Personal Injury Services
SPECIALIST PERSONAL INJURY TEAM
Our specialist personal injury team pride themselves in providing a caring, understanding and professional service to those unfortunate enough to be injured.
We know all too well that injuries affect both a client and their loved ones.
Where suitable, we can arrange appropriate rehabilitation treatment to assist injured people recover from their injuries. We strive to maximise the recovery of reasonable and appropriate compensation on behalf of those who have suffered an injury.
CLAIMS
Claims can be brought in a range of circumstances from road traffic accidents, accidents at work, tripping accidents, animal injury claims, accidents abroad and fatal accidents. If you are injured in an incident not listed, please do contact us to discuss your potential claim further.
We make sure that our personal injury clients have access to justice with no risk to them, being comforted by the fact they will not have to pay anything to run their claim.
WHY USE US?
- You benefit from a no win, no fee agreement.
- We will fight for your rights.
- We put you first every time.
- We are specialists.
- We are efficient and committed to your claim.
- You will have direct contact with your legal expert in person, by telephone and via email.
- You pay nothing to run your claim.
- You benefit from jargon-free, plain English.
- We do not allow your independence to be compromised.
- Appointments are arranged at your convenience, including home or hospital visits.
MEET WITH US
We appreciate injured clients are not always able to travel to meet with us. We are able to offer a range of options to you such as:
- An appointment at our Exeter or Cullompton office.
- A home visit service for clients unable to attend our offices.
- A hospital visit for seriously injured clients who are admitted to hospital for a lengthy period of time.
- A telephone appointment.
We will continue to offer personal meetings throughout a case. We are not like other law firms who put legal costs before their clients and refuse to meet in person more than once.
ADVICE AND EXPERIENCE
We are confident that our advice and experience will make the claim process as simple as it can be for you. Talking to our legal experts will help you understand your situation more clearly and ensure you make the right decisions to support your case, you can get a FREE initial consultation today.
Associated Services
An employer is under a duty to take reasonable care of its employees’ health and to ensure their safety.
This requires the employer to assess the potential risk of injury against the harm it would cause to employees, as well as the cost of putting safety precautions in place. To satisfy their duty, an employer must generally provide:
- Safe premises and a safe place to work;
- Safe plant, materials, and equipment;
- A safe system of work and safe working practices; and
- Competent staff as colleagues.
The duties of an employer are not confined to this list and they may be extended to cover other matters which do not easily fit into one of the above categories. For example, the duty may extend to warning an employee of the risks of employment.
This duty is a personal, non-delegable duty which means an employer cannot entrust the safety of its employees to anyone else, such as an independent contractor.
If you have suffered an injury in an accident at work and wish to make claim then please contact our legal experts for a FREE initial consultation.
Our specialist team takes pride in dealing with severe head injuries and brain injury cases with care and professionalism. We are very aware of the burden that legal claims can place upon an injured person’s family and loved ones.
Brain injuries acquired as a result of a traumatic incident inevitably vary in severity. The most common injuries are caused by a knock to the head resulting in a brief period of unconsciousness. The most severe cases can be life changing.
The charity Headway is an organisation set up to help those who suffer from brain injuries.
The charity Red Cross has information on how to treat a bang to the head.
The NHS has advice on how to treat a minor knock to the head.
The NHS also has advice on how to treat a severe head injury.
We strive to ensure that a seriously injured person receives the best possible rehabilitation programme, tailored to their needs. This will be designed to help improve both their and their family’s quality of life as much as possible.
We make certain our clients receives the best possible chance of long term care and recovery.
Rehabilitation treatment is essential and this can include surgery, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, pain management, counselling, re-training, employment consultants, education, housing needs, transport requirements, therapeutic services such as light and music therapy, and using occupational therapists and forensic accountants.
It is important you act fast to instruct specialist lawyers to ensure suitably appropriate rehabilitation commences as soon as possible. We can meet with you at your home or at hospital at your convenience. To make a claim please contact us for a FREE initial consultation.
Our specialist team takes pride in dealing with very serious injury cases with care and professionalism; we are aware of the burden these claims can place upon an injured person’s family.
Serious injuries could include:
- Brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Fatal accidents
- Amputation injury
- Chronic pain
- Psychological injury
We strive to ensure that a seriously injured person receives the best possible rehabilitation programme, tailored to their needs. This will be designed to help improve both their and their family’s quality of life as much as possible.
We make certain our clients receive the best possible chance of long term care and recovery.
Rehabilitation treatment is essential and this can include surgery, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, pain management, counselling, re-training, employment consultants, education, housing needs, transport requirements, therapeutic services, and using occupational therapists and forensic accountants.
It is important you act fast to instruct specialist lawyers to ensure suitably appropriate rehabilitation commences as soon as possible. We can meet with you at your home or at hospital at your convenience. To make a claim please contact us for a FREE initial consultation.
Claims can be brought by children for injuries they sustain. Most commonly, child injuries occur in:
- School accidents
- Road traffic accidents
- Sexual abuse claims
A child (under 18) must be represented by a ‘Litigation Friend’. This is normally a parent of a child, however, Civil Procedure Rule 21.4 permits another person to act as a Litigation Friend if that person:
- can fairly and competently conduct proceedings on a child’s behalf;
- has no interests adverse to the child; and
- will pay any adverse costs order made against the child (do not be concerned by this as you will benefit from a no win no fee agreement).
It is important to ensure that there is no conflict of interest in a claim between the Litigation Friend and the child, for example where the Litigation Friend was the driver of a motor vehicle involved in the accident and liability is not admitted by the defendant. In this scenario, another family member or responsible adult should be the Litigation Friend for the child (not the driver).
Once a child reaches the age of 18, the appointment of the Litigation Friend comes to an end.
A Court Approval Hearing
Should settlement of a claim be achieved in a child’s claim then the settlement must be approved by the court. This means there will always be a court hearing to ensure fair and appropriate compensation is paid to the child.
Settlement Monies
Compensation received by a child is paid directly into court by the Defendant. The Court invests and protects the money. Once a child turns 18 years old, they can withdraw the money from the Court account.
Bringing a claim for a child can be complex. We suggest you always use the services of specialist lawyers. Contact us for a FREE initial consultation.
It is possible to bring a claim for compensation arising out of a wrongful act that causes the death of a spouse or family member.
We understand that this is a very difficult time for a family and ensure such claims are dealt with ensuring the proper level of understanding, care and professionalism.
Fatal accidents occur most commonly in road traffic accidents and accidents at work.
Bringing a fatal accident claim can be very complex and there is often a requirement to attend an inquest. An inquest detailing a fatal injury caused by some form of negligence can be a traumatic experience. We can attend the inquest with you or on your behalf to ensure proper representation is made to the coroner (if necessary). The coroner’s findings at an inquest can have an impact on the merit of bringing a fatal injury claim. An inquest establishes the cause of a person’s death. The role of the coroner is not to apportion blame, although a coroner can give a verdict providing comment upon the circumstances of the death.
The inquest will usually hear from those directly involved at the time of the death and we appreciate that they are emotional affairs that can be difficult to endure. We can advise you how to seek compensation depending on the decision of the inquest.
Remember, seeking justice for another’s negligence is an important right and we have some of the best lawyers in the UK to help you through this complex process.
We strongly recommend that you act fast and instruct a specialist lawyer as soon as possible after a fatal accident occurs and invite you to contact our legal experts for a FREE initial consultation.
If you have sustained injuries caused by an animal then you may be able to bring a claim for compensation under the Animals Act 1971.
You may also bring a claim in negligence if you can demonstrate that the person in charge of the animal who caused the injury failed to take reasonable care.
Under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957, you may be able to bring a claim if the animal caused an injury while you were a visitor to someone’s premises.
In addition, if a person encourages an animal to attack you and this causes you an injury then you may have a claim in trespass against the person for assault.
Finally, if you are injured by an animal at work, such as a horse riding facility, then you would also be entitled to the protection of the usual workplace health and safety regulations.
The most common animal injuries arise out of horse riding accidents which can be caused by:
- Road traffic accidents;
- A kick from a horse;
- A lack of supervision during or immediately after a lesson;
- An unsuitable horse;
- Bad tempered or unpredictable horses;
- Poorly run businesses where no risk assessments are carried out or records kept; or
- Loose dogs chasing, barking or biting horses.
The law relating to animal injury claims can be complex. Please ensure you obtain specialist legal advice as soon as possible.
We welcome you to contact us for a FREE initial consultation.
We understand that some people do not consider their lawyer’s conduct to be acceptable.
It maybe that your current lawyer is simply too busy to take your call, never returns your call or replies to your emails, or refuses to meet with you at a time of your convenience.
Alternatively, your lawyer may be many miles away from you and you may not have an opportunity to meet with them to ensure they appreciate exactly how your accident has impacted your life.
You may simply have a clash of personalities.
Can you move law firms?
It is possible to move to a new law firm and your current firm is not allowed to stop you from doing so.
You can move to a new law firm at any time during your claim. However, it is not recommended that you do so when your case is getting very near to a final trial. If you are considering doing so then it is best to meet with a specialist who can advise you further.
What should you do?
If you cannot resolve your concerns with your current law firm and you are considering moving to a new law firm, please contact us for a FREE initial consultation to find out how we could help you.
A road user has a duty to take reasonable care to avoid doing or omitting to do anything that they can reasonably foresee would cause injury to others.
The duty requires a road user to drive with ordinary care and skill, i.e., the care and skill of the average motorist.
Our Personal Injury experts can deal with all types of Road Traffic Accident claims including those involving car, van, bus and lorry drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, people injured on public transport and those riding motorbikes or horses.
Being involved in a road traffic accident is traumatic enough. At Dunn & Baker Solicitors, we can help you navigate through what can be an extremely difficult time. We can assist with your rehabilitation needs and take the stress out of your claim by fighting for you to get the compensation you deserve.
Contact us today for a FREE initial consultation.
We understand the sensitive nature of these types of claim and the emotional and psychological impact they have upon victims and their families.
We ensure such claims are dealt with compassionately and professionally, with the appropriate care and understanding, as required. We also ensure suitable rehabilitation treatment is provided where appropriate.
The age of consent to any form of sexual activity is 16.
It is an offence for anybody over the age of 18 to have sexual activity with someone under the age of 18 if the older person has a position of trust, such as a school teacher.
Trespass to the Person
Deliberate sexual abuse will constitute trespass to the person. The definition of trespass to a person is:
- Assault—where the perpetrator acts in such a way to cause the claimant to believe that they are about to be attacked.
- Battery—the perpetrator intentionally and directly uses physical force.
- False imprisonment—where the victim is deprived of their freedom of movement without lawful justification.
Most of these assaults take place a long time ago, which can result in bringing a claim very complex. For this reason, it is vitally important that you do not delay in instructing a specialist lawyer to make sure your claim is brought properly and in time.
Rape
Sexual activity with another person without their consent constitutes rape and amounts to trespass to the person. You can make a civil claim against the person who carried out the trespass. In the extreme High Court decision of BJM v Eyre and others a claimant who suffered prolonged sexual abuse which forced him into prostitution was awarded over £200,000 in damages.
You may also make a Criminal Injuries Compensation Claim if you suffer injury (physical or psychological) as a victim of a crime.
If you wish to bring a claim then please act fast and contact us for a FREE initial consultation.
