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.
West Sussex
Personal Injury Solicitors Shoreham-by-Sea
Injury Law Specialists provides access to personal injury solicitors acting for clients across Shoreham-by-Sea and the surrounding part of West Sussex. 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.
Shoreham-by-Sea sits at the mouth of the River Adur on the West Sussex coast, with a working port, an airport, a harbour and the A27 and A259 serving it. That combination of port, aviation and coastal town produces a very distinctive mix of claims, which we set out below.
- Free initial claim assessment
- No Win, No Fee may be available
- Clients throughout Shoreham-by-Sea and Greater London
- 30+ years' collective legal experience
Can I make a personal injury claim in Shoreham-by-Sea?
Yes, if you were injured in an accident caused by someone else's negligence in Shoreham-by-Sea or the surrounding area. Personal injury solicitors acting for Shoreham-by-Sea 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.
The A27 runs through Shoreham-by-Sea as the south coast trunk road, crossing the Adur on the flyover, and the A259 runs along the coast toward Worthing and Brighton. The bypass, the junctions either side of the river and the roads serving the port and the airport see a heavy volume of traffic, including a great deal of commercial and freight movement, and the bridges over the Adur are a longstanding local congestion point.
Shoreham's economy is built on the port, the airport, marine engineering, boatbuilding and marine trades, light industry and logistics, alongside a substantial residential population that commutes to Brighton and Worthing. Accidents at work reflect that unusually strongly: dock and quayside injuries, machinery and manual handling in the marine and engineering trades, aviation related incidents at the airport, and vehicle movement accidents in yards and around the port.
The harbour, the river and the coast are the defining features. Falls on the promenade, the harbour walls, the riverside paths and the sea wall are common, and the working port and harbour add a category of accident that most coastal towns do not have: incidents involving vessels, cranes, pontoons, jetties and the loading and unloading of boats. The river environment also means surfaces change with the tide and can be genuinely hazardous.
Key takeaways
- Injury Law Specialists provides access to personal injury solicitors acting for clients across Shoreham-by-Sea and West Sussex.
- We help clients in Shoreham-by-Sea. We do not have an office in Shoreham-by-Sea 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 Shoreham-by-Sea
We provide access to personal injury solicitors acting for clients across Shoreham-by-Sea and the surrounding part of West Sussex. 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 Shoreham-by-Sea. We do not have an office in Shoreham-by-Sea 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
- A27
- A259
- Shoreham-by-Sea station
- Shoreham Port
- Brighton City Airport
- The harbour and the River Adur
- The Adur flyover and bridges
- Shoreham Beach
What types of accident are most common in Shoreham-by-Sea?
What stands out in Shoreham-by-Sea claims is the working waterfront. The port, the airport and the marine trades create a concentration of heavy machinery, vehicle movements, lifting operations and water based work in a small area, and a large share of local claims arise from those activities rather than from the town itself. These cases turn on risk assessments, safe systems of work, training and the condition of equipment, and the employer's paperwork often becomes the central evidence.
Accidents at work
Shoreham Port, the airport and the marine trades concentrate heavy machinery, lifting operations and vehicle movements, producing a high share of local workplace claims.
Slips, trips and falls
The promenade, harbour walls and riverside paths are well used, and the tidal river environment means surfaces can change quickly and be genuinely hazardous.
Road traffic accidents
The A27 crosses the Adur at Shoreham and the A259 runs along the coast, and the bridges are a longstanding congestion point with heavy freight movement.
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 Shoreham-by-Sea?
The process is the same whether you are in Shoreham-by-Sea 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 West Sussex we help clients from
We act for clients across the whole of West Sussex. These are the other areas close to Shoreham-by-Sea, and you can see every part of the county on the West Sussex page.
Personal Injury Solicitors West SussexPersonal Injury Solicitors ChichesterPersonal Injury Solicitors CrawleyPersonal Injury Solicitors WorthingPersonal Injury Solicitors HorshamPersonal Injury Solicitors Bognor RegisPersonal Injury Solicitors LittlehamptonPersonal Injury Solicitors Haywards HeathPersonal Injury Solicitors East Grinstead
Personal injury claims in Shoreham-by-Sea: frequently asked questions
Do you have an office in Shoreham-by-Sea?
No. We do not have a physical office in Shoreham-by-Sea, 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 Shoreham-by-Sea and the whole of West Sussex. 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 Shoreham-by-Sea?
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 at Shoreham Port or in the marine trades?
Yes, where the injury was caused by unsafe working conditions, inadequate training, defective equipment, a failure to control lifting or vehicle movements, or a failure to provide a safe system of work. Shoreham Port and the surrounding marine trades involve heavy machinery, cranes and vessel movements in a confined area, and claims from that sector turn on the employer's risk assessments and safe systems of work. If you are a contractor or agency worker rather than directly employed, your position needs to be looked at separately.
Can I claim for an injury on a boat, pontoon or jetty in Shoreham harbour?
It depends on the circumstances and on who occupied or controlled the vessel, pontoon, jetty or berth. The harbour involves a mix of the port authority, private owners, marinas and commercial operators, and establishing who was responsible for the particular area or craft is a necessary first step. It is worth taking advice early, because evidence on the water and around the quayside can be lost quickly as vessels and equipment move.
How much compensation could I receive for an injury in Shoreham-by-Sea?
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. Our page on personal injury compensation explains how both the general damages and the financial losses are worked out, and why a reliable figure has to come from the evidence in your own case.
Will I have to attend court in Shoreham-by-Sea?
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 Worthing and Brighton county courts serve the area. Where a hearing is needed, we explain what is involved in advance.
What evidence should I keep after an accident in Shoreham-by-Sea?
Keep anything that records what happened and what it cost you. Photographs of the scene, the machinery, the quayside or the vehicles, details of 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 Shoreham-by-Sea?
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 legal cap is 25% of the relevant categories of damages including VAT.
Do you help clients elsewhere in West Sussex?
Yes. We act for clients across the whole of West Sussex, including Worthing, Littlehampton, Horsham, Lancing 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 West Sussex.
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 Shoreham-by-Sea?
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.