As a solicitor with decades of experience representing injured people, I have seen firsthand the challenges they face – and the crucial role personal injury lawyers play in helping them rebuild their lives.

This Injury Awareness Week, I want to talk not only about the people we serve, but about the work we do – and why I, like many others in this profession, am proud to stand beside injured people in their fight for justice.

What personal injury lawyers really do

At its core, personal injury law is about helping people get their lives back after they have suffered harm when someone else has failed to take reasonable care for their safety.

The failure to take reasonable care, and consequent harm, might occur in a number of circumstances such as:

• an accident at work where corners were cut on safety;
• a road traffic collision;
• a serious fall due to a local authority’s failure to maintain safe walkways; or
• an occupier of premises failing to keep those premises reasonably safe.  

Failures of this kind can, in an instant, result in life-changing injuries.

Our job is not simply to “win compensation”; it is to help put things right, by securing the care, rehabilitation, financial support and dignity that people deserve after they have been injured.  It is also about restoring independence and ensuring that lessons are learned to protect others from similar harm.

Over the years, our profession has sometimes been stereotyped.  The term “ambulance chaser” is sometimes used to suggest personal injury lawyers are opportunists.  That view could not be further from the truth.  Personal injury lawyers, and those who are APIL-accredited commit to a code of conduct, work to the highest ethical standards in helping to support those who have suffered, sometimes devastating, injuries.  Many of our clients are unable to work or to care for their families and have to face a future of pain and suffering.  They are not trying to exploit a system.  They are trying to survive it.

Why I am proud to do this work

What sets this area of law apart is the human impact. Every claim is a person’s story – a life interrupted. The work we do helps people access critical medical treatment, secure long-term care packages, adapt their homes, and achieve financial stability after sudden loss.

We:

• give injured people a voice in a system that too often overlooks them;
• hold individuals, businesses and institutions accountable for negligence;
• push for safety reforms and better standards; and
• help contribute to a fairer, and more responsible, society.

This is not just legal work – it is public service.  And it is needed now more than ever.

Let us change the conversation

This Injury Awareness Week, I urge people to look beyond the headlines and see the value of what personal injury lawyers actually do.

We chase accountability, we pursue justice and we fight for people who often feel they have no one else to turn to.

If you have been injured and are unsure where to turn, make sure you choose a specialist lawyer who is accredited by a trusted organisation like APIL.  Expertise, and integrity, matter.

We’re here to support you

For expert legal advice and support after a cycling accident, call 0800 138 0458 email help@switalskis.com or fill out the form below.