How To Make A Complaint And Claim Compensation
In this guide, we will discuss how to make a complaint about an organisation, company or service that you have received. There are various instances where you may want to make a complaint against an organisation, for example, if you have suffered harm due to an accident at work, a personal data breach or medical negligence.
Within this guide, we will discuss how you could make a complaint against an organisation and how our advisory team could help you with making said complaint. Additionally, we will explore whether you may be able to make a claim for compensation for the harm you have suffered. We will also explain the eligibility criteria you must meet for different cases. Furthermore, we will discuss how one of our No Win No Fee solicitors could help you with your claim.
For free advice and help with any questions you may have, you can contact our advisory team. Our friendly advisors are on hand 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to help you.
To talk with an advisor today, you can:
- Call 0800 073 8804
- Use our live chat.
- Complete our ‘claim online’ form for a callback.
A Guide To How To Make A Complaint
Browse Our Guide
- How To Make A Complaint
- Could I Claim Compensation?
- Examples Of Accident And Injuries That You Could Claim Compensation For
- How Much Compensation Could You Claim?
- Check If You Can Make A No Win No Fee Claim
- Learn More About How To Make A Complaint And Claim Compensation
How To Make A Complaint And Claim Compensation
Depending on the type of organisation you are making a complaint about, where and how you will make your complaint will differ. You could want to make a complaint for all different kinds of reasons.
For example, if you have suffered an accident at work and would like to make a complaint against your workplace, you could complain to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Alternatively, you would make a complaint about an organisation to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for a personal data breach. If you would like to make a complaint for medical negligence, you could make this complaint via the NHS Resolution.
We Can Help You With Your Complaint
As well as having a right to make a complaint about an organisation for its failings, you could also have the right to seek compensation in certain circumstances.
Call our advisors now to have your case assessed to see if you are eligible to make a claim for compensation, if you are, they can offer to connect you with the most appreciated solicitor who could also aid you in the complaints procedure too.
Could I Claim Compensation?
In certain circumstances, you may be eligible to make a claim for compensation. However, you need to meet the specific eligibility criteria for the type of claim you are wishing to make.
For accident at work claims, you would need to prove that your employer breached their duty of care and this caused you to suffer an injury.
To be able to make a medical negligence claim, you would need to prove that a medical professional breached their duty of care causing you to suffer unnecessary harm.
For personal data breach claims, you would need to prove that an organisation failed to adhere to data protection laws, causing your personal data to become compromised and, as a result, you suffered financial loss or psychological harm.
These are just a few examples of how you could be eligible to make a compensation claim to find out if you are eligible, please call our advisors today.
How Long Do I Have To Make A Claim?
As well as meeting the eligibility criteria, you must also ensure that you start your claim within the relevant time limit. These are:
- Accident at work claims – 3 years from the date of the accident.
- Medical negligence claims- 3 years from the date you were harmed or connected the harm with negligence.
- Personal data breach claims – Generally 6 years or 1 year if the claim is against a public body.
It is important to note that certain exceptions may apply to your claim.
You can contact our advisors to see if you could be eligible to make a compensation claim or to learn how to make a complaint against an organisation.
Examples Of Accident And Injuries That You Could Claim Compensation For
There are various types of incidents where you may suffer harm and may be eligible to claim compensation. Some examples could include:
- If your employer failed to give you sufficient manual handling training, and you suffer a back injury due to poor lifting technique.
- You go to hospital with clear symptoms of a wrist fracture. However, the doctor fails to order an X-ray and misdiagnoses you with a sprain, causing your fracture to worsen.
- Your bank failed to update its cyber security systems, resulting in your personal banking details being accessed during a cyber attack and, as a result, money is withdrawn from your account.
To see if you could be eligible to make a compensation claim, you can contact our advisors. They can also inform you of how to make a complaint against an organisation.
How Much Compensation Could You Claim?
If you make a successful personal injury or medical negligence claim, your compensation settlement could consist of general and special damages.
General damages compensate you for the harm you have experienced. The Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) is a document that many legal professionals will refer to when valuing this head of claim. This is because the JCG provides compensation guidelines for various physical and psychological injuries. We have made a table using the amounts listed in the 16th edition of this document.
This table is only to be used as a guide.
| Injury | Severity | Notes | Compensation Guidelines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kidney | (a) | Permanent and serious damage to both kidneys. Or, they have both been lost. | £169,400 to £210,400 |
| Psychiatric Damage Generally | Severe | The claimant will have severe problems dealing with daily life, work or education and with future vulnerability. | £54,830 to £115,730 |
| Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder | Severe | There will be permanent effects that prevent the injured party from working or functioning the same as they did before the trauma occurred. | £59,860 to £100,670 |
| Back Injuries | Severe (iii) | The person suffers with chronic conditions due to disc lesions or fractures. | £38,780 to £69,730 |
| Chest Injuries | (c) | There has been damage to the lung(s) and chest, causing some continuing disability. | £31,310 to £54,830 |
| Arm Injuries | Less Severe | Despite suffering with substantial disabilities a noticeable degree of recovery will have taken place or is expected to. | £19,200 to £39,170 |
| Neck Injuries | Moderate (i) | Severe immediate symptoms due to fractures or dislocation in the neck, and may need spinal fusion. | £24,990 to £38,490 |
| Leg Injuries | Less Serious (i) | Fractures that make a reasonable recovery but leave the person with a mental implant or limp. | £17,960 to £27,760 |
| Hernia | (b) | A direct inguinal hernia that risks recurrence even after repair, despite the person suffering with no pre-existing weakness. | £7,010 to £9,110 |
| Pelvis and Hip Injuries | Lesser (ii) | Complete recovery from a minor soft tissue injury. | Up to £3,950 |
Special damages compensate you for the monetary losses you have suffered due to being harmed. For example, if you required time off work to recover, you may be able to recover any lost earnings under this head of claim.
You will need to provide evidence of your losses, such as with bank statements or payslips.
Data Breach Claims
For data breach claims, you could receive compensation for your non-material damage. This refers to the mental harm you have suffered due to a personal data breach.
You could also be awarded compensation for your material damage. This refers to the financial losses you have suffered due to a personal data breach. For example, if your credit card information was comprised in a data breach, this could result in charges being made to that card.
Contact our advisors today to discuss your potential claim and learn how to make a complaint about an organisation.
Check If You Can Make A No Win No Fee Claim
If you meet the eligibility criteria to make a claim for compensation, one of our solicitors may be able to help you. Our solicitors have experience with various types of claims, including those being made for accidents at work, personal data breaches and medical negligence.
If one of our solicitors agrees to take on your claim, they may offer you a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). A CFA is a type of No Win No Fee arrangement. When making a claim with a solicitor under a CFA, they will not expect you to pay them for their work if your claim fails.
If the solicitor you are working with succeeds with your claim, they will deduct a success fee from the compensation awarded. The law caps the percentage that this success fee can be.
You can contact our advisors to see if you could be eligible to work with one of our solicitors for your potential claim. Furthermore, they can help answer your questions and offer free advice on how to make a complaint against an organisation.
To talk with an advisor today, you can:
- Call 0800 073 8804
- Use our live chat.
- Complete our ‘claim online’ form for a callback.
Learn More About How To Make A Complaint And Claim Compensation
Additional guides by us about claiming compensation:
- Can you claim for an accident at work without an injury?
- My data has been breached, what can I do?
- Clinical and medical negligence claims.
Further information and resources:
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – Health and safety statistics.
- National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) – Data breaches: guidance for individuals and families.
- Department of Health and Social Care – NHS Constitution For England.
