Accidents can occur unexpectedly, often leaving you with an injury that could disrupt your life. If you’ve suffered injuries because of someone else's negligence, trust our expert personal injury solicitors in Scotland to help you make a personal injury claim and secure the compensation you deserve.
At Watermans, we aim to make personal injury claims as straightforward as possible. Our specialist team of personal injury solicitors in Scotland can handle all kinds of claims, including cases related to slips, trips, falls, road traffic accidents, industrial accidents, and most other cases where people have suffered injuries through no fault of their own.
We have law firms in Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow and offer expert legal representation and free initial consultations for clients across Scotland. Whether your case involves rehabilitation, lost earnings, or complex legal fees, our priority is to achieve the best outcome while minimising stress.
"They looked out for me through the whole process. Watermans sorted out my physiotherapy and a personal injury settlement that has enabled me to get my life back together. A special thanks to Sam Donaldson and Stacey Moore who handled my claim."
M Mayaka, Personal Injury Claim
If you have been injured as the result of an incident that wasn't your fault,
you're likely entitled to claim personal injury compensation.
We have secured compensation for thousands of people,
including those who have been injured in a road traffic accident, had an accident at work, or sustained injuries abroad.
You have 3 years from the date of the accident
or when the injury happened to begin legal court proceedings. We work on a no-win, no-fee personal injury claim basis.
Everything we do at Watermans
is about getting you the resolution and rightful compensation you need and providing straightforward legal advice. It should be that simple.
Personal Injury Claims at a Glance
Personal accident or personal injury claims in Scotland are legal cases you can open if you have been hurt in an accident that was someone else’s fault. This process involves recovering compensation from the party or the insurance of the party responsible for your injury.
Making a personal injury claim can seem like a daunting experience, especially when you’re recuperating from your accident. With the help of our personal injury experts you can focus on recovery while we handle the legal side of things.
From gathering medical evidence and medical reports to working with independent medical experts, we ensure that your claim is supported by robust documentation. This process helps us provide evidence that will strengthen your case and secure a successful outcome.
Watermans has a strict no-win, no-fee policy. This means our clients avoid financial risk when making a personal injury claim. We believe this arrangement provides a strong focus for our team, ensuring they do everything possible to ensure each case is successfully concluded.
Types of Personal Injury Claims
Accidents and personal injuries can happen anywhere. The 2022-23 Scottish Civil Justice statistics noted a 12% increase in personal injury cases compared to 2021-22. A striking 64% of all reported personal injury events were related to road traffic accidents.
The vast majority of accidents are often unintended but avoidable. Our personal injury legal experts have been successful in securing fair compensation for:
and many more.
How Much Compensation Can I Claim
Each personal injury claim is unique, as are the injuries and losses that arise from the accident that you can seek compensation for. Knowing what you can claim for is equally as important as knowing that you can pursue a personal injury compensation claim at all, as you only have one opportunity to claim for compensation following an accident.
That is why it is essential to use a personal injury specialist to act on your behalf following an accident. Our legal team will ensure you obtain the compensation you rightfully deserve.
There are several different things that you can claim compensation for following an accident. We offer a brief guide to each of these claims below.
Compensation is provided for the pain and suffering you have endured as a result of your injury. In Scotland, this is known as solatium. The compensation amounts you receive will depend on the type and severity of the injury you have suffered. This includes your physical and mental health.
For further information on the level of compensation you could recover for solatium, please see our Personal Injury Calculator.
It’s common to need time off work after an accident, which could result in lost income. If the accident was not your fault, you are entitled to recover any lost income from the party responsible for the accident, whether that is your employer or their insurance company.
In personal injury cases involving more serious injuries, such as amputations or brain injuries, it may not be possible to return to work or at least to the job you were doing at the time of your accident. In this scenario, you can make a compensation claim for future loss of earnings.
Financial losses such as loss of earnings are not the only financial losses to be considered in a claim. It’s equally important to consider additional expenses incurred following the accident. This could include replacing damaged property, the cost of medical care, legal fees, and more.
These expenses would not have arisen had your accident not happened. However, vouching for these losses will be required, and our personal injury compensation solicitors will help you account for these costs.
As part of the full care service provided by Watermans, we can arrange for your vehicle to be repaired to its pre-accident standard by an approved repairer.
The costs will be met in full by the at-fault party. Unlike pursuing a claim through your insurers, you will not be required to pay an excess. We can also pursue a claim for the value of your vehicle if the vehicle is written off following the accident.
We can provide you with a like-for-like hire vehicle for the duration of the time your vehicle is being repaired at no cost to you. This will be recovered from the at-fault party. As your personal injury lawyer in Scotland, we’ll handle all aspects of your case, including these additional services.
If you require medical treatment or rehabilitation following an accident, such as physiotherapy, counselling, etc., you may wish to have this provided privately to avoid waiting on an NHS waiting list.
If you fund this treatment yourself, our serious injury solicitors can recover these costs, provided you can supply the evidence of the treatment yourself. Alternatively, our Total Care service provides this treatment to you at no extra cost, and we recover the costs directly from the at-fault party as part of your injury compensation.
The law in Scotland recognises that following an accident, family members play a key role in helping an injured person during their recuperation. Assistance may be given in a number of ways, such as helping to wash and dress, prepare meals, do housework, or go grocery shopping.
Although families typically provide this help without charge, you can claim compensation as part of your personal injury claim for the support they have provided to you — and may continue to provide in the future — due to the accident.
Why Watermans?
Watermans will make legal services easy to understand and navigate so you can move forward in life.
Our expert team is committed to providing comprehensive personal injury claims services, ensuring everything is as straightforward as possible for our clients following an accident. We take the hassle from you and fight each case to secure maximum compensation. Whether it’s a public liability incident, workplace accident, or other scenarios, we aim to provide a seamless experience.
We also provide access to various additional services, such as physiotherapy and psychological treatment, to ensure you recover from significant injuries and get your life back on track.
As leading personal injury claim lawyers in Scotland, our legal expertise in personal injury covers a wide range of areas, including:
We represent thousands of clients throughout Scotland each year, securing millions of pounds in compensation for our clients. We work on a no-win, no-fee agreement basis, meaning that if your accident claim is unsuccessful, you won’t end up out of pocket.
Additionally, our transparent approach ensures that you won’t need to worry about the legal terms, we will explain all potential costs clearly from the outset.
The process begins with a free initial consultation. We take your details and a brief description of your circumstances. You can send us this information via our website, email, social media, or by calling us.
Before we make a claim on your behalf, we gather the full details of your claim from you and any witnesses to ensure that we have a complete picture of your injuries and losses.
We deal with the at-fault party on your behalf, from intimating the claim to presenting your case and, in most personal injury cases, negotiating a settlement for you.
As specialist personal injury solicitors in Scotland, we ensure the at-fault party is held accountable and you receive the maximum compensation you are entitled to, allowing you to move on with your life.
The figures quoted are a rough guide to show you the amount you could receive as compensation for your injury. Our solicitors will advise you in more detail about your specific claim.
Your claim could be worth...
Claim Worth
The figures quoted are a rough guide to show you the amount you could receive as compensation for your injury. Our solicitors will advise you in more detail about your specific claim.
We will start by asking you about how your accident happened. We will need to know:
Our personal injury claims solicitors will need details about the injuries you’ve sustained, the treatments received, and any other losses you’ve incurred.
This key information allows us to form a clear picture and advise whether your claim is likely to succeed.
We’ll gather and present the necessary proof to strengthen your claim. Depending on the type of case, a personal injury claims lawyer will collect:
We may have to raise a court action at some point during your claim. This could be for various reasons, such as the at-fault party being unwilling to make a reasonable settlement offer.
If a court appearance is necessary, the chances of your case going as far as a full court hearing are still very small. Less than 5% of personal injury claims raised in court go to full hearings. Our team of personal injury compensation lawyers will guide you through every step of the legal process.
Each case is different, and the time it takes to settle will depend on the circumstances of the accident and the extent of the injuries and losses involved. Our expert solicitors are experienced in handling various cases, from relatively minor events to those involving life-changing injuries.
In cases where the accident circumstances are clear and the injuries are relatively minor, the case can likely be fully resolved within a few months. In more complex cases, it is not uncommon for the personal injury claim process to last three years.
We’ve successfully recovered compensation for over 95% of the personal injury claims we handle, securing millions of pounds in compensation for our client’s claims in Scotland every year.
If we take on your case and it is unsuccessful, you can have peace of mind knowing we operate on a no-win, no-fee basis. This means you won’t have to pay a penny if your case is unsuccessful.
In addition, upfront costs are not a concern when you work with Watermans. We ensure transparency in our fee structure by clearly explaining all legal costs from the outset.
There are some exceptions to this rule concerning personal injury compensation in Scotland.
Firstly, if you were under 16 when your accident occurred, Scotland’s legal systems allow you 3 years from your 16th birthday to settle your case or have a court action raised to protect your right to claim.
Secondly, if you are a survivor of sexual abuse, the courts in Scotland have removed the requirement to raise your claim within 3 years in certain preconditions. This allows you to claim for personal injury when you’re ready. However, we would recommend that you seek advice as soon as possible.
If your accident happened on a boat or on a plane, there is a 2-year time limit to raise a Court action. Accidents in foreign countries can also have different time limits.
Our expert team of personal injury claim solicitors can advise you about the time limit exceptions and if they apply to your case once we know the full circumstances of your case.
Absolutely! We can take over your personal injury claim if you’re unhappy with your current lawyer or feel they’re not providing the support services you need. At Watermans, we believe that every client deserves proactive, clear, and effective legal representation. If you’re unhappy with your current legal team, we’re here to step in and help.
Switching your personal injury solicitor is an uncomplicated process. Once you reach out to us, we’ll review the details of your case and offer an honest assessment of how we can assist. If you choose to proceed, we’ll handle the formalities of transferring your case, including contacting your current lawyer to obtain the necessary case files and documentation.
The average payout for personal injury claims in the UK varies significantly based on the seriousness and type of injury, and financial losses incurred as a result. We typically divide compensation amounts into two categories: general damages and special damages.
General damages cover pain, suffering and loss of amenity caused by the injury. For example, minor injuries such as soft tissue damage or whiplash injuries might result in compensation ranging between a few hundred and a few thousand pounds. In contrast, more serious injuries such as spinal damage can lead to payouts exceeding £1 million.
Special damages compensate for financial casualties. This includes lost earnings, medical expenses, travel expenses, and any other out-of-pocket costs.
Still have a few questions about personal injury claims in Scotland? Get in touch with our personal injury law firm for straightforward legal advice.
Secure your future with the help of our dedicated personal injury solicitors in Scotland.
Fill out an enquiry form with Watermans today to get simple, straightforward assistance with personal injury claims in Scotland.
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
“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
