Anyone who has sustained serious neck injuries as a result of another party’s negligence may be eligible to claim compensation for the harm caused to them.
Neck injuries can vary significantly in the nature and severity of the effects, with some victims experiencing temporary movement issues, whereas others with serious trauma may struggle with long-term pain and mobility problems.
Compensation claims take account of the severity of the injury, meaning that those with serious neck injuries could receive a 5 or even 6-figure compensation pay-out (or higher). As specialist personal injury lawyers, we know how to make sure that you receive the compensation you deserve for the suffering you have endured. Read on to find out how we approach a neck injury claim.
Claiming for serious neck injuries
In any personal injury claim, the injured party is usually claiming on the basis that another third party is wholly or partly responsible for the accident that caused their injury. For example, car accidents commonly cause serious neck injuries, so those affected may be able to claim if it can be proven that the other driver’s negligence caused the accident, and therefore your injury, to occur.
Claimants may be able to recover General Damages and Special Damages in their claims. The first category covers the pain, suffering and inconvenience caused by the injury, while the second accounts for the financial losses and expenses that have resulted from the injury.
For example, if you have been prescribed pain management medication, or if you have required private physiotherapy to treat your injury, the compensation award can cover the costs of these. Also, if you have taken time off work to recover, or will continue to be unable to work in future, the compensation claim could account for all past and future lost earnings.
Neck injury compensation values
Claims for serious neck injuries are usually valued on the basis of the severity of the injury sustained. As injury lawyers, we commonly engage the expertise of a medical specialist to help us value your claim, and we also use the official legal guidelines to create an estimate for your compensation amount.
The severe neck injury compensation values recommended in the Judicial College guidelines are currently as follows:
Severe neck injuries
(i) Neck injury associated with incomplete paraplegia or resulting in permanent spastic quadriparesis or where the injured person, despite wearing a collar 24 hours a day for a period of years, still has little or no movement in the neck and suffers severe headaches which have proved intractable.- the region of £118,240.
(ii) Injuries, usually involving serious fractures or damage to discs in the cervical spine, which give rise to disabilities which fall short of those in (a)(i) above but which are of considerable severity; for example, permanent damage to the brachial plexus or substantial loss of movement in the neck and loss of function in one or more limb- £52,390 to £104,370.
(iii) Injuries causing fractures or dislocations or severe damage to soft tissues and/ or ruptured tendons that lead to chronic conditions and significant disability of a permanent nature. The precise award depends on the length of time during which the most serious symptoms are ameliorated, the extent of the treatment required and on the prognosis- £36,240 to £44,630.
Above, we have quoted the official guidelines verbatim, but it is important to remember that these are just recommendations. In fact, the Judicial College guidelines only cover General Damages, so claimants can be eligible to recover an additional Special Damages award on top of the compensation amounts listed above.
Claiming with expert personal injury lawyers
We know that serious neck injuries can sometimes profoundly affect your way of life, preventing you from getting around and performing everyday tasks. No one should have to suffer these consequences without support, which is why we aim to help all those affected by life-changing injuries to claim the compensation they deserve.
We have the experience to make the claim process smooth and stress-free for you, so contact us today for free, no-obligation advice on your potential claim.