Valuing Personal Injury Claims
If someone has been involved in an accident and suffered injuries due to negligence of others, he/she is entitled to file a personal injury claim to get compensation.
Therefore, it is necessary for people to be aware of personal injury claims and related procedures which are available to them.
Among the most prevalent personal injury claims is the case that involves a car or a vehicle mishap. If some person or a civic body is responsible for the accident, they are liable to pay for the damages to the vehicle and also the medical expenses incurred due to the accident.
According to a latest BBC news report, Department of Regional Development in Northern Ireland has paid over £3.5 millions in personal injury claims and vehicle damage compensations in last five years.
The numbers were disclosed after SDLP MLA, Mr. John Dallat brought up the issue in the assembly.
"The vast majority of these claims are a result of massive cutbacks in the roads budget," he said. "The folly of it, is that while the department is saving money from the cuts, they are then having to pay out major sums of money to people who are injured or whose cars are damaged as a result of bad roads.”
Estimating the Amount of Personal injury claims
When estimating the amount of personal injury claims, people need to take notice of few things before finalising the figure.
For this, one can take help of a local claims firm that does a fair job.
Such firms usually appoint a solicitor for their clients who will help in assessing the value of the damage. One can also opt for a ‘no win no fee’ option, where the firm is not entitled for any fees from the claimant, if the appointed solicitor loses the case.
Another important factor in determining the claim value is the type of injury that the victim has suffered from. Severe injuries usually result in hefty personal injury claims whereas minor injuries like trauma, bruises, bumps, sprains or whiplashes result in lesser compensations.
One should not hide anything from the injury lawyers, for anything missed out can be used against the claimant in personal injury claims.
For instance, if one has a previous criminal record or is a recovering alcoholic, he/she should disclose this to the hired solicitor; as such a thing can be used against him/her in the court.
Another important thing for the claimant is to know the defendant. If the defendant is a big business owner, then compensation sums can be lucrative.
However, if a wanted criminal (like a drug dealer) caused the accident, the claimant shouldn’t expect much compensation.
Good claim firms specialise in doing such background checks on the defendants and estimate the right amount for personal injury claims.
Damage assessment is one of the most important factors in valuing personal injury claims. Medical damage expenses include hospital fees, ambulance costs, medication costs, diagnostic tests, bandages etc.
Non medical damages can also be availed in personal injury claims and include vehicle damage, travel expenses, child care or domestic help charges during injury and lost wages/income.
Remembering these points and speaking to a local solicitor or claims firm is necessary for correct valuation of personal injury claims.
Updated on 10/7/2009