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Injury Claims
Our personal injury lawyers can help you to make a compensation claim for a number of things, depending on where you accident happened and whether your claim will be governed by English law or the law of another country.
For claims covered by English law, which will typically include any case where your carrier is UK based or your travel was arranged as part of a package holiday with a UK tour operator, we can help you to claim for:
- physical and emotional pain and suffering;
- any adverse effect your injuries have had on your quality of life;
- expenses incurred in travelling to and from medical appointments, buying prescription medicines and paying other costs directly related to the accident or injury you have sustained;
- lost wages or pension entitlement;
- the cost of mobility aids, specialist equipment and home or vehicle adaptations; and
- future care costs.
Where your loved one died in an air, rail or sea accident and you therefore wish to claim compensation for a fatal accident, we can usually help you to claim for your bereavement, medical costs incurred before you loved one passed away, funeral costs and your loss of financial support and security.
We can also put you in touch with government agencies and voluntary groups who can provide practical and emotional support as you come to terms with the aftermath of a serious accident. These groups include the Spinal Injuries Association, the Limbless Association, Headway, the burns and scars charity Changing Faces and bereavement specialists Grief Journey UK and Care for the Family.
Personal Injury Compensation
Our personal injury lawyers can help you to make a compensation claim for any injury suffered by you or a family member while travelling by air, rail or sea for which you or they were not to blame, including:
- broken bones, sprained muscles and torn ligaments caused by slips and trips, falling from height or being pushed or shoved, for example while embarking or disembarking an aircraft;
- cuts and bruises caused by flying debris due to a rear train shunt, air turbulence or a ferry collision;
- bangs to the head caused by falling luggage;
- burns and scolds caused by hot food and drink or following a fire or explosion;
- limb loss caused as a result of being crushed or coming into contact with serrated metal;
- allergic reactions caused by allergen contaminated food;
- gastroenteritis caused by food poisoning; or
- death caused by a fatal plane crash, train crash or serious accident at sea.
We can also deal with compensation claims for:
- injuries sustained during an assault while travelling;
- injuries which occurred on your onward journey, for example in a road traffic accident after you left the airport you flew out of or into; and
- serious injury or a death abroad which occurred while you or a loved one were on a package holiday.
Compensation amount
The amount of compensation you receive will depend on the severity of your injury, the impact this has had on your life and whether you are claiming for an accident in which compensation is calculated under English law or the law of the country in which the accident occurred, which may be a foreign country.
As a general guide, a claim made here for a minor injury causing minimal pain and discomfort and no significant financial consequences may secure you a payout of a few thousand pounds whereas a life-changing injury or one that ultimately leads to death may result in a settlement running into hundreds of thousands if not millions of pounds.
Time Limits
How long you have to make a compensation claim depends largely on the mode of transport you used, how you arranged your travel and in some cases where you were in the world when the accident occurred. Claims for injuries suffered on board an aircraft generally have to be brought within two years. Claims for injuries occurring at sea have to be brought within two years in some cases and within three for others, and claims for injuries sustained on a train must be brought within three years when taking action in the UK or such other period as may be allowed by the country in which you were travelling.
However, this is only a rough guide as different limits may apply in different cases, including where you are making a claim on behalf of a child or a relative who has died.
Legal advice should always be taken as soon as possible to ensure you submit your claim in time.
Why choose Step Legal Solicitors?
Our lawyers are accident claims specialists who act exclusively for personal injury victims and who have an impressive track record in achieving results that consistently meet or exceed our clients expectations.
Recent successes achieved by our legal team include securing payouts of between £3,500 and £7,500 from a well-known airline on behalf for six transit passengers who suffered muscle, ligament and tendon damage when a bus transporting them from their plane to the airport terminal was struck by another vehicle.
We are members of The Law Society Personal Injury Accreditation Scheme and the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers which ensures our service standards remain high, as evidenced by the glowing client testimonials we regularly receive.
Legal Fees
Finding out if you could make a claim will cost you nothing as your first meeting with us will be free of charge. After that we can usually agree to deal with your case on a no win, no fee basis which means you will not have to pay us a penny unless your claim is successful and any costs you might be asked to pay your opponent can be covered by insurance. Please read our costs information factsheet for more information.
Location
Our offices are based conveniently in Crewe, about a 10 minute walk from the train station.
We have step-free access into our main reception area and a ground floor meeting room that can accommodate clients with most disabilities.
If you have difficulty travelling we can usually arrange a home visit if you live within Cheshire or Staffordshire and in some cases even further afield.
We regularly see clients in Nantwich, Northwich, Sandbach, Macclesfield and Stoke-on-Trent.
Any questions?
We understand that there will be many questions you want answering before deciding to proceed with a personal injury claim. Answers to some of the most common questions we are asked can be found below in our frequently asked questions guide. For anything else, please pick up the phone and give us a call – our lawyers in Crewe are waiting to help.
Polish Clients
If you are Polish and would like to make a personal injury claim but are concerned about language barriers then please rest assured that this will be no problem as we offer an in-house interpretation and translation service, delivered by our Polish paralegal Agnieszka Kulas.
Any questions?
Our lawyers in Crewe will take care of every aspect of your personal injury claim, from assessing your injuries and rehabilitation needs to securing as much compensation as possible to ensure you can live the best life you can as you try to move forward.
We will explain more about the process of making a claim when we meet and as your case progresses, but in the meantime why not have a look at our frequently asked questions guide for more information about what to expect and what we can help you to achieve.
You can make a personal injury claim whenever you have been physically or psychologically injured in an accident for which someone else was to blame or where an injury has occurred as a result of a criminal act in which you were an innocent bystander.
A claim can also be made for injuries suffered by a close relative where they are unable to claim for themselves, for example due to their age, the severity of their injuries or because they have since passed away.
The type of things you can claim for will vary depending on how your injuries were caused, who you are claiming against and whether your claim is governed by English law or the law of another country, for instance where you have been hurt in an accident abroad.
In most cases a claim can be made for:
In the event of a fatal accident, a claim can usually be made for:
In the event of a criminal act resulting in injury, a claim can usually be made for:
any associated loss of earnings or out of pocket expenses.
The amount of compensation you receive will vary depending on a number of factors, including:
Compensation for minor injuries from which a full and relatively speedy recovery can be expected will typically command payments of a few thousand pounds whereas the compensation for more serious life changing or life threatening injuries can result in payments running into hundreds of thousands if not millions of pounds.
Where a claim for compensation is made against the government then the amount of compensation you receive will usually be capped. This will be the case where a claim for injuries arising out of a violent criminal act is made to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority and for asbestos related mesothelioma claims made under the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payments Scheme where neither the responsible employer nor their insurer can be found.
Yes. Whenever a personal injury claim is made consideration will be given to whether there is anything that can be done to help you recover more fully or more quickly. Where we believe that there are things which could help we will discuss these with the person or organisation we are proposing to sue on your behalf (or, in many cases their insurer) to see whether they would be prepared to pay for these things to give you the best chance of getting your life back on track as soon as possible.
Our request for help has to be considered seriously because under the rules which govern personal injury claims there is an obligation to assess at any early stage, in every case, whether you would be likely to benefit from any further medical treatment, rehabilitative services such as physiotherapy or counselling, mobility aids and specialist equipment or professional support while you attempt a phased return to work. These rules are set out in the Personal Injury Pre-Action Protocol and the Personal Injury Rehabilitation Code.
Generally speaking where we ask for advanced funding we get it, particularly in cases involving serious injury where the party we propose to sue is clearly at fault and acknowledges this.
We can also often secure a voluntary payment to help tide you over financially if you are beginning to struggle with a drop in wages and increased overheads. Alternatively we can seek a compulsory interim payment order from the court which will entitle you to an early payment on account of any compensation you are likely to receive.
Yes. We are always happy to provide a second opinion where you have been told by another lawyer that your case is not strong enough to proceed or where they believe the time limit for bringing a claim has expired and there are no exceptional circumstances justifying an extension.When you come to see us we will assess your case afresh and if we believe a claim is possible we will tell you
The process for making a claim will vary depending on a number of factors, including the type of injury you have suffered, whether the person or organisation we say is to blame admits responsibility and whether the amount of compensation we are trying to claim on your behalf is agreed or disputed.
Broadly speaking, when you ask us to deal with a claim we will:
signpost you to professional advisors who can help you to manage your money and set up a personal injury compensation trust if necessary to preserve your entitlement to claim means tested state or local authority benefits.
Possibly, it depends on whether the person or organisation we say is to blame for your injuries admits they were at fault and agrees to pay an acceptable amount of compensation. If they do then an out of court settlement will be a real possibility. However, in other cases a court hearing will be needed to determine your claim and decide whether or not a compensation award ought to be made.
Where attendance at court is required this should not be a cause for concern as we will be there to support you. We will explain the process, ensure your case is fully prepared and that it is presented in the best possible light to maximise your chances of walking away with a positive result.
In most cases there will be no upfront costs to pay to make a personal injury claim. This is because in the majority of cases we can deal with your claim under a conditional fee arrangement, more commonly known as a ‘no win, no fee’ deal. Full details of how this type of funding arrangement works can be found in our costs information guide, but in essence under such an arrangement we will agree not to charge you for our services if we are not successful in recovering compensation on your behalf and you will agree that if we are successful we can take a small slice of your compensation by way of reward.
Insurance will be arranged to cover any other costs which may arise and which should mean that, unless the claim you have made is fraudulent or bad in some other way, you will not be exposed to any financial risk even if your claim for compensation ultimately fails.
The time it takes to deal with your claim will depend on a number of factors, including whether the person or organisation we are holding responsible for your injuries admits they were at fault and agrees with our assessment of the compensation you are entitled to. The severity of your injuries will also be relevant, particularly where it is not immediately clear what the long term prognosis is and therefore how much ongoing care and financial support you are likely to need.
By way of example, a straightforward claim for compensation for an injury arising out of a road traffic accident, accident at work or accident at a property may take between two to 12 months to resolve where fault is admitted and the amount of compensation sought is relatively low. However, an injury arising out of a slip, trip or fall or dog bite or animal attack which results in serious injury giving rise to a substantial compensation claim may take one to three years to resolve or even longer where the case is particularly complex.
You should not be put off making a claim because of the time it may take to deal with. Once the wheels have been put in motion it is often possible for us to secure a payment on account of any compensation you are likely to receive to ensure that you can cope financially while your claim is being assessed. Immediate financial help can also usually be obtained to pay for things like private medical treatment, physiotherapy, counselling services and mobility aids which can greatly improve your chances of making a good recovery.
Yes. All personal injury claims are subject to time limits and if you fail to claim within the limit that applies to your case then there is a high probability that a claim will not be possible.
The usual time limit for the vast majority of cases is three years from the date on which your injury occurred or the date on which you became aware of the injury where it took some time to become obvious. However, there are some notable exceptions where a different time limit will apply, including:
These time limits are strictly enforced so you should take legal advice as soon as possible.
Yes, if you are on means tested state or local authority benefits and we believe that a personal injury compensation trust would be appropriate, which will generally be the case if you have received a compensation payment of more than £6,000. This is because under the rules governing means tested benefits you and anyone living in your household can only have access to up to £6,000 in capital or savings without your entitlement to those benefits being reduced and must in no circumstances have access to more than £16,000 or your benefits will be stopped.
A personal injury compensation trust is a device that can be used to help prevent your benefit payments being affected by the compensation you have received. It works by transferring your compensation into a trust which is operated by people independent of you who will manage it on your behalf and drip feed you funds as and when needed.
We will tell you where we think a personal injury compensation trust may be appropriate and help you to make arrangements for one to be established. This must be done within 52 weeks of you receiving your final compensation payment or an interim payment as appropriate.
