We’ll have an initial discussion with you which is free and confidential to discuss your case. This time can be used as an opportunity to understand the impact that your injury or illness has had on you and your family. This discussion will be important to confirm if you are able to progress a legal claim. We’ll discuss what funding options are available to you to pay for your claim, including No Win No Fee agreements*.

Our specialist lawyers will look into your case in detail, gathering evidence from independent medical professionals and other specialists. These experts will analyse how your injury or illness occurred and any long term impact on your well being. They’ll also advise us on the rehabilitation and care you’ll need in the future.

We’ll be in touch also with those responsible for your injuries or illness. If they acknowledge responsibility for what has happened to you early in the process, we’ll try to secure interim compensation payments (where appropriate) which can fund any immediate care, rehabilitation, expenses or adaptations . Any interim payments awarded to you will be taken out of your final compensation award.

We’ll always try and negotiate claims out of court. However, if your opponent doesn’t accept responsibility or doesn’t agree with the amount of compensation we feel you need, we’ll start court proceedings.

Even when trial dates have been set, claims are still often settled before reaching court. If your claim does need to go to court, we’ll be there to help you every step of the way, talking you through what will happen so you feel as comfortable as possible.

Read more about what happens if your case goes to court.

In general, you have three years to make a claim, from the date your injury happened or from when you first became aware of it. For children, the three year time limit begins on their 18th birthday.

These time limits do not apply to people who are unable to manage their own affairs because of mental incapacity.

There are also different time limits if your injury or illness happened outside of England and Wales – for example, during international travel or if a defective product is involved. Time limits will vary and can often be much shorter than three years. No Win No Fee agreements can still be used to fund cases involving an injury abroad.

We advise that you get in touch as soon as possible to make sure no time limits pass. To find out more about claim time limits, contact our experts today on 0800 056 4110 who’ll be happy to explain.

There's no fixed compensation tariff, but we'll do everything we can to make sure you recover the maximum amount of compensation where possible. The amount of compensation awarded is affected by the quality of the preparation of a claim and our track record is outstanding.

Your compensation will be calculated using expert evidence that we gather. The amount will depend on factors such as:

• How serious your injury or illness is.
• How your life has been affected by the injury or illness.
• Your future care and support needs.
• How much money you’ve lost or will lose as a consequence (e.g. loss of earnings, travel expenses).
• Specialist equipment and adaptations you may need.

If you have any questions on compensation, please phone us on 0800 056 4110 for a free initial consultation about your claim.

If you have a personal injury claim underway with another law firm and you’re concerned about the way it has been handled, you may wish to seek a second opinion. We’ve helped many people who’ve been dissatisfied with the advice or service they’ve received, and will make your transition between firms as smooth as possible.

If you’ve received poor quality service, we suggest that you present your concerns to your current lawyers first. After this, we’re happy to offer a second opinion and will give you free independent advice on your claim so you can make an informed choice about moving.

We’ll provide you with honest guidance about your claim and will quickly decide how we can best help proceed with your case.

If you decide to move your case to us, you won’t have to worry about a thing as we’ll take care of all the necessary arrangements.

If you’re concerned about how your personal injury case has been handled and would like to talk about moving it to us, call free today on 0800 056 4110.

By choosing Irwin Mitchell, you’ll deal with friendly and professional lawyers who’ll take time to get to know you and understand what happened to you. You’ll benefit from our expert knowledge of compensation claims and will be represented by a lawyer who specialises in the particular type of personal injury claim you’re making.

Our solicitors are based across the country and have the knowledge and experience to make a real difference to your life, securing you the compensation you need to move forward.

Your lawyer will run your case as efficiently as possible and will start investigating your claim immediately. We’ll always provide you with clear advice that can help you with a variety of issues relating to your claim. We can also offer advice on financial issues, state benefits and claiming against your employer, if the injury or illness you suffered was while you were at work.

View our Personal Injury team.