Have you been involved in an accident that was somebody else’s fault? Are you looking for Exeter personal injury solicitors or claims service that covers the Exeter area to begin a personal injury claim for you? If you’ve answered yes, then this guide will help.
This guide is designed to help you choose the right injury lawyer to take on your case, show you the types of claims Legal Expert deal with, and explain no win no fee claims in compact detail.
Legal Expert has many years of experience dealing exclusively with personal injury accident claims, so if you’re ready to begin a claim with Legal Expert, then you’ll find our contact details at the end of this guide.
How does the process of making a personal injury claim work?
Considering starting a personal injury claim can seem quite overwhelming, especially if it is against your current employer. Still, our team of personal injury lawyers can help you to claim compensation.
There is a considerable amount of legislation in the UK to support people who’ve been involved in an accident and who want to claim another entity (such as an employer, local authority, health authority etc.). You should never worry about the implications of the claim on the other party as they have insurance in place to cover the costs of compensation claims.
Health and safety rules are in place to support victims and, if you are injured because of another person’s mistake, we can support you when making your claim.
Check you are eligible to make a claim
To win an Exeter personal injury claim, there are several things that a solicitor must be able to prove:
- Firstly, the defendant in the case must owe the claimant some duty of care.
- Secondly, the defendant, in some way, must’ve breached that duty of care.
- And finally, your injury or illness must’ve been caused by that breach.
To make winning your case easier, we would suggest that you begin your claim as soon as possible so that your solicitor or lawyer has enough time to collect and collate as much supporting evidence as possible. Claims that are fully supported by evidence have a much higher chance of being successful. And our personal injury solicitors for Exeter could advise you on how to strengthen your claims.
What role do solicitors play in making your personal injury claim?
Solicitors are important in any personal injury claim as they can ultimately determine if it is successful or not and, in some cases, may be able to present the case more clearly, which can result in a higher compensation payment.
Settlements for injuries are based on the severity of the injury, with a less severe injury being awarded less compensation. Hence, you must choose a solicitor that can demonstrate the true severity of your injury and the impact that it has had on you. Ultimately, how well the solicitor works will impact the rest of your recovery, so choosing the right one is paramount.
No Win No Fee solicitor reviews
After looking around and finding a solicitor, the next step, before speaking to the solicitor directly, is to find out what previous clients have to say about them and the service they were given.
Review sections on most solicitor’s websites can give a great insight into how a particular solicitor works. Things to look for when reading solicitor reviews are:
- How positive the comments are from previous clients.
- Were the customers happy with the payments received?
- Do the comments praise particular solicitors in the company?
- Does the company seem to win larger amounts than others?
- Has there been a steady flow of case wins in the last 12 months?
Please choose any of these important elements and bear them in mind when reading reviews. Our reviews page is located here.
You don’t need to claim with a solicitor in your area
When claiming compensation, you do not need to use a local solicitor based in Exeter. A personal injury solicitor can lodge a compensation claim from anywhere in the UK. If you think logically about it, most communications between solicitors and their clients are over the phone, email or letters in the post.
Our main office is not based in Exeter, but our panel of solicitors are some of the most experienced personal claims advisors. That said, if you are required for a medical assessment, we have doctors in Exeter that will ensure you don’t need to travel far. Please speak to our personal injury solicitors covering Exeter for further details about how to claim.
Accident claims our solicitors can conduct in your area
Legal Expert can help with any accident in Exeter caused by somebody else’s negligence, whether it be a minor injury or a severe and complex injury claim.
There are common claims that personal injury solicitors often make that we have listed in the next section but remember, even if your injury is not listed, we can help with any claim. The table below gives examples of potential injuries to claim for. But you can continue reading as we explain various scenarios in greater depth.
| Injury | Severity | Notes | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brain Damage | Very severe | The person might be able to follow some basic commands. However, they will need full-time care and show little meaningful response to their environment. | £282,010 to £403,990 |
| Neck Injury | Severe | A neck injury that is associated with incomplete paraplegia or results in permanent spastic quadriparesis. | In the region of £148,330 |
| Knee Injury | Severe (ii) | Constant pain and limited movement caused by a leg fracture that has extended into the knee joint. | £52,120 to £69,730 |
| Arm Injury | Less severe | The person will have suffered with significant disabilities. However a substantial recovery has taken place or is expected to. | £19,200 to £39,170 |
| Back Injury | Moderate (ii) | Frequently encountered back injuries, that disturb the ligaments and muscles and cause backache. | £12,510 to £27,760 |
| Shoulder Injury | Serious | A dislocated shoulder with damage to the lower part of the brachial plexus that causes shoulder and neck pain. | £12,770 to £19,200 |
| Elbow Injury | Moderate or minor | Elbow injuries such as lacerations, simple fractures or tennis elbow syndrome. The recovery rate will affect how much is awarded. | Up to £12,590 |
| Leg Injury | Less serious (iii) | Simple tibia or fibula fractures, or soft-tissue injuries, with minor ongoing symptoms. | Up to £11,840 |
| Whiplash Injuries With Psychological Injuries | One or more | Lasting for 18-24 months | £4,345 |
| Whiplash Injuries | One or more | Lasting for 18-24 months | £4,215 |
Industrial diseases
Industrial disease and illness claims are often made many years after the condition was caused because claimants have lived without knowing that they’ve been affected.
When a doctor diagnoses conditions like Acoustic shock; Mesothelioma, Vibration white finger, Occupational asthma or Chemical poisoning, then the three-year time limit for making a claim commences from the date of the diagnosis.
Reasons why an employer may be liable for an industrial illness can include inadequate tools or equipment, damaged equipment, lack of safety procedures and unsafe working practices.
Medical negligence & malpractice
Medical malpractice or negligence cases occur when you are injured or become ill while receiving treatment at a doctor’s surgery, hospital, dentist, or any other healthcare establishment.
Usually, a claim would be made against the Royal Devon & Exeter NHS foundation trust rather than directly against the doctor or surgeon involved in your injury. For a non-NHS establishment, we’d claim against the company that operates that facility.
Examples of medical malpractice that we can help with include:
- Misdiagnosis of a condition
- Late diagnosis
- Delayed treatment
- Incorrect medication
- Surgical negligence
Other examples exist, but essentially any mistake made by a medical professional can be claimed for. We have a guide that explains more about medical negligence here.
Exeter work accident claims
Exeter personal injury solicitors could help with any claims for accidents at work in Exeter if they were caused by something the employer did or didn’t do. All employers have a duty of care to their employees to ensure the working environment is safe and void of risks.
The duty of care is extended to any other site that you may visit while undertaking your work tasks, so, even if you’re not at your usual site when an accident occurs, you can still claim against the employer.
Examples of why an employer could be negligent in your accident include poor training of staff, inadequate safety equipment, poorly maintained or faulty equipment, and unsafe working practices.
Accidents at work reported in the Exeter authority area
The table below outlines the types of accidents in Exeter workplaces that have been reported under health and safety regulations:
| Accidents report at work in the Exeter local authority area | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | 2013/14 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unclassified accidents | 24 | 28 | 22 |
| Accidents involving machinery | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| Explosions | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Fire based accidents (including burns) | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Harmful substance exposure | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Falling from heights | 25 | 18 | 26 |
| Animal-related injuries, such as dog bites | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Manual handling related injuries | 113 | 58 | 47 |
| Physical assault | 16 | 5 | 6 |
| Slip, trip or fall accidents | 81 | 63 | 68 |
| Struck by an object | 29 | 33 | 20 |
| Trapped by something | 0 | 2 | 0 |
As you can see, the manual lifting injuries and slips and trips are the most prevalent accident in Exeter workplaces for the period these statistics were collated.
Falls or slips at work or elsewhere
Slips or trips which cause you to fall and become injured can happen just about anywhere in day to day life and, if the place that it happens owes you a duty of care to ensure your safety (such as a shop, workplace, school, restaurant or even a public street), you can claim compensation.
Usual reasons that claims can be made are wet or excessively slippery floors with no warnings in place; uneven flooring or damaged flooring; Broken handrails on stairs; and poorly lit areas that prevented you from seeing a trip hazard.
Serious injury claims
Exeter’s serious injury claims are sometimes difficult to differentiate between normal injuries, and there is no clear legal definition of what makes an injury severe.
Our guide about serious injuries claims goes into more detail, but in essence, if an injury is life-changing in some way, such as the claimant now needs care; the claimant needs support to complete tasks they used to be able to do, or if the claimant has to change jobs then the injury could be deemed serious.
Often injuries such as amputations, brain damage and any level of paralysis would be classed as serious. And rest assured that our personal injury solicitors covering Exeter can handle serious injury claims such as these. Visit our page to claim online to begin the process today.
Exeter road traffic or car crash claims
Legal Expert often helps people with car crash claims in Exeter. We can support you whether you were a pedestrian, passenger or driver so long as the other driver was liable for the accident that caused your injuries.
The complexity of road traffic claims increases when there are multiple vehicles involved which is why you’d need to choose a specialist personal injury solicitor to make your claim.
Also, it is worth noting that it is possible, through policies provided by the insurance industry, to claim an uninsured driver or a hit and run driver that was never identified.
Road traffic accident casualties in the county of Devon
This table shows the most severe Devon road traffic accidents reported over the last three years and includes fatalities involving pedestrians, motorcycles and passengers in cars:
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 9 | 21 | 22 |
| Car | 155 | 194 | 191 |
| Motorcycle | 91 | 83 | 108 |
| Pedestrian | 46 | 50 | 48 |
There are no specific statistics for Exeter, but Devon includes the Exeter serious accidents.
Choose an experienced No Win No Fee solicitor for your claim
Choosing a solicitor that offers No Win No Fee means that you don’t have to find an upfront payment to secure their services and, in many client’s views, is the only way to be able to afford the claim in the first place.
The solicitor is taking a risk by offering no win no fee but still has to do the same amount of work as a case where the client pays upfront.
The following are included in most No Win No Fee cases:
- An initial consultation (to understand the facts of the case)
- Checking the legal and medical facts (to ensure the case is sound and can be won).
- Drawing up a No Win No Fee agreement (and setting a percentage that the solicitor will charge if they win the case)
- Gathering supporting evidence (from witnesses, medical records and expert statements that confirm the impact of the injury).
- Requesting compensation from the defendant.
- Accepting, countering, refusing any offer or taking the case to court if necessary.
Our experience is that most cases are settled out of court, and once they are settled, the solicitor would deduct their agreed success fee and then send payment to the client. This is something that our personal injury solicitors for Exeter can expand upon when you speak to them.
What No Win No Fee means for our clients
Essentially, if your case is lost, then you don’t have to pay the solicitor for their time or service at all. If they win the case, they’ll send you the compensation after deducting their agreed service fee.
How to find out more
We know that you may still have questions, and you may not be quite ready to begin your claim. If that’s the case, then don’t worry, as there are plenty of useful guides on this site that may be more specific to your accident or injury and give you the guidance you need.
If, however, you still have questions, please call one of our advisors, as you must get the correct information before deciding if your claim will be made or not.
Contact our team to start your claim
If you’re ready to begin your claim with Legal Expert today and want to make use of our No Win No Fee service, then you can contact us by:
- Telephone: Call free on 0800 073 8804
- Email: Send a message to office@legalexpert.co.uk
- Live chat: speak with our advisors live from the website
- Online claim form: Fill in this form with the details of your accident, and we’ll call you back when it’s convenient.
Either way, you can contact our personal injury solicitors about any queries and then start your initial consultation.
Useful contacts and services
If you’ve had an accident in Exeter, then as well as speaking to our team at Legal Expert, there are several other organisations you may need to contact, which we’ve listed here for your convenience:
Local Police Station
Devon and Cornwall Police
Heavitree Road
Exeter
Devon
EX1 2LR
Tel:101
Web: Devon Police Force
Opening Times: Monday to Saturday 8am to 6pm
Local Crown Court
Exeter Combined Court Centre
Southernhay Gardens
Exeter
EX1 1UH
Tel:01392 415 300
Web: Exeter Combined Court
Local Hospital
Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust
Barrack Road
Exeter
Devon
EX2 5DW
Tel: 01392 411611
Web: Royal Devon and Exeter Hospitals
If you require any more information before making your claim for an accident in Exeter, then these guides may be useful:
Personal Injury Claims – full details and a step by step guide about how personal injury claims work.
Repetitive Strain Injuries – This guide details what causes RSI injuries and how much compensation some injuries can receive.
The Health & Safety at Work etc. Act – The rules that govern employers and sets out their duty of care for employees.
Exeter Personal Injury Solicitors FAQs
What is a personal injury claim?
This is any claim someone makes when they’re the victim of an accident that wasn’t their fault but leaves them suffering injuries.
What injuries could the victim claim for?
They could claim for a wide variety of injuries, from minor fractures to severe, life-threatening impacts.
Does the severity of an injury influence the validity of the claim?
No, though, the injury would need to have at least some noticeable impact on the victim’s life at that time or ever since.
Other Compensation Guides
- Eastbourne Personal Injury Solicitors
- Ellesmere Port Personal Injury Solicitors
- Enfield Personal Injury Solicitors
- Ewell Personal Injury Solicitors
- What Is Professional Negligence?
- Fareham Personal Injury Solicitors
- Farnborough Personal Injury Solicitors
- Filton Personal Injury Solicitors
- Folkestone Personal Injury Solicitors
- Gateshead Personal Injury Solicitors
- Head Injury Claims
When could the claims process begin?
You can begin your claim as soon as you wish to do so.
Is there a timeframe in which the victim has to file their claim?
Yes, the maximum limitation period for any claims to begin is three years.
Does this mean that the claim has to conclude within three years?
No. The claimant has to begin legal proceedings during the 3-year window rather than reaching an outcome.
How long does the claims process usually last?
A typical claims process tends to be around 12-18 months long.
Are there exceptions to the 3-year personal injury claims time limit?
Yes, as the rules differ when it comes to any claims for historical sexual abuse crimes.
Thank you for reading our Exeter personal injury solicitors guide.
