Further Information

Personal injury compensation is the money that will be paid to you by the losing Defendant, either by agreement or, when ordered by a Judge.  Compensation is made up of General Damages for your injuries and Special Damages for your financial losses, past and future. i. General Damages General Damages covers several heads of loss, the main one of which is an award of money to compensate you for your pain, your suffering and your loss of amenity, such as the inability to walk. To determine the level of damages you deserve, we rely upon independent expert medical evidence from specialists in one or more relevant medical disciplines.  For example, in someone who has suffered a fractured leg, you would expect to obtain expert evidence from an Orthopaedic Consultant.    We arrange the appointment for you and the experts fees form part of the legal costs in your claim.  The medical expert will interview and examine you with access to your medical records, x-rays and MRI scans. Sometimes the expert will want to see you again at a later date before providing an accurate prognosis and its rare to attempt to resolve a case without a firm understanding of what the future holds for you.  For this reason, claims involving serious catastrophic injuries and claims for children will often take longer to resolve.  In more complex and high value claims, the Defendants representatives will seek permission to obtain their own expert evidence. The amount of General Damages will vary, and no two cases are the same so assessing the appropriate award is not an exact science. Some examples:
  • Paraplegia £192,090 to £249,270
  • An above knee amputation of one leg £91,910 to £120,530
  • Complete loss of sight in one eye £43,200 to £48,080
There are several additional heads of loss which fall under General Damages.  These can include any handicap in the labour market caused by your injuries and the loss of congenial employment, often claimed by injured serviceman to account for the loss of a much-loved military career. ii. Financial Losses Whereas General Damages are based upon medical expert opinion, past and future financial losses, called ‘Special Damages’, are mostly fact based and provided you have gathered the evidence, they can be easier to prove and calculate.  A Claimant is able to claim the reasonable expenses which have been incurred or will incur as a direct consequence of the accident and injuries. A non-exhaustive list of special damages is as follows:
  • Paid and unpaid care and assistance
  • Loss of earnings and pension
  • Travel expenses
  • Medication and medical aids and appliances
  • Home adaptations
  • Loss of domestic skills such as DIY and gardening
You will be asked to retain receipts and to keep a log of what you and others have spent since you suffered your injuries. Sadly, we can’t turn back the clock and so the purpose of compensation in a personal injury claim is to restore you, so far as is possible, to the position you would have been in had the accident not occurred. Personal injury Grant Evatt 21st June 2019 Grant is an accredited personal injury specialist and an authority in military personal injury claims.

Please contact us for a free, no obligation chat about your accident.

Just #AskForGrant - he is a Law Society accredited personal injury solicitor who has specialised in claims for over 20 years. He's approachable, down to earth and you can rely on him to get you the compensation you need to get on with your life.

Copyright © 2024 • Alma Law Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
Legal DisclaimerPrivacy PolicyCookiesComplaints PolicyCorporate Social ResponsibilityMade By Aim

The Law Society The Law Society