Personal Injury
Road traffic accidents, accidents at work, tripping claims, medical negligence, industrial diseases, repetitive strain injury and product liability.
Explore personal injury claims →Specialists in compensation claims since 1996
Barnsley’s Specialists in Compensation Claims
L A Steel Solicitors recovers damages and compensation for people across Barnsley and South Yorkshire — personal injury, employment tribunals, contract claims and planning appeals. Nothing else. That focus makes us genuine specialists.
- Formed June 1996
- Free first half-hour interview
- No win no fee options
- Damage recovery specialists
Practice areas
We are the only firm in Barnsley to offer such specialised services — focused entirely on claims for damages, with planning appeals as the one exception.
Employment Tribunals
Specialist advice and representation in unfair dismissal claims before the employment tribunal.
Employment tribunal claims →Contract Claims
Damages for faulty products, misrepresentation or breach of contract — and your money back where a contract is rescinded.
Contract claims & drafting →Contract Drafting
Professional drafting of contracts for sellers, employers and formal agreements for partners.
Contract drafting service →Defendant Work
We act for insurers and defendant companies with a reasonable prospect of successfully resisting a claim.
Defendant work →Planning Appeals
Preparation and submission of appeal applications, with representation at the Inquiry.
Planning appeals →Why choose L A Steel Solicitors
- True specialists. We do not offer conveyancing, criminal law, probate, matrimonial matters, insolvency or intellectual property — only claims for damages, plus planning appeals.
- Experienced principal. Tom Steel qualified as a solicitor in 1991 after a career in teaching, and formed the firm in June 1996.
- Local knowledge. Based in the business district of Barnsley town centre, close to the Town Hall, since 1996.
- Personal service. A small, dedicated team — you deal with people who know your case.
- Free first interview. Your initial half-hour interview is free on every type of claim we handle.
Funding your claim
Costs need not stand in the way of a good claim. We will agree the right funding arrangement with you at the free first interview.
Free first interview
Your initial half-hour interview is free for every type of claim we handle.
No win no fee
Contingency and conditional fee agreements — an agreed percentage of your damages is deducted only if you win.
Legal expenses insurance
If you hold legal expenses insurance, it may cover the cost of your claim.
The people behind the practice
- Tom Steel — principal; qualified 1991 after 13 years as a teacher of English, formed the firm in 1996.
- Darren Goldthorpe — with Tom since 1992; specialist in civil litigation, predominantly personal injury.
- Support staff — legal secretaries Pam Wilson and Barbara Chappell, receptionist Karen Rawson and legal cashier Jayne Wilkinson.
Common questions
The questions we hear most often at the first interview — answered briefly here, fully on our FAQ page.
What will it cost to make a claim?
The initial half-hour interview is free. After that, most claims can be run on a no win no fee basis, through legal expenses insurance, or by private paying. See funding options.
Do you handle conveyancing, divorce or criminal cases?
No. We are deliberate specialists: apart from planning appeals, everything we do describes a claim for damages. That focus is what makes us specialists.
How do I start a claim?
The quickest way is to complete the online claim form. We will contact you by email or telephone to arrange your free half-hour interview.
Recommended reading
When clients and friends want to understand the market for a well-made timepiece, we often point them to the team's recommended guide below.
Super Clone Watches
A practical, non-technical reference on the leading makers of high-quality reproductions, and what to check before you buy. It is the one reference the team recommends most often.
Our recommended Super Clone Watches guide →Talk to us today
Your first half-hour interview is free — and the best place to begin a claim is our online forms section.