There are a number of factors that will need to be taken into account when calculating your potential compensation amounts. In order to work out the value of your claim, these aspects will be factored into the final decision:
- The type of injury you have received
- How serious the injury is
- Expected rehabilitation time
- Psychological issues that may have been caused by your injury
- Any financial losses you have suffered from due to your injury
At their foundation, all personal injury claims are made with the intention of redressing your injury. The intention is to ensure that you are better equipped to get your life back to how it was before the injury happened. As a result of that guiding principle, all claim amounts will be set dependant on your level of pain and suffering.
The more seriously you have been injured and the longer that your recovery will take, the higher your compensation payout can be.
Special and General Damages
Courts will look at the facts of your claim. As well as the pain and suffering that you have suffered, they will also evaluate expenses that have occurred. This could mean medical expenses, travel costs of getting to and from hospitals, or any other expenses that have been made or expected. If your injury has cost you money, then special damages compensation is intended as a way to reimburse you. Special damages will always depend on your specific case.
General damages are intended to compensate you for any pain that you have experienced as a result of your injury. The seriousness of your injury will vary the compensation amounts that you might receive, although the Judicial College Guidelines do have some set criteria for compensation levels. This will mean a medical evaluation but can result in much higher compensation totals.
Average Compensation Amounts
Due to the fact that all personal injury claims are different, it can be very difficult to make a general statement about average compensation amounts. A different injury will result in a different payout amount. The body part that has been injured will also be factored in, but some examples of average payouts include:
- Neck injuries: For minor neck injuries, you should expect to get no less than £1,000. Even for minor neck injuries, there have been payouts as high as £6,920. The more serious your neck injury the more money you may receive in compensation. For severe injuries, there have been claims made for between £114,000 and £130,000.
- Vibration White Finger (VWF): An increasingly common injury, VWF can widely vary when it comes to compensation. Minor cases have seen payouts between £2,500 and £7,500. Even a moderate case of VWF has seen compensation as high as £14,690. Serious cases of VWF can even go as high as £33,000.
- Poisoning: This covers food-related poisoning, and compensation amounts can be very unpredictable. Minor cases can see payouts of around £1000, while moderate cases can fall anywhere between £3,400 and £16,800. If you suffer a serious case of food poisoning then you might get as much as £46,000.
All types of personal injury claim compensation amounts are intended to get you back to a fully recovered state as quickly as possible. While the average claim can widely vary, the best way to get the settlement that you deserve is to speak to legal experts. They can advise you on what to expect. That will make your recovery much easier to deal with, no matter how serious your injury might be.