the shoulder, not less than £137,160
  • Moderate brain injury, from £43,060 to £219,070
  • Paraplegia, from £219,070 to £284,260
Compensation calculator

(The figures given here are for General Damages amounts only. You might also receive compensation for any financial losses you suffer due to the personal injury. Figures are taken from Judicial College Guidelines 16th Edition and are accurate as of April 2023.)

There is not one fixed amount in personal injury claims. The circumstances differ from person to person and claim to claim, and the amount of compensation awarded is tailored to the circumstances of your claim. 

A No Win No Fee personal injury solicitor can give you an idea of what to expect and what to claim for from their experience in life changing compensation claims.

What can you claim for compensation in a personal injury claim?

In a personal injury claim, you claim compensation for two types of damages: General Damages  & Special Damages.

The amount of compensation awarded is the total of these two types of damages.

General damages is the claim you make for what is known as PSLA, or the Pain, Suffering and Loss of Amenity you experience directly from the life changing injury. 

General damages compensate you for any non financial damages caused as a result of your accident. 

A life changing injury will often result in a change in lifestyle which is also compensated under general damages. 

In the event of an accident causing life changing injuries, special damages will cover you for any out of pocket expenses as a result of your accident. 

Life changing injuries will often result in costly hospital bills and ongoing treatment and medication.

We recommend keeping all records of payments made in relation to your accident, to be used in your claim. 

This can include hospital bills, therapy, travel for appointments, damage to personal property, etc.

How to make a claim for personal injury compensation

To make a claim for personal injury compensation, there are usually a few standard steps to follow. We will guide you through the entire process from first contact through to the conclusion of your claim.

Instruct a No Win No Fee personal injury solicitor as soon as possible. A personal injury solicitor can look at your case, see the extent of your injuries and how it might form a personal injury compensation claim.

Only a No Win No Fee personal injury solicitor will have the experience and the team to handle your claim. They will know what your claim may be worth and how to get the best results for you.

You may require medical treatment or investigation if you have suffered an injury due to an accident. It is important that the nature and extent of your injuries are contemporaneously recorded in your medical records.

This may be in a consultation with your GP if you have less severe injuries which do not require immediate treatment but do not clear up in a reasonable timeframe. You may need investigations, referral to a specialist, or maybe physiotherapy.

Of course, in a serious or life-threatening personal injury claim, you will attend A&E, and the hospital medical records will detail your injuries and treatment.

The solicitor gets all details and evidence to support your case in the next step of the claims process.

Your Personal Injury Team solicitor will speak to you and obtain a detailed description from you of how the accident happened, all injuries suffered, and the financial losses you sustained.

An experienced personal injury expert will assess the case. If they confirm you have a valid personal injury compensation claim, they can discuss the next steps in the process with you and answer any of your questions.

The personal injury solicitor submits the claim through a “Claim Notification Form” to begin the formal process for most claims, which are likely to be worth less than £25,000. Your solicitor sends the Claim Notification Form to the negligent party or their insurance company.

Most personal injury claims go through an online Claims Portal. Your personal injury lawyer will send the form through the portal directly to the insurance company on your behalf.

The insurance company has to respond within a set time. The deadline varies depending on the type of claim, and it is three weeks for a road traffic accident and up to eight weeks for a public liability claim.

In claims likely to be worth more than £25,000, the claim is started by your solicitor sending a “Letter of Claim” to the defendant or their insurance company. The law allows them three months to respond to the claim formally and either admit or deny liability.

Your Personal Injury Team lawyer will advise you of the time limit applying to your case.

Getting the response from the negligent party informs your personal injury solicitor how the case is likely to proceed.

The negligent party can either admit liability in the case or state that they intend to defend it.

When the negligent party decides to defend the case, it is known as ‘denying liability’ in legal terms.

If the negligent party admits liability, which often happens, your personal injury solicitor will obtain medical evidence. You may need to have a consultation with a medical expert that your solicitor will arrange. Once completed, medical evidence and details of your financial losses will be sent to the insurer.

The negotiation period then starts, often resulting in the settlement of your claim. You would be closely involved in this process and given expert advice throughout – no compensation would be agreed upon without your authority.

In very large claims, you are likely to have to see a number of medical experts over a longer period. When the injuries suffered are significant, it can take a long time until the final prognosis is known. Your solicitor will advise you on the likely timescales and when, tactically, will be the best time to enter settlement discussions with the defendant.

Often, claims for life-changing injury will be negotiated at a “settlement meeting” with the defendants. The two sides may meet. During the meeting, your case will be outlined, and negotiations will take place.

You would be at this meeting and be closely involved in this process, and no settlement would be agreed upon without your authority.

At this stage, your solicitor, and sometimes a barrister, will handle the meeting and advise you on what is on offer and what level of compensation to accept.

Going to court is the final step if the negligent party does not accept responsibility for your personal injury or if the negligent party admits liability but refuses to pay a fair amount to you in compensation.

Issuing court proceedings is handled by your solicitor.

Although court proceedings are started in some cases, very few personal injury cases make it to a court case before a judge. The vast majority will settle before having to issue court proceedings, and even where proceedings are issued, few cases end up at a trial.

Your Personal Injury Team solicitor will advise you through the entire process from start to finish.

steps in making a personal injury claim

Claiming compensation on behalf of a loved one

Claiming compensation on behalf of a loved one happens when they are too sick to make the claim themselves. Your solicitor can talk you through the process and help you make the personal injury claim for a loved one who suffered a life changing injury. 

If your child is aged under 18 at the date of the life changing injury, you can bring the claim against those responsible on their behalf. A parent, guardian or trusted loved one, usually a close relative, can become a litigation friend who represents the child in discussions with a solicitor. 

The litigation friend can make decisions on the child’s behalf and be involved in every step of the process. 

If you or a loved one passes away, any dependents may be able to claim compensation. They may be able to claim compensation if the loved one dies due to a life changing injury that was not their fault or only partially their fault. 

A dependent is defined as:

  • A spouse or former spouse of the deceased
  • Someone who lived with the deceased for two years before death as a husband, wife, or civil partner.
  • Blood children, adopted children or those who became children through marriage or civil partnership
  • Parents and those acting as parents, such as a guardian or step-parents
  • Grandparents or great-grandparents
  • Brothers, sisters, cousins, and other direct relatives

If you are one of the listed above, you may be defined as a dependent if you were partially or fully financially dependent on the person who dies due to a life changing personal injury. 

You may have a claim for compensation if you are a dependent of someone who passes away due to the life changing injury.

How long do I have to make a personal injury claim?

You have three years to make a personal injury claim for compensation. The three years usually begin from when you suffered the personal injury.

Personal injury compensation claims must generally be brought and court proceedings issued within three years of the injury.

For children, the time limit only begins when they turn 18. Parents or guardians can start a personal injury claim for children under the age of 18.

If a loved one has passed away, the family can start a personal injury compensation claim within three years of the date of death.

There is no time limit for personal injury claims for those who lack mental capacity.

Schedule A Call

Have you been involved in a personal injury? We specialise in pursuing damages to make sure you get the maximum compensation possible.

It’s free and easy to speak with one of our team of no win no fee claim experts.

Will I have to go to court for my claim?

You are very unlikely to have to go to court to make your claim for personal injury compensation.  

If you follow our advice, the claim process usually goes smoothly, and the vast majority of claims will be settled long before court proceedings are needed.   

Our personal injury compensation claim team will fight your case. Even if court proceedings must be issued because, for example, the defendant unreasonably denies liability, the case is still unlikely to have to end up at a trial. 

Very few personal injury claims require court proceedings, and even fewer, less than 1%, will end up at trial.

A No Win No Fee personal injury solicitor

In the event of a life changing injury, a  No Win No Fee personal injury solicitor will help you secure the compensation you deserve with no risk of legal fees in the event of losing your claim. 

If you have been the victim of an accident causing life changing injuries, the last thing you want to think about is additional legal fees on top of your medical bills. 

Avoid legal expenses by working with the Personal Injury Teams no win no fee solicitors.

No Win No Fee personal injury solicitor

Find out how much you can claim for today

If you have been the victim of a life changing injury and it was not your fault, you may be entitled to a personal injury claim for compensation. 

Compensation amounts are guidelines only on what to expect from your personal injury claim. Our personal injury solicitors can advise you using their expertise and experience and can quickly tell you if you have a valid claim and what to do next.

Our team of No Win No Fee personal injury solicitors can take your case to seek the compensation you deserve. We have the experience to handle your claim for personal injury compensation and see it through to a successful conclusion, whether the claim is worth £1,500 or more than £10,000,000.

Speak with the Personal Injury Team today and take a FREE claim assessment and find out how much you can claim.

Compensation for personal injury claims