Personal Injury

Accidents happen and a personal injury can often occur through no fault of your own. Watermans is here to help you to claim the compensation you deserve.

Get Your Life Back Together

"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

The Short of it

  • If you have been injured

    as the result of an incident that wasn't your fault, the chances are that you're probably entitled to compensation.

  • We have secured compensation for thousands

    of people including those who have been injured in road traffic accidents, had an accident at work, or been injured abroad.

  • You have 3 years

    from the date of the accident to begin legal proceedings, and we work on a no win no fee basis.

  • 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

    Personal Injury Claims

    What is a personal injury claim?

    A personal injury claim is a legal case you can open if you have been hurt in an accident and it was someone else’s fault. Personal injury claims are the process in which compensation is recovered from the party, or the insurance of the party, who was responsible for your injury.

    Everything we do at Watermans is about getting you the resolution you need and making that process as easy, clear, and painless as possible. With the help of our personal injury solicitors in Edinburgh & Glasgow, you can take precious time to recover and benefit from some much-needed peace of mind.

    Our strict no win no fee policy means that our clients are never out of pocket when they make a claim. We also believe this arrangement provides a strong focus for our team and ensures that they do everything possible to ensure each individual case is concluded successfully.

    Types of Claims

    What types of claims are included within the personal injury heading?

    Accidents can happen anywhere. Often they are not intended but many can be avoided or prevented. We have been successful in securing compensation for

    • car accident claims
    • motorcycle accidents
    • whiplash injuries
    • pedestrian accidents
    • accidents at work
    • construction site accidents
    • accidents in factories
    • accidents in shops
    • accidents in pubs
    • accidents in restaurants
    • fatal accidents
    • dog attacks

    and many more.

    If you have been injured in an accident that could have been prevented, contact us. Our team of personal injury solicitors in Edinburgh & Glasgow will help you get the compensation you deserve.

    What can I claim for?

    What types of personal injury claim can you receive compensation for?

    Every accident is unique and so are the injuries and losses that arise from the accident. Knowing what you can claim for is equally as important as knowing that you can pursue a claim at all, as you only have one opportunity to receive compensation following an accident. That is why it is essential that you use a personal injury specialist to act for you following an accident to ensure that they obtain the maximum amount of compensation that you are entitled to.

    There are a number of different things that you can receive compensation for following an accident and a brief guide to each of these Heads of Claim is listed below.

    Solatium (pain and suffering)

    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 amount of compensation you receive will depend on the type and severity of the injury you have suffered. For further information on the level of compensation you could recover for solatium please see our Personal Injury Calculator.

    Loss of Earnings

    It is very common that following an accident you might need to take time off work. This can result in you suffering a loss of earnings. If the accident was not your fault you are entitled to recover any loss of earnings you have suffered from the person responsible for causing your accident (even if that happens to be your employer). In cases involving more serious 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 a claim for future loss of earnings may also be made.

    Other Financial Losses/Out of Pocket Expenses

    Whilst a claim for loss of earnings deals with what you don’t receive as a result of an accident it is also important to consider additional expenses that you have incurred following an accident. This might include things like damage sustained to property or clothing which you are required to replace, and the cost of attending hospital appointments. These are all expenses that would not have arisen had your accident not happened. Vouching for these losses will, however, be required.

    Vehicle Repair

    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 of this will be met in full by the at-fault party and, 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 damage is such that your vehicle is written off following the accident.

    Replacement Vehicle Costs

    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.

    Medical Treatment

    If you require medical treatment following an accident such as physiotherapy, counselling, etc., then you may wish to have this provided privately to avoid the need to wait on an NHS waiting list. If you fund this treatment yourself we can recover these costs for you if vouching for the cost of the treatment is provided. Alternatively, our Total Care allows us to provide this treatment to you at no cost and we would then recover the costs directly from the at-fault party.

    Services (Assistance from family members)

    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; for example, helping you to get washed and dressed, preparing meals, doing housework or going grocery shopping. Whilst it is accepted that families, by their nature, will provide this help without charge, it is possible to recover compensation for the services that have been provided to you (and might be required in the future) as a result of the accident.

    Why Watermans?

    Why should I choose Watermans to pursue my personal injury claim?

    Watermans makes legal services look and feel easy, so people can move forward in life.

    Watermans is one of the leading personal injury solicitors in Edinburgh & Glasgow. We act only for people who have been injured in an accident, and never for the at-fault party, nor insurance companies who defend these cases.

    Our expert team are committed to doing everything to make the claims process straightforward for our clients following an accident. We take the hassle from you and fight each case to secure the maximum level of compensation. We also provide access to a range of additional services, such as physiotherapy and psychological treatment to ensure you recover from your injuries as soon as possible and get your life back on track.

    Our expertise in personal injury covers a wide range of areas including accidents at work, public liability claims, road traffic accidents, fatal and serious injury claims and cases relating to child and historical abuse.

    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 basis, which means that if your claim is unsuccessful, you won’t end up out of pocket.

    Watermans

    Straightforward Legal Advice

    How does the claims process work?

    You contact us

    We take your details and a brief deception of your circumstances. You can send us this information via our website, by email, on social media, or by calling us.

    We investigate

    We gather the full details of your claim from you and any witnesses to ensure that we have a complete picture of the injuries and losses you have sustained.

    You leave it to us

    We then deal with the at-fault party on your behalf from intimating the claim, presenting your case and, in most cases, negotiating a settlement for you.

    We get you justice

    We will hold the at-fault party to account to ensure you receive the maximum level of 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.

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    FAQs

    We will start by asking you about how your accident happened. We will need to know

    • the date and location of the accident
    • details of any witnesses
    • who the accident was reported to, for example the police

    This key information will allow us to form a clear picture and advise you if your claim is likely to be successful.

    We will want to know about the injuries you have suffered and any details about the treatment you have had and any other losses you may have suffered, like loss of earnings.

    It is possible that we may have to raise a court action at some point during your claim. This could be for a variety of reasons, such as the at fault party being unwilling to make a reasonable settlement offer.

    If that is necessary then the chances of your case going as far as a full court hearing are still very small, with less than 5% of personal injury claims raised in court going all the way to a full hearing. Our team will be there to guide you every step of the way.

    Every case is different but the length of time for a case to settle will depend on the details of how the accident happened and the severity of the injuries and losses suffered.

    In cases where the accident circumstances are clear and the injuries are relatively minor then it is likely that the case can be fully resolved within a few months. In more complex cases, it is not uncommon for the case to last for between 2-3 years.

    We successfully recover compensation for our clients who suffer a personal injury in over 95% of the cases that we take on, and secure millions of pounds in compensation for our clients every year.

    In the event we were to take your case on and it was unsuccessful, you have peace of mind knowing that we will act for you on a no win, no fee basis, meaning that if your case is not successful, you won’t have to pay a penny.

    There are some exceptions to this rule.

    Firstly, if you were under the age of 16 when your accident occurred, you have 3 years from when you turn 16 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 circumstances.

    Our expert team can advise you about exceptions, and if they apply to your case, once we know the full circumstances of your case.

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    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

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    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