Learn How Long After An Injury You Can Claim Compensation
No-win, No-fee claims
This guide answers "How long after an injury can you claim compensation" and addresses all of the types of claims we take on, from personal injury to medical negligence.
Excellent Reviews On
Learn How Long After An Injury You Can Claim Compensation
100% No Win No Fee
This guide answers “How long after an injury can you claim compensation” and addresses all of the types of claims we take on, from personal injury to medical negligence.
Excellent Reviews On
As featured in:
The Time Limits For Compensation Claims
Have you, or someone you know, been harmed due to someone else being negligent? If so, you may have many questions about making a compensation claim, including “How long after an injury can you claim compensation?”.
If you’re eligible to claim compensation, ensuring that you’re within the claims time limit is crucial. This guide explores what the time limit is for all of the claims our No Win No Fee solicitors can take on, which include:
- Personal injury claims – covering road traffic accident claims, public liability claims, and accident at work claims.
- Medical negligence claims.
- Fatal accident claims.
- Criminal injury claims.
- Data breach claims.
We also briefly discuss when you could be eligible to make a compensation claim, and what our No Win No Fee solicitors can do specifically to help you.
All of our solicitors have had years of the highest level of legal training, and have won countless compensation claims for their clients. Finding out whether you can connect with one of them is easy. Simply contact us for free and tell us about your situation. Our advisors can then give you guidance on whether you can begin claiming compensation, and what you can do next:
- Call us for free on 0333 091 8598.
- Fill out the form on our ‘Contact Us’ page.
- Send a message into the live chat box on the screen.
How Long After An Injury Can You Claim Personal Injury Compensation?
You have 3 years from the date your accident happened to begin a claim for personal injury compensation, as per the Limitation Act 1980.
However, this time limit differs for those who are:
- Younger than 18.
- Mentally incapacitated.
As these claimants are unable to make a claim for themselves.
In these cases, someone could act as a litigation friend for the claimant and begin a claim on their behalf (such as parents, for example).
If a litigation friend hasn’t begun the claiming process by the time the claimant:
- Turns 18.
- Recovers mental capacity.
Then the 3-year time limit will begin for the claimant from these dates (their 18th birthday or date of mental recovery).
Under certain legislation, there are certain people who owe you a duty of care, whether that be at work, on the road, or in public places. If these responsible parties fail to uphold their duty of care, and you’re injured from this, you could be eligible to start a personal injury claim.
Please contact us today to confirm your claim eligibility. Our personal injury specialists can also tell you more if you are still wondering, how long after an injury can you claim compensation?
Why use us?
Free Consultation
We offer a free consultation to anyone looking to make a claim
No win, no fee
Claim experts
We use solicitors who have handled thousands of claims
Is The Time Limit Different For Medical Negligence Claims?
The time limit only differs slightly with medical negligence claims and personal injury cases.
As per the Limitation Act 1980, the time limit is still 3 years to begin a medical negligence claim. However, the time limit can commence from either:
- The date the negligence occurred. Or,
- The date you were aware that you suffered medical negligence (otherwise known as the date of knowledge).
Likewise, with personal injury compensation claims, if the claimant is unable to make a claim themselves, due to being a minor or mentally incapable, then the time limit will be frozen, and a litigation friend can begin a claim on their behalf.
Every medical professional that treats you owes you a duty of care. If they fail to provide the correct standards of care, and breach their duty of care as a result, you could be eligible to start a medical negligence claim if this breach led to you suffering harm that should’ve been prevented (otherwise known as avoidable harm).
Please contact us today to confirm your claim eligibility.
What Time Limits Apply For Fatal Accident Claims?
The fatal accident claims time limit is generally 3 years, commencing from either:
- The date of death.
- The date of the postmortem or inquest (otherwise known as the date of knowledge).
Unlike medical negligence claims and personal injury claims, this time limit stays the same regardless of whether the deceased was a minor or mentally incapacitated.
However, under the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions Act) 1934, only the deceased’s estate can make a claim within the first 6 months following the deceased’s death. They can make a claim for how the deceased suffered physically, psychologically, and financially prior to their death. They can also make a claim on the dependents’ behalf. Dependents are certain types of relatives of the deceased, including (but not limited to) spouses, parents, children, and siblings.
If the estate has not made a claim on their behalf within these first 6 months, only then can dependents of the deceased make their own claim under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 for how the death has affected them.
If the deceased was owed a duty of care, whether that be from an employer, controller of a public place (otherwise known as an occupier), road user, or a medical professional, and their death was caused by a breach of this duty of care, then there could be an eligible claim.
We understand that losing a loved one in a fatal accident can be extremely traumatic, and the thought of getting financial justice when you’re grieving may be stressful. Just know that our team can give you all of the support and guidance you need, and if you’re eligible to claim, one of our solicitors can do all of the hard work for you with your fatal accident claim.
How Long Do You Have To Make A Criminal Injury Claim?
The criminal injury claims time limit when claiming through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) is generally 2 years, commencing from the date the incident took place.
However, the time limit may be extended if you can prove that exceptional circumstances stopped you from being able to begin a criminal injury claim any earlier.
Also, here is how the criminal injury claims time limit changes for those who suffered an act of violence as a minor:
- If you were younger than 18 when the incident took place, and the incident was reported to the police, the 2-year time limit will commence from the date of your 18th birthday (unless there are exceptional circumstances).
- If you were younger than 18 when the incident took place, but the incident was not reported to the police, the 2-year time limit will commence from the date you report it to the police. But, you will need to prove that exceptional circumstances stopped you from being able to make this police report sooner (for example, historical abuse cases).
If a violent crime:
- Has left you injured.
- Took place in Great Britain (or another relevant location, such as a boat registered to one of these countries).
- Was reported to the police.
Then you could be eligible to begin a criminal injury claim through the CICA.
We understand that it can be extremely traumatic to suffer from a violent crime, and the thought of getting financial justice when you’re recovering may be stressful. Just know that our team can give you all of the support and guidance you need, and if you’re eligible to claim, one of our solicitors can do all of the hard work for you with your criminal injury claim.
What Is The Limitation Period For Data Breach Claims?
The time limit to begin a data breach claim is generally up to 6 years.
Organisations that store and process your personal data (any information that can be used to identify yourself) need to adhere to the rules and regulations within the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 to keep your personal data safe.
If they fail to adhere to these data protection laws, and your personal data is compromised in a data breach because of this, then you could be eligible to begin a data breach claim if you are suffering either psychologically or financially as a result.
Please contact us today to confirm your claim eligibility.
Will A Claim Need To Be Settled Within The Time Period?
No, a claim doesn’t need to be fully settled before the claims time limit ends. You just only need to begin a claim within the time limit for the claim to be valid.
If you believe you’re eligible to claim compensation, why wait? Starting a compensation claim as soon as possible after the incident is advised. This is because the details regarding your harm will likely be clearer in your mind, and it will likely be easier for your solicitor to collect evidence and build a stronger case when there are clearer details, which gives you the best chance of having a successful claim. So, please give us a free call as soon as possible.
Compensation Calculator
This is our compensation calculator, using guideline compensation brackets from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG).
Why not try entering your injury type for an estimated valuation of the potential worth of your injuries suffered?
For a more accurate evaluation, please contact us today.
Compensation Bracket: 0.00
How Our Solicitors Can Help You To Claim
Our No Win No Fee solicitors can help you claim compensation in many ways. As part of their services, they can do the following to make the claims process easier for you:
- Gather your evidence.
- Communicate with the defendant, and other relevant parties, on your behalf.
- Handle all negotiations to ensure your compensation value is fair and correct.
- Send you updates regularly about the case.
- Use clear communication without the use of legal jargon.
- Connect you with various rehabilitation specialists.
- Talk you through every step of the claims process.
- Help you apply for interim payments.
Additionally, with the specific type of No Win No Fee agreement our solicitors offer (a Conditional Fee Agreement), all of the above services are free unless your claim is successful. This means there are absolutely no solicitor service fees:
- Before the claim begins.
- During the process of the claim.
- If the claim is unsuccessful.
Your solicitor will just keep a small percentage (otherwise known as the ‘success fee’) of the compensation if your claim is successful. All success fees are legally capped to ensure that the client always receives the majority of the compensation.
Contact No Win No Fee Solicitors Co
Our solicitors have decades of combined experience in settling all types of compensation claims. Their priority is to help you get the financial justice you deserve.
If you would like their help and guidance throughout the claims process, please feel free to get in touch with us today. It is completely free to contact us about a claim enquiry, and our team are available 24/7:
- Call us for free on 0333 091 8598.
- Fill out the form on our ‘Contact Us’ page.
- Send a message into the live chat box on the screen
Learn More
Learn more about some different compensation claims here:
- Learn how to make a farm accident claim.
- Find out how to claim compensation after having a slip, trip and fall accident.
- Learn how to make a scaffolding accident claim.
Additionally, these pages might give you some helpful information:
- Gov.UK – how to receive Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if you have needed to take time off work due to negligence.
- Gov.UK – how to request CCTV footage of yourself, which can be helpful in forming your evidence after your accident.
- General Medical Council (GMC) – if you want to make a medical negligence claim, you can find out here what good medical practice is expected from doctors.
Now we have answered the question “How long after an injury can you claim compensation?”, we hope that you have the information you need. For answers to any other questions about making a compensation claim, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.
