A serious injury can change every part of your life. You may be facing a long recovery, uncertainty about work, major changes at home or the need for ongoing care and rehabilitation. Your family may also be trying to understand what the future will look like and where to turn for support.
At Mark Reynolds Solicitors, our specialist serious injury solicitors act for clients nationwide. We handle complex, life-changing injury claims and focus not only on securing compensation, but also on helping you access the rehabilitation, treatment, care and practical support you may need for the future.
We have dedicated teams dealing with amputation and limb loss, head and brain injury, spinal injury and psychological injury. We also represent people who have suffered serious injuries in accidents at work and road traffic accidents, as well as clients affected by loss of sight and families dealing with fatal injuries.
For a free initial discussion about your circumstances, call us on 0800 002 9577 or use the call-back form on this page and a member of our team will contact you.
What counts as a serious injury?
There is no single type of injury that qualifies as a serious injury. In practice, a serious or catastrophic injury is one that has a significant or long-term effect on a person’s health, independence, ability to work or quality of life.
Some people need extensive rehabilitation before they are able to regain much of their independence. Others may require lifelong care, specialist equipment, adapted accommodation or ongoing medical treatment.
A serious injury can affect physical health, cognitive ability and psychological wellbeing. It can also place significant practical, emotional and financial pressure on the injured person’s family.
Our role is to understand the full impact of the injury and make sure your claim considers both your immediate needs and the support you are likely to require in the years ahead.
Our specialist serious injury teams
Different life-changing injuries present different challenges. We have dedicated teams with experience of the medical, practical and financial issues that can arise following a serious injury.
Amputation and limb loss
Losing a limb can have profound physical, psychological and financial consequences. Our specialist amputation and limb loss solicitors act for people who have undergone an amputation or suffered serious limb loss following an accident.
A claim may need to consider rehabilitation, prosthetics and their future replacement, home adaptations, care, mobility equipment and the effect of the injury on your work and independence.
Head and brain injury
A serious brain injury can affect memory, concentration, behaviour, personality, mobility and a person’s ability to manage everyday life.
Our experienced head and brain injury solicitors understand that the long-term impact may not be clear immediately after an accident. We consider rehabilitation, care, future earning capacity and the practical support the injured person and their family may require.
Spinal injury
A spinal injury can range from serious fractures and chronic pain to paraplegia or tetraplegia. It may affect mobility, employment, personal care and where and how someone can live.
Our spinal injury solicitors consider the long-term consequences of the injury, including rehabilitation, specialist care, equipment, transport and any adaptations that may be required to the home.
Psychological injury
The effects of a serious accident are not always physical. PTSD, depression, anxiety and other psychological injuries can have a substantial impact on everyday life and may exist alongside serious physical injuries.
Our psychological injury solicitors can ensure that the psychological consequences of an accident are properly considered as part of your claim.
Serious accidents at work
Falls from height, accidents involving machinery or vehicles, construction accidents and other serious workplace incidents can result in life-changing injuries.
Our specialist accidents at work solicitors can investigate what happened where an employer or another party may have been negligent, while also considering your rehabilitation, financial losses and future needs.
Loss of sight
Partial or complete loss of vision can have a lasting impact on independence, mobility, employment and quality of life.
Our team handles loss of sight claims arising from accidents and negligence, taking account of both the immediate and long-term consequences of the injury.
Fatal injuries
When an accident results in a death, certain family members and dependants may be able to make a claim.
Our fatal injury solicitors provide clear and sensitive advice to families about their options. Depending on the circumstances, a claim may include financial dependency, funeral expenses and other losses.
Serious road traffic accidents
Road traffic collisions can cause devastating injuries to drivers, passengers, pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
Our team handles serious road traffic accident claims involving life-changing injuries such as brain and spinal injuries, amputations, multiple fractures and serious psychological injuries.
We also represent vulnerable road users who have suffered serious injuries in cycling accidents and motorcycle accidents, as well as people injured in serious bus and coach accidents.
The focus in a serious road traffic accident claim is not simply on the injury itself. We look at how it may affect your ability to work, your independence, your family life and the care, treatment and rehabilitation you may need in the future.
How we support you during a serious injury claim
A serious injury claim can take time because it is important to understand your long-term prognosis and future needs before a final settlement is agreed. That does not mean you should be left without support while your claim progresses.
Interim payments
Where appropriate, we can seek interim payments before your claim reaches a final settlement. These payments can help address immediate financial pressures, including lost earnings and the cost of care, rehabilitation, equipment or adaptations.
Whether an interim payment can be obtained will depend on the circumstances of the claim, including the position on liability.
Rehabilitation, therapy and case management
Early rehabilitation can make an important difference following a life-changing injury.
We will consider what treatment, therapy, rehabilitation and case management you require and, where possible, seek early access to appropriate services and funding while the claim is ongoing.
Support for your family
Serious injuries affect families as well as the person who has been injured. Family members may suddenly become carers or need to make substantial changes to their work and home lives.
We take these wider consequences into account and explain what care, support and financial losses may form part of the claim.
To discuss a serious injury claim with our team, call 0800 002 9577 or use the call-back form on this page.
What a serious injury claim can cover
A serious injury claim should consider the impact the accident has already had on your life as well as the losses and needs you are likely to face in the future.
Depending on your circumstances, compensation may take account of:
- Pain, suffering and loss of amenity
- Past and future loss of earnings
- Loss of pension
- Professional care
- Care and support provided by family members
- Rehabilitation and therapy
- Future medical treatment
- Prosthetics and specialist equipment
- Wheelchairs and mobility aids
- Home adaptations or alternative accommodation
- Adapted or specialist transport
- Travel expenses and other accident-related costs
For someone who has suffered a life-changing injury, a claim is about much more than arriving at a compensation figure. It is about understanding what you will need to live as independently and securely as possible in the future.
Brain injury, mental capacity and the Court of Protection
Some serious brain injuries leave a person unable to make certain legal or financial decisions for themselves.
A compensation claim can still be pursued where the injured person lacks capacity. Another suitable person may be appointed as a litigation friend to conduct the claim on their behalf.
The Court of Protection may also become involved in arrangements for managing the injured person’s property and financial affairs. In some circumstances, a deputy may need to be appointed to manage compensation and make financial decisions in the injured person’s best interests.
Our serious injury team can explain how these arrangements work alongside the compensation claim and what steps may be required to protect the injured person and their settlement.
Settling a serious injury claim
Serious injury compensation can be structured in different ways depending on the injured person’s circumstances and future needs.
A settlement may be paid as a lump sum, meaning the compensation is paid in one amount.
For some people with substantial lifelong financial needs, part of the compensation may instead be paid through periodical payments. These provide regular payments towards specified future losses, such as ongoing care.
A settlement may also combine an initial lump sum with regular future payments.
We will explain the options available in your case and advise you on the proposed structure of any settlement before it is agreed.
Time limits for serious injury claims
In most personal injury cases, court proceedings generally need to be started within three years of the date of the injury or, in some circumstances, the date on which the injured person first became aware that their injury was connected to the accident or negligence concerned.
Different rules apply to children and to people who lack the mental capacity to conduct a claim themselves.
Time-limit rules can be complicated, so you should not assume that you are too late to seek legal advice. It is sensible to speak to a solicitor as early as possible, while evidence can be obtained and your legal options properly assessed.
Eligibility for a serious injury claim
Whether you can bring a claim will depend on the circumstances of what happened.
Generally, you will need to establish, on the balance of probabilities, that another person or organisation owed you a duty of care, breached that duty and caused or contributed to your injuries and losses.
Being partly responsible for an accident does not necessarily prevent a claim. In some cases, responsibility can be shared and any compensation may be reduced to reflect the injured person’s contribution.
Our solicitors can review what happened and advise you on whether there may be grounds to pursue a claim. We will not guarantee the outcome of a case or the amount of compensation that may ultimately be recovered.
Serious injury claims on a No Win No Fee basis
If your claim isn’t successful, you won’t pay us anything. If it is successful, our fee is 20% plus VAT (24% in total), taken from the compensation you receive for your pain and suffering and for financial losses up to settlement. We never take a fee from compensation for future losses, such as future care or loss of earnings, and nothing else is deducted from your compensation. We’ll confirm all of this in writing before your claim starts.
Why choose Mark Reynolds Solicitors?
Choosing the right solicitor is particularly important where an injury could affect you and your family for the rest of your life.
Specialist serious injury teams
We have dedicated teams for amputation and limb loss, head and brain injury, spinal injury and psychological injury, together with experienced solicitors handling serious workplace accidents and road traffic claims.
Focused on your future
A serious injury claim is about much more than compensation. We look at the rehabilitation, care, treatment, equipment, adaptations and financial support you may need now and in the years ahead.
Clear, personal support
You will deal with a solicitor who explains each stage in plain English and keeps you and your family updated as the claim progresses.
Wherever you are in the country
We take instructions nationwide. You can speak to us by phone or video call, and we can work with you wherever you are based.
APIL members
We are members of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, committed to high standards in representing injured people.
What our clients say
Serious injury claim FAQs
Can I claim if I was partly to blame for the accident?
Potentially, yes. Being partly responsible for an accident does not necessarily prevent you from making a claim. If responsibility is shared, any compensation may be reduced to reflect your contribution to what happened. We can assess the circumstances and explain how contributory negligence could affect your claim.
Can I claim on behalf of a family member?
In some circumstances, yes. If an injured person lacks the mental capacity to conduct their own claim, another person may be able to act on their behalf as a litigation friend. A parent or guardian can also usually conduct a claim on behalf of a child.
Different rules apply to fatal injury claims, and we can explain who may be entitled to bring a claim.
How long will my serious injury claim take?
There is no fixed timescale. Serious injury claims can take longer than straightforward personal injury claims because it is important to understand the injured person’s long-term prognosis, rehabilitation needs and future financial losses before a final settlement is reached.
Where appropriate, interim payments may be available to help meet immediate needs while the claim continues.
Can I receive compensation before my claim is finished?
In some cases, yes. Interim payments may be sought before the final settlement where appropriate.
They can help meet immediate financial needs, including rehabilitation, treatment, care, adaptations and loss of earnings. Whether an interim payment can be obtained will depend on the circumstances of the claim.
Will I have to go to court?
Many serious injury claims are resolved without a final court hearing.
It may still be necessary to start court proceedings during the claim, particularly where responsibility or the amount of compensation is disputed. Starting proceedings does not necessarily mean that the case will ultimately go to trial, as claims can settle at different stages.
What happens if the injured person cannot manage their compensation?
If an injured person lacks capacity to manage their financial affairs, the Court of Protection may become involved and a deputy may need to be appointed.
A deputy can manage compensation and make financial decisions in the injured person’s best interests. We can explain how this process works alongside the serious injury claim.
Speak to our serious injury solicitors
If you or a member of your family has suffered a serious or life-changing injury, speak to our specialist serious injury team about what happened and how we may be able to help.
We take instructions nationwide and can discuss your circumstances during a free initial consultation.
Call 0800 002 9577 or use the call-back form on this page and a member of our team will contact you.
Reviewed by David Speed