General damages
The award for the injury itself and the effect on your life, known as pain, suffering and loss of amenity. It is measured against the ranges used for injuries of comparable severity and adjusted for your circumstances.
Somerset
Personal Injury Solicitors Chard
Injury Law Specialists provides access to personal injury solicitors acting for clients across Chard and the surrounding part of Somerset. If you have been injured in an accident that may have been caused by someone else's negligence, we can review what happened and explain whether you may have grounds to pursue compensation.
Chard is a small town in south Somerset close to the Devon and Dorset borders, with a substantial manufacturing and engineering base, a historic lace making heritage and the A30 and A358 serving it. That produces a distinctive mix of claims, which we set out below.
- Free initial claim assessment
- No Win, No Fee may be available
- Clients throughout Chard and Greater London
- 30+ years' collective legal experience
Can I make a personal injury claim in Chard?
Yes, if you were injured in an accident caused by someone else's negligence in Chard or the surrounding area. Personal injury solicitors acting for Chard clients assess whether there are grounds to claim, investigate the evidence, instruct medical experts and negotiate with the insurer on your behalf. Whether a claim can be taken on depends on the circumstances, the evidence and when the accident happened, not on where you live.
Chard is served by the A30 running through the town as the main route between Yeovil and Honiton, with the A358 linking it toward Taunton and Ilminster and the A303 running to the north. Chard sits at the point where the A30 and A358 meet, close to two county borders, and the A30 in particular carries a very heavy volume of through traffic between the South West and the rest of the country on what is largely a single carriageway route passing directly through the town.
Chard's economy is built on manufacturing, engineering, specialist production and a substantial industrial base, alongside retail, healthcare and a growing commuter population working in Yeovil, Taunton and the surrounding area. Accidents at work reflect that mix, with machinery and manual handling injuries in manufacturing and engineering, and vehicle movement and loading injuries in the town's industrial estates and the surrounding rural businesses.
The town centre produces the usual public place claims, and Chard has a historic core with older paving, narrow streets and genuine gradients, since the town is built on rising ground. Falls on those surfaces and at changes of level are common, as are trips on the pavements and footways across the town's residential areas and the newer estates. The surrounding countryside adds narrow lanes and rural routes that carry more traffic than their design suggests, particularly where the A30 traffic diverts.
Key takeaways
- Injury Law Specialists provides access to personal injury solicitors acting for clients across Chard and Somerset.
- We help clients in Chard. We do not have an office in Chard and we do not claim to. Our registered address is in Luton, and cases are handled by telephone, video call, email and WhatsApp.
- Whether a claim can be taken on depends on its merits and evidence, not on where you live.
- Compensation has two parts: general damages for the injury itself, and special damages for the financial losses it caused.
- Most personal injury claims in England and Wales are subject to a three year limitation period.
- Legal services are provided by MB Solicitors, trading name of MB Legal Solicitors Ltd, regulated by the SRA under SRA ID 8000764.
Where we help clients in Chard
We provide access to personal injury solicitors acting for clients across Chard and the surrounding part of Somerset. The map shows the area we cover, which takes in the main roads, stations and neighbourhoods where accidents most often happen.
Being clear about this matters. We help clients in Chard. We do not have an office in Chard and we do not claim to. Our registered address is in Luton, and cases are handled by telephone, email, WhatsApp and video call, so there is no need to travel to us and no part of the area we cannot reach.
Roads, stations and landmarks nearby
- A30
- A358
- A303
- The town centre
- The industrial estates
- The routes toward Yeovil and Honiton
- The Devon and Dorset borders
- The surrounding rural lanes
What types of accident are most common in Chard?
What stands out in Chard claims is the combination of a real manufacturing base and a trunk road running through a small town. Chard retains a substantial manufacturing, engineering and specialist production sector for its size, which produces machinery, guarding and manual handling claims rather than the retail and hospitality claims that dominate in the larger centres. At the same time the A30 passes straight through the town as the main route between Yeovil and Honiton, so a significant share of local road claims involve drivers who were passing through rather than residents, and the town's position near two county borders means a number of claims involve people from outside Somerset.
Accidents at work
A substantial manufacturing, engineering and specialist production base for its size produces machinery, guarding and manual handling claims.
Road traffic accidents
The A30 passes straight through Chard as the main Yeovil to Honiton route, so many local road claims involve drivers passing through rather than residents.
Slips, trips and falls
Chard's historic core has older paving, narrow streets and genuine gradients on rising ground, and falls on those surfaces are common.
Responsibility is not always obvious. What matters legally is whether someone owed you a duty of care, whether they breached it, and whether that breach caused your injury. Our pages on road traffic accident claims, accidents at work claims and public place accident claims explain how that is established.
How do I make a personal injury claim in Chard?
The process is the same whether you are in Chard or anywhere else in England and Wales. Individual claims vary, and not every case goes through every step, but this is how a personal injury claim usually progresses.
- 1Tell us what happenedComplete the free assessment form, telephone the team, or message on WhatsApp. A short description is enough to begin.
- 2Free initial assessmentA solicitor considers the circumstances, the injuries and who may have been responsible, and explains whether there may be grounds to claim.
- 3Investigation and evidenceWhere a case is accepted, the available evidence is gathered, including accident reports, photographs, witness details and CCTV where it exists.
- 4Medical evidenceAn independent medical expert assesses the injuries and gives an opinion on severity and prognosis.
- 5Assessing financial lossPast and future losses are calculated, including lost earnings, treatment, care, travel and equipment where relevant.
- 6NegotiationThe claim is presented to the defendant or their insurer and negotiated on your behalf.
- 7Settlement or court proceedingsMany cases settle through negotiation. Where agreement is not possible, court proceedings may be issued and the case decided by the court.
For a stage by stage account of what the solicitor does at each point, see our page on how our personal injury solicitors help.
How much compensation could I receive?
There is no figure that can be applied to an injury by name. Compensation is assessed on the medical evidence, the effect the injury has on your life, your age and circumstances, and the financial losses it has caused. Two people with the same diagnosis can receive very different awards.
Special damages
The award for the money the injury has cost you, proved with documents. It can include lost earnings, treatment and rehabilitation, care and assistance, travel, equipment and future losses where the injury has lasting effects.
Our page on personal injury compensation explains both parts in detail, including the losses that can be recovered and how claims are valued.
Other areas of Somerset we help clients from
We act for clients across the whole of Somerset. These are the other areas close to Chard, and you can see every part of the county on the Somerset page.
Personal Injury Solicitors SomersetPersonal Injury Solicitors TauntonPersonal Injury Solicitors BathPersonal Injury Solicitors Weston-super-MarePersonal Injury Solicitors YeovilPersonal Injury Solicitors BridgwaterPersonal Injury Solicitors FromePersonal Injury Solicitors GlastonburyPersonal Injury Solicitors Wells
Personal injury claims in Chard: frequently asked questions
Do you have an office in Chard?
No. We do not have a physical office in Chard, and we do not claim to. Our registered address is in Luton, and we provide access to personal injury solicitors who act for clients across Chard and the whole of Somerset. Cases are handled by telephone, email, WhatsApp and video call, and a client can be seen at a convenient location where a meeting is genuinely needed.
How long do I have to make a personal injury claim in Chard?
For many claims the general limitation period is three years from the date of the accident, or from your later date of knowledge where that applies. Different rules can apply to children, to people who lack mental capacity, and to fatal accident and criminal injury claims. Because evidence is easier to gather early, it is worth taking advice well before any deadline feels close.
Can I claim if I was injured working in manufacturing in Chard?
Yes, where the injury was caused by unsafe working conditions, inadequate training, defective equipment, unguarded machinery or a failure to provide a safe system of work. Chard retains a substantial manufacturing, engineering and specialist production sector for its size, and claims from that work commonly involve machinery guarding, tooling, maintenance and manual handling. The employer's maintenance records, guarding arrangements, risk assessments and training documentation usually become the central evidence. The duty of care owed by a small or medium sized employer is exactly the same as that owed by a large one.
Can I claim if I was injured in a collision on the A30 at Chard?
Yes, if another road user's negligence caused your injuries. The A30 runs straight through Chard as the main route between Yeovil and Honiton and carries a very heavy volume of through traffic on what is largely a single carriageway, so a significant share of local road claims involve drivers who were passing through rather than residents. Evidence usually comes from the police report, the vehicle damage and your medical records, along with any dash camera footage. Where the other driver was uninsured or untraced, a claim through the Motor Insurers' Bureau may be possible.
Does it matter that my accident happened near the county border?
It does not change the law, but it can change the practicalities. Chard sits close to both the Devon and Dorset borders, so a claim may involve a defendant, an insurer, a witness or a treating hospital in a neighbouring county. The legal framework in England and Wales is the same throughout, and cases are dealt with at a court convenient for where you live. It is worth mentioning at the outset if any part of the case involves another county or a hospital elsewhere, because it affects how the claim is run rather than whether it can be brought.
How much compensation could I receive for an injury in Chard?
There is no figure that can be applied to an injury by name. Compensation has two parts: general damages for the pain, suffering and loss of amenity the injury itself has caused, and special damages for the financial losses it has produced, such as lost earnings, treatment, rehabilitation, care and travel. The total depends on the medical evidence, the effect on your life, your age and circumstances and the losses you have suffered. Our page on personal injury compensation explains how both parts are assessed.
Will I have to attend court in Chard?
Most personal injury claims settle through negotiation without a hearing, so attending court is uncommon. Where proceedings are issued, the case is usually dealt with at a court convenient for where you live, and the Yeovil and Taunton court centres serve the area. Where a hearing is needed, we explain what is involved in advance.
What evidence should I keep after an accident in Chard?
Keep anything that records what happened and what it cost you, and gather it early. Photographs of the scene, the machinery, the defect or the vehicles, details of any witnesses, the police reference if one was given, medical records, receipts for treatment and travel, and a note of the days you could not work are all useful. Report a workplace accident in the accident book immediately and ask for a copy of the entry.
Can I claim on a No Win No Fee basis in Chard?
Suitable cases may be accepted under a Conditional Fee Agreement, commonly called No Win No Fee, subject to an assessment of liability, the evidence, the prospects of success and proportionality. If the claim does not succeed you generally do not pay our basic legal fees, and if it does a success fee may be payable. In many personal injury claims the applicable legal cap is 25% of the relevant categories of damages including VAT.
Do you help clients elsewhere in Somerset?
Yes. We act for clients across the whole of Somerset, including Yeovil, Ilminster, Crewkerne, Taunton and the surrounding areas. You can see the full list on our areas we cover page, or read more about how personal injury claims work across Somerset.
Who provides the legal services?
Injury Law Specialists is a marketing and advertising platform and is not a law firm or a provider of regulated legal services. All personal injury legal advice, casework and representation arranged through Injury Law Specialists are provided by MB Solicitors, a trading name of MB Legal Solicitors Ltd, regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under SRA ID 8000764. Any solicitor-client relationship will be directly between the client and MB Legal Solicitors Ltd.
The answers above explain the position generally. Every claim turns on its own facts, and the applicable rules are those in force at the relevant time. For advice on deadlines, see our page on personal injury claim time limits.
Who provides the legal services
Injury Law Specialists is a marketing and advertising platform and is not a law firm or a provider of regulated legal services. All personal injury legal advice, legal services, casework, representation, legal support, and any free initial assessment or consultation promoted or arranged through Injury Law Specialists are provided by MB Solicitors, a trading name of MB Legal Solicitors Ltd.
MB Legal Solicitors Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales under Company Number 12281731. The firm is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) under SRA ID 8000764 and is a member of The Law Society. Injury Law Specialists does not itself provide legal advice or carry out reserved legal activities. Any solicitor-client relationship arising from an enquiry will be directly between the client and MB Legal Solicitors Ltd.
Read our Regulatory InformationRelated information
Personal Injury Solicitors LondonHow personal injury claims work across Greater London.Solicitors for Road Traffic Accident ClaimsClaims for drivers, passengers, riders, cyclists and pedestrians.Solicitors for Accidents at Work ClaimsWhere an employer failed to keep you safe at work.Solicitors for Public Place Accident ClaimsSlips, trips and falls in shops, stations and other public places.Personal Injury CompensationWhat compensation can cover and how claims are valued.No Win No Fee Personal Injury SolicitorsHow a Conditional Fee Agreement works and what the success fee means.Medical & Rehabilitation CostsRecovering the cost of treatment needed after an injury.Areas We CoverThe full list of areas we help clients from across England and Wales.Free Claim AssessmentTell us what happened and we will explain whether there may be grounds to claim.
Injured in an accident in Chard?
Tell us what happened and a member of our team can explain whether you may have grounds to claim, what evidence would be needed and how the process would work in practice. The assessment is free, and there is no obligation to proceed.
Prefer to write it down? You can also tell us what happened and we will come back to you.