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Serious Injury Claims

Serious Injury Claims

If you have been the victim of an accident involving a medical professional or sustained personal injury that was not your fault, you could be entitled to claim compensation.

Find out more

  • Ranked in Chambers & Legal 500 for Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence
  • Featured in the Times Top Law Firms 2019, 2020 & 2021 List for Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence
  • Rachel Rees wins Outstanding Contribution to Headway Award
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Legal Advice Surgery - The Background

Since May 2012 Salford Royal has offered a free legal advice service to all seriously injured patients on wards CCU1, CCU2, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B8, C2, H5, H6 and L1. This includes all patients who have suffered head and spinal injuries or serious orthopaedic injuries. It doesn’t usually include other patients, for example, those who are in hospital because of an illness or have suffered a stroke or burst aneurysm, although this is under review.

The advice is given by experienced solicitors employed by Potter Rees Dolan who specialise in helping seriously injured patients and their families. Please take a look at the profiles of Hugh Potter, Jeanne Evans, Gary Herbert, Nicola Mepstead, Helen Shaw and Peter Renshaw for more information.

The Legal Advice Surgery was created to fill the gap left by the reduced state funding for Law Centres and Citizen Advice Bureaux. The Board at Salford Royal Trust recognised the need for seriously injured patients and their families to receive specialist advice on such matters as employment, finances and welfare benefit entitlements at a most crucial time.

The advice is available free to injured patients whether or not there is any claim for compensation. Since it started, hundreds of patients and their families have benefited from free legal support at a time of crisis and when they most need it.

Your advice was very helpful and gives us a good basis to start – we did find your input very helpful. On a personal note, what a wonderful service you offer to people in need with limited ability to sort these things out – Miss J
Jeanne has provided fantastic support and advice to date. I do not know how we would have managed without her – Mr JK
Even though my case is yet to be settled, the overall service is excellent – Mr NMc

How to use it

Information leaflets about the Legal Surgery are freely available on the wards. Please tell us if you want to use the free legal service. You (or a family member on your behalf) can:

  • E-mail us direct or telephone 0800 027 2557 or 0161 237 5888 and ask for Hugh Potter or his PA; or, if you prefer,
  • Ask your nominated nurse or the ward co-ordinator to contact us on your behalf.

We will come to see you at Salford Royal (usually at our regular Legal Surgeries held on the wards every Tuesday and Friday afternoons) or at home, if that is more appropriate.

Very importantly, there are strict procedures and protocols in place with the Trust to ensure we only see those patients/family members who wish to be seen. These protocols also apply to patients who may be vulnerable. For example, those who may be unable to understand advice (because of the continuing effects of a head injury, for instance) or who are minors, cannot be seen (even if they request it) without the presence of a responsible adult.

If a patient may have a claim for compensation, we will give you the Trust’s approved list of solicitors as soon as we can so you have the choice of solicitors to instruct.

Anne and Hugh are excellent in their approach towards my son and myself. Also they explain everything in great detail. They keep me and my son included in everything – really happy – Mrs AMc
I found it easy to talk to the solicitors involved in my husband’s case and received positive advice from both solicitors – Mrs D
I received a very personalised service with prompt replies to any matters I need to discuss – Mr S

 

Examples of typical cases dealt with by the Legal Surgery at Salford

We will give you a wide range of advice. Knowing your legal rights can make a real difference and we can help you enforce those. All of the following are actual cases dealt with by the Legal Surgery where we have been able to provide practical help, assistance, guidance and advice that has made a real difference to patients’ lives:

  • Helped the wife of a head injured (and unconscious) patient pay her bills out of her husband’s bank account.
  • Found that the partner of a head injured person was entitled to receive £50,000 under his home contents insurance policy.
  • Helped a wife whose husband was unconscious and whose employer was threatening to stop his wages. We wrote to his employers and insisted that they continue to pay him.
  • Advised head injured patients about receiving financial grants from the Headway Hardship Fund.
  • Advised about Welfare Benefits including PIP of up to £139.75 per week, Employment Support Allowance of up to £186.90 per week and Carers Allowance (paid to the carer) of up to £62.10 per week
  • Helped the mother of a young man whose college wanted to know why he hadn’t attended his lectures for a week and whose grant was under threat.
  • Supported a lady who had terminal spinal cancer and latterly her family after she sadly passed away over a six month period in securing a lump sum payment under an insurance policy, despite the fact that the insurance policy had been cancelled by her, ensuring some financial security for her adult children

Please note that although we can advise you through our Legal Advice Surgery about many things, we cannot advise you about claims that you might have against Salford Royal itself although we will signpost you to other support organisations/advisors as appropriate.

If you have used the Legal Surgery, we would welcome your feedback so we can make sure the service we give is as good as it can be. Please complete the short Satisfaction Questionnaire.

Other sources of help

We work closely with charities which offer support for patients:

BASIC – Brain and Spinal Injury Centre

554 Eccles New Road
Salford
M5 5AP
Tel: 0161 707 6441
HELPLINE: 0870 750 0000

Headway Stockport and South Manchester

The Heaton Centre,

Thornfield Road,
Stockport
Cheshire
SK4 3LD
United Kingdom

Telephone: 07733 320 049

Headway Merseyside

MYA 65-67 Hanover Street
Liverpool
Merseyside
L1 3DY
United Kingdom

Telephone: 07967 770 772

Spinal Injuries Association

SIA House
2 Trueman Place
Oldbrook
Milton Keynes
MK6 2HH

Telephone: 01908 604191

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Meet the Team

  • Hugh Potter Personal Injury - Senior Partner 0800 027 2557
  • Rachel Rees Personal Injury - Solicitor Consultant 0800 027 2557
  • Helen Dolan Clinical Negligence - Senior Partner 0800 027 2557
  • Alison Hartley Personal Injury - Partner 0800 027 2557
  • Helen Shaw Personal Injury - Partner 0800 027 2557
  • Jeanne Evans Personal Injury - Partner 0800 027 2557
  • Vicky Griffin Administrative - Practice Director 0161 2375888
  • Peter Renshaw Welfare Benefits - Partner 0161 2375888
  • Lesley Herbertson Clinical Negligence - Partner 0800 027 2557
  • Gary Herbert Personal Injury - Partner 0800 027 2557
  • Richard Edwards Personal Injury - Partner 0800 027 2557
  • Ruth Wright Court of Protection - Partner 0800 027 2557
  • Jeremy Smith Personal Injury - Senior Solicitor 0800 027 2557
  • Nicola Mepstead Personal Injury - Partner 0800 027 2557
  • Catherine Keeley Court of Protection - Chartered Legal Executive 0800 027 2557
  • Rebecca Calverley Court of Protection - Paralegal 0800 027 2557
  • Hannah Bottomley Clinical Negligence - Solicitor 0800 027 2557
  • Amber Mitchell Personal Injury - Senior Solicitor 0800 027 2557
  • Gill Edwards Clinical Negligence - Partner 0800 027 2557
  • Sophie Birch Clinical Negligence - Solicitor 0800 027 2557
  • Greg Poole Court of Protection - Solicitor 0800 027 2557
  • Rebecca Murray Court of Protection - Paralegal 0800 027 2557
  • Mark Wilding Court of Protection - Solicitor 0800 027 2557
  • Helen Budge Clinical Negligence - Senior Solicitor 0800 027 2557
  • Sami Palmer-Latif Personal Injury - Solicitor 0800 027 2557
  • Mark Robinson Personal Injury - Solicitor 0800 027 2557

View All

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About Us

Whatever the circumstances and whatever the weather, our clients always come first.

Our offices in the centre of Manchester are fully wheelchair accessible and easily accessible by road (with free parking for clients and visitors), rail, bus and tram links from all towns and cities.

However, if you prefer, we are happy to travel to see you at home or in hospital.

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Potter Rees Dolan, 12 Commercial Street, Manchester, M15 4PZ

  • 0800 027 2557
  • info@prd.uk.com

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Potter Rees Dolan is the brand name of Potter Rees Ltd which is a Limited Company registered in England & Wales (Registered number: 07936586) and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority: 566800. Their Code of Conduct can be found here. Provision of Service Regulations 2009: We comply with the regulations by displaying the required details of our Professional Indemnity Insurance in our offices. Registered office: 12 Commercial Street, Manchester, M15 4PZ. VAT No: 707 9183 17.

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