Personal Injury Solicitors
Hartlepool

Making a personal injury compensation claim

If your life or the life of a loved one has been affected by an injury, we can help.

If your injuries were caused by someone else's negligence, you may be entitled to claim financial compensation.

How did your injury happen?

The steps required to win a personal injury claim will depend on what caused your injury or illness.

Read more:

Work accidents Road accidents Public places Medical negligence Other accidents

Can I claim compensation?

You should be able to claim financial compensation for your injury if the accident (or date of injury diagnosis) happened:

• within the last three years, and;
• another person was at least partly to blame, and;
• that person owed you a duty of care.

To get a clearer idea if you can make a claim, you can check your claim online, or for a more definitive answer, speak to an injury claims advisor on 0800 376 1001.

Is there anything else that can affect my eligibility to claim?

Yes. There are numerous other factors that can affect whether a successful compensation claim will be possible, such as the circumstances of your accident or when the date of knowledge was.

We can verify whether you have a valid claim over the phone. Speak to a personal injury solicitor now on 0800 376 1001. If you prefer, you can check your claim online with our Claim Checker.

Can a child claim injury compensation?

As an injured child's parent or guardian, you can instruct a solicitor to start a compensation claim on behalf of the child.

Anyone who was injured either during their birth or as a child can start a claim themselves once they turn 18 years old.

Read more:

Child injury compensation claims

How much compensation can I claim for an injury?

The amount of money you could claim for your injury will depend on:

• the extent of your injury, and
• any financial losses or costs you have incurred.

At the start of your claim, your solicitor will consider the many ways your injury has affected your life. Your solicitor will take all of these effects into account to calculate the correct compensation award for you.

General damages

General damages are awarded for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA).

Awards for general damages are set by the Judicial College and published in their guidelines for personal injury awards.

Special damages

Special damages are for financial losses and expenses you have incurred as a result of the accident.

Read more:

A complete list of recoverable losses in an injury claim

Calculate my injury compensation

Calculating how much compensation you can claim for an injury can be complicated.

Our injury compensation calculator tells you if you may have a claim, how much compensation you could claim, and what you can claim for.

Find out what your injury claim could be worth now.

Road accident claims in Hartlepool

Accidents on Hartlepool's roads are quite common. Government data reveals there were 163 road accidents in Hartlepool in 2021 (127 slight accidents, 34 accidents and 2 fatalities). Accidents in the Hartlepool area in 2013 included crashes on the dual carriageway of the A689 and A178 crossroads and on the A179 and B1277 roundabout.

All road users in Hartlepool and across the UK, owe a legal duty of care to each other, including drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. If someone else was to blame for your injury, you may be able to claim compensation.

Whether you have suffered an injury as a pedestrian, or were hurt in a car collision, this guide explains how to claim road accident compensation.

Read more:

Claim road accident compensation

Work accident claims in Hartlepool

In Hartlepool, there were 60 non-fatal work accidents and 0 fatalities in 2021, based on Health and Safety Executive (HSE) records.

If you have sustained an injury due to of your employer's negligence, you have the right to make a claim.

Whether your accident happened while working as a gardener or a temp worker, our work injury claim guide explains your legal rights and how to start a successful work accident claim.

Read more:

Work accident compensation claims

How common are Hartlepool work accidents?

Clinical negligence claims in Hartlepool

Clinical (or medical) negligence is the term for when a patient is injured or becomes ill as the result of the lack of care of a GP or other health worker. Quittance's expert panel of injury lawyers can help you claim compensation from one of the clinics and NHS trusts covering Hartlepool, including County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (Darlington Memorial Hospital, Hollyhurst Road, Darlington).

Read more:

Clinical negligence compensation

Public place injury claims in Hartlepool

Claims for injuries that occur on property or land owned by somebody else are called occupiers' liability claims.

Whether you were injured when travelling by train or on council property, you may be entitled to claim compensation.

If you have been injured in an accident in a public place we can help you make an injury claim for financial compensation.

Read more:

Claim public place accident compensation

Serious injury claims

A serious (catastrophic) injury is where a claimant's quality of life is impaired to the extent where they are forced to make permanent changes to their daily life. Serious injuries typically include brain or spinal injuries. Serious and catastrophic injuries could also refer to work-related cancers, severe scarring and organ damage.

If you have suffered a serious injury, we understand the vital difference a successful claim can make.

Compensation can ease the financial load and reduce stress, helping you and your family to focus on your recovery. Our panel of expert serious injury solicitors coordinate with insurance providers and medical professionals, to help you get the rounded support you need.

Read more:

Claim catastrophic injury compensation

Will I have to visit my solicitor's office in person?

When making a personal injury claim, you won't need to attend your solicitor's office at any stage.

You can talk to a legally-trained advisor about your accident or injury, before you choose to start a claim.

When you decide to go ahead, the next step is to discuss your case with an expert solicitor. Your solicitor will handle every stage of your claim and will be there to answer any questions you have.

How we can help you

Your solicitor will fight for the best possible compensation settlement for you, and the highly-experienced panel of solicitors have an excellent track record of winning injury claims in Hartlepool and cross the UK.

• FREE
  consultation
• Find out
  if you can claim
• No obligation
  to start a claim

FAQs

Have you helped many claimants in Hartlepool?

Every year, we help hundreds of injury claimants in Hartlepool, County Durham and across the UK.

Whether you have been injured at your place of work or in a public park we can introduce you to the best personal injury solicitor for your needs.

Do you work on a 100% No Win, No Fee basis?

Our no win, no fee service means that 100% of your legal fees are covered if your case is not successful. You will not need to pay anything upfront to start a claim.

Hartlepool solicitor reviews

All personal injury solicitors are regulated by the SRA. Although injury lawyers must meet strict professional standards, service levels can vary.

Personal recommendations, word of mouth and online reviews can make it easier to decide which solicitor is the right fit for you.

Read more:

Personal injury lawyer reviews

Can I claim for someone else?

Yes. It is possible to claim compensation on behalf of another person, in the capacity of a 'litigation friend'.

If, for example, an injured person is either too young or vulnerable, too injured or otherwise unable to claim on their own behalf, their litigation friend can handle the claim process for them.

The litigation friend will be responsible for communicating with the personal injury solicitors, and for making decisions in respect of the claim.

Read more:

Read more about claiming on behalf of another person.

Can I claim if I was partly to blame?

Even if you feel you were partly responsible for your accident, you may still be able to claim compensation.

You may also still be able to claim if something you did (or failed to do) meant your injuries were more serious than they might have otherwise been (e.g. you were knocked off your bike, but you weren't wearing a helmet).

If you were partly to blame, this is known as contributory negligence. Successful claims are often made on the basis of contributory negligence, although compensation may be reduced.

Read more:

Claiming compensation if you were partly responsible for an accident.

How long will my claim take?

The time needed to resolve a compensation claim and pay out compensation can vary considerably.

For example, straightforward car accident claims can settle in a matter of weeks, whereas complex medical negligence cases can sometimes take years.

Injury claims can also take longer if it is not clear who is responsible for your injury, or if liability is denied by the defendant.

This table sets out approximately how long personal injury claims take to settle:

Read more about how long personal injury claims take.

Will I have to go to court?

The vast majority of claims that are settled by the solicitor panel are settled out of court.

Only a very small percentage (approx. 2%) of personal injury claims go to court - typically only very complex cases, or those where liability cannot be resolved.

Read more:

Will my injury claim go to court and what if it does?

Can I get an early (interim) compensation payment?

If you suffer financial hardship as a result of an injury, you may be able to claim an interim compensation payment.

An interim payment is a partial settlement of your claim which is paid out to you before your claim is concluded. The amount you receive in interim payments would then be deducted from your final compensation settlement or award.

Read more:

Can I get interim compensation payments?

Author:
Jenny Jones, Senior litigator

About the author

With over 20 years' experience in the law, Jenny Jones has spent the last decade specialising in personal injury, with a particular focus on industrial disease cases.