Claims Advice
Glasgow

The Ultimate Guide to Personal Injury Claims in Glasgow

When you suffer an injury due to someone else's negligence, your world can be turned upside down. Between dealing with physical pain, worrying about lost income, and facing the prospect of dealing with hostile insurance companies, the aftermath of an accident is highly stressful.

We have created this Claims Advice Hub to empower you. Before you speak to an insurance adjuster, before you accept an early settlement offer, and before you assume you cannot afford legal representation, it is vital to understand your rights under Scots Law. This page serves as your comprehensive starting point for navigating the claims process in Scotland.

Step 1: Establishing Liability (Who is at Fault?)

The cornerstone of any successful personal injury claim is proving "liability"—which is the legal term for fault or responsibility. To win your claim, we must demonstrate three things:

• Duty of Care: The other party owed you a legal duty to act safely. For example, all drivers owe a duty of care to other road users, and all employers owe a duty of care to their employees.
• Breach of Duty: The other party failed in their duty through a negligent act or omission (e.g., running a red light, or failing to fix a broken machine).
• Causation: This breach directly caused your injuries and financial losses.

Insurers will frequently attempt to deny liability to protect their profit margins. They may argue that the accident was unavoidable or attempt to shift the blame onto you (Contributory Negligence). This is why gathering evidence—CCTV, dashcam footage, witness statements, and police reports—is crucial in the days immediately following the incident.

Step 2: Understanding Your Compensation (Solatium & Patrimonial Loss)

Unlike England and Wales, Scotland has its own distinct legal system. When we evaluate your claim, we split your compensation into specific Scottish legal categories:

• Solatium: This compensates you for the pain, suffering, and loss of amenity. The value is determined by the severity of the injury, recovery time, and long-term prognosis, guided by the Judicial College Guidelines.
• Patrimonial Loss: This covers your out-of-pocket expenses. It includes past and future loss of earnings, private medical treatment, travel expenses, and damage to your property (such as your vehicle or clothing).
• Services Claims: If your injuries force family members to provide you with care (e.g., helping you dress, cooking, driving you to appointments), we can claim an hourly rate to compensate them for their time under the Administration of Justice (Scotland) Act 1982.

Step 3: The Danger of "Pre-Med" Offers

If the other party is clearly at fault (such as in a rear-end car shunt), their insurance company may contact you directly within days of the accident to offer you a quick cash settlement. This is known as a "pre-medical" or "third-party capture" offer.

You should never accept these offers without independent legal advice. Insurers make these offers specifically because they know they are significantly lower than what you would receive if you had proper legal representation and a formal medical assessment. Once you accept a pre-med offer in writing, your claim is closed. If your whiplash turns out to be a herniated disc requiring surgery three months later, you cannot reopen the claim to ask for more money.

Step 4: Funding Your Claim Safely

Many victims of negligence avoid seeking legal help because they fear massive solicitor fees. In Scotland, the vast majority of personal injury claims are funded via a Speculative Fee Agreement (No Win, No Fee).

This agreement ensures you carry no financial risk. We fund the medical reports and court fees. If the case is lost, you pay nothing. If it is won, our fee is a legally capped percentage of the final payout. This ensures total alignment: we are heavily incentivised to win your case and secure the absolute maximum compensation possible.

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