Our specialist Personal Injury team pride themselves not just on recovering maximum compensation for their clients, but on recovering compensation that truly addresses the needs our clients have to help out with their recovery and rehabilitation, and to help them and their family cope with their injuries and the aftermath of those. We thoroughly explore - with specialist input - what our client needs and we then work very hard to secure funding for them. We look here at how compensation is calculated in particular cases.
Compensation in these cases is paid to cover two distinct areas.
1. Pain, Suffering, and Loss of Amenity
We set out below some "guide" awards that have been made:
Injuries Affecting Sight
Total Blindness and Deafness - in the region of £265,000
Such cases must be considered as ranking with the most devastating injuries.
Total Blindness - in the region of £175,000
Loss of Sight in One Eye with Reduced Vision in the Remaining Eye. Where there is serious risk of further deterioration in the remaining eye, going beyond some risk of sympathetic ophthalmia = £63,000 to £118,000
Where there is reduced vision in the remaining eye and/or additional problems such as double vision = £42,000 to £69,500
Total Loss of One Eye
The level of the award within the bracket will depend on age and cosmetic effect.
Complete Loss of Sight in One Eye - £32,250 - £36,000
This award takes account of some risk of sympathetic ophthalmia. The upper end of the bracket is appropriate where there is scarring in the region of the eye which is not sufficiently serious to merit a separate award.
Cases of serious but incomplete loss of vision in one eye without significant risk of loss or reduction of vision in the remaining eye, or where there is constant double vision = £15,500 to £25,750.
Minor but permanent impairment of vision in one eye, including cases where there is some double vision, which may not be constant = £8,250 to £13,750.
Minor Eye Injuries £2,600 - £5,750
In this bracket fall cases of minor injuries, such as being struck in the eye, exposure to fumes including smoke, or being splashed by liquids, causing initial pain and some temporary interference with vision.
Transient Eye Injuries - £1,450 - £2,600
In these cases the injured person will have recovered completely within a few weeks.
Deafness
The word 'deafness' is used to embrace total and partial hearing loss. In assessing awards for hearing loss regard must be had to the following:
- whether the injury is one that has an immediate effect, allowing no opportunity to adapt, or whether it occurred over a period of time, as in noise exposure cases;
- whether the injury or disability is one which the injured person suffered at an early age so that it has had or will have an effect on his or her speech, or is one that is suffered in later life;
- whether the injury or disability affects balance.
In cases of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) age is of particular relevance as noted in paragraph (d) below.
Total Deafness and Loss of Speech - £72,000 - £92,000
Such cases arise, for example, where deafness has occurred at an early age (for example, rubella infection) so as to prevent or seriously to affect the development of normal speech.
Total Deafness - £59,500 - £72,000
The lower end of the bracket is appropriate for cases where there is no speech deficit or tinnitus. The higher end is appropriate for cases involving both of these.
Total Loss of Hearing in One Ear - £20,500 to £30,000
Cases will tend towards the higher end of the bracket where there are associated problems, such as tinnitus, dizziness or headaches.
Partial Hearing Loss/Tinnitus
This category covers the bulk of deafness cases which usually result from exposure to noise over a prolonged period. The disability is not to be judged simply by the degree of hearing loss; there is often a degree of tinnitus present. Age is particularly relevant because impairment of hearing affects most people in the fullness of time and impacts both upon causation and upon valuation.
Severe tinnitus/hearing loss. = £19,500 to £30,000
Moderate tinnitus/hearing loss. = £9,750 to £19,500
Mild tinnitus with some hearing loss. = £8,250 to £9,570
Slight or occasional tinnitus with slight hearing loss. = £4,850
Impairment of Taste and Smell
Total Loss of Taste and Smell - In the region of £25,750
Total Loss of Smell and Significant Loss of Taste = £21,600 to £25,750
Loss of Smell £16,400 to £21,600
Loss of Taste £12,600 to £16,400
2. Financial and other Losses
The second area of compensation is in respect of the financial consequences of the accident. We also claim on your behalf, the full costs of private remedial treatment, whether by cutting edge surgery and treatment, rehabilitation, or otherwise.
Compensation is also claimed in respect of the full care, equipment, transport, accommodation, therapy, loss of earnings and career, financial advice, and other needs. To assess the full extent of compensation we enlist the help of a specialist team of expert professionals.
In as far as money can provide to alleviate the consequences of the accident you can rest assured that we will seek to recover maximum compensation for you.
Compensation is no longer limited to a single capital award but is now also available as guaranteed annual payments for life indexed linked to the inflationary increase in cost of the loss.
How we can help
Our specialist accident and injury lawyers have years of experience in ensuring the maximum recovery of compensation for our clients. We have a track record of pushing the boundaries of the law to ensure the award of compensation reflects the full extent of loss in as far as money can compensate.
Funding
In the vast majority of cases we are able to act for you with a guarantee that there will be no cost to you win or lose. If you succeed in your claim you will keep all of your compensation. If your claim is unsuccessful you will not have to make any contribution towards your legal costs.
Please do contact our specialist team today to see how we can best help.
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