There is no single "personal injury claim" — the rules, evidence and typical values change with how and where you were hurt. A car crash, an accident at work, a fall in a shop and a medical mistake each follow different legal routes, defendants and timescales. Find the setting that matches your situation below, read the dedicated guide, then speak to an SRA-regulated solicitor. In almost every case the standard limit to start is three years from the accident.
"What kind of claim do I have?" is one of the first questions people ask after an accident — and it matters, because the answer shapes everything that follows: who you claim against, what evidence carries weight, which deadlines and portals apply, and how the injury is likely to be valued. A passenger injured in a taxi, a warehouse worker hurt by faulty equipment and a patient harmed by a missed diagnosis are all "personal injury" claimants, yet their cases barely resemble one another in practice.
This hub maps the main UK claim types by setting and links to a plain-English guide for each. Use it to identify your category, then go deeper. As always, this site is information, not legal advice: we are an independent educational resource, not a law firm, and the most reliable next step is a free initial assessment from a regulated solicitor about your own circumstances.
Claim types at a glance
The directory below covers the situations we are asked about most. Each card opens a dedicated guide; the sections that follow group them by setting and explain how the rules differ.
Road traffic accidents
Drivers, passengers, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians. Most run through the Official Injury Claim service or against a motor insurer.
Read guide →Whiplash & soft-tissue
Neck and back strains from collisions, now valued under a fixed government tariff with a higher small-claims limit.
Read guide →Accidents at work
Your employer's duty of care, RIDDOR reporting and claiming against an employer's insurance without risking your job.
Read guide →Back injuries
Manual handling, lifting and slip-related back damage — among the most common and longest-lasting workplace injuries.
Read guide →Slips, trips & falls
Public-place and occupiers' liability claims against shops, councils and landlords for unsafe floors, pavements and premises.
Read guide →Dog bites & animal injuries
Claims against a dog's owner or keeper under the Animals Act and the Dangerous Dogs Act when an animal causes injury.
Read guide →Medical negligence
Claims against the NHS or private clinicians where treatment falls below an acceptable standard and causes avoidable harm.
Read guide →Head & brain injuries
Concussion through to serious traumatic brain injury — high-value, expert-heavy claims that need specialist handling.
Read guide →Road & traffic accidents
Road claims are the most common type of personal injury claim in the UK and have their own dedicated process. If you were a driver, passenger, motorcyclist, cyclist or pedestrian hurt by another road user's negligence, you generally claim against that person's motor insurer; where a driver is uninsured or untraced, the Motor Insurers' Bureau can deal with the claim. Lower-value cases (currently under £5,000 for the injury element) usually run through the government's Official Injury Claim service. Our road traffic accident claim guide explains liability, the portal and what to do at the scene.
The most frequent road injury is whiplash and similar soft-tissue damage to the neck and back. Since the 2021 reforms, these are valued against a fixed compensation tariff set in regulations, not negotiated freely, and the small-claims limit for them rose to £5,000 — which is why many straightforward whiplash claims are now handled through the portal. Our whiplash claim guide sets out the tariff, the medical evidence required and how the reforms changed payouts.
Accidents at work
Employers owe a legal duty to provide a reasonably safe workplace, safe equipment and proper training, backed by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and regulations enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Serious workplace injuries must be reported by the employer under RIDDOR (the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations), and that record can support a claim. A work claim is made against the employer's compulsory liability insurance, not the employer's own pocket — and it is unlawful to dismiss someone simply for bringing a genuine claim. Our accident at work guide covers your rights, reporting and the evidence to keep.
Among workplace injuries, back injuries from manual handling, repetitive lifting and falls are some of the most common and disabling. Because back damage can flare up or worsen over time, contemporaneous medical records and a clear account of the task that caused it are especially important. Our back injury claim guide explains how these claims are proven and valued.
Public places, shops & occupiers' liability
If you are injured in a place open to the public — a supermarket, restaurant, gym, car park or a pavement — the person who controls that space (the "occupier") owes you a duty under the Occupiers' Liability Act 1957 to take reasonable care for your safety. Slips, trips and falls caused by spillages, broken paving, poor lighting or trailing cables fall here, with claims commonly made against shops, councils or landlords. Proving the hazard existed and that the occupier knew or should have known about it is the heart of these cases. See our slip and fall claim guide.
Dog bites and other animal injuries are a distinct public-place category. Claims can be brought against a dog's owner or keeper under the Animals Act 1971, and incidents may also engage the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. Reporting the attack to the police and recording the owner's details early are key first steps. Our dog bite claim guide explains who is liable and what to do after an attack.
Medical & clinical negligence
Medical negligence (also called clinical negligence) claims arise when care from the NHS or a private provider falls below the standard of a reasonably competent professional and that failure causes avoidable harm — for example a misdiagnosis, surgical error, medication mistake or failure to obtain proper consent. These claims are more complex than most because you must prove both breach of duty and causation, almost always supported by independent medical experts. Time limits can be more nuanced too, often running from the "date of knowledge" that something went wrong. Our medical negligence claim guide explains the test and the process.
Head & serious injury
Some injuries are defined less by where they happened than by their severity. Head and brain injuries — from concussion to serious traumatic brain injury — can arise from a road crash, a workplace fall or an assault, and they sit among the highest-value and most carefully handled claims. They typically require neurological and care experts, allowance for future loss of earnings and lifelong support, and often interim payments to fund rehabilitation while the claim continues. Our head injury claim guide explains why specialist representation matters for these cases.
Not sure which one fits?
Many accidents span more than one category — a fall at work, for instance, is both a work claim and arguably a slip claim. Start with the setting that best describes what happened, then read our how-to-claim hub for the steps that apply to every type.
How value differs by type
The headline question — "how much is it worth?" — has no single answer, and it varies more by injury than by accident type. Compensation has two parts: general damages for the pain, suffering and loss of amenity of the injury itself, and special damages reimbursing financial losses such as lost earnings, treatment, care and travel. General damages are assessed against the Judicial College Guidelines, the standard reference courts use to band injuries by type and severity. A minor whiplash strain valued under a fixed tariff sits at one end; a serious brain injury with lifelong care needs at the other. Because special damages can dwarf the injury award in severe cases, two claimants with the same diagnosis may receive very different sums. Our compensation guide explains how a claim is built and what it can cover — and why online calculators are only ever a rough guide.
Where to go next
Once you've identified your claim type, these guides cover the steps that apply across every category:
- How to make a claim, step by step
- What to do straight after an accident
- Gathering evidence for your claim
- How long you have to claim
- No win, no fee, explained
- Choosing and checking a solicitor
- How compensation is valued
- Claiming in your nation or city
Frequently asked questions
Which claim type applies if I was injured as a passenger?
As an injured passenger you make a road traffic accident claim, and you are almost always blameless because you were not in control of any vehicle. You can claim against the driver at fault — which may be the driver of your own car, another vehicle, or both — and their insurer deals with the claim. If the driver was uninsured or untraced, the Motor Insurers' Bureau may step in. Lower-value claims often run through the government's Official Injury Claim service. See our road traffic accident guide.
Can I claim for an injury that was partly my fault?
Usually yes. Where you share some blame, the law applies contributory negligence: your compensation is reduced by the percentage you were responsible for, rather than barred entirely. For example, not wearing a seatbelt or ignoring a clear warning sign may cut an award by a set proportion, but a claim can still succeed if someone else was also at fault. A solicitor can assess how liability is likely to be split in your situation.
How much is my type of claim worth?
There is no fixed figure because every claim turns on the specific injury and financial losses. Compensation for the injury itself (general damages) is assessed against the Judicial College Guidelines, while special damages reimburse your actual losses such as lost earnings, care and treatment. Two people with the same diagnosis can receive very different sums depending on recovery and impact. Our compensation guide explains how value is built; treat any online calculator as a rough guide only.
Get help from official, free sources
- Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) — check a solicitor is regulated
- The Law Society — Find a Solicitor — accredited PI specialists
- Citizens Advice — free, impartial guidance on your rights
- GOV.UK — courts, time limits and the Official Injury Claim portal