Losing a loved one in a fatal accident is an extremely traumatic experience.
Our compassionate team of solicitors understand the difficulties you will face and can help you claim compensation for your losses.
Our compassionate team are here to support you
We will find out the cause of your loved one’s accident and who was at fault. In addition to coping with the grief of losing a loved one, you may also have concerns about the financial impact. We can help you recover compensation and assist your family in getting through this difficult period.
Financial support for grieving families
In England and Wales a statutory bereavement award is a fixed amount of compensation (currently £15,120.00) which is given to certain relatives of a person who has died because of somebody else’s mistake. This award could provide your family with financial support and could be used to help over expenses in relation to funeral expenses, loss of earnings, and the return home of your loved one’s body if they were abroad when they died.
The bereavement award can only be claimed by the husband or wife, civil partner, or parent if their child was under 18. In addition to the bereavement award there are two kinds of benefit you may be eligible for after the death of a spouse:
- widowed parent’s allowance if you are bringing up children
- a bereavement allowance if you are between 45 and state pension age
Summary of fatal accident claims
Edwards Duthie Shamash have extensive experience in passionately helping the bereaved in taking a positive step by pursuing a fatal accident claim.
A blog by Bradley Wright.
Additional support
After the death of a loved one, it is likely you will need practical help and assistance in dealing with:
- the police and their investigations
- Inquest and Coroner’s investigations
- Wills and probate
- Benefits agencies
Our team of solicitors have experience in dealing with the Coroner’s Office, the department which investigates unusual or violent deaths. We can arrange for representation at both criminal proceedings or an inquest, as you will appreciate that such attendance can be unnerving.
How much compensation can I claim?
We will assess how much compensation you will obtain. This will depend on a number of matters including:
- pain and suffering your loved one or family member experienced
- funeral costs
- loss of income and any loss of pension
- medical expenses
Each case has different but we will ensure that all potential heads of compensation are recovered on your behalf.
Personal Injury FAQs
Each personal injury claim is different and the amount of recoverable compensation will depend upon the severity of your injuries, whether you are partly responsible for the accident, how much you have lost in earnings and whether you have made a recovery or whether you require further treatment.
Please click our personal injury compensation calculator to obtain further information about personal injury damages.
If your claim is successful you will receive one total sum that is arrived at by combining two heads of damage, namely general damages and special damages. General damages is an award of money that is given to you purely in relation to the injury you have suffered and takes into account pain and suffering, loss of amenity, severity of injury and whether any ongoing treatment and care is required.
Special damages are all those losses and expenses you have incurred as a direct result of the accident including loss of earnings, loss of pension, medical treatment, ongoing care and rehabilitation, travel expenses and modifications to your home.
You usually have three years in which to make a personal injury claim. This is usually three years from the date of your accident or three years from the diagnosis of a workplace illness. On occasions, the three year period will also run from the date on which you learned that your injury or illness was caused by somebody else.
There are some exceptions to the above period, and therefore it is best to get in touch with us as soon as possible. This will give our personal injury solicitors every opportunity of obtaining the relevant evidence that they need to successfully make your claim. We will be able to advise you of the exact legal deadline and will still be able to help you if the deadline is approaching.
You can claim damages to reflect the injury that you have sustained. This is known as general damages and takes into account pain, suffering, loss of amenity, how seriously injured you are and whether you have made a full recovery or not.
Any compensation claim would also include any financial losses you have suffered including loss of earnings, loss of pension, costs of medical treatment and travel expenses and costs of any rehabilitation and care, if needed.
Serious injuries are those which will have a long-term effect and are life-changing. Compensation for these injuries must take into account:
• Rehabilitation needs
• Long-term care and support
• Loss of earnings and pensions if you are no longer able to work or cannot perform the same job
• Moving to a new home or making adaptations to your existing home
Serious injury claims usually take a few years to bring to a conclusion. However, it is possible for us to obtain interim compensation payments before the conclusion of your claim, to help pay for any treatment you require. These payments are available if the responsible party admits fault for your injury. The final settlement will depend upon a number of factors including whether you have made a full recovery or not. Our specialist lawyers will make sure that your compensation is calculated to take into account all relevant factors.
The value of your claim depends on a number of factors but generally there are two categories:
1. Compensation for your Personal Injury
2. Compensation for your financial losses
We will help you understand the likely level of compensation you could receive providing:
• A full assessment of the extent of your injuries
• The type of injury sustained
• Your symptoms and their duration
• Advice on what can be claimed for
There are many ways of funding your personal injury case and we will advise you of the best option. We offer a genuine “NO WIN NO FEE” agreement and if you choose this arrangement you should have nothing to pay if your claim is unsuccessful.
We will also consider obtaining an insurance policy to be in place to pay your opponents costs should you be required to pay anything. If there is ever a situation whereby you may be required to pay something you will be advised of this possibility well in advance so that you can avoid it arising should you wish to do so.
Why should you choose Edwards Duthie Shamash solicitors?
We have provided specialist legal assistance for over 120 years to individuals, families and businesses.
We offer a free consultation with legal advice and will be able to handle your claim on a No Win No Fee basis. We will endeavour to remove any added stress by dealing with your claim in a diligent and compassionate manner.
We’re experienced and compassionate.
Our solicitors have extensive experience in handling claims and have recovered compensation for thousands of clients. We work on a No Win No Fee basis and do our utmost to recover the compensation that you deserve in a friendly and diligent manner.
