When most people think of a personal injury compensation claim, they usually consider physical injuries such as a broken arm or whiplash. However, as well as physical injuries, a claimant should be aware that psychological trauma is also something for which they can claim.
At Direct2Compensation, we realise that making a claim for personal injury compensation is not just about the money. Indeed, we regularly see many different motivating factors that lead to people contacting us for help, and we know that there are many benefits to making a claim other than a financial settlement.
One of these benefits is being able to access psychological rehabilitation therapies to speed your recovery, at the expense of the third-party you are claiming against.
Psychological injuries shouldn’t be ignored
By ignoring the psychological effects of their accident, a claimant of personal injury compensation could well be undervaluing their compensation settlement. When working out the value of a claim and what settlement a claimant is likely to receive, a solicitor will take in to account medical evidence and special damages. If a claimant has not properly reported their accident and injury details, including psychological injuries, it is harder to claim compensation for them.
As with all injuries, getting professional diagnosis and treatment of a psychological injury is vital when it comes to pursuing a claim for personal injury compensation.
Examples of psychological injuries that can lead to a compensation claim
- One example of psychological injuries could be a claimant who was injured in a serious car accident. Let’s say they drove for a living and as a result of their accident suffered physical injuries, but were also left feeling unable to get back behind the wheel due to the psychological trauma. They may lose their job or have to change career. If they reported the injuries to their doctor and had treatment or a referral for psychological therapy, this would form a large element of their claim when the various criteria that make up the settlement value are evaluated.
- Psychological trauma after a motorcycle accident. These accidents are notorious for serious physical injuries, with often permanent disabilities resulting from a serious crash. Psychological trauma often links with such incidents with people no longer confident to ride their motorcycle or being left suffering flashbacks or nightmares. This can also apply to witnesses.
- Post traumatic stress disorder after being involved in a serious accident at work. Workplace accidents can cause nasty injuries, often with permanent repercussions for the victim. A serious accident at work could lead to an employee losing the confidence to return to the workplace.
- Some high pressure jobs may give rise to claims for stress at work.
- People surviving after being involved in fatal accidents, or anyone who has witnessed something in which someone has been very badly injured or killed in an accident.
- Panic attacks. Sometimes what can initially seem an innocuous accident like an elderly lady falling on a damaged section of pavement can result in more than just a fractured wrist. We’ve come across people who have lost all confidence after a tripping accident and are no longer able to go out in to their local town alone. The fear of a repeat of an accident and the subsequent injuries is a real problem and although most people realise that they are unlikely to suffer the same kind of injury twice, they sometimes suffer a psychological barrier to getting out of the house.
- One very common accident type that leads to ongoing psychological injuries involves people who have suffered brain or head trauma. In many cases, those who suffer such injuries are often left with severe post accident psychological trauma, behavioural changes or memory loss. Whilst such injuries are hard to see, they do exist and claimants often don’t know where to go for help.
Why claim psychological damage compensation?
An obvious outcome of any successful personal injury claim is that the claimant will receive a compensation settlement. Whilst this is always welcome and can help the claimant move on after a nasty accident, there is no financial settlement amount that means that injuries or trauma can be forgotten and put away.
With Direct2Compensation, your psychological injuries compensation claim will be made on a No Win No Fee basis, so you will never be charged any fees at all if your claim does not succeed. A successful claim can lead to a compensation settlement being made to you, with the value of the claim including all lost income and incurred costs along with the potential access to rehabilitation therapies.
Remember, any person injured in an accident that was not their fault – whether physically injured, psychologically traumatised (or both) can make a claim for compensation, and Direct2Compensation can help.
- Making a claim for psychological injuries compensation is a legal right for any person diagnosed with such a condition as a result of an accident that was not their fault
- A successful claim will lead to the claimant receiving a financial settlement covering the extent of their psychological injury and how it has affected their life.
- A successful claim settlement will include a special damages claim covering any loss of income caused by the psychological trauma.
- The claimant could well access specialist rehabilitation therapies such as counselling, CBT treatments and other suitable therapy.
Access mental health therapies
Fortunately, most psychological injuries can be treated with therapies, where a psychologist will help an injured person to learn to re-programme the brain to reduce the symptoms of conditions such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
One of the potential outcomes of making a claim for psychological injury compensation, other than a financial settlement, could be accessing excellent medical treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), psychotherapy, counselling and other treatments. These can help people overcome the severe effects that psychological injuries can have on those who have been involved in nasty or distressing accidents.
Compensation amounts
| Severity of injury | Compensation amount |
|---|---|
| Severe psychiatric damage | £51k - £109k |
| Moderately severe psychiatric damage | £18k - £51k |
| Moderate psychiatric damage | £6k - £18k |
| Less severe psychiatric damage | £1k- £6k |
| Severe PTSD | £56k - £94k |
| Moderately severe PTSD | £22k - £56k |
| Moderate PTSD | £8k - £22k |
| Less severe PTSD | £4k - £8k |
Find out if you can claim
Clearly, most victims of personal injuries sustain what can be described as fairly minor injuries from which they can expect to make a full recovery, and therefore, no psychological trauma is likely to exist. However, in accidents that involve serious trauma it is likely that the injured party will have suffered shock and psychological injuries, and these can form part of the claim.
If you want help and advice on the issue of psychological trauma after an accident and wish to discuss a possible claim for personal injury compensation, please give us a call. Your GP or health professional will also be able to assist you.
At Direct2Compensation we know how to help you pursue a psychological injury claim successfully. We’ll ensure that your rights are protected and help you begin to move on with your life with our supporting claims process and expert solicitors.
If you have suffered psychological injures as a result of an accident that was not your fault, you are entitled to claim. We can also advise you on how to report your injuries to the right people if you haven’t already done so. Contact us on 01225 430285, or if you prefer, .
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