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.
County Durham
Personal Injury Solicitors Durham
Injury Law Specialists provides access to personal injury solicitors acting for clients across Durham and the surrounding part of County Durham. 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.
Durham is a cathedral and university city on a tight bend of the Wear, with a World Heritage Site at its centre, a very large student population, a substantial public sector, professional and visitor economy and a surrounding district that runs from the coalfield towns to the Pennine fells. 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 Durham and Greater London
- 30+ years' collective legal experience
Can I make a personal injury claim in Durham?
Yes, if you were injured in an accident caused by someone else's negligence in Durham or the surrounding area. Personal injury solicitors acting for Durham 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.
Durham is served by the A1(M) running north and south to the east of the city, the A690 running west toward the A1(M) and east toward Sunderland, the A167 running north toward Chester-le-Street and south toward Darlington, the A177 toward Spennymoor and the A691 toward Consett, with rail services from Durham station on the East Coast Main Line toward London, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Darlington and York. Durham sits on the Wear with the A1(M) immediately to the east and the East Coast Main Line running through it, so the city and its surrounding district carry a heavy volume of commuter, freight and visitor traffic on a river that cuts deeply through the city.
Durham's economy is built on the university with a very large student and academic population, public sector, local government and administrative employment as the county town, professional, financial and office employment with a substantial commuter population, tourism, hospitality and leisure around the cathedral, the castle, the river and the World Heritage Site, healthcare with the city's hospital and the wider trust, retail and services, and construction and trades across the city and the surrounding district. Accidents at work reflect that mix, with slips, trips, burns, cuts, manual handling and aggression risks in hospitality, catering, retail and leisure work, the slip, trip, musculoskeletal and display screen issues of office, academic and professional work, very high levels of manual handling, aggression and lone working risk in health and social care, and the machinery, workshop, laboratory, sports and field work risks of the university and the wider campus economy.
The city centre produces a substantial share of public place claims, and Durham is genuinely dramatic in a way few cities are: the cathedral and castle sit on a wooded peninsula inside a tight loop of the Wear, reached by the steep streets of the Bailey, the Market Place and Saddler Street, the steep cobbled streets, the long flights of steps down to the river and the riverside paths, all in very heavy daily use by residents, students and visitors. Falls on those surfaces, on steps and at changes of level are common, as are trips on footways, in the market place, on the cobbles and on the riverside paths. The River Wear runs through and around the city and the river, the weirs, the bridges, the riverside paths, the university boat houses and the surrounding countryside toward the fells and the coalfield villages are in heavy public use on surfaces that are often steep, uneven and affected by water.
Key takeaways
- Injury Law Specialists provides access to personal injury solicitors acting for clients across Durham and County Durham.
- We help clients in Durham. We do not have an office in Durham 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, although the date of knowledge can start it later where a condition develops over years.
- 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 Durham
We provide access to personal injury solicitors acting for clients across Durham and the surrounding part of County Durham. 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 Durham. We do not have an office in Durham 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
- The A1(M)
- The A690 to Sunderland and the A167 north and south
- The A177 to Spennymoor and the A691 to Consett
- Durham station on the East Coast Main Line
- The River Wear and the weirs
- The cathedral, the castle and the Bailey
- Saddler Street and the Market Place
- The riverside paths and the surrounding fells
What types of accident are most common in Durham?
What stands out in Durham claims is that this is a city where the river bends around the centre and the whole of the historic core is built on a steep peninsula inside it, so steps and slopes are the pedestrian network. Durham's cathedral and castle sit on a wooded promontory inside a tight loop of the Wear, and the only ways between the peninsula, the river and the surrounding streets are the steep streets of the Bailey, the long flights of cobbled steps down to the water and the riverside paths, all of which are in very heavy daily use by residents, a very large student population and very large numbers of visitors. Falls on steps and cobbles therefore form a much larger share of local claims than in a city built on the flat, and on a flight of steps the adequacy and maintenance of a handrail is often as important as the surface itself. Identifying who is responsible matters just as much here, because a public footway, a cathedral precinct, a college or university ground, a riverside path and a private forecourt may each have a different responsible body, and much of the peninsula and the riverbank is in the care of the university or the cathedral rather than the highway authority. Durham also has an unusually large student population, which shapes the night time economy and the pattern of injuries arising during and after nights out, and a large university and campus economy that brings its own workshop, laboratory, sports and field work hazards. Beyond the city, the district runs from former coalfield towns to the Pennine fells, so the same area produces colliery and heavy industrial exposure histories, working hill farming, and walking and riding injuries on the fells and footpaths.
Accidents at work
A very large university, public sector and professional employment, healthcare, hospitality and a visitor economy and construction and trades across the district.
Road traffic accidents
On the A1(M), A690, A167 and A177 and the city approaches, carrying commuter, freight and visitor traffic around a deeply cut river valley.
Slips, trips and falls
Steep cobbled streets, the long flights of steps down to the Wear, the Market Place and Saddler Street and the riverside paths.
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 Durham?
The process is the same whether you are in Durham 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 County Durham we help clients from
We act for clients across the whole of County Durham. These are the other areas close to Durham, and you can see every part of the county on the County Durham page.
Personal Injury Solicitors County DurhamPersonal Injury Solicitors DarlingtonPersonal Injury Solicitors HartlepoolPersonal Injury Solicitors Stockton-on-TeesPersonal Injury Solicitors Bishop AucklandPersonal Injury Solicitors PeterleePersonal Injury Solicitors ConsettPersonal Injury Solicitors Newton AycliffePersonal Injury Solicitors Seaham
Personal injury claims in Durham: frequently asked questions
Do you have an office in Durham?
No. We do not have a physical office in Durham, 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 Durham and the whole of County Durham. Cases are handled by telephone, email, WhatsApp and video call, with a client seen at a convenient location where a meeting is genuinely needed.
How long do I have to make a personal injury claim in Durham?
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. Two local qualifications matter here. First, the date of knowledge point is important across County Durham, because the district had coal mining, steel, engineering, chemical and heavy industrial work on a very heavy scale, and that work exposed people over decades to coal and rock dust, silica, metal and welding fume, asbestos, noise and vibration. Conditions of that kind develop over years or decades rather than weeks, so the three year period may run from when you first knew or should have known rather than from the exposure itself, and an old exposure is worth asking about even where the pit or the works closed long ago and the employer no longer exists. Second, there is a practical point: the city's historic core is compact and constantly maintained, with cobbles, steps and paving repaired and altered frequently, and much of the peninsula and riverbank is in the care of the university or the cathedral rather than the highway authority, so identifying who is responsible and photographing the exact spot quickly both matter.
Can I claim for a fall on Durham's cobbles, steep streets or river steps?
Yes, where the body responsible for that surface, step, stairway, handrail or route failed to maintain it to a reasonable standard, and that caused your fall. Durham's cathedral and castle sit on a wooded promontory inside a tight loop of the Wear, and the only ways between the peninsula, the river and the surrounding streets are the steep streets of the Bailey, the long flights of cobbled steps down to the water and the riverside paths, all of which are in very heavy daily use by residents, a very large student population and very large numbers of visitors, so falls on steps and cobbles form a much larger share of local claims than in a city built on the flat. A highway authority or occupier is not liable for every uneven surface, and cobbles and historic paving are expected to be uneven to a degree, but they are expected to operate a reasonable system of inspection and repair, and on a flight of steps the adequacy and maintenance of a handrail is often as important as the surface itself. Identifying who is responsible is often the first step in Durham, because a public footway, a cathedral precinct, a college or university ground, a riverside path and a private forecourt may each have a different responsible body, and much of the peninsula and riverbank is in the care of the university or the cathedral rather than the highway authority. Photographing the specific spot as soon as possible and noting the precise location and date is often decisive.
Can I claim for an injury during or after a night out in Durham?
Yes, where a body responsible for the premises, the street or the operation failed to take reasonable care, and that caused your injury. Durham has a very large student population and a concentrated night time economy in the city centre and along the main routes, and injuries arising then form a real part of the local picture. Claims commonly involve slips, trips and falls on wet, spilled or broken surfaces in and around venues, on unlit or poorly maintained routes, staircases and steps, on the steep cobbled streets of the Bailey and the city centre where a fall is more likely to be serious, injuries caused by broken glass, needles or waste left in public areas, aggression and assault in or around venues, and injuries in the taxi, bus and transport queue. Those claims are assessed the same way as any other: whether the operator or the responsible body did what was reasonably required of them, and whether the injury followed from that failure. Where the injury was caused by a deliberate assault, a claim may lie against the assailant, and separately a criminal injury application to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority may be possible, which has its own rules and different time limits, and the two are quite different routes that should be considered separately.
Can I claim for an injury in a university, college or campus setting in Durham?
Yes, where the injury was caused by unsafe working conditions, defective or unmaintained equipment, an unassessed hazard, inadequate training or supervision, or a failure to provide a safe system of work. Durham has a very large university and campus economy, and claims from that setting commonly involve laboratory work with chemicals, corrosives, solvents, biological materials and sharps, with burns, inhalation, skin and eye damage and needlestick injuries, workshop and technical work with machinery, power tools, dusts, fumes and vibration, sports and physical activity with collision, fall and overuse injuries, field work and outdoor activity in the surrounding countryside, estates, grounds and maintenance work with machinery, tools, falls from height and manual handling, and the display screen, workstation, musculoskeletal and stress issues of academic, administrative and professional work. Those claims turn on the employer's risk assessments, COSHH assessments, training and competence records, equipment inspection and maintenance records, health surveillance, supervision arrangements and the incident records that followed. The institution owes duties as an employer and as an occupier, and where a student or a visitor is injured rather than an employee, the occupier's duty over the premises and the activity is usually the central question.
How much compensation could I receive for an injury in Durham?
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 Durham?
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 Durham has its own combined court centre with the Newcastle and Darlington courts also serving the wider area. Where a hearing is needed, we explain what is involved in advance.
What evidence should I keep after an accident in Durham?
Keep anything that records what happened and what it cost you, and gather it early. Photographs of the surface, the cobbles, the step, the handrail, the equipment or the defect, taken from several angles and with something for scale, details of any witnesses, medical records, receipts for treatment and travel, and a note of the days you could not work are all useful. On a flight of steps or the riverside paths, photograph the exact spot and show the gradient, the handrail and the surface as it was. After an incident in or around a venue, report it on the day, keep your receipt, booking or ticket, and note the time and the staff who attended. In a university, college or campus setting, keep any risk assessment, COSHH assessment, training record, equipment inspection record and incident report, and note the activity, the location and who supervised it.
Can I claim on a No Win No Fee basis in Durham?
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 County Durham?
Yes. We act for clients across the whole of County Durham, including Darlington, Hartlepool, Stockton-on-Tees, Bishop Auckland, Peterlee, Consett, Newton Aycliffe, Seaham 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 County Durham.
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.
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 Durham?
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.