Three questions that usually decide it
Was someone else at fault?
Another driver, an employer, an occupier or a manufacturer. Shared fault does not end a claim, it reduces it.
Was it in the last three years?
Scotland allows three years from the accident, or from diagnosis for an industrial disease. Children have longer.
Did you need treatment?
A GP or hospital record from the time is the single most useful piece of evidence in any claim.
A Court of Session presence in the capital
Edinburgh matters to us for a reason beyond geography: the Court of Session sits here, and so does the All-Scotland Personal Injury Court. Our Edinburgh work is led by Associate Solicitor April Meechan, supported by consultant David Sandison, one of Scotland’s most respected personal injury lawyers.
That means for the higher-value and more complex claims, brain and spinal injury, fatal accidents, disputed liability, your case is run by people who appear in these courts.
For everyday claims, most of what we need comes from a first phone call. Where a meeting helps we will come to you at home or in hospital anywhere in Edinburgh and the Lothians, at no charge.
Claims we take on in Edinburgh
Accident at work claims in Edinburgh
Construction, hospitality, warehousing and office injuries across the capital.
Read more →Road traffic accident claims in Edinburgh
The City Bypass, tram and bus routes, cyclists and pedestrians.
Read more →Serious injury claims
Head, brain and spinal injuries requiring lifetime care and rehabilitation.
Read more →Both national courts sit in Edinburgh
Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Chambers Street handles local civil business, but the two courts that matter most in personal injury are both here: the All-Scotland Personal Injury Court, a specialist national court for injury actions, and the Court of Session at Parliament House for the highest-value claims.
Being an Edinburgh claimant is an advantage in that respect. The forums are on your doorstep, and we have solicitors working in them.
All-Scotland Personal Injury Court
The specialist national court for personal injury actions, sitting in Edinburgh. Judges who deal exclusively with injury work.
Court of Session
Parliament House. Scotland’s supreme civil court, used for catastrophic injury, fatal claims and the most complex disputes.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court
Chambers Street. The local forum for lower-value actions arising in the city and the Lothians.
How people get hurt in Edinburgh
Edinburgh’s accident profile is shaped by tourism, a dense historic centre, a major bypass and a large construction and hospitality workforce.
The A720 City Bypass
Heavy commuter traffic, frequent congestion and high-speed collisions at the Sheriffhall, Straiton and Hermiston junctions.
Cyclists, trams and buses
A busy city centre where cyclists share space with trams, buses and taxis. Tram tracks in particular are a recognised hazard for cyclists.
Hospitality and tourism
One of the UK’s largest hospitality workforces. Kitchen burns, cellar falls and wet-floor slips are the pattern, and the Festival period intensifies it.
Construction and heritage work
Extensive development and restoration across the city, including work at height on historic buildings and tenements.
Historic streets and stairs
Uneven setts, worn stone stairs, poor lighting and defective pavements in the Old and New Towns.
Winter conditions
Steep streets and stairs that become dangerous when untreated, in a city where gradients make ice a serious risk.
Where Edinburgh injuries are treated
How we gather your medical evidence
The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at Little France is the major trauma centre for the east of Scotland, and handles most serious injuries arising in the city. Injured children are treated at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People on the same site.
We request your records directly from NHS Lothian and your GP practice on your authority.
For significant injuries we instruct an independent consultant to examine you privately at our cost, so the long-term prognosis is properly evidenced.
Who would handle your Edinburgh claim
Our Edinburgh work is led by April Meechan in our Court of Session office, with consultant David Sandison.
Our record
A 99% success rate
Across personal injury claims, built on preparing cases properly and being honest at the outset about the ones that will not succeed.
Millions recovered
We have helped thousands of injured people win millions of pounds in compensation, from minor slips to catastrophic injury.
Referred by other solicitors
Firms in Scotland and England send us their clients’ personal injury claims, which is the endorsement we value most.
“From the very first phone call to the last they were friendly, courteous and very professional. What helped a great deal was the way they kept me informed.”
“They were so professional, courteous and diligent throughout the process. My compensation came through at the high end of my expectations.”
Scotland has its own rules and timeframes
Scots law differs from the rest of the UK in ways that matter to your claim, which is why a Scottish solicitor is worth having.
Three-year limitation
Most claims must be raised within three years of the accident, or from the date you knew an illness was work-related. Miss it and the claim is usually lost.
Pre-action protocol
Scotland operates a voluntary pre-action protocol for personal injury. It sets out timescales for insurers to investigate and respond before court is needed.
No win – no fee
We fund the cost of running your claim. If we do not win you pay nothing, and any success fee is capped and agreed with you in writing first.