Compensation Calculator

Damages for solatium refer to that part of the award which relate to the pain and suffering endured by the 'victim' of the accident (technically called the pursuer). The law relating to personal injury in England & Wales differs slightly. South of the border, these damages are called 'general damages'. The guidelines mentioned above set out values of compensation which differ based on the body part which is injured and the severity of the injury. This list is regularly updated although a rough guide can be found below.

A claim for 'pain and suffering' is often the most complex to organise because, as mentioned above, there are different sums of money attached to different parts of the body in terms of their value. Set out below are a list of the different kinds of injury, and that differing values that can be claimed for injury – it should be noted again that the figures set out below are only examples, and the advice of a specialist personal injury lawyer should be sought on the value of any real claim.

Clearly, given the possible difference between superficial injury and deep-seated injury which may affect a person's vision, personality and ongoing health and may lead to further complications such as epilepsy, head injury compensation values vary greatly. Minor, superficial injuries attract awards in the region of £3,000-6,000. However, if the brain is injured then the award may well be much, much higher. Figures for compensation for more serious injury start at £20,000 and run into the hundreds of thousands of pounds.

These types of injury can be severely debilitating and are, unfortunately, all too common. The neck is the source of one of the most common claims – the 'whiplash' claim and the shoulder is a complex and easily injured multi-directional joint often injured in workplace accidents. Minor injuries in this region attract awards of between £4,000 and £6,000. More severe injuries that have a long-term effect on the sufferer can attract awards in the region of £10,000 to £20,000.

Again, these are often painful and usually debilitating. It's unlikely that the sufferer of a serious back injury will be able to enjoy much quality of life and the compensation awards reflect this. These types of claims attract awards of compensation between £6,000 and £20,000. Paraplegia and quadriplegia claims attract more owing to their permanent nature and seriously life-affecting ramifications.

While these may seem to be less severe than, say, a spinal injury, the sufferer is likely to lose a lot of the function in the limb and, as such, it will impact on their quality of life. If there are good prospects for a full recovery, then awards of £3,000 - £5,000 are commonplace. If there is permanent injury or damage, then much higher figures of between £10,000 and £30,000 may be awarded.

This category includes the hips, legs, knees and the ankles. Injuries for which there are good prospects for recovery will attract awards in the region of £3,000-£10,000 while more serious injuries can attract significantly more. Injuries which result in the loss of use of a limb can attract awards of up to £25,000

These obviously vary greatly in terms of the potential impact, their severity and the likely ramifications. There are obviously psychological injuries from which full recovery is possible and there may be some that have a long-lasting impact. For injuries with minor symptoms, the compensation will be around the £4,000 to £10,000 mark. More severe, long-lasting injuries will attract awards of up to £50,000

Many injuries will mean that the sufferer is unable to go to work. Clearly, this will result in the loss of income in many cases. As such, the law provides for compensation for loss of earnings. Damages can be awarded which reflect the wages lost while the pursuer is off work, incapacitated or recuperating.

A claim can be made for wages lost before the case comes to court as well as for the loss of any future earnings. This can be ordinary earnings (i.e. your ordinary pay which you will lose out on while you recover) and the loss of earnings you may or may not have acquired from promotions, etc. This only applies in certain cases, however.
Compensation for expenses

You can also be awarded compensation for your own expenses. You may have paid money to travel to hospital or to your GP or you may have had to replace property that was damaged in the accident. You can add a claim for 'out of pocket' expenses to your overall claim.

In many cases, severe injuries will mean that the sufferer will have to be cared for by a family member or professional. If this is the case, then you can make a claim for compensation for their expenses.

Again, this only applies in certain situations. If the accident results in the death of a close family member, then surviving family members can claim compensation which reflects the loss of their company or 'society'. If this applies, you should discuss it with us at as early a stage as possible. This type of award is usually only made to individuals who have lost parents, partners or children as a result of the accident.

This is applicable when the deceased family member is providing for his or her family. If the individual who has been killed was the breadwinner, then the family can claim for the loss of this income.

This relates to the financial support that the victim of an injury who has died would have otherwise provided to his/ her family. Where someone provided a degree of financial support before the accident e.g. husband that provided for his family, this will normally be included in any claim for compensation.