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Considering a career in personal injury law? Concentrating on one narrow niche rather than providing general support can be an advantageous move, especially if you have a particular passion. Discover the different specialisations within personal injury law and the benefits of honing your expertise.
What is personal injury law?
Personal injury law gives people the right to make personal injury claims against another person or organisation if they directly or indirectly cause them harm. This applies to injuries incurred in a public space or private workplace.
Employees or companies have a duty of care to protect people while they’re on their premises. When they fail to provide this expected level of care, and this leads to an injury, they can be proved liable – legally responsible—for the harm caused.
As a personal injury lawyer, you’ll provide advice to victims and guide them through the process of making a claim in an effort to win fair compensation. You’ll also represent them in court in cases that are not or cannot be settled quickly.
The advantages of specialising
In any industry, there are advantages to specialising.
Having superior knowledge in a niche area helps you stand out from the competition. You may get fewer inquiries overall, but you’ll be more trustworthy in the eyes of clients seeking to be understood, and your chances of conversion are high.
This will lead to a strong professional reputation, which in turn will gain you more clients through positive word-of-mouth recommendations.
There are also financial benefits for specialist personal injury lawyers. You can potentially charge higher hourly rates and contingency fees for your key knowledge in complex cases.
Examples of personal injury law specialisation
Medical malpractice
As the name suggests, medical malpractice is when a healthcare professional has been negligent in their treatment. The harm caused can be significant, and many choose to pursue compensation via personal injury lawyers. In fact, there were over 13,000 claims made against the NHS in 2022.
You’ll need a thorough understanding of medical procedures, terminology, and records, but the high demand for medical malpractice legal advice makes it well-worth going through the extra training.s
Workplace litigation
It’s estimated that 561,000 UK workers suffered a non-fatal injury at work in 2022 that they believe was caused or exacerbated by employer negligence. This means that you can expect a steady flow of enquiries if you choose to specialise in workplace litigation.
Employers have a legal duty of care to protect employees, whether you work in a high-risk job such as construction or a low-risk workplace like an office. You’ll need to understand the specifics of their responsibilities and the kind of safeguards that should be in place such as risk assessments and adequate Personal Protective Equipment, as well as workers’ compensation laws.
You can further specialise by focusing on workplace litigation within a particular industry. For this you’ll need to research the hazards of that occupation and any unique regulations and laws that apply to that sector.
