Being seriously injured abroad means facing an already devastating situation far from home. You may still be in hospital overseas, or you may have just returned. Either way, the practical and legal questions arise immediately. In many cases, it is a partner or family member who is trying to hold everything together: dealing with insurers, authorities, and an unfamiliar healthcare system.

Our specialist International Injuries team can advise you from the earliest days.

The cases we handle

We act exclusively for people who have sustained serious, life-changing injuries abroad, for foreign nationals seriously injured in the UK, and in cases with an international element where the defendant is based in the UK or English law applies. This is all we do.We pursue cases in both UK courts and overseas jurisdictions, including the Channel Islands, working with specialist firms in the relevant countries where needed. If your injury is not life-changing or otherwise falls outside our expertise, we will tell you and help you find the right firm.

How we can help after a serious injury

The early stages of a serious international injury case are the most important, and often the most chaotic.

We start immediately. We take on the legal and practical complexity so that you and your family can focus on your recovery.

In the first few days and weeks, you may find yourself asking the same questions repeatedly:

• Who is responsible, and what rights do you have?
• Where can a claim be brought, and which country’s law applies?
• How do UK and overseas legal systems interact, and how do you avoid gaps in support?
• What immediate medical treatment, care, or rehabilitation can be arranged?

This is rarely just legal advice. What is the hospital telling you? Is your medical or travel insurer covering your treatment and repatriation costs in full, or are they imposing conditions? Can you travel home yet, and what needs to be in place before you do? We work through all of these with you and whoever is supporting you from the first conversation.

We explain the choices available, the likely timescales, and the decisions that need attention now. Simply knowing which issues can be parked for the time being is a huge relief.

Where interim payments (advance payments of compensation) or early rehabilitation funding may be available, we move quickly to secure them for you.

International cases often involve lawyers, insurers, medical experts, and rehabilitation providers operating in different countries. Coordinating those relationships and making sure nothing falls between the cracks can make a significant difference to you and your claim.

How we build your case for the best outcome

Serious injury cases take time, and it is often unclear what the lifelong consequences will be in the first year or two. The outcome of the claim has to provide financial security for the rest of your life. We build every case around that reality from day one.

That means gathering evidence early, instructing the right team of experts, and developing a legal strategy for each case. Even though most cases settle, we prepare every case as if it will go to trial, because that is what produces the best result.

We keep you informed throughout, with clear explanations of where the case stands, what each development means and what comes next. International cases have more moving parts than domestic ones, and we make sure you always know what is happening and why.

What sets Stewarts apart

Stewarts only acts for people with life-changing injuries. If you instruct us then your solicitor will be a specialist in this work and can also draw on the collective experience of our International Injuries team, who have handled cross-border and international negligence claims for decades.

The experienced solicitor leading your claim will typically be responsible for eight to 12 cases at any one time. At many firms, the figure is 40 or more.

That low caseload gives them the time to investigate and prepare every aspect of your case thoroughly. It also allows them to get to know you and understand what is important to you and your family. Wherever possible, they will be your point of contact from start to finish.

Results and recognition

Stewarts is top-ranked for its work on international injury claims by all three of the leading directories for law firms in the UK; The Times Best Law Firms, Chambers and Partners, and Legal 500. We are the only firm in the Legal 500’s tier 1 for Travel Law that also holds its lawyer and team quality client satisfaction accolade.

Legal 500 has said: “If you suffer an injury abroad or are injured in an incident with a foreign angle, there is no better team of UK lawyers you could hire to represent you.”

We also have more solicitors with Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) specialist accreditation for accidents abroad than any other firm in the UK. Many of them also hold APIL accreditations in brain injury, spinal injury, and fatal accident work, reflecting the fact that all of the solicitors in our International Injuries team only work on international claims involving life-changing injuries

We have acted in some of the most significant international injury cases and have helped clients secure record-breaking compensation awards across multiple jurisdictions.

Over the past five years, our Aviation and International Injury teams have recovered £207m for their clients, including a settlement of £32.5m for one client with a brain injury.

A recent example of our work

When Oliver, a British holidaymaker, sustained a severe traumatic brain injury in a road traffic collision in Cyprus, he and his family faced the challenge of pursuing a complex cross-border claim while coping with the life-changing impact of his injuries. Stewarts secured what is believed to be one of the highest personal injury settlements assessed under Cypriot law, with proceedings concluding in the High Court of England and Wales. The settlement provides lifelong financial security and funding for Oliver’s ongoing rehabilitation, care, and future needs. Read more about Oliver’s case.

Oliver’s parents commented:

“Our son sustained life-changing injuries when hit by a drunk driver in Cyprus. He spent six months in hospital, including a month in a coma. We started a claim against the driver and his insurers back home in England but were frustrated by the lawyers our insurance company had recommended.

“We switched to Stewarts and were immediately impressed by the swift and precise actions and advice from Chris Deacon and his team. They quickly produced a comprehensive schedule of loss, which formed the basis for negotiations with the defendants. Aided by Matthew Chapman KC, we went through several rounds of negotiations, always expertly advised by Chris. Kudos to Chris, Matt, and our friends at Neo Law in Cyprus who worked so hard and diligently to secure an outcome for our son, which should provide him with a financial platform for life.”

Contact our International Injury team

You can speak to us at any stage. Some clients come to us in the first days after an accident abroad. Others come to us partway through an existing claim because they want a second opinion from lawyers who truly specialise in this area. Your first meeting will be with a dedicated international injury expert who will take the time to understand your circumstances, explain your legal options, and answer any questions you may have. This initial discussion is free, confidential, and without obligation.