Injuries happen when you least expect them. An accident can occur quickly and without warning, and it can be a huge shock to the system when it happens. Your whole body is vulnerable to injuries every day, no matter where you go and what you do. Some accidents can be minor and involve a small cut or bruise that one hardly notices, but other accidents are serious and can seriously affect the way that you live your life.
If you have suffered an injury that is not your fault, you deserve to get justice and financial compensation for the harm you’ve suffered. Whether you have suffered an injury on the road, at work, at home or in a public place, Free Legal Justice may be able to help you make a personal injury claim in Scotland.
What Is A Personal Injury Claim In Scotland?
A personal injury claim in Scotland is a legal case you can institute if you’ve been hurt in some form of accident and it was not your fault. It refers to the legal process of recovering compensation from the party that caused you harm, or who was legally responsible for your injury. The financial sum awarded in a successful personal injury claim in Scotland will usually be paid by an insurance company.
In most cases, you can make a personal injury claim in Scotland if you or a loved one has been hurt in any kind of accident in the following circumstances:
- You were injured within the last three years;
- The injury resulted in you suffering financially as well as physically; and
- The injury was clearly caused wholly or partly by another person.
Free Legal Justice offers free, unbiased legal advice to potential clients based on the merits and process of their personal injury claim in Scotland. Our personal injury claims in Scotland experts are extremely helpful and will guide you through each step of your legal claims process. If you’ve suffered an injury and it feels wrong, contact Free Legal Justice today to see how our personal injury claims in Scotland team can help to make it right.
Car Accident Personal Injury Claims In Scotland
Passengers, bystanders and drivers can sustain serious injurie sin car accidents. These individuals can be flung from cars and sustain injuries when they land, or an innocent bystander or cyclist could be hit by a car and be flung from the point of impact. In some cases, car accidents can cause extremely serious injuries including brain and spinal cord injury resulting in paralysis.
If you have been in a car accident and have experienced personal injury, you should consider getting in touch with a friendly Free Legal Justice personal injury claims handler in Scotland today, to find out more about your compensation claim. At the end of the day, if the car accident was not your fault, then you should not have to pay for your physical injuries or for the financial consequences of such injury.
There are certain injuries that are more common than others when it comes to car crashes.
- Fractured Bones Claims
Possibly the most common type of injury resulting from a car accident is a broken bone. This type of personal injury claim in Scotland usually arises as a result of head-on collisions and rear-end car collisions. Lower body fractures are particularly common because of the reflex action that most people have, whereby they extend their feet to brace for the impending impact of a crash, but fractures to the other bones are just as likely. As a driver or a passenger within a car, you can suffer countless broken bones as a result of the steering wheel, windscreen, doors and other vehicles exerting extreme force on your body. You can also sustain many broken bones if you are a pedestrian that has been hit by a moving vehicle, crushed beneath a vehicle, or if you are flung from the vehicle. Depending on how and where the car exerts force on your body, you could sustain fractures to your upper body, back and skull, all of which could result in long term and even fatal injuries.
- Bruises, Cuts and Scarring Claims
Car accidents involve the bending, crushing and forceful impact of the body framework of the car, breaking of glass, metals, plastics and personal possessions. When any of these items make contact with your body during of an accident, it can cause extensive bruises, cuts and scarring. If the car accident causes an explosion or catches alight, you can sustain very serious injuries and medical complications as a result of the burns. Lastly, bruising and swelling injuries can take a few hours to develop, so even if you do not think that you have suffered any injuries in an accident, it is important to get a check-up from the doctor as soon as possible, as some injuries can be hidden or only produce symptoms at a later stage.
- Sprains and Strains Claims
Sprains and strains are common injuries resulting from car accidents. A sprain typically means that ligaments have been torn or stretched, and a strain entails the tearing or stretching of tendons or muscles. The bits of soft tissue around your limbs are susceptible to these types of injuries if you are in a car accident.
- Amputation Claims
Amputations are devastating to any victim of an accident. If any part of your body is caught in an accident or seriously crushed by a moving car, this can have serious effects on your life. Where a car accident results in multiple fractures of one specific area, injuries can necessitate medical amputation. In other serious injuries (including burns and extensive infection) an amputation can result from complications connected to your injuries. Car accidents can cause upper body amputation, lower body amputation and facial amputation and can affect every victim differently.
Whether you land up with a broken arm or a sprained ankle, your day to day life will be affected for a certain period of time as a result of the car accident. As a result of your injuries, you may not be able to move around and do the same tasks in the same way as before, which could result in a variety of financial losses, including perhaps sick leave. If you have found yourself in a car accident, it is important that you speak to Free Legal Justice as soon as possible about your personal injury claim in Scotland. Our team is experienced in personal injury claims in Scotland, and will guide you and help you navigate through your compensation claim.
Work-Related Personal Injury Claims In Scotland
A work injury results from an accident during the course of work, which leads to some form of physical or mental occupational injury. Accidents at work are caused by a combination of unsafe behaviour and dangerous working conditions. If an accident happens, it is crucial that your employer has proper safety processes and policies in place to deal with the incident. If another person is to blame for an accident at work that has caused you an injury, it is likely that you are still entitled to make a compensation claim against your employer. This will be a claim for compensation for the injuries you have sustained and pain and suffering you have endured as a result of the accident.
Workplace injuries can occur as a result of a single incident, from extreme wear and tear or serious strain. Some common causes of workplace compensation claims include:
- Slip and Fall Accidents
- Overexertion
- Fall from height
- Being caught in heavy machinery
- Walking or standing for longs periods of time
- Repetitive motion injuries
- Stepping on sharp objects
While any worker is at risk when of suffering a work-related injury, some workers are more likely to suffer harm and serious injuries than others. This includes people working in hospitals or other care workers, those working in manufacturing and building industries, as well as those in the retail industry including waiters, cashiers, chefs, shop assistants and bar staff.
Do You Know Who Caused Your Personal Injury In Scotland?
It is not always obvious who caused the accident at work, or who is responsible for whatever caused your injury. In most cases however your employer will ultimately liable for the harm you have suffered, and will have breached the duty of care that they have towards you because they failed to ensure your health and safety at work. If an employer does not comply with their duty of care, and their failure to do so results in an accident or injury at work, there will be sufficient grounds for the worker to make a compensation claim.
If your personal injury claim in Scotland is based on the negligence of another worker, you should not worry that this person will be personally liable to pay you financial compensation. Because of a principle known as vicarious liability, your employer will be responsible for all actions of their workers, whether negligent or otherwise. This means that an employer will be liable for the injury that a worker has suffered at work. Employers are required by law to take out liability insurance to cover claims by workers that have suffered injuries at work.
Public Place Personal Injury Claims In Scotland
Free Legal Justice is highly experienced in handling personal injury claims in Scotland which arise in a wide range of public places, including theme parks, shopping malls, restaurants and bars, parks, schools, theatres, carnivals and music concerts. If you have suffered a personal injury when you were in a public place in Scotland and you believe it was due to negligence of another individual or body, you may be able to make a personal injury claim for your injuries. Councils, shop owners, businesses and public bodies all have a duty to the public, to take reasonable measures to prevent people from being injured on the premises under their control.
If your injury happened while you were on a council owned property, such as a public walkway, town hall or a library, then you may be able to make a personal injury compensation claim against the local authority in charge of the space, as long as the accident was due to their negligence. When we look at injuries that happen in public spaces, the accident often involves a slip or a trip on an unmaintained road or a pavement, which means that the local council will be responsible for your compensation claim.
Starting A Council Personal Injury Claim In Scotland
When starting a claim against a council for failing to maintain a public road or sidewalk, we will need to prove that the local council was negligent in its duty to the public by failing to keep the pavement safe. This involves proving that, based on the circumstances of the case, it was not reasonable for the local council to let the public space fall into a state of disrepair that could result in someone being injured.
What Is My Personal Injury Claim in Scotland Worth?
Your legal right to compensation is premised on getting you back to the place you were in before you suffered the injury. In personal injury claims in Scotland, damages are calculated with reference to the seriousness of the injury suffered, and the type of assistance that the victim may need going forward to be able to live with their injuries. Your legal team will also include a claim for out-of-pocket expenses that you have incurred as a result of the accident.
Your personal injury claim in Scotland will include general and special damages. In summary, general damages refers to compensation for the physical injuries, while special damages are compensation for additional expenses incurred due to the injury. A member of the Free Legal Justice personal injury claims in Scotland team will be sure to go through your calculation of general and special damages with you in detail once you’ve agreed to make a personal injury claim in Scotland.
General Damages For Personal Injury Claims In Scotland
There are general guides on how to calculate general damages for different levels of harm experienced in personal injury claims in Scotland. Your general damages will be calculated by matching your independent medical report with the sums given in the official Judicial Board Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases. The compensation that you will receive at the conclusion of your case will be influenced by details such as how serious your injury was and how long you will take to recover from your injuries.
There are many injuries that can be included in personal injury claim in Scotland. As we have set out above, some of the common injuries that the Free Legal Justice team deal with include whiplash, head and brain injuries, breaks, fractures, sprains, strains and loss of limb.
Mental or Psychological Injuries
Again, the amount of compensation that you can claim for a mental injury will depend on the seriousness of the mental or psychological injuries you have suffered. If you have suffered psychological harm that is ruled as temporary, and things are expected to return to normal soon, your personal injury claim in Scotland can be anything between £4,000 and £10,000. Where mental and psychological injuries are more serious or permanent, the personal injury claim in Scotland can reach up to £50,000.
Upper Body Injury Claims
If you have suffered minor injuries to the upper body area, including the neck and shoulders, you may have a personal injury claim in Scotland in the amount of up to £6 000, depending on the nature of your injuries. If you have suffered more serious upper body injuries, for example dislocation and fractures, you could have a claim of up to £29,000.The biggest compensation pay-out that you can receive will be for serious, permanent injuries such as paraplegia, where the amount of compensation can be anything between £35,000 and £100, 000.
Head Injury Claims
Any injury to the head is a serious issue, because the brain is also at risk of injury. The amount of compensation that you will be entitled to claim will depend on how serious the brain injury is. A person suffering from minor head injury, with no injury to the brain, may be entitled to claim compensation in the region of £3,000 to £6,000. If there is major damage to the head and the brain has also been affected, the personal injury claim in Scotland can be over £20,000. The most serious cases would be those where the victim is left completely unresponsive and has suffered permanent serious brain damage. Such serious head injuries could fetch a compensation of over £200 000, and will be assessed on a case by case basis.
Hands, Arms, and Wrist Injury Claims
It can be tricky to calculate the potential loss that a person suffers because of a wrist or hand injury. Less serious hand and wrist injuries can give you a personal injury claim in Scotland of between £3 000 – £5 000, whereas a permanent injury or disability can stretch up to £30 000.
Lower Body Injury Claims
Injuries to the lower body area include any kind of injury to your ankles, knees, hips and legs. As with the other forms of injuries, the amount that you can claim for lower body injuries will vary depending on the nature of your injury. Personal injury claims in Scotland for minor lower body injuries can reach up to £10 000. If you have suffered lower body injuries that lead to permanent disability, loss of limb, or consistent and permanent pain, then your personal injury claim in Scotland could be up to £25 000.
The amounts of compensation for various types of personal injuries mentioned above are not in any way fixed, and should only be used as a broad guideline for the potential value of personal personal injury claims in Scotland available to different accident victims. Your personal injury claims in Scotland will be assessed on an individual basis by one of our legal experts in a free, confidential consultation once you provide us with all the details of your accident.
Back Injury Claims At Work
Back injuries are risky, painful and draining. If your back has been injured in an accident, there is a high possibility of spinal damage and it is important that you get a medical assessment to prevent any further potential damage. A back injury can result in you becoming immobile or even result in you becoming paralysed. A claim for minor back injuries can reach up to £9000, while serious permanent back injuries to nerve root or spinal cord can give you a personal injury claim in Scotland of up to £120,000.
Special Damages In Personal Injury Claims In Scotland
Special damages forming part of your personal injury claim in Scotland will include compensation for any additional expenses that you have suffered as a result of the accident. This is a broad category of damages, and can range from loss of past and future income, to costs of counselling and therapy sessions, to traveling expenses, supplementary childcare expenses, as well as nursing and household adaptations that you have made to help you live with your injuries. Your personal injury claims in Scotland handler will explain to you which amounts will contribute to your special damages claim.
It is important to know that special damages can only be claimed if you are able to present some sort of evidence of the expenses that you have or will incur as a result of your injuries. You will have to be able to demonstrate that you have already incurred these expenses, or will in future incur these expenses, for example by presenting receipts, reports, payslips and other documentation relevant to the damages. Our personal injury claims in Scotland team is available to consult 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is ready answer any questions you might have about the calculation of your general and special damages claim.
Get In Touch With Our Expert Personal Injury Compensation Solicitors Today
If would like to chat about the personal injury claims in Scotland process, please get in touch with Free Legal Justice now by filling out the online form or by calling us on 0800 567 7074. If you prefer to speak to us in person, one of our friendly personal injury claims in Scotland members will be able to do a home visit, so that you can discuss your case freely from the comfort of your own home.
How Much Will It Cost To Make A Personal Injury Claim In Scotland?
Free Legal Justice offers all our clients with valid personal injury claims in Scotland the option of working under a No Win No Fee agreement. Under a No Win No Fee agreement, if your case is unsuccessful, you won’t have to pay a thing to us for the work that the Free Legal Justice team has done on your case. For thousands of clients, this means that they will finally have access to the justice they deserve, and a fair chance to make a claim for rightful compensation, without any financial risk.
What Happens If My Personal Injury Claim In Scotland Is Successful?
The good news is that you will never pay Free Legal Justice any legal fees in advance for proceeding with your personal injury claim in Scotland. A No Win No Fee agreement means that we will only get paid if your personal injury claim in Scotland is successful.
If we assist you to win your personal injury claim in Scotland, Free Legal Justice will receive a success fee of an average of 25% of the compensation that you are awarded, as payment for the work that we have done to help you win your case. Your devoted solicitor in Scotland will be sure to discuss the success fee with you upfront, and the agreed success fee will be confirmed in writing before we institute your personal injury claim in Scotland.
What Happens If My Personal Injury Claim In Scotland Is Not Successful?
Free Legal Justice holds the risk of your personal injury claim in Scotland not being successful. In the unlikely event that your claim is unsuccessful, we will not charge you any legal fees for the work done by our skilled personal injury solicitors.
To ensure that you are fully protected and have peace of mind over your financial risks, the Free Legal Justice team will help you to secure ‘After the Event’ insurance. This insurance covers you in the unlikely event that you are unsuccessful with your claim, and in case the court rules that you need to pay a part of your opponent’s legal costs during the case.
Contact Our Personal Injury Claims Team Based In Scotland Today
Contact Free Legal Justice at any time of day, on any day of the week, by filling out the short online form and waiting for us to call you back for free, or by calling one of our friendly experts in personal injury claims in Scotland on 0800 567 7074. If you would like to discuss your case from the comfort of your own home, please request a complimentary home visit from one of our friendly compensation claims handlers, so that we can start your claim without delay.
Useful Links For People In Scotland
Personal Injury Claims Advice
This link is from Citizens Advice about personal injury claims and how to apply
Rules and Legislation In Scotland
This link gives you free advice about rules in Scotland about injury claims
What Area’s In Scotland Do Our Solicitors Cover?
Our Expert Personal Injury Claims Solicitors cover the following areas
Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire
Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee City, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlothian
Moray, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney Islands, Perth and Kinross
Renfrewshire, Scottish Borders, Shetland Islands, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, West Dunbartonshire, Western Isles, West Lothian
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