The terms and processes associated with law are confusing, but if you find yourself needing to file an injury claim, you will need to brush up on a few things. In order to accurately answer the question, "How much personal injury compensation can I get?" you would need to review any medical evidence and consider the details of the injury.
According to Smith Jones Solicitors, it is a common misconception that each injury is worth one specific amount. The amount of compensation received will vary from claim to claim. The amount is calculated based on how the accident has affected your everyday life, your ability to work, and the length of time it takes for you to recover from the injuries. The overall purpose of compensation is to put the injured party in the position they would have been if the personal injury had never occurred
In order to help the client get an idea of what compensation they might recover, Smith Jones Solicitors has created a handy "injury claims calculator" for use on their website, https://www.smithjonessolicitors.co.uk/claims-calculator/. To get started using the interactive calculator, you must first choose the area of the body that was injured. The site does provide you with a list. You can choose from head, chronic pain, internal organs, neck, back, shoulders, arms, legs, and minor injuries.
After choosing the injured area, you will select the severity of your pain. Your options for this list are minor, moderate, moderately severe, and severe. Once you choose an option, the calculator will give you an estimate. From there, you can add in your loss of earnings and other expenses, start your claim, or request a callback from the office.
How Severe is My Injury?
Classifying how severe your injury is can be difficult. Seeking medical help is a good way to be sure of the severity of your injury.
When using the compensation claim calculator, the following can be used as a general guideline for determining how severe your injury is:
Minor: Injury sustained has caused damage that took several days/weeks to recover from.
Moderate: Injury sustained has caused damage that took months to recover from.
Moderately Severe: Injury sustained has caused long-lasting damage, or only a partial recovery has been achieved.
Severe: Injury sustained has caused life altering or permanent damage.
Adding in Your Loss of Earnings
After clicking the loss of earnings option, the calculator will ask you to enter in your usual earnings for a week and how many weeks you were off work due to the injury. You can also add in what you spent on travel, treatment, and care. The calculator will then add these costs to your claim.
Starting Your Claim
From there you can either request a callback or start your claim. Requesting a callback is pretty self-explanatory, all you have to do is enter your phone number and the best time to call you back. So, let's look at how to start your claim.
The team at Smith Jones Solicitors have created an easy form for you to fill out and send to them. You will first enter your first name, last name, phone number, and email address. Then you will use the claim type drop-down menu to choose your claim. Your options are:
- Accident at Work
- Accident on the Road
- Bicycle Accident
- Dental Negligence
- Holiday Illness Claim
- Motorcycle Accident
- Occupational Disease
- Pedestrian Accident
- Sports Accidents
- Slip, Trip, and Fall
- Supermarket Accident
- School Accident
- Whiplash
Once you find and select your type of accident, there is a box where you can go into more detail about your accident/illness claim. The last drop down list to choose from is where you heard of the company from. Your options for this list are internet search engine, radio advertisements, newspaper/magazine advertisements, recommendation, and social media.
You also have the option of choosing whether you want to hear from Smith Jones in the future by checking or unchecking the box underneath the drop down menu. From there you will check the box to prove you are not a robot and then submit your claim.
How Long Will My Claim Take?
It's difficult to give an accurate estimate of how long a claim will take. There are many factors to take into consideration such as the severity of the injury, how the other side responds, and the circumstances of the accident.
Will I Need Any Additional Protection?
The team at Smith Jones Solicitors may advise you to take out additional cover depending on the type of claim you are making.
The company will make no charge for their professional services in the event that your claim is unsuccessful. You may choose to take out cover to protect you against any disbursements which you may be liable for in an unsuccessful case.
But don't worry, the team will be able to explain all of this in more detail at the beginning of your claim. Smith Jones have a high success rate for personal injury cases and their team will always keep you up to date with the progress of your file and advise you accordingly.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Smith Jones Solicitors' interactive injury claims calculator is very useful for anyone looking into a personal injury claim. Not only can you get an estimate of what you may receive, but you can also add in any extra expenses.
But please do remember, that these are just estimates and other factors will almost certainly come into play. Everyone's personal injury claim is different, and these details will have a part in the overall outcome.