The recent ‘Personal Injury Market 2022’ report estimated that this particular niche was worth an impressive £4 billion last year, with this having risen marginally by 1.8% since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.

This market is built on the premise that there are around three million people injured in a range of accidents and workplace incidents every year in the UK, with this representing close to 5% of the total population.

In this post, we’ll appraise the most common types of personal injury claim, while asking how many find their way to court.

What are the Most Common Personal Injury Claims?

You may not be surprised to note that road traffic accidents account for approximately half of all personal injury claims made in the UK, including those that affect car drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and even those on motorcycles.

Remember, there are some 33.1 million cars currently on the road in Britain, while ongoing congestion in busy, central locations continues to drive a high number of personal injury claims on these shores.

Common road accident injuries include broken bones, concussion and whiplash, each of which will require various levels of medical attention and may incur medical costs and a temporary loss of earnings. In more serious accidents, clients may be required to make amputation claims, which could trigger complex legal processes and a significant payout.

Accidents in public spaces account for roughly 21% of all personal injury claims, with such incidents typically taking place in settings that are run by an identifiable organisation (either public or private).

Then there’s accidents at work, which currently account for 16% of all personal injury claims in the UK.

This can result in a wide range of serious injuries (especially for workers who operate heavy machinery or work in manufacturing), including back complaints, damaged limbs and broken bones.

How Many Claims End Up in Court – And How Long Do They Take?

According to national estimates, some 25% of personal injury claims end up in court, which means that 75% are settled before the case actually reaches this stage.

This is largely because of the role that personal injury solicitors play in managing and overseeing your case, with the collation and presentation of relevant evidence (which details your injuries and links them directly to the incident in question) crucial to bringing third parties to the table and encouraging out-of-court settlements.

This is why it’s important to choose an experienced personal injury specialist to handle your case, as they’ll understand the associated legal processes and have the requisite negotiation skills to achieve the best possible outcome for their clients.

If your case does progress to court, litigation is likely to last longer, depending on the nature of the claim and scale of compensation requested. In general terms, however, a personal injury claim will take between two months and two years to settle in court, and it’s important to keep this in mind as a claimant.