How long you have, how your claim runs and what it costs all depend on how you were hurt. This guide sets out the rules in England and Wales as at 4 November 2026, alongside our reviewed lists of injury firms by city.
Personal Injury Lawyers by city
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The short answer
In England and Wales you usually have 3 years to start a personal injury claim, and most claims run on a no win, no fee agreement that caps the lawyer's success fee in most cases. You don't need a claims company or other middleman: you can go straight to a solicitor. Since 1 April 2013, solicitors, barristers, insurers and claims companies can't pay or take referral fees for injury claims.
- A minor road injury, as an adult inside a vehicle: you can claim yourself through the free Official Injury Claim service
- Hurt in a violent crime: apply to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, usually within 2 years
The rules below are as at 4 November 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.
How long you have to claim
Under the Limitation Act 1980 you have 3 years from the injury, or from your date of knowledge if later, to start court proceedings.
Your date of knowledge is when you first knew the injury was significant, that someone's act or omission caused it, and who they were, counting what you could reasonably have found out. Not knowing it was negligence doesn't delay it.
| Who is claiming | When time runs out |
|---|---|
| An adult hurt in an accident, at work or by medical treatment | 3 years after the injury, or after the date of knowledge if later |
| Someone injured as a child | 3 years after their 18th birthday, so usually up to age 21 |
| Sexual abuse suffered as a child | No time limit for the injury claim since 29 June 2026. If it's brought after the usual limit would have run out, the court must dismiss it if the defendant satisfies the court that a fair hearing isn't possible. Claims settled or decided by a court before 29 June 2026 can't be reopened. An estate can only rely on this rule if the person had started the claim before they died |
| Someone who lacked capacity to run a claim when it arose | 3 years after regaining capacity, or after their death if that comes first |
| The estate of someone who died within the 3 years | 3 years after the death, or after the personal representative's date of knowledge, whichever is later |
| Dependants claiming under the Fatal Accidents Act | 3 years after the death, or after the dependant's own date of knowledge, whichever is later. If the person who died was already out of time, a dependency claim usually can't be brought, though the court can let one go ahead |
| A criminal injuries application to CICA | Usually 2 years after the crime, which must have been reported to the police as soon as reasonably practicable |
For other late claims, a judge can let the case go ahead if that would be equitable, but that is the court's choice, not your right.
How a claim works
Before court, both sides follow a pre-action protocol to swap letters and evidence, and many lower value claims start on an online portal. Most settle without a hearing.
- Road accident portal: claims from accidents on or after 31 May 2021, above the small claims limit and up to £25,000, start on claimsportal.org.uk
- Work and public liability portal: claims up to £25,000 and above the small claims limit follow a separate low value protocol, which leaves out clinical negligence, mesothelioma and road accident claims, among others
- Official Injury Claim: a free service working on behalf of the Ministry of Justice for minor road injuries. You must be 18 or over, have been inside a vehicle, and have been hurt in England or Wales on or after 31 May 2021, with an injury worth under £5,000. Motorcyclists, cyclists, pedestrians, children and protected parties can't use it, among others
Small claims limits for the injury part of a claim, as at 4 November 2026, with the whole claim worth no more than £10,000:
| Claim | Injury limit |
|---|---|
| Road accident on or after 31 May 2021, adult inside a vehicle, other vehicle UK registered | £5,000 |
| Motorcyclist, pillion or sidecar passenger, cyclist, horse rider, wheelchair or mobility scooter user, or pedestrian | £1,000, tested at the accident |
| Road accident before 31 May 2021, or other vehicle registered outside the UK | £1,000, tested at the accident date |
| Claimant who is a child, protected party or undischarged bankrupt | £1,000, tested when proceedings start. A child's or protected party's road claim from on or after 31 May 2021 that includes whiplash goes to the fast track |
| Any other injury claim, such as a fall in a shop | £1,500 |
For whiplash lasting up to 2 years, the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021 set a fixed tariff, a little higher with a minor psychological injury. These figures apply to accidents on or after 31 May 2025:
| Injury lasts | Whiplash only | With minor psychological injury |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 3 months | £275 | £300 |
| 3 to 6 months | £565 | £595 |
| 6 to 9 months | £965 | £1,025 |
| 9 to 12 months | £1,510 | £1,595 |
| 12 to 15 months | £2,335 | £2,435 |
| 15 to 18 months | £3,445 | £3,550 |
| 18 to 24 months | £4,830 | £4,975 |
Accidents from 31 May 2021 to 30 May 2025 use the original figures, from £240 to £4,345. A court can raise the amount by up to 20% in exceptional circumstances, and lost pay and expenses are claimed on top.
Work illness and asbestos
For an illness caused by work, the 3 years usually runs from when you first knew the condition was significant and linked to your job, not from when the job ended. Where no employer or insurer can be traced, two government schemes may pay for mesothelioma.
- Employer's insurance: most employers carrying on business in Great Britain must hold employers' liability insurance, with at least £5 million of cover. The Employers' Liability Tracing Office may help you trace an old employer's insurer
- The process: disease claims follow the Pre-Action Protocol for Disease and Illness Claims. Mesothelioma and asbestos related lung disease claims go to the multi-track
- Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme: may pay if you were diagnosed on or after 25 July 2012, the disease was caused by asbestos exposure while working in the UK, you can't trace the employer or its insurer, you haven't made a civil claim against an employer or insurer, and you haven't received, and aren't eligible for, damages or a specified payment for it. Claim within 3 years of diagnosis
- The 2008 scheme: a one off payment for diffuse mesothelioma caused by asbestos exposure in the UK, which can include exposure outside work, for people who haven't been paid for the disease elsewhere and can't get a payment under the 1979 Pneumoconiosis Act or a Ministry of Defence scheme. Claim within 12 months of diagnosis, or of the death for a dependant
Clinical negligence
Claims for harm caused by medical treatment have the same 3 year limit, their own Pre-Action Protocol for the Resolution of Clinical Disputes, and normally go to the multi-track. The exception is a claim that would otherwise be intermediate track where the defendant fully admits liability in its letter of response and raises no limitation defence.
Paying for a claim
Most claims are funded by a conditional fee agreement, often called no win, no fee. If you win, the success fee comes out of your compensation and is capped in most cases; if you lose, a costs order against you usually can't be enforced beyond what you recovered.
- The 25% cap: in most first instance injury cases the success fee is capped at 25% of your damages for pain, suffering and loss of amenity plus past financial losses, after any amount repaid to the DWP's Compensation Recovery Unit. Future losses aren't counted. The other side can't be made to pay the success fee, except in diffuse mesothelioma claims, where the cap doesn't apply either
- Damages based agreements: the firm takes a share of what you recover instead of fees, capped at 25% of the same damages, including VAT
- After the event insurance: covers some costs if you lose. The premium generally can't be claimed back from the other side, so ask who pays it
- Qualified one way costs shifting: the rule that protects you if you lose. It can be lost in some cases, including certain strike outs and, with the court's permission, a finding that the claim was fundamentally dishonest
- Referral fees: since 1 April 2013, solicitors, barristers, insurers and claims management companies can't pay or receive referral fees for injury or death claims. The FCA says you don't need a claims management company to claim
Get in writing what you would pay if you win, lose or stop part way, and check your home and car insurance for legal expenses cover.
Criminal injuries compensation
If you were hurt in a violent crime, you can apply free to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), usually within 2 years. Under the 2012 scheme, injury payments run from £1,000 to £250,000.
- Reporting: no award is made unless the crime was reported to the police as soon as reasonably practicable and you cooperated as far as reasonably practicable with bringing the offender to justice
- Late applications: accepted only where exceptional circumstances stopped you applying sooner and the evidence lets CICA decide without extensive further enquiries
- Under 18s: if the crime was reported before the victim turned 18, apply by their 20th birthday. If first reported later, they have 2 years from that report
- No representative needed: CICA won't pay for one if you use one
How to choose and check a firm
Check any solicitor or firm on the SRA's Solicitors Register before you sign, and walk away from cold calls and offers of cash to sign up.
- The Solicitors Register: it shows whether someone is a solicitor and where they work, and whether the SRA regulates a firm. The SRA warns that if a search finds nothing, it is not safe to assume the firm or person is regulated
- Claims companies: regulated by the FCA since 1 April 2019. One handling injury claims must be authorised by the FCA, unless a legal regulator such as the SRA regulates it. Check on the FCA Firm Checker or the Solicitors Register
- APIL: the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers says it accredits lawyers as senior litigators, fellows and senior fellows, usually with at least 5, 10 or 15 years' experience, and that membership alone is not evidence of competence
- The Law Society: it describes its Personal Injury Accreditation as a recognised quality standard for practitioners acting for injured people and their dependants
Red flags:
- Cold calls: unsolicited marketing calls about claims management services have been banned since 8 September 2018 unless you have told the caller you consent
- Cash, gifts or pressure: solicitors and claims companies aren't allowed to offer cash or gifts to get you to make an injury claim, and the FCA says claims companies mustn't push you for an on the spot decision. Treat either as a reason to walk away
- Scams: fraudsters sometimes pose as law firms. Before sending money or documents after an unexpected call, email or text, find the firm on the Solicitors Register and contact it using the details there
Sources
- Limitation Act 1980, s.11
- Limitation Act 1980, s.11ZA
- Limitation Act 1980, s.11ZB
- Limitation Act 1980, s.12
- Limitation Act 1980, s.14
- Limitation Act 1980, s.28
- Limitation Act 1980, s.33
- Crime and Policing Act 2026, s.96
- Crime and Policing Act 2026: child sexual abuse civil measure factsheet (GOV.UK)
- Civil Procedure Rules: Pre-Action Protocols
- Pre-Action Protocol for Low Value Personal Injury Claims in Road Traffic Accidents
- Pre-Action Protocol for Low Value Personal Injury (Employers' Liability and Public Liability) Claims
- Civil Procedure Rules, Part 26
- Civil Procedure Rules, Part 44
- Extending fixed recoverable costs: public notice (Ministry of Justice)
- Official Injury Claim: make a claim
- Official Injury Claim: who can use it
- Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021, reg. 2 (revised)
- Whiplash Injury (Amendment) Regulations 2025
- Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969, s.1
- Employers' liability insurance (GOV.UK)
- Employers' liability insurance (FCA)
- Diffuse mesothelioma payments (GOV.UK)
- Mesothelioma Lump Sum Payments (Claims and Reconsiderations) Regulations 2008
- NHS Resolution (GOV.UK)
- Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013
- Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, s.48
- Damages-Based Agreements Regulations 2013, reg. 4
- Courts and Legal Services Act 1990, s.58C
- Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, ss.56 to 60 (referral fees)
- Prohibition of referral fees in LASPO ss.56 to 60 (SRA)
- Claim compensation if you were the victim of a violent crime (GOV.UK)
- A guide to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (GOV.UK)
- Solicitors Register (SRA)
- Compensation claims (FCA)
- Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015, s.58
- Offering inducements to potential clients and clients (SRA)
- Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003, reg. 21A
- Accredited lawyers (APIL)
- Personal Injury Accreditation (Law Society)
Personal Injury Lawyers: common questions
How long do I have to make a personal injury claim?
Normally 3 years from the injury, or from your date of knowledge if later. That is when you first knew the injury was significant, what caused it and who was responsible. If you were hurt as a child, the 3 years starts on your 18th birthday. Injury claims for sexual abuse suffered as a child have had no time limit since 29 June 2026. If one is brought after the usual limit would have run out, the court must dismiss it if the defendant satisfies the court that a fair hearing isn't possible. Claims settled or decided by a court before 29 June 2026 can't be reopened. For other claims, a court can let a late claim go ahead, but only at its discretion.
A family member died in an accident. How long do we have?
If they died within their own 3 years, the estate has 3 years from the death or from the personal representative's date of knowledge, whichever is later. A dependant claiming under the Fatal Accidents Act has 3 years from the death or from their own date of knowledge, whichever is later. If the person who died was already out of time, a dependency claim usually can't be brought, though the court can let one go ahead.
Do I need a solicitor for a minor whiplash claim?
Not always. If you're 18 or over, were inside a vehicle, the accident was in England or Wales on or after 31 May 2021 and the injury is worth under £5,000, you can use the free Official Injury Claim service yourself. Cyclists, motorcyclists, pedestrians, children and protected parties can't use it, among others.
How much can a no win, no fee lawyer take from my compensation?
In most first instance injury cases the law caps the success fee at 25% of your damages for pain, suffering and loss of amenity plus past financial losses. Damages for future losses aren't counted, and diffuse mesothelioma claims fall outside the cap. Other costs, such as an insurance premium, may also come out of your compensation, so ask for the terms in writing.
What happens if I lose my injury claim?
Under qualified one way costs shifting, a costs order against you can usually only be enforced up to the damages, interest and costs awarded or agreed in your favour. That protection can be lost in some cases, including where the claim is struck out on certain grounds or, with the court's permission, found to be fundamentally dishonest.
Do I need a claims management company?
No. The Financial Conduct Authority says you don't need a claims management company to make a claim, and the Official Injury Claim service for minor road injuries is free. Since 1 April 2013, solicitors, barristers, insurers and claims management companies can't pay or receive referral fees for injury or death claims, and you can contact a solicitor directly.
I worked in a dusty or noisy job years ago. Is it too late to claim?
Not necessarily. For conditions like asbestos disease or hearing loss, the 3 years usually runs from when you first knew the condition was significant and linked to your work, not from when the job ended. For mesothelioma diagnosed on or after 25 July 2012, where neither the employer nor its insurer can be traced, the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme may pay if you claim within 3 years of diagnosis.
How do I check an injury lawyer is genuine?
Look the solicitor or firm up on the Solicitors Register run by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. It shows whether someone is a solicitor and where they work, and whether the SRA regulates a firm. The SRA warns that if a search finds nothing, it is not safe to assume the firm or person is regulated. A claims management company must be authorised by the FCA, unless a legal regulator such as the SRA regulates it. You can check on the FCA Firm Checker.
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