Amputation claims

Your immediate priority should be medical treatment and recovery. Once you are able, there are some practical steps that can help protect your position if you later decide to make an amputation injury claim.

• Keep details of what happened: Make a note of the circumstances surrounding the accident while they are still relatively fresh.
• Preserve evidence: Depending on how the injury happened, this could include photographs, CCTV, accident reports, witness details, or workplace records.
• Keep records of financial losses: Save payslips, invoices, and receipts showing costs or loss of income connected with your injury.
• Keep information about treatment and rehabilitation: Details of hospital treatment, prosthetic assessments, therapy, and rehabilitation can become important when understanding the full impact of the amputation.
• Seek specialist legal advice: Amputation claims can involve significant future needs. Speaking to a specialist amputation claims solicitor early can help ensure evidence is protected and that rehabilitation and interim-payment needs are considered from the outset.

Every amputation claim is different, but the process will usually involve several stages.

1. Initial assessment

We’ll listen to what happened, how the injury occurred, and how the amputation is affecting your life. We can then explain whether there may be grounds for a claim and how it could be funded.

2. Investigation & evidence gathering

Your solicitor will gather evidence to establish who was responsible for the accident. This may involve accident reports, witness evidence, photographs, workplace records, or other relevant documentation.

3. Assessing your needs

We will consider both your immediate losses and the long-term financial consequences of the injury. Where possible, we’ll also seek interim payments so you can access the support you need while your amputation compensation claim is ongoing.

4. Compensation

Once the evidence is sufficiently developed, we will seek a settlement that reflects the full impact of your injury. Most personal injury claims are resolved without a trial, although court proceedings can sometimes be necessary where responsibility or the value of a claim cannot be agreed.

In most personal injury cases in England and Wales, you have three years from the date of the accident to make a claim. There are important exceptions, though.

Where the injured person was under 18 at the time of the accident, the usual three-year period does not begin until their 18th birthday. Different rules can also apply where someone lacks the mental capacity to conduct legal proceedings.

Since limitation rules can depend on the circumstances, it’s better to seek advice early rather than assume you still have time.

Amputation claims are complex in nature, and more serious claims can take a number of years to settle. The timeline of your case depends on a number of factors, including the time taken to gather all the evidence, engagement from the other side, and negotiations on liability. 

While the claim progresses, we focus on securing early rehabilitation and interim payments wherever possible.

You do not need to have collected all the evidence yourself before contacting us. Our amputation claim solicitors can help gather and assess the information needed to investigate your claim.

Evidence may include:

• Medical records
• Hospital reports
• Photographs
• Witness statements
• Accident reports
• CCTV or other footage
• Prosthetic assessments
• Rehabilitation records
• Employment and earnings information
• Receipts and evidence of other financial losses

Independent medical, rehabilitation, prosthetic, and care experts may also be instructed where appropriate. The evidence needs to establish not only how the injury happened, but also how the amputation is likely to affect you throughout life.

Our amputation claims team works alongside independent medical experts, rehabilitation specialists and occupational therapists to build the strongest possible case on your behalf. 

We don’t just handle the legal side. We coordinate the broader support you need, from early access to prosthetics and therapy to help with home adaptations and returning to work. When you come to us, you have a whole team working for you.

An amputation that wasn’t your fault refers to situations where an individual loses a limb as a result of an accident that wasn’t their fault. This can have a significant impact on every aspect of an individual’s life, from their physical and emotional well-being to their independence, mobility, and livelihood.

Our amputation solicitors understand how devastating an amputation caused by others can be, and we’re here to provide the specialist support you need. With a wealth of experience in handling complex amputation claims, our amputation claims lawyers are committed to helping clients secure justice and the compensation they deserve.

You may still be able to claim amputation compensation if you were partly responsible for your accident. In these situations, your compensation may be reduced to reflect your share of responsibility. This is known as contributory negligence.

Yes, an amputation injury claim can potentially be made for a partial amputation, including fingers, toes, or part of a hand or foot, where another party’s negligence was responsible.

The amount you receive will depend on how the injury impacts your daily life and future prospects, among other factors.

Long-term care needs are central to how we value loss of limb claims. We work with care experts to build a detailed projection of lifetime support, equipment, and adaptations, so your settlement reflects what you’ll actually need.