Updated on 1st April 2026. Unfortunately, due to the significant nature of serious injuries, they can have a ripple effect on people’s lives, affecting their physical, psychological and financial well-being. Often, individuals who sustain serious injuries can suffer permanent alterations to both their identity and their life. As a result, if you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury due to a third party’s negligent actions, compensation could be owed to you. Here at No Win No Fee Lawyers Direct, our panel of solicitors can help your personal injury claim.
Our advisors are your first port of call when taking that first step towards starting a personal injury claim. Specifically, we can help you assess the eligibility of your claim and provide a compensation estimate at no extra cost to you. Our experienced panel of solicitors can also offer you their legal services on a No Win No Fee basis. So, if you are looking for legal representation that is not only skilled in what they do but is also compassionate towards each and every client, get in touch using the contact information below:
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Jump To A Section
- What Is Classed As A Serious Injury?
- Who Can Make Serious Injury Claims?
- Can I Make A Claim For A Loved Ones Serious Injury?
- What Accidents Might Lead To A Serious Injury Being Sustained?
- How Much Serious Injury Compensation Could Be Awarded?
- What Can Serious Injury Compensation Help With?
- Will Evidence Be Needed To Prove Liability For A Serious Injury?
- How Long Is The Serious Injury Claims Time Limit?
- What Is The Process After Starting A Serious Injury Claim?
- Why Choose No Win No Fee Lawyers Direct To Claim Serious Injury Compensation
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Learn More
What Is Classed As A Serious Injury?
A serious injury is one that has significant or long-term consequences, requiring urgent and ongoing care, such as brain damage or spinal cord injuries.
Other examples of serious injuries are:
- Amputations
- Severe burns
- Organ damage
- Sensory loss
- Broken bones
- Disfigurement
- PTSD
- Disfigurement
If you have a specific serious injury that you would like to discuss with a professional, please connect with an advisor at your earliest convenience.
Who Can Make Serious Injury Claims?
Those who are able to prove that their severe harm was caused by the negligent actions of a third party can make serious injury claims.
Specifically, you or a loved one must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- A third party, such as your employer or another road user, owed you a duty of care – A duty of care is a responsibility placed on someone to ensure your reasonable health and safety. Later in this guide, we will explore the various instances where a duty of care is owed to you and what this is for each specific case.
- This duty was breached – For example, risk assessments were not performed, hazards were not removed, or equipment wasn’t regularly maintained.
- The breach resulted in a serious injury – this injury could have been suffered by you or a loved one.
We can assess your eligibility for free. Simply call an advisor today for help with personal injury claims.
Can I Make A Claim For A Loved One’s Serious Injury?
Yes, you can make a claim for a loved one’s serious injury by becoming their litigation friend.
Specifically, a litigation friend can claim on behalf of a loved one if they are unable to make their own claim due to them:
- Lacking the required mental capacity
- Being a minor (under the age of 18)
As their litigation friend, you will be required to act in their best interests and keep them up to date on the progress of their claim. The courts can either appoint you to this role, or you can apply to become one.
If you wish to become a litigation friend for your loved one, call us today so we can talk you through the next steps.
What Accidents Might Lead To A Serious Injury Being Sustained?
Accidents that might lead to a serious injury being sustained can range from severe car crashes to falls from a height in the workplace.
We’ve provided in-depth accident examples that can result in serious injuries below:
Workplace Accidents
All employers legally owe a duty of care to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of their employees, as per the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. If an employer fails to do this, for example, doesn’t provide an employee with adequate training on using dangerous machinery, it could result in an accident at work, such as:
- A warehouse contains a crusher designed to crush waste into smaller pieces. A new employee is told to use it by their employer, even though the employer knows the employee hasn’t received the relevant training. This results in the employee getting their arm crushed in the machine, later requiring surgical amputation.
Road Traffic Accidents
When using roads, all road users owe one another a duty of care to use the roads safely to avoid causing harm. They must also comply with the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Highway Code. Failing to provide this duty of care could result in a road traffic accident, such as:
- A driver exceeds the legal speed limit and is unable to brake in time for standstill traffic ahead. They crash into the back of a vehicle, which results in a multi-car pile-up where various drivers suffer serious injuries such as brain damage, internal bleeding and crush injuries.
Public Place Accidents
If you visit a public place, the occupier (a person or company with sufficient control over the area) owes you a duty of care to take steps to ensure your reasonable safety, as per the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. An example of when a public liability claim could be made includes:
- A local pool has failed to put up warning signs at the shallow end to prevent people from jumping or diving in. A swimmer unknowingly dives into the shallow end and suffers brain damage and disfigurement to their face.
If you would like to discuss the above legislation or personal injury compensation claims in more detail, please contact an advisor now.
How Much Serious Injury Compensation Could Be Awarded?
The amount of serious injury compensation that can be awarded depends on the type of injury, its severity, and whether the claimant has incurred financial losses.
General damages are a head of claim that covers the pain and suffering arising from the physical and psychological effects of the serious injury sustained by you or a loved one.
Legal practitioners will often use the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to assist them in calculating general damages, as it provides a comprehensive list of injury types, severities, and suggested compensation brackets for each.
To give you a clear picture of what serious injury compensation can look like, we’ve provided you with a table containing different injuries and suggested guideline compensation brackets sourced from the JCG. However, the top entry has not been taken from the JCG, and we kindly ask that you use our table as a guide only when considering your own personal injury compensation.
| INJURY | COMPENSATION GUIDELINES | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Serious Injuries with Special Damages | Up to £1 Million+ | Multiple serious injuries with special damages including loss of wages, travel expenses and medical costs. |
| Senses - Total Blindness and Deafness | In the region of £493,000 | This injury will rank as one of the most devastating injuries and will be compensated for accordingly. |
| Paralysis - Tetraplegia | £396,140 to £493,000 | The injured individual will be covered at the top end of this bracket if they have suffered a significant effect on senses or ability to communicate. |
| Brain and Head - Very Severe | £344,150 to £493,000 | The injured claimant will require full-time nursing care and will suffer from double incontinence. |
| Amputation - Loss of Both Arms | £293,850 to £366,100 | The injured person who has full awareness will be reduced to a state of considerable helplessness. |
| Kidney - a) | £206,730 to £256,780 | The injured individual will have suffered serious and permanent damage to or loss of both kidneys. |
| Leg - Severe (i) The Most Serious Injuries Short of Amputation | £117,460 to £165,860 | Despite the claimant not requiring an amputation, certain severe leg injuries will be awarded damages at a similar level. |
| Pelvis & Hips - Severe (i) | £95,680 to £159,770 | This compensation bracket covers injuries involving extensive fractures of the pelvis involving, for example, dislocation of a low back joint and a ruptured bladder and so on. |
| Psychiatric Damage Generally - Severe (a) | £66,920 to £141,240 | In this bracket, factors taken into account range from the injured individual's ability to cope with life to prognosis. |
| Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - Severe (a) | £73,050 to £122,850 | The injured person will suffer from permanent effects which prevent them from working at all or at least from functioning at anything approaching the pre-trauma level. |
If you would like to talk to a professional about the compensation you may be eligible for in relation to serious injury claims, please don’t hesitate to connect with an advisor.
What Can Serious Injury Compensation Help With?
Serious injury compensation can help with any financial losses you have incurred due to the injury under a head of loss called special damages.
Please find below some examples of economic losses that can be covered under special damages for you or a loved one:
Lost Income
Claimants who suffer serious injuries often need extensive time off work in order to recover, resulting in significant loss of wages.
Future Lost Earnings
This extensive period of leave can often have a domino effect and impact future career prospects, such as bonuses and promotions, resulting in lost future earnings.
Medical Expenses
Serious injuries can involve long-term treatment plans, expensive ongoing prescriptions, and multiple surgeries, sometimes done privately, resulting in medical expenses.
Care Expenses
Due to the severity of the injury, ongoing professional care is often required, which can cause costs to mount. Notably, special damages can also cover gratuitous care provided by friends and family.
Rehabilitation and Recovery
Rehabilitation is an integral part of an injured person’s recovery and can involve long-term treatment pathways resulting in costly fees.
Home Adaptations
Serious injuries often mean that a property needs expensive adaptations to meet a person’s needs and enable them to have as much independence as possible. This could include installing a stairlift or ramps.
Adaptations To Car
This is the same principle as above, but with vehicles where the user can have car adaptations such as assisted steering and ramp access, which can be very expensive.
Travel Costs
Serious injuries require frequent monitoring and ongoing interventions in order to keep the injured individual safe. Consequently, this requires the individual to make regular trips to their GPs, surgeons, physiotherapists and other specialists, leading to ongoing travel costs.
Damage To Belongings
Not only can our bodies be damaged in accidents, but also our personal belongings, ranging from phones and laptops to vehicles and property. Understandably, claimants will need these belongings replaced, which can be very expensive.
Importantly, any financial losses you wish to be covered under special damages will need to be backed by evidence. You can prove you’ve incurred economic losses by providing your solicitor with documented costs in the form of payslips, invoices and receipts.
If you would like to know whether you are eligible to receive special damages as part of your serious injury compensation, please call us for free today.
Will Evidence Be Needed To Prove Liability For A Serious Injury?
Yes, evidence will be needed to prove liability for a serious injury, such as medical records, CCTV footage, and photographs of visible injuries.
Other strong pieces of evidence that can be used in a claim for you or a loved one include:
- Photographs or videos of the accident site
- Dashcam footage if you were involved in a road traffic accident
- For an accident at work, you can use a photocopy of an incident report
- Contact details of witnesses so your solicitor can write up witness statements
- For a road traffic accident, you must collect the insurance, registration, and contact information of the drivers involved
- Medical evidence, such as copies of scans and consultant notes
We believe that claimants should prioritise their recovery over all else, which is why a solicitor from our panel will gather evidence on your behalf if you choose to work with them. Contact us today to find out more.
How Long Is The Serious Injury Claims Time Limit?
The serious injury claims time limit is 3 years long, and the timer starts running from the date the accident occurred, as per the Limitation Act 1980. This is called the limitation period, and you must start your claim within 3 years to guarantee eligibility.
However, there are exceptions to this time limit in the following instances:
- Those lacking mental capacity – The time limit is indefinitely paused. The 3 years will only begin if the person regains this capacity and will run from this date.
- Children under the age of 18 – The time limit will only begin from their 18th birthday, giving them until their 21st birthday to begin a claim.
Would you like to find out whether a claim for yourself or your loved one falls within the legal time limit? We can do this for you for free. Simply call us today.
What Is The Process After Starting A Serious Injury Claim?
The process after starting a serious injury claim involves a multi-stage procedure designed to establish the liability of the defendant as well as calculate compensation which accurately reflects damages and losses.
Below we have provided you with step-by-step guidance on what this would involve for you as a potential claimant:
Step-By-Step Guidance
- Investigating and Establishing Liability – Once you secure a personal injury solicitor you trust, they will begin a thorough and structured investigation to establish whether negligence has taken place.
- Addressing Rehabilitation Needs and Interim Payments – Due to the severity of harm involved in serious injury claims, your solicitor will prioritise your health over all else. Specifically, they will connect you with vetted professionals within the healthcare industry and also apply for interim payments to manage ongoing financial impacts.
- Completing Medical Assessments – A medical expert will come in to complete a detailed assessment to establish the severity of your injuries and the impact they have had on you. All of this will be put into an official report which will be subsequently used as evidence to strengthen your claim.
- Negotiating and Settling the Claim – Negotiations will begin once a robust serious injury claim has been built by your personal injury solicitor. These negotiations involve discussions around liability, claim valuations and evidence.
- Going Through Court Proceedings – The important thing to bear in mind here is that it is rare that serious injury claims end up in court. In fact, the majority of serious injury claims are settled within negotiations between the defendant and your solicitor. However, certain influential factors can act as the catalyst for a judge’s intervention such as the defendant not responding to your claim or denying the fact that they have been negligent.
If you wish to learn more about serious injury claims in relation to the process broken down above, please reach out to a dedicated advisor who will be more than happy to help.
Why Choose No Win No Fee Lawyers Direct To Claim Serious Injury Compensation
You should choose to work with a solicitor from our panel here at No Win No Fee Lawyers Direct to claim serious injury compensation, as they have years of experience helping clients through the claiming process.
Additionally, our panel of personal injury solicitors will offer their services under a No Win No Fee contract, known as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). In simple terms, this means that you will not have to pay for any ongoing or upfront solicitors’ service fees, and you also won’t have to pay solicitors’ service fees if your claim fails.
If your serious injury claim wins, you will pay a small success fee, which will be paid from your personal injury compensation. This fee will be kept at a maximum of 25% as set out by law under the Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013. This means you or a loved one will take home the bulk of the compensation.
Some of the expert services they can provide on a No Win No Fee basis include:
- Gather strong pieces of evidence for you, so you can focus on rest and recovery
- Organise any rehabilitation you or a loved one may need.
- Provide you with regular and thorough updates as your claim progresses
- Negotiate with the defendant’s solicitors and report back to you straightaway
- Organise an independent medical assessment to fortify your personal injury claim further
Contact Our Advisors
Contact our advisors today with any questions you may have about the serious injury claims process, or about working with a solicitor from our panel.
- Call us for free on 020 8050 4194
- Contact us by filling out our online form
- Use our live chat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below, we answer frequently asked questions regarding serious injury claims:
What Is The Average Serious Injury Claim Payout?
The average serious injury claim payout for very severe brain damage is £344,150 to £493,000 (according to compensation guidelines within the JCG). However, for serious injuries, the average payout would depend on the injuries suffered and the specifics of the case.
What Injuries Cause The Most Serious Claims?
The injuries that cause the most serious claims are those resulting in long-term or permanent injury that require extensive or lifelong treatment and care, such as brain damage or paralysis.
Can Compensation Be Claimed On Behalf Of A Loved One?
Yes, compensation can be claimed on behalf of a loved one via the role of a litigation friend.
Will A Serious Injury Claim Need To Go To Court?
No, a serious injury claim won’t necessarily need to go to court; in fact, it’s rare for claims to require a judge’s intervention, as most are settled outside court by solicitors. However, if your case does need to go to court, a solicitor from our panel can help you prepare for this.
How Long Will A Serious Injury Compensation Claim Take To Settle?
The length of time a serious injury compensation claim takes to settle will depend on various factors such as the complexity of the case and whether liability is disputed.
Can Serious Injury Compensation Be Accessed Before A Claim Settles?
Yes serious injury compensation can be accessed before a claim settles in the form of interim payments. This funding option provides claimants of serious injury claims with a partial advance on their compensation to provide immediate financial relief.
Will Compensation For Serious Injuries Be Subject To Tax?
Compensation for serious injuries is generally not subject to tax, including both lump sums and multiple ongoing payments.
When Does The Court Of Protection Become Involved In A Claim?
The Court of Protection becomes involved in a claim when the claimant lacks the mental capacity to claim independently due to cognitive challenges. More specifically, the Court of Protection acts when no one else is willing to make a claim on the vulnerable adult’s behalf.
Why Do I Need To See Multiple Medical Experts Instead Of Just One?
You need to see multiple medical experts instead of just one because it ensures that an unbiased and comprehensive report is written up. Moreover, a single medical professional may not have the expertise to single-handedly evaluate the harm a claimant has experienced within serious injury claims.
Can A Settlement Be Awarded As A Periodical Payment Order (PPO)?
Yes a settlement can be awarded as a Periodical Payment Order (PPO) in serious injury claims which is when compensation is paid to the claimant on an annual basis rather than as a lump sum payment.
If you would like any of the above FAQs answered in greater depth, please don’t hesitate to contact our dedicated team of advisors.
Learn More
Read additional guides by us:
- Guidance on fatal accident claims.
- Learn when a claim could be made for a cycling accident.
- See if you could claim for a slip, trip or fall accident.
Broaden your research by reading these external resources:
- Learn how to give lifesaving first aid from this NHS resource.
- Check out your eligibility for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from GOV.UK.
- Read about coping after a traumatic event from the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Thank you for taking the time to read our guide on serious injury claims.