What Am I Entitled to?
The purpose of personal injury compensation is to place the injured person in the same position – so far as is practicable – as if the accident had not happened.
There are two types of compensation you can claim: General Damages and Special Damages.
General Damages
These are specifically for the actual injury or injuries you have suffered. General Damages compensate an individual for the pain and suffering they had to cope with following the accident together with the affect it has had on their day to day life, such as hobbies or the carrying out of household tasks.
Special Damages
These could be summarised as financial losses an individual has suffered as a result of an accident. For example money an individual might have had to pay for prescriptions or earnings an individual may have lost as a result of not being able to work following an accident.
It is possible also to claim for future loss of earnings if, as a result of the injuries you suffered in the accident, you are unable to carry on working in the job or profession you were working in before the accident. There are numerous possible types of Special Damages that an individual may be entitled to claim but common examples include the following:
- The cost of recovering and storing an accident-damaged vehicle
- The cost of hiring a replacement vehicle
- The cost of repairing or replacing an accident-damaged vehicle
- The cost of medical treatment
- The cost of taxi fares to and from hospital
- The cost of any care required as a result of the accident including any care provided free of charge by a friend or relative of the injured person
Remember to keep all your receipts relating to any of the above items as it will make it easier to claim these Special Damages back as part of your claim.