We, like many other lawyers out there, have our own personal injury calculator on our website that has been there to help accident victims get an idea as to what they could be entitled to claim for in compensation for years. Whilst the calculator can be useful, it has its numerous limitations – so, here’s a quick guide to fill you in on how it works:
How Does it Value My Claim?
Well, firstly, it’s important to understand that I’m basing this on our own calculator – as many others out there could be different. Out calculator provides you with brackets and figures based on official guidelines that we, as specialist injury lawyers, actually use when we value our own clients claims. The figures come from the JSB (Judicial Studies Board) Guidelines, which are guidelines set out to assist lawyers and insurers when it comes to agreeing settlement for a claim.
For example, here are the brackets for neck injuries (such as whiplash) according to the official guidelines:
Minor Whiplash Injuries – £875 to £5,150
Moderate Whiplash Injuries – £5,150 to £16,400
Severe Whiplash Injuries – £97,000!
The breakdown of the category your injury fits in to is based on what you put in to the calculator. If you put that it’s a minor injury, it will give you the brackets and figures for a minor injury. If you put that it’s a moderate injury, you will receive the brackets and figures for a moderate injury. This, however, is where the limitations can sneak in, as you probably have no idea as to which bracket your injury falls in to.
What Category (Minor, Moderate, Severe) is my Injury?
Truthful answer – I haven’t got a clue! In fact, no one can really tell you unless you have an appointment with a fully qualified medico-legal expert. This is the only way to value your claim for compensation. The expert will provide a report which will outline the information needed for your lawyer to value the claim. Your lawyer, using their experience, knowledge, case law (previous and similar cases to yours), coupled with JSB Guidelines, will provide you with the valuation as to how much the claim is worth.
So, How Do I Get the MAXIMUM Amount Payable?
There is only one way to guarantee that you will receive the maximum amount of compensation that you are legally entitled to recover – by instructing a specialist firm of fully qualified expert personal injury lawyers to act on your behalf. Choose a firm that deals only with injury claims, and you should be dealing with the experts. Choose a firm with a proven track record of happy client testimonials, and a history of specialising in claims for injury.
Make sure you get a law firm working on a Genuine No Win No Fee basis that guarantees you 100% compensation if you win your claim, and absolutely no costs if you lose. In actual fact, there should be no costs for you to pay at all.
