How To Make A Serious Paralysis Injury Claim

If you are wondering whether you could make a serious paralysis injury claim, this guide could help. It will discuss the eligibility criteria that need to be met for personal injury claims and the evidence you could gather to support your case.

paralysis injury claim

How To Make A Serious Paralysis Injury Claim

Additionally, we look at the duty of care you’re owed in the workplace, on the roads or in a public place and provide examples of how a serious accident could occur if this duty is breached.

Furthermore, we look at how payouts for a successful serious injury claim are calculated and what they could comprise.

In the final sections, we explain how a personal injury solicitor from our panel could assist you by offering their services on a No Win No Fee basis.

We offer our readers a free case check on their eligibility. So as you read the following sections, please do not hesitate to connect with an advisor with any questions or queries. You can do this by:

  • Calling on 0800 408 7825
  • Filling out our ‘contact us‘ form for a callback.
  • Starting a conversation via our live discussion box below.

Browse Our Guide

  1. When Are You Able To Make A Serious Paralysis Injury Claim?
  2. How To Make A Paralysis Injury Claim
  3. Case Study: £2.5 Million Payout For Paralysis
  4. Paralysis Injury Compensation Payouts – What Could You Receive?
  5. Claim For A Serious Spinal Cord Injury On A No Win No Fee Basis
  6. Learn More About Making A Paralysis Injury Claim

When Are You Able To Make A Serious Paralysis Injury Claim?

According to the NHS, paralysis is when you can’t move some or all of your body either permanently or temporarily. In some cases, it can have a life-changing impact.

Employers, road users, and occupiers of a public space, owe a duty of care with regard to your health, safety and well-being. If this duty was breached, and you suffered paralysis as a result, you might wonder whether you’re eligible to make a paralysis injury claim.

In order to have valid grounds to begin a personal injury claim, you must prove the following:

  • A care duty was owed to you by a third party.
  • This duty was breached.
  • This breach led to you experiencing harm.

Under tort law, these three points define negligence which needs to be proven to form the valid foundation of a personal injury compensation claim.

Accidents In A Public Place

The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 outlines the duty of care those in control of a public place have to take steps to ensure the reasonable safety of those using the space. Failure to do so could lead to a public place accident in which a member of the public becomes paralysed. For example:

  • Despite reports about a faulty handrail in a stairwell in a shopping centre, no steps are taken to address the hazard. As a result, a customer falls down a flight of stairs sustaining a serious neck injury resulting in incomplete paraplegia.

Accidents At Work

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 describes the duty of care placed on employers with regards to their employees health, safety and well-being at work. As per this duty, they must take reasonable steps, as well as those that are practical, to prevent employees from becoming harmed at work. Failure to do so could lead to a serious accident at work:

  • An employee is given faulty equipment, such as a damaged ladder, when working from a height. Despite the faults, the employer instructs the employee to carry out the work regardless. As a result, the employee falls from a height at work and damages their spinal cord.

Road Traffic Accidents

The Road Traffic Act 1988 and rules in the Highway Code must be adhered to in order for a road user to uphold their duty of care. This duty requires them to prevent themselves and others from becoming injured or suffering damage whilst on the roads. Failure to do so could lead to a serious road traffic accident:

  • A driver may have operated their vehicle after consuming alcohol and taking drugs causing them to knock over a pedestrian. As a result, the pedestrian may have suffered a spinal fracture leading to quadriplegia.

To discuss your specific case and find out if you’re eligible to begin a serious paralysis injury claim, call an advisor on the number above.

How To Make A Paralysis Injury Claim

An important part of building a strong paralysis injury claim is the collecting of supporting evidence. To help, we have compiled a brief list of some useful evidence you could collect:

  • Copies of medical records, such as X-ray scans, doctor reports and hospital reports.
  • Witness contact details for anyone who saw the accident and can give a supporting statement.
  • CCTV footage or dash cam footage that clearly shows the accident.
  • Photographs of the place where you were injured and any visible injuries.

Case Study: £2.5 Million Payout For Paralysis

The following case study is a figurative example to help explain the personal injury claims process.

When driving to work, Mr Blake was hit from the side by the driver of another vehicle who had failed to stop at a give way sign at a junction where they didn’t have priority. Mr Blake was rushed to hospital with serious injuries.

In hospital, the fullness of Mr Blake’s injuries became apparent. He had suffered significant nerve damage to his neck and spine which caused him to be permanently paralysed from the waist down.

Due to the severity of his injuries, and the long-term impact they would have on his life, Mr Blake decided to take legal action. First, he sought advice and then instructed an experienced solicitor to help him.

The case was settled quickly in Mr Blake’s favour and he was awarded £2.5 million. His settlement consisted of compensation for the way his injuries had affected his quality of life, as well as the financial losses incurred as a result. For example, Mr Blake was no longer able to drive, could not return to the same employment type, and required help at home leading to financial costs.

Find out if you could make a paralysis injury claim by calling the number above.

Paralysis Injury Compensation Payouts – What Could You Receive?

Each personal injury settlement can comprise up to two heads of loss: general damages and special damages. The former, general damages, is the primary head that compensates for the pain and suffering of the injuries.

When assigning a value to injuries, legal professionals might draw on various resources. One such resource is a publication called the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) containing guideline compensation brackets for different injuries.

Below is an excerpt from this, but it’s vital to bear in mind these amounts are only guide figures. Each settlement will vary depending on the unique circumstances of a claim.

Compensation Table

Injury Type Severity Notes Guideline Amount
Multiple Injuries Serious Compensation for several serious injuries plus financial losses. Up to £1 million +
Paralysis Tetraplegia Paralysis of the upper and lower body. £324,600 to £403,990
Paraplegia Lower body paralysis. £219,070 to £284,260
Brain Damage Moderately Severe Cases of a very serious physical disability, such as limb paralysis, are included in this bracket. £219,070 to £282,010
Neck Severe (i) Neck injuries that are associated with incomplete paraplegia. In the region of £148,330
Severe (ii) Serious fractures or damage to cervical spine discs causing a considerably severe disability, such as loss of function in one or more limbs. £65,740 to £130,930
Back Severe (i) Spinal cord and nerve root damage. £91,090 to £160,980
Special Damages Loss of Earnings Compensation to reimburse lost wages if returning to work was not possible after injury, either permanently or temporarily. Up to £100,000 +

Special Damages

The second head of loss, special damages, compensation for the financial and monetary losses caused by the injuries. For example:

  • Current or future loss of earnings.
  • Travel costs to and from hospital appointments.
  • Medical expenses and rehabilitation costs.
  • The cost of any adaptations necessary at home, such as a wheelchair ramp installation.
  • Domestic care costs.

Evidence, such as payslips, invoices and receipts, can help prove these losses.

For more information about how compensation for a successful paralysis injury claim will be calculated, get in touch with our advisors today.

Claim For A Serious Spinal Cord Injury On A No Win No Fee Basis

If your paralysis injury claim is eligible, one of the solicitors on our panel could take your claim up and assist with evidence gathering and calculating your settlement. They can offer these services under a type of No Win No Fee contract called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).

Under an arrangement such as this, you will not have to pay any fees to your solicitor for them to begin work on your case, or any fees for their work as the claim moves ahead. Furthermore, should the claim fail, no fees for their services are requested.

If the claim is a success, a legally limited percentage is deducted from the compensation. This acts as a success fee for your solicitor, yet ensures the bulk of your compensation goes to you.

Find out whether a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel could assist you with your claim by contacting an advisor. To do so, you can:

  • Call on 0800 408 7825
  • Fill out our ‘contact us‘ form for a callback.
  • Start a conversation via our live discussion box below.

Learn More About Making A Paralysis Injury Claim

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Thank you for reading our guide on when you could make a paralysis injury claim. If you have any other questions, call an advisor on the number above.