Making a claim for an injury
If you have been injured because of something that wasn’t your fault, you might consider bringing a personal injury claim. In some circumstances, you might be entitled to compensation for your injury and any associated financial losses.
Find out more by reading our ‘Got a legal issue?' page called 'I've been injured'.
Making a claim because of a dispute with a trader
If you think that a trader like a builder or a shop owes you money or should compensate you, we recommend taking a look at Citizens Advice's Advice Guide for help.
Talk it through
Before even looking at legal options you should try to resolve things with each other. It pays to keep an open mind and at least give each other the chance to put across your points of view. If talking face-to-face doesn't work you could write to or email whoever it is that you think owes you money. Be clear about exactly how much, and why you think they owe you.
You should also be clear about when you want things sorted out. If you are dealing with a business you could make this an official letter of complaint.
Consider mediation
Mediation services can help to resolve complaints and are often a cheaper alternative to going to court. You can get more information about this from the Government's website.
Talk to an Ombudsman
If you are dealing with a business or public body, there are sometimes independent bodies called Ombudsmen that can help as an alternative to going to court. The business should tell you who to get in touch with. For example, if you are dealing with a bank you can talk to the Financial Ombudsman. You can get more information and a full list of Ombudsmen services from Citizens Advice.
If you are dealing with another person, you will not have the option of referring the matter to an Ombudsman, but there are still alternatives to court, such as mediation, that you might consider.
Making a county court claim
If you haven't been able to resolve the situation between you, another option to consider is making a claim through a county court. Your local court has an option to handle claims quickly if they are for less than £10,000 (or £1,000 if the claim is for a personal injury or housing disrepair). This is often referred to as taking someone to ‘small claims court’.
You can get more information on making a court claim for money on the Government’s website.