I’ve been injured, or made ill — where to start
If you have been injured or made ill and it may have been someone else's fault, you may be able to claim — but the right route depends on how it happened. This guided pathway asks a few questions and points you towards the help that fits, and the deadline to watch. It is a starting point, not advice on your case.
How it works
The pathway asks how you came to be injured or unwell — an accident, an illness linked to your work, something connected to military service, or harm caused by a professional — along with when it happened and when you realised the cause. From that it points you to the route that fits.
Different situations are handled differently, and the pathway reflects that: a work-related illness, an asbestos condition, an Armed Forces injury and an accident each follow their own rules. Where a tool can help you go further — checking how long you have to claim, screening a work-related illness, or estimating an Armed Forces award — it points you straight to it.
Time limits run through all of these, and they are strict. For many claims the deadline is three years, often running from when you first knew your injury was linked to a cause, so it matters to act rather than wait.
The result is a guide to where to start, not a decision on whether you have a claim. If it suggests there may be something to look at, a short conversation will help you understand your options before any deadline.
Questions about I’ve been injured, or made ill — where to start
Possibly. Where a professional — such as a clinician, surveyor or adviser — fell below the standard expected and that caused you harm or loss, you may have a professional negligence claim. These turn on showing the failure and the harm it caused.
You may be able to, if the injury was caused by someone else's negligence or breach of duty — for example an employer, a driver, an occupier, or a professional. Whether you can claim, and against whom, depends on how the injury happened.
No. You do not need to have it all worked out — part of the early work is establishing who was responsible. What helps is acting promptly, because the time limits run regardless of how clear fault is at the outset.
No. It helps you see which route fits and where to start, based on what you tell it. Whether you have a claim depends on the full facts and needs proper assessment, so it is a starting point rather than advice.
The usual deadline is three years. For an injury it often runs from the date of the accident, and for an illness from when you first knew it was linked to a cause. Different rules apply to children and to those who lack mental capacity.
Yes. Nothing you enter into the pathway is stored unless you choose to submit the callback form, and anything you share with us is treated in confidence.
Illnesses caused by work — from asbestos, dust, chemicals, noise or strain — can give rise to a claim against a current or former employer, often years later. The deadline usually runs from diagnosis, and our industrial disease checker can help you explore it.
Injuries or illnesses caused by service may be covered by the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, and sometimes by a separate civil claim. Our AFCS estimator can indicate where an injury may sit on the scheme's tariff.
Have a question that isn't covered here? Speak to one of our specialists directly.
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