Bicycle Accident Claim – Top 5 Reasons Cyclists Are Injured in Scotland
Spinal Injury Solicitors — Scotland
Spinal injuries can change your life drastically, affecting your mobility, independence, work, care needs and finances. If your injuries were sustained due to the negligence of others, claiming compensation can seem like a complicated process. At Watermans, our experienced spinal injury solicitors can guide you through the claims process to help you get the compensation you deserve.
Simple and Straightforward
"I was nervous and unsure of the idea of getting into a complicated legal situation, but that turned out to be simple and straightforward. I was very impressed with the claim amount they managed to secure for me - more than what was anticipated!"
L Paterson, Personal Injury Claim
The Short of It
If you have sustained a spinal cord injury within the last three years,
you may be entitled to make an injury compensation claim.
Spinal injuries can result in permanent disability,
paralysis or the need for long-term care.
Our personal injury lawyers have extensive experience handling serious spinal cord injury claims.
We’ll help you get the compensation and support you deserve.
Everything we do at Watermans is about getting you the resolution you need
and providing straightforward legal advice. It should be that simple.
The Long of It
Spinal Injuries
What You Need To Know About Spinal Injury Claims
Spinal cord injuries can be life-changing, from chronic pain and reduced mobility to full paralysis. Their effects are not only physical, but also psychological, emotional and financial.
According to the Spinal Injuries Association, around 50,000 people in the UK are currently living with a spinal cord injury, with approximately 2500 new cases occurring each year.
Our specialist spinal injury solicitors understand the serious and lasting impact these injuries have on you and your family. We act quickly to hold the negligent party accountable and pursue the maximum compensation available to you.
Common Causes & Types of Spinal Injuries
Understanding how spinal injuries happen can help you recognise when to seek medical and legal help.
How Spinal Injuries Occur
Spinal injuries can occur as a result of the following incidents:
- Road traffic accident: collisions involving cars, motorbikes, or cyclists can cause severe trauma to the spine, leading to paralysis. If you were injured on the road, you may be able to make a car accident claim alongside your spinal injury claim.
- General falls: Slips, trips and falls from heights, whether on unsafe pavements, in workplaces, or in public spaces, are common causes of spinal cord damage.
- Assault: Violent attacks can result in spinal fractures or permanent nerve damage that needs long-term care.
- Sporting accidents: High-impact sports such as rugby, horse riding, or skiing carry significant risks of spinal injury.
- Workplace accidents: Inadequate training, defective equipment, or unsafe environments can lead to serious spinal injury cases, especially in construction or industrial jobs. You may be able to make an accident at work claim.
Types Of Spinal Injuries
We represent clients with all types of spinal cord damage, including:
- Cervical injury: This͏͏ affects͏͏ the͏͏ neck͏͏ and͏͏ can͏͏ lead͏͏ to͏͏ quadriplegia.͏͏ This severe͏͏ injury can potential͏͏ly lead to long-term͏͏ effects͏͏ on͏͏ blood pressure regulation.
- Thoracic injury: Most commonly caused by road traffic accidents. It affects the upper chest and mid-back and can lead to paraplegia.
- Lumbar injury: Affects͏͏ the͏͏ lower͏͏ back͏͏ and͏͏ may cause weak legs, complicating your recovery͏͏.
- Back injuries: Damage to the vertebrae or discs can cause chronic pain and loss of function. Our back injury solicitors can advise on whether your injury qualifies for a compensation claim.
Making a Claim
How Do I Make a Spinal Injury Claim?
A spinal cord injury may require around-the-clock care and modifications to your home and transport methods. Our specialist solicitors will guide you throughout the spinal injury claims process from the very first interaction.
All of these changes can prove costly. However, if you were injured because of someone else’s negligence, you may be able to relieve that financial burden by claiming compensation.
Here are the steps to make a claim:
- Initial contact: Reach out as soon as possible, and within three years of your accident. If you’re unable to do so, a family member can begin the process on your behalf.
- Free initial consultation: We’ll assess your case, determine eligibility, and handle the entire legal process for you.
- Case evaluation: Our͏͏ law firm will͏͏ thoroughly͏͏ investigate͏͏ your͏͏ case,͏͏ gathering͏͏ evidence͏͏ and͏͏ medical͏͏ reports͏͏ to͏͏ support͏͏ your͏͏ claim.
- Filing the claim: Your͏͏ spinal injuries solicitor will͏͏ file͏͏ the͏͏ claim͏͏ against͏͏ the͏͏ responsible͏͏ party͏͏ or͏͏ their͏͏ insurance͏͏ company.
- Negotiation: We’ll negotiate with the other party to secure fair compensation to cover medical expenses, lost wages and other costs.
- Settlement or court proceedings: Most cases settle out of court, but if necessary, we’re prepared to represent clients in court proceedings.
At Watermans, we operate on a no-win, no-fee basis, meaning that there is no financial risk to you and no legal fees if we don’t win your case.
How Much Compensation?
How Much Compensation Can I Claim For Spinal Injury?
Spinal injury compensation claims often result in substantial awards, which reflects the lasting impact these injuries have on every area of your life.
For a rough indication of what your claim may be worth, you can use our personal injury claims calculator. The calculator provides an estimate only, and actual compensation will depend on the circumstances of your case.
Injured persons can seek compensation for:
- Pain and suffering: Recognition of the physical pain and emotional trauma you’ve endured.
- Rehabilitation costs: This͏͏ includes͏͏ current͏͏ and͏͏ future͏͏ expenses͏͏ for͏͏ physical͏͏ therapy,͏͏ occupational͏͏ therapy͏͏ and͏͏ other͏͏ necessary͏͏ private medical treatments.͏͏
- Specialist care and equipment: Cover͏͏s costs͏͏ for͏͏ professional͏͏ caregivers,͏͏ mobility aids, adaptive͏͏ equipment͏͏, medical͏͏ devices and any other relevant financial losses.
- Home and vehicle modifications: Covers home and vehicle adjustments, such as wheelchair ramps or stairlifts.
- Lost income: Recovery of past and future wage loss and pension rights, often forming the largest part of the final compensation settlement.
We will advise on early interim payments where necessary to meet immediate costs, including specialist care, accommodation and equipment. We simplify the process to help protect your financial security during these difficult times.
Why Watermans?
Why Choose Watermans To Pursue My Spinal Cord Injury Claims?
Watermans simplifies legal services so you can move forward in life.
With offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dunfermline and Dundee, we handle the legal complexities to secure the maximum compensation for you. We also provide access to a range of additional services, such as physiotherapy and psychological treatment, to support your recovery alongside your claim.
Specialist Spinal Injury Claim Solicitors in Scotland
Our expertise in personal injury compensation covers a wide range of areas, including:
We represent thousands of clients throughout Scotland each year and have worked on successful compensation claims for 30 years. Our spinal injury claims solicitors take the complexity out of the legal process so you can focus on your recovery.
FAQs About Spinal Cord Injury Solicitors
If you’ve experienced spinal damage or paralysis due to a spinal injury, a claim can be made by you or a loved one. Legal guardians and power of attorneys can also file claims for minors or individuals who lack the mental capacity to manage their own affairs.
As with all personal injury claims, spinal cord injury claims have to be supported by evidence. You need to prove that the other party was at fault or negligent to receive compensation, just as you would with any other personal injury claim.
Our spinal injury specialists will help you collect and organise all necessary evidence; you don’t have to do it yourself. This includes medical records, police reports, photographs of the accident scene and witness statements.
To make a legal claim, you have to start the process within three years of suffering spinal cord injuries. However, there are some exceptions to this rule:
- Children under 16: They can raise a Court action when they turn 19. However, a claim must be processed as soon as possible.
- Injuries incurred abroad: May have a shorter time limit, as the law of the country where the accident occurred may apply.
- Lack of mental capacity: There is no time limit. In this context, mental capacity means a brain injury or learning disability. Medical evidence would need to be produced to show that you lacked the capacity to claim within three years.
The͏͏ claims process can͏͏ often͏͏ take͏͏ several͏͏ years͏͏ to͏͏ reach͏͏ a͏͏ final͏͏ settlement.͏͏ It’s͏͏ best͏͏ to͏͏ allow͏͏ sufficient͏͏ time͏͏ for͏͏ your͏͏ rehabilitation͏͏, the͏͏ full͏͏ extent͏͏ of͏͏ your͏͏ injuries͏͏ and͏͏ long-term͏͏ needs͏͏ to͏͏ become͏͏ apparent.
If͏͏ you͏͏ settle͏͏ too͏͏ early,͏͏ we͏͏ risk͏͏ underestimating͏͏ future loss and the͏͏ long-term͏͏ impact͏͏ of͏͏ your͏͏ spinal injury.͏͏ This͏͏ can͏͏ leave͏͏ you͏͏ with inadequate͏͏ compensation͏͏ for͏͏ future͏͏ care͏͏ and͏͏ ongoing͏͏ medical͏͏ treatments.
The͏͏ timeline͏͏ for͏͏ receiving͏͏ compensation͏͏ for͏͏ a͏͏ spinal cord injury can͏͏ depend͏͏ on͏͏ the͏͏ complexity͏͏ of͏͏ your͏͏ case.͏͏ While͏͏ the͏͏ full͏͏ settlement͏͏ process͏͏ can͏͏ take͏͏ some͏͏ time͏͏ to͏͏ complete,͏͏ we͏͏ understand͏͏ the͏͏ immediate͏͏ financial͏͏ pressures͏͏ you͏͏ may͏͏ face.͏͏
To͏͏ address͏͏ this,͏͏ we͏͏ can͏͏ often͏͏ secure͏͏ interim payments in͏͏ complex spinal cases while͏͏ your͏͏ claim͏͏ is͏͏ ongoing.͏͏ These͏͏ partial͏͏ payments͏͏ can͏͏ help͏͏ cover͏͏ expenses͏͏ during͏͏ the͏͏ claims͏͏ process.
Yes, you may still be able to pursue a spinal cord injury compensation claim.
A defender can be held liable for the full extent of your injuries, even if a pre-existing back or spinal condition made you more vulnerable to harm.
However, every case is different, and whether this principle applies will depend on the specific circumstances of your injury, the medical evidence available and how the incident is assessed by the courts. The extent to which a pre-existing condition affects your claim can be complex, and outcomes will vary from case to case.
If someone else’s negligence aggravated an existing condition, the medical expert will assess the extent to which the incident contributed to your current situation and advise on the strength of your case. To find out whether you have a valid claim, contact our spinal injury solicitors today for a free, no-obligation consultation.
Ready to take the next step? Fill in our enquiry form and one of our spinal injury solicitors will be in touch.
We’ll handle the legal side, so you can focus on your recovery.
Get in touch with us
Everything we do at Watermans is about getting you the resolution you need and making that process straightforward. Start the process by sending us your details below or calling us on 0131 555 7055
Our personal injury claims expert
“Making a claim for compensation can be such a daunting process for people, so I try to make it as straightforward and easy to understand as I can for them.”
Susanne McGraw, Head of Personal Injury