How much is my claim worth is a common and valid question asked by many of our personal injury clients.
First, you need to know how personal injury compensation is assessed. You can not understand your compensation amount or the figure you have been offered unless you know how it was calculated by the insurance company.
There are two aspects to
personal injury compensation amounts. The first one is called general damages which simply means that the amount can not be measured. This compensation is paid for your pain, suffering and loss of enjoyment of your hobbies.
The second part of compensation amounts is called special damages or amounts that you can easily calculate. This consists of claims such as your loss of income, travel expenses, medical expenses and all other losses you have incurred as a result of the injuries you suffered in the accident.
Interest is also added to compensation amounts because personal injury claims take a long time to settle.
Your compensation amount might be reduced if you were partly to blame for the accident.
The DWP will also take a certain amount from your compensation if you received state benefits as a result of the accident.
Some organisations, mainly claims management companies advertise on TV using compensation amounts for various injuries. Those figures are mere approximations and can be extremely misleading. No one injury is ever the same as another. One person who may have suffered similar injuries as yours may have recovered quickly from his pain while yours may have taken longer. The accident may have left an ugly scar prominently displayed on your forehead while another person’s scar may have healed completely.
It’s quite misleading and frankly irresponsible to tell people how much their claims are worth before they have even seen a doctor. Your compensation amount will largely depend on the seriousness and effect of your injuries.
You need jargon free clear explanation from a specialist
personal injury lawyer to understand exactly how much compensation amount you should get.
If you have had an accident and suffered personal injuries because of another person’s fault, you are entitled to fair compensation.
Asiimwe Balinda
Personal injury solicitor