Accident & injury claims in Glasgow

Glasgow is Scotland's largest city, and with the M8 carving straight through the centre, a busy Subway and bus network, a major port and shipbuilding heritage, and crowded shopping streets, accidents happen here in many forms. If you've been hurt in a road collision, at work, or on a pavement or in a shop, the most important thing to understand is that your claim follows Scots law — a genuinely different system from England and Wales. This page explains how that affects a Glasgow claim and points you to the official bodies that can help. We do not act on claims or recommend firms.

Glasgow claims follow Scots law

The UK has three separate legal systems, and Scotland is one of them. That means a Glasgow accident is governed by Scots law and Scottish court rules — not the Limitation Act 1980 or the Civil Liability Act 2018 that shape English claims. The underlying principle is familiar: you generally have to show that someone owed you a duty of care, breached it through negligence, and caused your injury. But the time limit, the courts, the funding arrangements and the way damages are valued all follow Scotland's own rules.

One practical consequence is that where the accident happened usually decides which law applies. If you were injured in Glasgow but live in England, your claim is still generally a Scottish one — so you should instruct a solicitor who practises in Scotland and is regulated by the Law Society of Scotland.

The three-year time limit

In Scotland the limitation period for personal injury comes from section 17 of the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973. You normally have three years to raise a court action, running from the date of the accident or from the date you first knew (or could reasonably have known) that you had a significant injury caused by someone else's fault. Where an injury causes death, a family generally has three years from the date of death.

Glasgow Sheriff Court and the Scottish courts

Most Glasgow injury claims that need a court action are raised in Glasgow Sheriff Court, one of the busiest courts in Europe by case volume. Many personal injury cases can instead be raised in the dedicated all-Scotland Sheriff Personal Injury Court, which is based in Edinburgh but can hear claims wherever in Scotland the accident occurred. The highest-value and most complex claims — for example catastrophic or life-changing injuries — may be raised in the Court of Session in Edinburgh, Scotland's supreme civil court.

As elsewhere in the UK, court is the last resort. The overwhelming majority of Glasgow claims settle through negotiation between the pursuer's solicitor and the defender's insurer, often well before any hearing. Lower-value, straightforward claims may proceed under simple procedure, while more substantial injury actions follow the specialist personal injury procedure.

No whiplash tariff for Glasgow road accidents

This is one of the biggest — and most misunderstood — differences for anyone injured in Glasgow. The fixed whiplash tariff and the Official Injury Claim online portal introduced by the Civil Liability Act 2018 apply only in England and Wales. They have no effect on an accident that happened in Scotland.

So if you suffer whiplash in a collision on the M8 or a city-centre junction, your injury is valued individually on the medical evidence, using the Judicial College Guidelines and comparable Scottish decisions — not a set tariff amount. In practice that means Scottish awards for similar minor injuries can differ from the English fixed figures, and there is no equivalent online portal steering you towards handling the claim yourself.

Hospitals, councils and who you claim against in Glasgow

Good medical records are the backbone of any claim, so always get treatment first. Major NHS hospitals serving the city include the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH), which houses the regional major trauma centre, and Glasgow Royal Infirmary; minor injuries can be dealt with at local NHS units and your GP. Keep a note of where and when you were treated.

Who you claim against depends on where the accident happened:

• Roads and pavements. Defects on adopted roads and footways in the city are usually the responsibility of Glasgow City Council as roads authority. A claim turns on showing the council knew or ought to have known about the hazard and failed to maintain a reasonable inspection and repair regime.
• Public transport. An injury on the Subway, a bus or a train is generally a matter for the relevant transport operator, which owes passengers a duty of care.
• Shops, venues and public buildings. Under occupiers' liability, the occupier or operator must take reasonable care that visitors are safe.
• Work. Glasgow's industrial and shipbuilding heritage means occupational claims — from manual-handling injuries to long-latency conditions — are part of the picture; these are usually pursued against the employer (and its employers' liability insurer).

Funding a Glasgow claim: "no win, no fee" the Scottish way

"No win, no fee" exists in Glasgow, but the framework differs from the English Conditional Fee Agreement. Scottish solicitors commonly use speculative fee agreements and, since the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018, regulated success fee agreements — often combined with after-the-event insurance and the benefit of qualified one-way costs shifting, which limits a pursuer's exposure to the other side's expenses where the claim is brought reasonably. Always ask your solicitor to set out, in writing, exactly what would be deducted if you win and what you would pay if you lose. Our general no win, no fee guide gives the basics, but remember the detail is different in Scotland.

Finding a regulated solicitor for a Glasgow claim

We are not a law firm and we are not based in Glasgow. We don't take on claims, sell leads, or recommend particular firms. Instead we point you to the official, free bodies you can trust. To find and verify a genuinely regulated Scottish solicitor — ideally one accredited as a personal injury specialist — use the Law Society of Scotland 'Find a Solicitor' service. For free, impartial help understanding your rights, Citizens Advice Scotland is an excellent place to start.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading: making a claim in Scotland, accident claims in Edinburgh, and our guides on how to claim and how compensation works.