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compensation following an accident
illness or injury - nationwide
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There are many different kinds of personal injury. There are those to the spine, the neck, the head, the upper-body and the limbs. The majority of people recognise that if a person is unfortunate enough to suffer such a physical injury in accident, then he or she is entitled to claim compensation.
It is when an injury falls outside of the purely physical that there is sometimes difficulty in establishing its existence and extent. These types of personal injury are generally known as psychological.
When a person makes a compensation claim, responsibility for assessing the extent of a psychological personal injury will fall to a panel of independent medical experts. Through detailed analysis and observation of the claimant they will determine whether he or she has valid case for receiving personal injury compensation.
The medical experts may come from a variety of different medical and mental health professions. Psychologists, psychiatrists, GPs as well as various other health professionals will usually reach some level of consensus before any decision to award the claimant compensation is made.
More often than not, an award of damages made for a psychological personal injury forms part of a larger compensation award paid out for accompanying physical injuries.
However, as stated earlier, a claimant does not necessarily need to have suffered a physical injury for compensation to be paid out.
For example, if a worker, as a result of employer negligence, suffers serious injuries in distressing circumstances, any co-workers traumatised by witnessing the accident may be able to claim for such things as distress and loss of earnings. Usually, the worker will move to claim compensation through his or her union.
Perhaps the most relevant contemporary example is the case of families bereaved by the loss of a loved one to an asbestos-related illness.
Often, the asbestos-related illness sufferer will not have had time to claim compensation. In such cases, the family may wish to make an asbestos claim for the pain and trauma of losing their loved one.
Post traumatic stress disorder
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the type of psychological injury most typically cited in personal injury compensation claims.
It is thought that PTSD will affect around 5% of men and 10% of women at some stage in their lives. These are alarming figures for a very real condition.
Most people's PTSD will last for several months. However, in some cases it may last for years or never completely go away.
PTSD manifests itself in a number of ways. One common symptom is known as intrusion. Intrusion takes the form of flashbacks, which are traumatic in themselves, as well as sudden debilitating feelings of emotional pain.
Avoidance is another symptom. Avoidance is a pattern of behaviour the PTSD sufferer exhibits in order to try and lessen the pain of trauma. Often this leads to people retreating from jobs and relationships and can sometimes even result in drug or alcohol addiction.
Another symptom is volatility, or increased arousal, this means that the stress of PTSD causes extreme irritability, having a negative effect on the temperament of the sufferer.
In recent years, a number of soldiers who have fought in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have been awarded personal injury compensation for PTSD after suffering the psychological strains of warfare.
It is also true that victims of medical negligence as well as those who suffer car accidents or injury in work accidents are often entitled to claim compensation for PTSD.
Making a no win, no fee personal injury claim
When it comes to personal injury compensation, YouClaim are among the foremost experts in the UK.
Right across the country we are associated with no win, no fee solicitors who are experts in the field. Over the years they have helped thousands of people like you claim the compensation they deserve.
All are governed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and all offer their services to you at absolutely no cost.
Win or lose, we guarantee that you will never have to pay anyone a single penny in costs or fees.
In addition, we protect you from all costs incurred by the opposing legal side and promise that we will never touch a penny of your compensation award.
So why not contact us today?
To speak to someone about your personal injury claim now, call 0800 10 757 95.
Alternatively, you may wish to fill out an online claim form or request that we call you back at a convenient time.
