Car Accident Compensation Process — Scotland
Spinal Injury Solicitors — Scotland
Spinal injuries can change your life drastically, from mobility and independence at work to care needs and finances. If your injuries were sustained due to the negligence of others, claiming compensation can seem daunting. 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 claim compensation.
Spinal injuries can result in permanent disability,
paralysis or the need for long-term care.
Our personal injury team is skilled
in serious injury claims. We’ll help you achieve the emotional and financial results 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 devastating, from chronic pain and reduced mobility to full paralysis. The impact is not only physical, but also psychological, emotional and financial.
Our spinal injury solicitors understand the devastating effects these injuries can have on you and your loved ones. That’s why we act quickly, so the negligent party is held accountable for their actions and you are financially compensated accordingly.
Common Causes & Types of Spinal Injuries
Understanding how spinal injuries happen can help you know 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.
- 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 back or spinal injuries, especially in construction or industrial jobs.
Types of spinal injuries
We represent clients with all types of spinal cord damage, including:
- Cervical injury: This͏͏ affects͏͏ the͏͏ neck͏͏ area͏͏ 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.
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.
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 immediately or 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 take care of 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 you won’t be charged solicitors’ fees if we don’t win your case.
How Much Compensation?
How much compensation can I claim for spinal injury?
Spinal injuries will often end in very substantial compensation awards — and deservedly so.
Claims are entitled to be financially compensated 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 treatments.͏͏
- Specialist care and equipment: Cover͏͏s costs͏͏ for͏͏ professional͏͏ caregivers,͏͏ 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 eventual financial settlement.
We will advise on interim payments that may be required to meet immediate costs, including specialist care, accommodation and equipment. We simplify the process to ensure that you get the money you deserve during these difficult times.
Why Watermans?
Why should I choose Watermans to pursue my spinal cord injury claims?
Watermans simplifies legal services so you can move forward in life.
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 as soon as possible.
Specialist Spinal Injury Solicitors in Scotland
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
- Cases relating to abuse
We represent thousands of clients throughout Scotland each year, securing millions of pounds in compensation for our clients. Our spinal injury claims solicitors work on a no-win, no-fee basis, which means that if your claim is unsuccessful, you won’t end up out of pocket.
Spinal Injury Claims - FAQs
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 the date you suffered a spinal injury. 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. Mental capacity in this context 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 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 provide financial͏͏ support͏͏ during͏͏ the͏͏ claims͏͏ process.
Trust Watermans to ensure your financial needs are met after a spinal injury.
Complete our enquiry form, and our expert spinal injury solicitors will be in touch.
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