Archives: Guides

  • The Major Trauma Lawyers’ Guide to Claiming Compensation

    Your First Step – The Free Case Review

    8:00 AM – 9:00 PM

    Visit our office (275 Ecclesall Road, Sheffield, S11 8NX). You are guaranteed to be seen by a solicitor for your free review.

    The Immediate Intervention & Rehabilitation Process

    • Same-Day Consultation: A senior solicitor—Ralph Clark, Christopher Chappell, or Richard Meggitt—will arrange a home or hospital visit, often on the same day.
    • Immediate Needs Assessment (INA): We immediately enforce the Rehabilitation Code (2015) to fund an Immediate Needs Assessment (INA)
    • Funding Commitment: If the insurer delays funding, we will fund the INA and the initial rehabilitation package ourselves to ensure your recovery starts immediately.
    • Practical Support: We provide free psychological therapy (for the injured person and their family) and arrange and pay for taxis to medical appointments.
    • No Win No Fee & Loan: We offer our bespoke No Win No Fee Agreement (CFA). We also provide an immediate interest-free loan of up to £5,000 for urgent expenses while interim payments are secured.
    • Medical Evidence Costs: We fund the entire cost of the medical evidence upfront, covering substantial disbursements without any financial risk to you.

    Legal Authority, Strategy & Resolution

    • APIL & SIG: Our firm is an APIL Accredited Practice and Richard Meggitt is an APIL Accredited Senior Litigator. We commit to the Serious Injury Guide (SIG), ensuring a transparent, best-practice approach.
    • Barrister Involvement: We involve specialist Barristers from top-tier chambers (e.g., 4KBW and Ropewalk Chambers) early to advise on complex strategy.

    You may find this video clip useful, which discusses the specialised guidance used for catastrophic injury cases: APIL Guide to Catastrophic Injury Claims short clip

    • Valuation: Major Trauma cases typically take 2 to 4 years to settle.
    • Negotiation: The majority of claims are resolved at a Joint Settlement Meeting (JSM).
    • Litigation: If proceedings are required, we will issue them in the High Court, demonstrating our experience in complex, high-value claims.

    Specialised Expertise (Injury Focus)

    Injury TypeSpecialist Focus & Valuation StrategyKey Expert Instruction
    Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)Focus is on securing Court of Protection involvement and funding Future Care & Case Management (the largest head of damage) over a lifetime.Consultant Neurologists / Neuro-Psychologists
    Severe Burn & ScarringValuation focuses on the lifelong cost of Future Reconstructive Surgery and quantifying Psychological Damages.Consultant Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon
    Amputation / Loss of LimbFocuses on the lifetime cost of prosthetics and quantifying Phantom Limb Pain. We instruct specialist providers like Dorset Orthopaedics.Prosthetist/Orthotist Expert
    Chronic Pain DisordersLitigation focuses on defending causation for conditions like CRPS/FND. Valuation covers long-term pain management and functional loss.Pain Management Expert / Consultant Neurologist

    Financial Security & Lifelong Protection

    • PPO Strategy: We advise on the suitability of using Periodic Payment Orders (PPOs)—tax-free annual payments—to guarantee a secure, inflation-proofed income stream to cover future care costs.
    • Trust Setup: We work with financial experts like Frenkel Topping to set up a Personal Injury Trust (PIT) to safeguard the settlement.
    • Children’s Claims: Compensation involving children must be approved by the High Court and paid into a protected account under the Court of Protection’s authority.