At Thompsons – the UK’s most experienced personal injury law firm – we only work for the victims of accidents and injuries. We never represent insurance companies or employers.
Thompsons has led the way in creating new laws for working people and every year, we recover more than £200 million in compensation for people who don’t make legal history, but for whom we fight just as hard.
You can take a look through the ground-breaking cases we have won over our 100-year history.
We don’t just deal with personal injury claims. We are also proud to help trade union members with issues such as dismissals, discrimination and equal pay through our specialist employment rights department.
We strive at all times to provide a high-quality service and a standard of care in which you can be completely confident. Our aim is to get the maximum compensation for you in the shortest possible time.
That means we will:
All of Thompsons’ lawyers receive extensive training relating to personal injury law. If your lawyer wants to meet with you, rather than discuss the circumstances of your claim over the phone, they will arrange an appointment to meet you at a time and a place to suit you. They will also make any adjustments necessary to accommodate any disability you may have.
Our network of UK offices are open during normal office hours (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm). If you need to contact us outside these hours, just ring and leave a message and we will call you back. Remember to tell us your case reference number – you will find this on the letters we send you. Alternatively, we can be contacted by email if you would prefer this.
Equality and diversity are at the heart of what we do. Thompsons is committed to promoting equality and diversity in all our dealings with you. Tell your lawyer about anything that will help us communicate with you or help you participate in mediation, meetings or court proceedings.
We are committed to providing the highest quality legal service to our clients. If you have any problems with the handling of your case we hope you will let us know straight away.
Thompsons has a procedure in place to help resolve any complaints promptly and fairly. This is available on request from the Managing Partner at your local office, or you can view a copy at here.
If any complaint cannot be resolved using this procedure, you can ask the Legal Ombudsman at P.O. Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ, by emailing enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk or by calling 0300 555 0333 to consider your complaint.
Normally, you need to bring a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of receiving a final written response from us about your complaint. From 1 April 2023 the Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them within a year of the date of the act or omission about which you are concerned or within a year from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for concern.
We are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
We have certain responsibilities that we owe you.
These include an obligation to:
We will always discuss with you any major steps you take in your case.
We need you to:
To receive compensation, you have to prove that someone else was to blame for your injuries. So the first thing we have to decide is whether your case is one that will succeed.
We will write to you with details of next steps at the outset of your claim. These might include obtaining medical evidence and gathering information from witnesses to support your claim.
In cases where estimated damages are less than £25,000, there is a claims process which is meant to reduce the length of time it takes to recover compensation, however, much still depends on whether or not the other side admits they were to blame. The defendant normally has a period of up to three months from when they receive the claim to confirm whether or not they admit fault.
We will ask for compensation for your pain and suffering (both in the past and possibly the future), as well as any expenses that you incur because of the accident or illness. Types of expenses could include travelling expenses to see a doctor and/or the cost of prescriptions or any loss of wages. It’s really important to keep any relevant receipts.
We will always try to settle your claim if possible, rather than issue court proceedings.
We may advise that it would be in your best interests to arrange to hold a joint settlement meeting with the defendant. This would involve all parties attending a meeting with a view to discussing any outstanding issues and reaching a settlement. This can take place either before or after court proceedings are issued.
If the defendant denies liability or fails to put forward a reasonable offer in settlement of your claim, so long as we think your claim has reasonable prospects of succeeding, we will recommend that court proceedings are started. If this happens, we will keep you closely informed about all steps in the court process.
Whatever we do, it will be with your consent.
We know you are honest, but the insurers defending your claim will try to show you aren’t telling the truth.
The insurance industry is keen to reduce claims and maintain its profits.
Of course, it’s never been acceptable to make up what’s wrong with you or how badly affected you are by an injury, but the concept of ‘fundamental dishonesty’ has now been introduced in personal injury cases. If, through exaggeration of your condition or its impact (including any financial losses), the court finds that you have been fundamentally dishonest, your compensation can be taken away and you may even have to pay the other side’s legal costs.
It’s more important than ever that you:
If you have any questions, you can email or call the lawyer working for you. You can find their details on the letters you get from us.
We may ask you to undergo a medical examination to show the cause and extent of your injuries and their effect on you. The doctor is very likely to be someone you have not seen before as it is important they are independent.
This is nothing to be worried about and is a way of strengthening your case. The medical expert may wish to have sight of your medical records. If the expert does want to see them, we will send you forms of authority to sign for the release of your records from your GP or the hospital you attended.
If you are still experiencing symptoms as a result of the accident, we can look at ways of supporting you to have appropriate treatment to help you get better. This treatment is often referred to as ‘rehabilitation’. For example, you may need physiotherapy after your accident or you may require counselling if the accident has caused you psychological distress.
If you have an accident at work, on the roads or elsewhere, are the victim of an assault or develop an industrial disease which causes you to have time off your usual work, you may be entitled to state benefits.
It is important to report the accident or illness to your employer immediately and complete the appropriate forms. You should also report it to the regional Jobcentre Plus disablement office as soon as possible, a list of which can be found at www.gov.uk/dwp. It will then issue a declaration that you had an accident or illness, which should help to reduce delays if you decide to claim benefits at a later date.
If you are in any doubt about what you may be eligible to claim, ask the person dealing with your case. You may have to repay any benefits you receive from your compensation package, but again we will explain all this to you.
The Citizens Advice Bureau or the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) can help with processing any claims.
If you have an accident at work, on the roads or elsewhere, are the victim of an assault or develop an industrial disease which causes you to have time off your usual work, you may be entitled to state benefits.
Find out more about the benefits which may be available to you on our guide to state benefits.
Please find our terms and conditions in full here.
We will ask you to sign an agreement called a conditional fee agreement (CFA), which is more commonly known as a 'no win, no fee' agreement. As long as you comply with the conditions of the CFA and take out any insurance we recommend, if your case is lost you won’t have to pay anything towards your opponent’s costs of the action.
Find out more about our funding arrangements here.
If you or a loved one have been injured, you may be entitled to make a compensation claim. Get in touch via our online enquiry form for free, no-obligation advice and to discuss your case.
After submitting the form, a team member will personally call you to discuss your situation and the next steps.
Lines are open 8am - 7pm weekdays
9am-5pm Saturdays
If you need additional help, please get in touch, we’re here to help you understand your claim.
Call us now
0800 0224 224