What Price An Injury?
Most sensible folk would agree that the question uppermost in a victim’s mind following an accidental injury which was not their fault is most likely to be “will I get well?” After that, thoughts will turn to whether compensation is possible and only then will the question of how much compensation will be awarded come into focus.That’s not the order a lot of pundits would have you believe is the norm. They maintain that people, especially those venal ambulance chasing lawyers, immediately think “how much can I get?”
Compensation amounts awarded as a result of car accident claims for example depend on the severity of the accident and the resulting injury. Infamously, whiplash is the injury most often associated with road traffic accidents, but it’s equally possible for these events to be fatal or have life-long implications. No win no fee solicitors have a somewhat dubious reputation in the press, however, the more professional outfits do provide a valuable and ethical service to thousands of people who otherwise would have no recourse but to suffer in silence with their lives in ruins. Naturally, the question of what a victim can expect to get in compensation will figure at some point and many online practitioners provide a personal injury compensation calculator to give some kind of guideline.
Using these calculators is cited as an example of “encouraging” trivial claims, but it’s exactly what the government does!The criminal injuries compensation scheme sets a fixed tariff for injuries as a result of a criminal act.If you loose the use of your lower limbs, you can expect to get £175,000. Permanent brain damage will net £250,000 while the death of a viable foetus is apparently worth only £5,000.No one is suggesting that people are roving the streets encouraging assault and battery by telling their assailant: “I’m only paralysed on the one side – kick me again and it’ll be worth another £100,000”.To maintain that people are motivated to make claims based on what online calculators say they can get is equally nonsensical.
