Compensation for your injury
When an injury changes the course of your life, the legal support you choose matters. Nelsons’ personal injury lawyers have over 40 years of experience handling seriousand catastrophic injury claims, from traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord damage to amputation and fatal accidents.
We have represented injured people across Derby, Leicester, and Nottingham. Every injury claim is different and unique to you. That’s why we provide personalised representation from laywers who genuinely care to guide you through the claim from start to finish.
Get expert personal injury advice today on 0800 024 1976 or via our online enquiry form.
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Serious injury claims which our personal injury lawyers handle
Our team focuses on the cases where the stakes are highest, injuries that reshape your life, your capacity to work, and your long-term care needs. Below are the the types of serious injury claims we regularly handle.
- Brain and head injury claims: Traumatic brain injuries demand the most experienced personal injury lawyers. Whether caused by a road traffic accident, a fall from height, or a workplace incident, the consequences can include permanent cognitive change, altered personality, and a lifetime of care needs. We work with leading neurological experts and rehabilitation specialists to build claims that reflect not just your immediate medical costs, but the full lifetime impact on you and your family.
- Spinal cord injury claims: Spinal injuries including those resulting in partial or complete paralysis, require expert legal handling from the outset. We work alongside leading spinal injury consultants to build a comprehensive picture of your long-term needs, securing compensation that covers specialist rehabilitation, home adaptations, assistive technology, and ongoing care, as well as lost earnings and future financial provision.
- Amputation claims: Losing a limb, whether through traumatic accident or medical negligence, is life-changing in every sense. Our personal injury lawyers work with prosthetic specialists, occupational therapists, and care experts to ensure your claim reflects every aspect of your changed circumstances, from immediate rehabilitation to long-term equipment and support needs.
- Fatal accident and wrongful death claims: When negligence costs a life, we support bereaved families through one of the most difficult legal processes there is. We pursue compensation under the Fatal Accidents Act for dependency losses, bereavement awards, and the wider financial impact of losing a loved one, handling every stage with the sensitivity your family deserves.
- Serious road traffic accident injuries: Road traffic accidents are a leading cause of catastrophic injury in the UK from whiplash to catastrophic spinal damage. Our personal injury lawyers handle severe orthopaedic injuries, polytrauma, and life-changing head injuries arising from car accidents, motorcycle collisions, HGV incidents, and pedestrian accidents. Where liability is disputed or injuries are complex, we work with accident reconstruction experts and specialist medical consultants to build the strongest possible case.
- Serious workplace injuries: When an accident at work results in life-changing harm, including crush injuries, falls from height, or dangerous substance exposure, the legal and medical complexity of the claim increases significantly. We have extensive experience handling high-value employers’ liability claims, working with health and safety experts to establish exactly how the accident occurred and what preventative measures should have been in place.
- Public liability and premises accident claims: Property owners have a legal duty to keep premises safe. Our personal injury lawyers handle slip and trip accidents, falling objects, defective stairs, and accidents in shops and public spaces, investigating maintenance records and risk assessments to establish whether that duty was met.
- Product liability and defective product claims: When a faulty product causes injury, manufacturers, importers, and retailers can all be held liable. We represent individuals injured by defective machinery, contaminated food, faulty medical devices, and unsafe consumer goods, working with technical experts to pursue compensation from the right parties.
- Criminal injury compensation claims: Victims of violent crime deserve proper financial recognition for what they have suffered. Our personal injury lawyers guide clients through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) scheme, managing the application, gathering evidence, and appealing inadequate awards where necessary.
- Holiday and travel accident claims: Accidents abroad introduce complex jurisdictional and insurance considerations that many firms are not equipped to handle. We pursue holiday accident claims involving food poisoning, accommodation accidents, transport incidents, and injuries during organised activities, understanding tour operators’ responsibilities under UK consumer law and coordinating with overseas lawyers where required.
- Sports and leisure activity injury claims: Whilst sport carries inherent risk, organisers have a duty to maintain reasonable safety standards. We represent individuals injured during organised sport, fitness classes, and leisure activities where negligence contributed to a preventable injury, including cases involving inadequate supervision, defective equipment, and dangerous playing surfaces.
- Occupational disease and industrial illness: Industrial diseases, including mesothelioma and other asbestos-related conditions, industrial deafness, and occupational lung disease often take years or decades to manifest. Our personal injury lawyers handle these medically complex, multi-defendant claims with specialist knowledge, tracing exposure history across employers and building the causation evidence your case requires.
How our personal injury claims process works
We handle serious injury claims with a structured approach designed to maximise your outcome whilst minimising stress at every stage.
- Free case evaluation: We assess your claim quickly and honestly, examining the circumstances of your accident and the full impact of your injuries. Our personal injury lawyers explain the legal process, discuss the evidence needed, and give you a realistic picture of your prospects, without jargon, and without obligation. We’ll also explore whether an interim payment can be secured early, so you can access rehabilitation and specialist care without waiting for your claim to settle.
- Evidence gathering and investigation: Strong cases are built on solid evidence, and we act immediately to preserve what matters. Our team collects accident reports, witness statements, photographic evidence, and medical records. We move quickly to recover CCTV footage and secure witness accounts before memories fade, because in serious injury cases, the quality of early evidence can be decisive.
- Medical assessment and expert evidence: We instruct leading consultants across neurology, spinal medicine, orthopaedics, psychiatry, and care to properly document your injuries and map your long-term prognosis. We also work with care experts, occupational therapists, and independent financial advisers to build a whole-life picture of your future needs, from care costs and home adaptations to loss of earnings and pension impact. This evidence is the foundation of a properly valued claim.
- Negotiation and settlement: We negotiate robustly with insurers, understanding their tactics and the full value of what you are owed. Our personal injury lawyers are fully prepared to take your case to trial if a fair settlement is not offered, and in our experience, that preparedness consistently strengthens our negotiating position.
Why choose Nelsons as your personal injury lawyers?
We are one of the UK’s leading firms for serious and catastrophic injury claims, with a track record that speaks for itself.
- Nationally recognised for serious injury: ranked by both The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners, with both specifically citing our expertise in severe and catastrophic injury cases including brain, spinal, and orthopaedic injuries and Commended in The Times Best Law Firms 2025. We are also members of the Law Society Personal Injury Panel, a specialist qualification held only by experienced personal injury solicitors, and we are on the Headway Solicitors Service panel.
- Expert legal team: Led by specialists including Lisa Preece, our personal injury solicitors bring decades of combined experience to serious and complex workplace injury claims, with particular expertise in brain injury, severe orthopaedic injuries, and cases where long-term rehabilitation is central to the outcome.
- Over 40 years of specialist experience: handling complex, high-value personal injury claims across the East Midlands, from serious road traffic accidents to multi-millionpound catastrophic injury cases involving lifelong care needs.
- A whole-life approach to compensation: we work with care experts, independent medical consultants, and financial advisers to ensure your settlement accounts for every future need, including long-term care, home adaptations, lost earnings, and pension impact.
- No win, no fee with full cost protection: conditional fee arrangements backed by after-the-event insurance, so there is no financial risk to pursuing your claim.
Start your serious injury claim today
If you or a member of your family has suffered a serious or catastrophic injury, speak to one of our specialist personal injury lawyers today.
Call 0800 024 1976 or complete our online enquiry form. Offices in Derby, Leicester, and Nottingham.
Case Study
Here from some clients that we have helped.
Workplace accident – catastrophic amputation injuries
After a life-changing accident involving industrial machinery, we supported a client with a claim against his employer for catastrophic amputation injuries and significant psychological trauma. We secured early access to defendant-funded rehabilitation, including specialist prosthetics, 24/7 care, adapted accommodation and ongoing psychological support.
The claim settled for £5.75 million, ensuring lifelong care, financial security and access to the rehabilitation and equipment needed to support long-term independence.
“Life is still very challenging, but with the support put in place, I’m learning to manage things day by day. I’ve never forgotten what Nelsons did for me in making life more bearable.”
Workplace accident – fall from height causing serious orthopaedic injuries and PTSD
After a serious fall at work, we supported a client with a claim against his employer due to his serious orthopaedic injuries and PTSD. We investigated multiple potential defendants to establish liability and secure an early admission. We arranged orthopaedic and psychological rehabilitation to support recovery and return to work.
The claim settled for £500,000, covering loss of earnings, treatment and the long-term impact on our client’s ability to continue in his previous role.
“I can’t thank the team enough – they were professional, supportive and exceeded my expectations from start to finish.”
Road traffic accident – multiple injuries and complex trauma
After a serious road traffic collision involving multiple vehicles, we supported a client with a claim for significant orthopaedic injuries, internal injuries and head trauma. We secured early funding from the Defendant for private rehabilitation and surgery, enabling quicker access to treatment and supporting recovery.
The claim settled for £400,000 after four years, reflecting the severity of injuries, ongoing treatment needs and long-term impact on daily life.
“The support I received meant I could focus on my recovery, knowing the claim was being handled and my future needs were taken into account.”
Workplace accident – fall resulting in spinal injury and paraplegia
After a fall from unsafe scaffolding, we supported a client with a claim against a homeowner in a complex liability dispute. We pursued the claim through a High Court trial, successfully establishing liability despite arguments of contributory negligence.
The claim concluded with an award of £1.43 million (after reduction), reflecting lifelong care needs and the significant impact of the injuries on our client’s independence and quality of life.
Road traffic accident – serious orthopaedic and soft tissue injuries
After suffering serious orthopaedic and soft tissue injuries as a passenger in a taxi involved in a head-on collision, we supported a client with a claim for compensation and rehabilitation. We secured funding for physiotherapy and psychological counselling and arranged support from a case manager who worked with her employer to facilitate a phased return to work.
The claim settled successfully, helping our client access ongoing treatment as needed and continue her recovery following the accident.
"The compensation has enabled me to carry on with life as normal and has given me the option to access further treatment privately, allowing things to be done much quicker and helping my recovery. I would never have got the outcome I did without you and Nelsons.’’
Road traffic accident – serious orthopaedic and brain injuries
After a motorcycle collision caused by another driver pulling out into his path, we supported Dennis with a claim for compensation following a brain injury, multiple fractures, and other serious injuries. We successfully challenged allegations that Dennis was partly responsible for the accident, securing a full admission of liability, and arranged private rehabilitation to support his recovery and return to work.
The claim settled for a substantial six-figure sum, reflecting the impact of the injuries on Dennis’s health, future earning capacity, and long-term financial security.
"The private physiotherapy Nelsons obtained for me made a massive difference to my recovery throughout the claim. The compensation ensured that I did not have to worry about my mortgage and that my family and I will be financially secure in the future."
Meet the team
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Lisa PreecePartner & Solicitor
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Dianne CollinsLegal Director & Solicitor
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Helen FroggattSenior Associate & Solicitor
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Hannah ManewellSenior Associate & Solicitor
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Holly-Louise BateyTrainee Solicitor
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Ramandeep Bains
Associate & Legal Executive
Testimonials...
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Personal Injury Lawyers FAQS
Below, we have answered some frequently asked questions concerning personal injury lawyers
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What counts as a serious or catastrophic injury for a personal injury claim?
Serious injury claims typically involve injuries with a long-term or permanent impact on your ability to work, care for yourself, or live independently. This includes brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, severe burns, and multi-trauma injuries. If your injury has fundamentally changed your life, you are likely to have grounds for a serious injury claim.
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How much compensation could I receive for a serious injury?
Compensation in serious injury cases is calculated across two heads: general damages for pain, suffering, and loss of amenity, and special damages covering financial losses including medical costs, care, lost earnings, and future needs. High-value claims can run into the millions when lifetime care and loss of earnings are properly accounted for. Our personal injury lawyers will give you a realistic assessment during your free initial consultation.
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How long does a serious injury claim take to settle?
Complex serious injury claims typically take between two and four years to resolve, and sometimes longer. This is because we need your medical condition to stabilise before settlement, so we can properly value your long-term needs. In the meantime, we will pursue interim payments so you can access treatment and support without financial pressure.
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Can I get interim payments while my claim is ongoing?
Yes. In serious injury cases, we regularly apply for interim payments, funds paid by the defendant’s insurer before the claim settles. These can be used to fund rehabilitation, home adaptations, care, and other immediate needs. Early legal action is important, as interim payments require the right legal framework to be in place.
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What if my injury was partly my fault?
You may still be entitled to compensation even if you were partly responsible. This is known as contributory negligence, your compensation is reduced to reflect your share of responsibility, but you do not lose your right to claim entirely. Our personal injury lawyers will advise you honestly on how contributory negligence may affect your case.
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What is a no win, no fee agreement?
A conditional fee agreement (CFA) means you pay no legal fees if your claim is unsuccessful. If you win, a success fee is deducted from your compensation, capped by law at 25%. We also arrange after-the-event insurance to protect you against any adverse costs. Our personal injury lawyers will explain every element of the funding arrangement before you proceed.
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Can I claim on behalf of a family member who lacks mental capacity?
Yes. Where a serious injury has left someone without the mental capacity to manage their own legal affairs, a litigation friend, typically a family member or professional deputy, can pursue a claim on their behalf. Our team has extensive experience in cases of this nature and can advise on the process.
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How quickly should I contact a personal injury lawyer after a serious accident?
As soon as possible. Early legal action preserves crucial evidence, allows prompt medical documentation, and means we can apply for interim payments sooner. Most personal injury claims must be brought within three years of the accident or the date of knowledge of the injury, but in serious cases, the earlier you act, the better.
Get in touch
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