Understanding Compensation for Multiple Injuries

When you’ve suffered more than one injury in an accident, whether from a car crash, workplace incident, or another event, the process of valuing your personal injury claim becomes more complex. Unlike a single-injury claim, multiple injuries cannot simply be added together. Instead, the valuation process takes a more considered approach to ensure compensation is fair and reflects the overall impact.

General Damages: Pain, Suffering and Loss of Amenity

This part of the claim compensates you for the pain and suffering caused by your injuries. The Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) are a key reference used by both personal injury solicitors, insurers and Judges, to determine the value of each injury. Judges rely on them in court to assess compensation, while your specialist solicitor uses them to advise you on the likely value of your case. The guidelines include a wide range of injury types, offering tariff-based figures to cover almost every conceivable injury. However, if you have multiple injuries, you won’t receive the full guideline amount for each one. Instead, the most serious injury will be valued first, and then other injuries are considered on top, with adjustments made to avoid ‘double-counting’.

For example, if you suffered a broken leg and whiplash, the broken leg would usually be treated as the main injury. An additional amount might then be added for the whiplash, depending on how it impacted your recovery and quality of life.

Legal Precedents are also used as a reference to determine the value of your claim. These are past court decisions involving similar circumstances. When assessing your claim, relevant cases are considered, taking into account factors such as the nature and severity of the injuries. While no two cases or individuals are identical, these precedents provide valuable guidance and insight into how judges typically approach the valuation of similar claims.

Special Damages: Financial Losses

This covers your out-of-pocket expenses and future costs, including any:

• Medical treatment and rehabilitation
• Loss of earnings
• Travel expenses
• Care and assistance

In multiple injury cases, special damages can be higher, especially if recovery is prolonged or if the injuries prevent you from returning to work for an extended period.

Your personal injury claim as a whole

Ultimately, your personal injury claim will be valued as a whole, taking into account how the combination of injuries has affected your life, both physically and emotionally. Medical reports and expert opinions play a vital role in determining the overall value of your compensation.

In summary

Valuing a claim for multiple injuries involves more than just adding up figures. It requires a balanced and reasonable approach that fairly reflects the combined impact on your life without overestimating the total compensation. Seeking expert legal advice is important to ensure your claim is valued appropriately and that you receive the compensation you truly deserve. Call 0330 822 3451 now to speak to one of our personal injury experts or request a callback.