PERSONAL INJURY

Every year thousands of people suffer injury as a result of someone’s fault - but many people are too anxious to claim compensation, or don’t know how to.  We know that it is difficult enough having to cope with the physical or psychological injury, but the after-effects can be just as traumatic as the accident itself.   Several trips to hospital, time off work and loss of income, dependence on family and friends for care and support, and the anxiety and stress all this causes.  If your injury was someone else’s fault – another motorist, your employer, the local authority – you can get compensation for all these consequences - physical, emotional and financial.

We ensure that we deal with your case professionally – and sympathetically.  We believe that face-to-face contact with our client (rather than just telephone contact) is important and if you are not able to come to the office, we can arrange a home visit.    We also know that cost can add to the client’s anxiety: which is why we offer an initial free consultation to advise you on the merits of your case.  If we believe that you have a good chance of winning compensation we can arrange funding (through legal expenses insurance or conditional fee agreements and after the event insurance) which means you would not have to pay out of your pocket for us to run the case.

Gerard Maye Legal’s personal injury department offers advice and representation on all aspects of accident claims, including:

• Road traffic accidents.  If you are a motorist, pedestrian, cyclist or passenger and have been involved in an accident with another motorist where you have suffered injury, then you are entitled to claim compensation.    There is now a streamlined process for dealing with these types of claim and, unless there is an argument as to who is at fault or complications concerning your injuries; these claims can be settled within a matter of months.
• Accidents at work.    Your employer has to ensure that the workplace is kept safe and there are regulations that have to be followed.  If your employer has failed to comply with health and safety regulations and you have been injured as a result - even if not at your usual place of work - you may be entitled to compensation for your injury and expenses such as loss of pay.   You can claim against your employer even if the accident was caused by another worker, provided they were carrying out their normal employment duties.
• Tripping and slipping accidents.  Many people ‘come a cropper’ when they trip over an uneven patch of pavement and in some cases it is more than your pride that is hurt.   The local authority has a statutory duty to ensure that the roads and pavements in their area are kept safe; if they fail to do so, they have to pay compensation if anyone has been injured as a result.   Also, supermarkets, shops and other organisations have to keep their floors clear and safe; if someone slips on a patch of oil that has not been cleaned up, the injured party is entitled to compensation for their injury and other losses.
• Dental negligence claims.  Dentists are trained to a very high professional standard.  However, occasionally mistakes are made when patients are being treated.   If the treatment falls below that of a reasonably competent dentist, the injured patient is entitled to be compensated.
• Criminal injury.   If you have been the victim of a crime of violence (whether assaulted in the street, or subject to sexual abuse), the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority may pay out compensation for the physical and psychological injuries you have suffered.   The application is fairly straightforward, but certain rules apply.

Funding. 

Sometimes the biggest worry is how much it will all cost.   There are a number of ways in which your personal injury claim can be funded.    You might already have legal expenses insurance as part of your home contents or motor insurance policy (or as part of your membership of an organisation such as the AA or RAC).  If you were injured at work and are a member of a Trade Union, they should provide advice and assistance.  If we think your case has a reasonable chance of success, we can act for you under a Conditional Fee Agreement (or ‘No Win No Fee’ as it has been called): if your case is successful, your opponent pays our costs, but if it is not successful, you do not have to pay our costs.   We would also recommend that you take out After the Event insurance to protect you from having to pay your opponent’s costs if you lose: however, the premium is not paid till the end of the case and will be paid either by your opponent (if you win) or as part of the insurance claim (if you lose).

Gerard Maye Legal is a member of Accident Line (www.accidentlinedirect.co.uk ), which is sponsored by the Law Society.    John Searby, our head of Litigation, has been a personal injury specialist for over 20 years and is an approved member of the Law Society’s Personal Injury Panel and a Senior Litigator member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (www.apil.org.uk), which campaigns on behalf of injured people and seeks reform of the law to provide better protection for victims of accidents.

Contact us. 

If you think you might have a claim for compensation, please call John Searby on 01273 560426, or email him on john.searby@gerardmaye.co.uk.   Alternatively, you can fill in our online Personal Injury Enquiry Form.   We guarantee that we will see you promptly and will advise you fully on the merits of your claim, what steps we need to take and how it can be funded.    We provide an initial free consultation and will advise you then whether you have a claim or not.   We have offices in Brighton and Littlehampton, but we can also visit you at home if you are unable to get to one of our offices.