If you are interested in making a compensation claim, you might have questions about personal injury settlements. In this guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about personal injury compensation, including what it can cover and how it’s calculated.
We’ll also talk about interim payments, and when you might be able to get some compensation before the claim is even over. Finally, we’ll talk about how much it might cost to make a claim, and how an expert solicitor could help you through the personal injury claims process.
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Hopefully, our guide will answer any questions you might have about personal injury compensation. But if it doesn’t, and you want to learn more, our advisors can help. Get in touch with our team by:
- Calling us on 0330 0433679
- Contacting us online
Browse Our Guide
- What Can Personal Injury Settlements Consist Of?
- How Much Personal Injury Compensation Could I Receive?
- What Financial Losses Can I Claim For?
- Will Interim Payments Impact How Much Compensation I Receive?
- How Much Will It Cost To Make A Personal Injury Claim?
- More Resources Related To Potential Personal Injury Settlements
What Can Personal Injury Settlements Consist Of?
Most personal injury settlements contain general damages and special damages. These come together to form your final payout.
General damages cover your injuries and the pain and suffering they cause. This includes both physical and psychological injuries, and it also covers loss of amenity. This means loss of enjoyment, for example, if an injury left you quadriplegic and you could no longer play sports you previously enjoyed.
Special damages cover the financial losses caused by your injuries. We’ll talk a little more about what this heading can cover later on in the guide.
You can contact our team today to learn more about making a personal injury compensation claim or keep reading for more information.
How Much Personal Injury Compensation Could I Receive?
The vast majority of people who make personal injury claims are interested in knowing how much they could receive. However, your compensation settlement can depend on a number of factors, including:
- Whether you have serious injuries or minor injuries
- Whether the other party is willing to accept liability or if they deny liability
- How much evidence you have to prove your claim, like medical evidence and witness statements
- If you suffered financial losses
When the general damages head of your personal injury case is calculated, the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) can be used to help. This document is used in personal injury cases made in England and Wales, and it provides guideline compensation amounts for different entries in a list of injuries and illnesses.
You can find some examples of these brackets in the table provided below. Please be aware that the figures in this table are not guaranteed, and the first entry has not been taken from the JCG.
| Injury | Compensation Guideline | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Serious Injuries And Special Damages | Up to £1,000,000+ | Serious injuries alongside financial losses like the cost of travel |
| Very Severe Brain Damage | £344,150 to £493,000 | There is little to no language function or response to surroundings, |
| Less Severe Brain Damage | £18,700 to £52,550 | There is a good level of recovery, and the claimant is able to return to work and enjoy a normal social life. |
| Very Serious Leg Injuries | £66,920 to £109,290 | Serious injuries that cause permanent mobility issues. |
| Severe Foot Injuries | £51,220 to £85,460 | Permanent pain and loss of mobility due to fractures in both heels or feet. |
| Severe Back Injuries (iii) | £47,320 to £85,100 | Continuing disabilities that, despite treatment, cause depression and unemployability. |
| Severe (iii) Neck Injuries | £55,500 to £68,330 | Severe soft tissue injuries, fractures, and dislocations that cause permanent disability. |
| Chest Injuries (c) | £38,210 to £66,920 | Continuing disability caused by injury to the chest or lungs. |
| Less Severe Arm Injury | £23,430 to £47,810 | A good degree of recovery occurs despite some disabilities. |
| Hernia (a) | £18,180 to £29,490 | Pain and limitations on physical activities, even after repair. |
You can also use our compensation calculator to get a broad idea of what you could potentially receive from a personal injury claim.
What Financial Losses Can I Claim For?
As we’ve already mentioned, you can potentially claim back any losses caused by your injuries. For example, if you suffered a brain injury in a road traffic accident, this could prevent you from returning to work. If this caused you to lose out on earnings, you could potentially claim your lost wages back under special damages.
This heading can help you cover the cost of:
- Travel to and from medical appointments or work
- Childcare
- Help with cooking and cleaning
- Home adjustments, like having your doorways widened to accommodate a wheelchair
- Professional around-the-clock nursing care
- Mobility aids, like a wheelchair or crutches
- Private healthcare, rehabilitation
You need to be able to prove these losses. To do this, it can be helpful to save things like receipts, wage slips, and invoices. Contact our team of advisors to learn more about personal injury settlements.
Will Interim Payments Impact How Much Compensation I Receive?
In some cases, you might need to get your compensation earlier than it would usually be available. For example, you might need the money to fund an urgent accommodation change or private medical treatment.
In these cases, if your case has a high chance of succeeding, you may be offered an interim payment. Then, when your final settlement is agreed upon, the amount you received in the interim is deducted.
Find out if you could be eligible for an interim payment and get more in personal injury settlements by contacting our team.
How Much Will It Cost To Make A Personal Injury Claim?
The cost of a personal injury claim can depend on how you choose to approach legal representation. Solicitors’ fees can be very high and unless you have experience of the claims process yourself, you are likely to want to instruct a solicitor to help with your case.
However, if you choose to make a personal injury claim with a No Win No Fee solicitor, then you usually don’t have to pay for their services unless the claim succeeds. In this case, they take a small success fee from your compensation.
Our panel of solicitors help their clients achieve personal injury settlements under the terms of a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This is a kind of No Win No Fee contract that allows you to access their services without paying:
- Upfront
- As the claim is ongoing
- At all if the claim isn’t successful
Working with a No Win No Fee solicitor can make the claims process feel much less complex. They can help you gather evidence, strengthen your claim, and even prepare you for court proceedings if settlement negotiations fail.
Contact Us
If you’d like to learn more about how a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel could help you, get in touch today. A member of our team can offer you a free, no-strings-attached consultation, during which they can evaluate your claim and potentially connect you with a solicitor. Get started today by:
- Calling us on 0330 0433679
- Contacting us online
More Resources Related To Potential Personal Injury Settlements
For more helpful guides:
- Find out if you can claim compensation for nerve damage
- Learn how to claim for a leg injury in a hospital
- Get help making a compensation claim on behalf of a child
Or, to get more resources:
- Learn about the Court Funds Office
- Find out how to be a litigation friend
- Search for a solicitor registered by the SRA
Thank you for reading our guide to personal injury settlements.
