The question we get asked most often is “How much is my claim for personal injury worth?” For most of our clients the amount of money that they will receive for their injury claim is the most important issue. They do not wish to pursue a claim for compensation if the amount of money that they receive at the end of the process is not really worth having. Unfortunately, answering the question is always more difficult than most people think. Within this post we will explain how compensation awards are calculated and why answering questions regarding the level of compensation are difficult to answer.
Your £3000 compensation is waiting for you, simply call!
We have all received telephone calls, emails, text messages etc which promise you that, following your recent accident, a large sum of money has been allocated for your injuries. All you have to do to access this money is contact them. These messages are false. They are usually Claims Management Companies (CMCs) who have purchased your details, often from the insurance company! CMCs are not solicitors but usually companies whose main aim is to generate leads (ie you) and then pass on your details to solicitors. The use of a specific figure “£3000.00” is a marketing trick designed to suck you in. Hopefully, this misleading practice will soon come to an end as from July 2019 all CMCs will be regulated by the FSA. You can read more about this here.
Online compensation calculators must be treated with a pinch of salt. How much is my really claim worth?
Websites that offer to put a value on injuries by using an “online calculator” are taking advantage of the general public’s inexperience in dealing with claims for personal injury. They usually ask some very vague questions about the part of the body injured in order to give the appearance of a genuine “calculator” but then they always ask for your contact details. This amounts to the generation of a lead which they can then pass on to other companies who hopefully will then undertake a proper valuation.
So how are injuries valued?
The first step is to establish exactly what injuries have been suffered. Obtaining a report from a medical expert that specialises in personal injury claims is very important. They are uniquely qualified in assessing, analysing and reporting all the injuries that have been incurred and the implications of those injuries. A medical report that does not record all the injuries suffered or incorrectly states a swift recovery period can dramatically impact upon the value of a claim. Often selecting an appropriate medical expert to prepare a report is the most valuable skill a solicitor brings to an injury claim.
It is not possible to accurately put a financial value upon an injury without obtaining a medical report. This is one of the reasons that from March 2020 it is illegal to settle a whiplash claim without first obtaining a medical report.
A list of of how much each injury is worth?
Once a suitable qualified medical expert has identified all the injuries sustained it is then possible to attempt to value them. A simple list with types of injury on one side of the page, with the value of that injury on the other side of the page simply does not exist. The amount of compensation that you will receive depends upon how you have been affected by the injury. How much pain you were in and how long that pain lasted. What did your injuries prevent you from doing?
A solicitor will look at your injuries, consider the impact they have had upon you and then search for similar cases. They will use these similar cases to assess how much money you should receive. A specialist solicitor will have years of experience to draw on in valuing your claim. The nearest to a list as to what each injury is worth is the Judicial College Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases which is available to everyone and can be bought from Amazon. It is important to obtain the latest edition as the amounts of compensation are updated regularly. Identifying the correct category for the injury and corresponding amount of damages is complicated and the book should be used as no more than a starting point.
How do HW Solicitors increase the compensation that I receive for my injuries?
- We instruct a suitable medical expert who prepares a report detailing all the injuries you have suffered.
- HW Solicitors ensure that all the elements of your injury are properly investigated by appropriately qualified medical professionals.
- Your case will be handled directly by a specialist Solicitor with over 20 years experience dealing with injury claims. We have won millions of pounds in compensation for our clients. We use this experience to correctly value your injury claim.
- We posses the know how to utilise negotiation techniques and/or the legal process to ensure that you receive the maximum compensation as quickly as possible.
Do you want to answer the question “How much is my claim worth?”
Our advice is get in touch with us and ask. We are happy to discuss all aspects of your case. There is no charge to contact us, no obligation to use our services and we will not pass your details on to anybody else. You can telephone on 01484 518356, email or complete our contact form.