Personal injury · Guernsey
Find a personal injury lawyer in Guernsey who knows Bailiwick law
Guernsey is a Crown Dependency with its own courts and its own law, so an injury claim here does not follow English rules. Tell us what happened and we will match you, free of charge, with an Advocate of the Royal Court who handles personal injury work.
- Advocates admitted in Guernsey, Alderney and Sark
- Injury claims governed by Guernsey prescription, not English limitation
- Free matching, no obligation to instruct
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An injury claim in the Bailiwick is a Guernsey claim
If you are injured in Guernsey through someone else’s negligence, your claim is governed by Guernsey law rather than English law, and that difference matters from the very first day. Guernsey applies prescription rather than limitation, which extinguishes the right of action itself and is treated as substantive law. A personal injury lawyer in Guernsey is an Advocate of the Royal Court, handling both the case preparation and the advocacy, because the profession is fused. We are not a law firm: we listen to what happened, identify the practice area and match you free of charge with an Advocate who deals with personal injury and medical negligence work in the Bailiwick. There is no charge to be matched, and no obligation to instruct anyone.
Guernsey in practice
How injury claims actually work in Guernsey
The Bailiwick of Guernsey comprises Guernsey, Alderney and Sark, and it is not part of the United Kingdom. It has its own legislature, its own courts and a mixed legal system in which Norman customary law sits beneath more than a century of English-style statute and common law.
Prescription, not limitation
Guernsey law does not have an equivalent of the English law of limitation. It applies prescription, which does not merely bar the remedy but extinguishes the right of action, and English authority is persuasive rather than binding. For personal injury and death claims the period is three years from accrual or from the claimant’s knowledge, so establishing when you knew is often the first task.
A fused profession: one Advocate throughout
Advocacy in Guernsey is a fused profession. An Advocate performs the roles that solicitors and barristers perform in England, acting as instructing lawyer and court advocate at the same time. Advocates practise as sole practitioners or in partnership, are officers of the Royal Court and wear bands, a robe and a toque rather than wigs in formal hearings.
Which court hears the claim
First instance lies in the Magistrate’s Court or the Royal Court. The Magistrate’s Court, a judge sitting alone, deals with civil claims in contract and tort up to GBP 10,000 and conducts inquests. The Royal Court’s Ordinary Court exercises the general civil jurisdiction with a judge and, where facts are in issue, at least two Jurats, who are the judges of fact.
Legal aid and the Green Form scheme
The Guernsey Legal Aid Service provides free or reduced-cost advice and representation to individuals who cannot otherwise afford an Advocate, and claims for damages for personal injury or medical negligence are commonly covered. Two tests apply: a financial means test and a legal merits test. Legally aided persons may be asked to contribute, and a certificate covers costs only from the day it is issued.
What you may recover in costs
Advocates bill by hourly rates, but recoverable rates are capped by Guernsey’s Costs and Fees Rules, at GBP 351 per hour for Advocates and GBP 235.17 for associates with effect from 1 January 2026. Because these rates sit below what Advocates actually charge, a successful party typically recovers around 60% to 70% of its legal spend. Costs follow the event.
Enforcing a settlement or judgment
Money claims are enforced through HM Sheriff as the executive officer of the Court once judgment has been obtained, using methods such as an arrest of wages. Enforcement against Guernsey real property follows the customary procedure known as saisie, dealt with by the Royal Court sitting en Plaids d’Heritage. Contingency fees and damages-based agreements are prohibited; third-party litigation funding is permitted.
All data on this page is drawn from Guernsey official bodies, the Royal Court and the Guernsey Bar, together with published practitioner guidance on Guernsey prescription, and was reviewed in 2026.
- Appleby — Legal and Court System in Guernsey
- Royal Court of Guernsey — Advocates of the Royal Court
- Collas Crill — Prescription explained
- Ferbrache & Farrell — Prescription and limitation: when should you bring a claim?
- Bedell Cristin — Time limits: how Guernsey’s prescription rules differ from English limitation
- Royal Court of Guernsey — Legal Aid guidance
- Royal Court of Guernsey — Court of Appeal rules and time limits
- Royal Court of Guernsey — Evictions
- States of Guernsey — Rent control guidance
- EEOS — Employment requirements and time limits
- Chambers Practice Guides — Defamation and reputation management, Guernsey
- The Guernsey Bar
Common concerns
What makes an injury claim in Guernsey confusing
Three recurring worries we hear from people injured in the Bailiwick, and how the right Advocate addresses each one.
The clock runs on Guernsey rules
People search for English limitation periods and assume six years applies. For personal injury and death claims in Guernsey the period is three years from accrual or from knowledge, and prescription extinguishes the right itself.
I do not know who to instruct
The Bailiwick has a single fused profession: Advocates are admitted by the Royal Court and act as both instructing lawyer and court advocate. You need one who regularly handles injury and medical negligence work, not any firm.
Costs feel unpredictable
Recoverable hourly rates are capped well below what Advocates charge, so a successful party typically recovers around 60% to 70% of its spend. Knowing that in advance helps you judge a sensible settlement.
How we help
Free matching with a Guernsey Advocate
We are a matching service, not a law firm. Our role is to get your enquiry to the right Advocate quickly and at no cost to you.
One enquiry, the right specialism
You describe the accident, the injury and the timing once. We route it to Advocates whose practice covers personal injury and medical negligence work in the Bailiwick.
Guernsey, Alderney and Sark
Advocates of the Royal Court are admitted to practise the laws of Guernsey, Alderney and Sark throughout the Bailiwick, so a single introduction can cover where you were injured.
Clear on prescription from the start
Your first conversation should establish when the cause of action accrued and when you had knowledge, because that determines the three-year personal injury window.
No cost and no obligation
Being matched is free. You decide whether to instruct, and you can ask the Advocate directly about fees, legal aid eligibility and likely timescales.
Also available in
Other European jurisdictions we cover
The same free matching service operates across the jurisdictions below, each with its own rules on time limits, court structure and who may represent you.
Questions
Personal injury claims in Guernsey: your questions
Do I need a personal injury lawyer in Guernsey, or can I handle the claim myself?
You are entitled to act in person, and the Royal Court publishes fees for an application for leave to serve a summons signed by an applicant in person. In practice, Guernsey prescription and the mixed customary and English-derived law make early specialist input valuable, particularly on when the three-year period starts.
What is prescription and how does it differ from English limitation?
Guernsey law applies prescription, not limitation. Prescription does not merely bar the remedy: it extinguishes the right of action, and it is a matter of substantive law rather than procedure. English case law is persuasive in Guernsey courts but not binding, so English time-limit assumptions should not be applied to a Bailiwick claim.
How long do I have for a personal injury or death claim in Guernsey?
Three years, running from accrual of the cause of action or from the date of the claimant’s knowledge. Because knowledge can move the starting point, the sequence of events, medical appointments and correspondence usually needs to be mapped carefully before any position is taken.
Which court will deal with my claim, and who decides the facts?
Civil claims in contract and tort up to GBP 10,000 fall to the Magistrate’s Court, where a judge sits alone. Above that, the Royal Court’s Ordinary Court hears the matter with a judge and, where facts are in issue, at least two Jurats, who are the judges of fact and follow the judge’s directions on law and procedure.
Can I get legal aid for a personal injury or medical negligence case?
The Guernsey Legal Aid Service assists private individuals who cannot otherwise afford an Advocate; companies and groups are not eligible. Both a financial means test and a legal merits test apply, and claims for damages for personal injury or medical negligence are among the areas commonly covered. A certificate covers costs only from the day it is issued.
How much of my legal costs can I expect to recover?
Costs follow the event, so the unsuccessful party normally pays. Recoverable rates are capped by the Costs and Fees Rules, at GBP 351 per hour for Advocates and GBP 235.17 for associates from 1 January 2026, which is below what Advocates actually charge; a successful party typically recovers roughly 60% to 70% of its legal spend.
Next step
Tell us about your injury and we will find the right Advocate
Describe what happened, where in the Bailiwick it occurred and when you first knew you had been injured. We will match you free of charge with an Advocate of the Royal Court who handles personal injury work, so you can discuss prescription, evidence and costs without committing to anything.