Examples Of A Life-Changing Injury That You Can Claim Compensation For

A life-changing injury could impact you both physically and psychologically. It could also have an ongoing impact on your quality of life.

life-changing injury

Life-changing injury claims guide

In some cases, you may have sustained a life-altering injury in an accident that wasn’t anybody’s fault. However, if you sustained harm due to someone else acting negligently, you may be eligible to seek compensation.

This guide will help you understand the process of seeking compensation and the steps you could take to build a strong case.

For more information, please get in touch with our advisers. They can discuss your specific claim in more detail. You can:

  • Fill out our contact form
  • Use the live chat feature
  • Call using the number above

Choose A Section 

  1. What Is A Life-Changing Injury? 
  2. Examples Of Life-Changing Accident Scenarios 
  3. How Do You Deal With A Life-Changing Accident Claim? 
  4. Calculating Compensation For A Life-Changing Injury 
  5. How Could I Locate The Best No Win No Fee Solicitors? 
  6. Learn More About Life-Changing Injury Claims 

What Is A Life-Changing Injury? 

Any permanent injury with a sizeable impact on a person’s life might be deemed a life-changing injury. For instance, this might include injuries that cause a disability, long-term problems with health or reduce a person’s life expectancy.  

This type of injury could be both physical and psychological. A permanent physical or psychological impairment could have an impact on multiple areas of your life. For example:

  • You may have experienced an amputated arm that leaves you unable to work. In this instance, you may experience financial damage as well as a psychological impact from dealing with the loss of your arm.
  • You may have sustained damage to your spinal cord leaving you with paralysis from the waist down. As a result, you may require adaptations to your home and ongoing care to help you with daily activities. 

However, in order to claim, you must be able to prove that someone acted negligently. We will discuss this further in our guide. Alternatively, you can call our team on the number above.

Statistics For Life-Changing Injuries

Data collected by 23 police forces around the country between 2019-2020 was released by the Department for Transport. The report detailed the severity of the injuries of road traffic accidents reported through the CRASH system. It highlighted that:

  • 521 people suffered broken necks or backs
  • 329 people suffered internal injuries
  • 399 people suffered severe head injuries that resulted in unconsciousness 
  • 786 people suffered a fractured pelvis or upper leg
  • 35 people lost an arm or leg

Additionally, provisional statistics for the period June 2020-June 2021 from the Department for Transport estimated that there were 119,850 casualties of all severities and 24,530 killed or seriously injured.

Although these statistics don’t specifically relate to life-changing injuries, they provide an insight into the nature of injuries sustained in certain road traffic accidents.

Furthermore, there are various other accidents in which someone could sustain a life-changing injury. Please see the section below to find out more.

Examples Of Life-Changing Accident Scenarios 

For a number of places, legislation exists to ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to ensure your safety. For instance:

  • Workplaces: All employers have a duty of care as per the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to take all reasonable precautions to keep their employees safe from harm.
  • Roads: The Highway Code provides guidance and rules to all road users. Each has a duty of care to each other to take all reasonable steps to ensure one another’s safety.
  • Public places: As per the Occupiers Liability 1957, the person in control of a public space has a duty to take all practical steps to protect members of the public using the space.

The steps each party needs to take will vary depending on the specific place. However, failing to comply with the general duties outlined in the legislation could result in different accidents caused by someone breaching their duty of care, such as:

  • Accident at work: Your employer may have failed to regularly check and maintain the safety of machinery in the workplace. As a result, you may have trapped your arm in a piece of faulty machinery causing you to lose your arm.
  • Public place accident: You may have been involved in a slip, trip or fall accident in a supermarket due to someone failing to put down a wet floor sign. As a result, you may have sustained a severe head injury that caused minor brain damage and left you suffering from ongoing symptoms.
  • Road traffic accident: A driver may have been operating their vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. As a result, they may have crashed into you while you were walking on the pavement. This may have caused you to sustain a severely fractured neck injury that resulted in paralysis.

How Do You Deal With A Life-Changing Accident Claim? 

We understand it may be difficult dealing with the repercussions of a life-changing injury. It may be especially frustrating if the injury was caused by someone else’s negligence. However, in these instances, you may be eligible to claim compensation.

There are several steps you could take to build a strong case, such as:

  • Seek medical advice: It’s important to ensure you receive the correct medical treatment for any injuries you sustained. Also, medical reports detailing any treatment or diagnosis you receive could be used as evidence to support your claim.
  • Gather relevant evidence: You should aim to obtain evidence that could help to highlight whether someone acted negligently. This might include CCTV footage, dashcam footage, witness contact details or reports from an accident book.
  • Speak to a solicitor: Hiring a solicitor could be beneficial. They can help you gather evidence to support your case. Also, they could arrange for you to attend a local medical exam. This exam can produce a report on the full extent and current state of your condition to be used as evidence.

Our panel of personal injury solicitors have experience handling claims involving a life-changing injury. For more information on whether they could help, call our team on the number above.

Calculating Compensation For A Life-Changing Injury 

Compensation is intended to address any pain and suffering you’ve experienced as a result of the life-changing injury and any financial losses incurred. 

The head of compensation awarded to address your injuries are known as general damages. Your injuries may be valued using the medical evidence you provide in support of your claim. Also, a publication called the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) may be used alongside medical evidence to help value your injuries.

The JCG provides compensation brackets for various injuries. We have used the bracket amounts to create the table below. It’s important that you only use these figures as a guide because your actual settlement will vary depending on factors unique to your case, such as the severity of your injury. 

If you don’t see your injury, please get in touch with our team. They can provide a free valuation of your claim. 

InjuryNotesAward
TetraplegiaVarious factors will affect the amount awarded, such as the presence of pain, life expectancy and whether the person is aware of their disability. £304,630 to £379,100
ParaplegiaDifferent factors may affect the award given such as the level of pain, psychological impact and life expectancy. £205,580 to £266,740
General Psychiatric Damage: SevereThe person may experience problems with their ability to cope with life, education and work as well as their relationships.£51,460 to £108,620
Brain Damage: Moderate (i)The person may face a moderate to severe intellectual deficit, change in personality and an impact on senses such as sight and speech. £140,870 to £205,580
Back Injuries: Severe (i)A severe back injury that involves spinal cord and nerve root damage. £85,470 to £151,070
Neck Injury: Severe (i) Injuries might include those associated with paraplegia that's incomplete.In the region of £139,210
Loss of one arm(i) Where the arm has been amputated at the shoulderNot less than £128,710
Loss of one arm(ii) Where the arm has been amputated above the elbow.£102,890 to £122,860
Loss of one arm(iii) Where the arm has been amputated below the elbow.£90,250 to £102,890
Leg InjuriesAmputation: (i) Where both legs have been lost and amputated above the knee or the loss of one leg amputated above the knee.£225,960 to £264,650
 

The head of damages dealing with the financial impact the injuries will have on your life is special damages. 

If you’ve incurred financial costs directly related to your injury, these could be claimed under special damages, provided you have evidence to prove any losses. These can be costs such as: 

  • Physiotherapy or recovery treatments not available on the NHS
  • Travel costs related to your injury and treatment
  • Adaptations to your house 
  • Physical aids to help your injury. 

How Could I Locate The Best No Win No Fee Solicitors? 

We understand the costs often associated with legal representation may put you off hiring a solicitor. If so, you may find using a No Win No Fee agreement beneficial.

This allows you to hire a solicitor without having to pay an upfront cost or ongoing fees while your claim proceeds.

For successful claims, you will pay a success fee. This is taken as a legally capped percentage from your compensation. However, if your claim fails, you won’t pay a success fee to your solicitor.

The solicitors on our panel all operate on this basis so if you’d like to find out whether they could work on your case, get in touch with our team. They have experience handling various types of claims, including those involving a life-changing injury.

Call Us To Make A Life-Changing Injury Claim 

We hope our guide exploring how you could make a claim for a life-changing injury has helped. However, we understand you may still have questions.

If so, please get in touch with our team of advisors. They can provide further clarification on anything of which you’re unsure. You can reach them via: 

  • Telephone: Call the number at the top of the page.
  • Contact form: Fill out our online contact form with your query and an advisor will get back to you.
  • Live Chat: Chat with an advisor using the live chat feature below. 

Learn More About Life-Changing Injury Claims 

We understand a life-changing injury can be difficult and the NHS offers help with mental health. 

They also offer services you can access such as supported living services.

The government website also offers help in finding work if disabled. 

Check out more of our personal injury claims guides below:

If you have any additional questions about making a life-changing injury claim, please get in touch with our team on the number above.