What is a neck injury compensation claim?

A neck injury compensation claim is a claim you can make if your neck has been injured due to the actions of someone else. Here at Beacon Law we handle neck injury claims including those following road traffic accidents, accidents in public places and cases of medical negligence.

A neck injury can range from a minor case of whiplash up to severe spinal damage which causes permanent disability. In all cases you may be able to claim compensation if the injury happened because another party acted in a negligent manner.

Compensation of this kind can never truly make up for the pain and distress of injury, but it can help with the rehabilitation process, at the same time as ensuring that your neck injury doesn’t have a negative impact on your finances.

If you’ve suffered a neck injury that wasn’t your fault then contact our personal injury solicitors for a free no obligation consultation. If we think you could claim compensation we’ll do everything we can to make it happen.

How much compensation can you get for a neck injury?

The amount of compensation you can get for a neck injury ranges from around £5,000 for a case of minor whiplash up to hundreds of thousands of pounds for neck injury which leaves you with life-changing disabilities. The amount paid in neck injury claims depends upon the severity and impact of the injury and the effect it has had on your life.

Compensation payments are made up of general damages and special damages. These amounts are calculated in the following ways:

General Damages

General damages are meant to be a reflection of the physical and psychological pain and distress caused by your neck injury. They are also calculated on the basis of the way in which your injury makes it difficult to do things like pursue hobbies or simply enjoy family life.

Amounts are calculated with reference to the Judicial College Guidelines. This is a publication which sets out recommended compensation ranges for specific injuries.

Examples of the payments recommended for neck injury claims in the current edition include the following:

• Moderate soft tissue injury or disc lesion – £16,770 to £30,500
• Severe injury such as a fracture or dislocation – £55,500 to £68,330
• Injury causing severe disability – £80,240 to £159,770

When you make a neck injury claim with Beacon Law we’ll evaluate your injury and use our experience of making successful neck injury claims to estimate the general damages which we think are likely to be paid.

Special Damages

Special damages are intended to compensate for the direct financial impact of a neck injury. In simple terms, they are paid to ensure that your neck injury doesn’t leave you in a worse financial position that you would have been if it had never happened.

To do this, special damages in neck injury claims will compensate for any earning or pension provision you lose because your injury impacts on your ability to earn a living. On top of this, special damages will compensate for any money which you have to spend as a direct result of your neck injury, such as the following:

• The cost of medical treatment for your neck injury now and in the future
• The cost of any care needed because of your neck injury now and in the future
• Money to cover any time spent by friends or family providing care free of charge
• The cost of specialist equipment needed because of your neck injury, such as mobility aids
• The cost of any adaptations which need to be made to your home or vehicle as a result of your neck injury
• The cost of any therapy or counselling you need to access because of your neck injury
• The costs of travelling to and from any medical appointments dealing with your neck injury.

What is a no win no fee neck injury claim?

We handle neck injury claims on a no win no fee basis. What this means is that you can make a claim without having to worry about what it could cost you.

In simple terms, a no win no fee neck injury claim works as follows:

• We investigate, gather evidence and negotiate with the other party without taking any payment from you
• If the claim is successful we will take a fee. This will only happen after the compensation has been paid, and it will never be more than 25% of the money awarded.
• If you lose your case then you pay us nothing, and the costs of the other party will be covered by insurance we take out on your behalf

We work on a no win no fee basis because we want anyone with a valid neck injury to be able to make that claim without worrying about costs.

The personal injury experts at Beacon Law will explain exactly what you’re entitled to claim compensation for and help with the task of keeping the paperwork needed to prove how much you’ve had to spend. We take pride in working on securing our clients the maximum possible compensation.

When can I make a neck injury claim?

You can make a neck injury claim if you meet the following criteria:

• You were involved in an accident
• The accident happened because another party failed in their duty of care and acted negligently
• As a result of the accident you suffered a neck injury

We also handle neck injury claims which arise from medical negligence. This could mean that a medical professional has misdiagnosed or failed to diagnose a problem or has delivered the wrong treatment, leading to a neck injury.

In some cases the neck injury might be an existing condition which is made worse in an accident or through medical negligence. It’s also possible to make a neck injury claim on behalf of a member of your family if they are unable to claim on their own behalf, i.e. because they are under 18 or lack the mental capacity to make a claim.

If you’re not certain whether you meet the criteria for neck injury claims then call the team at Beacon Law. We’ll explain the legal position and, if you are entitled to make a claim, we’ll get to work on your behalf straight away.

What is the claims process for a neck injury?

We understand that the claims process for a neck injury might seem daunting, particularly in the aftermath of an accident. That’s why the team at Beacon Law work to make the process of claiming as stress-free as possible.

We do this by breaking that process down into smaller steps, and guiding you through each step in a supportive and empathetic manner.

We take on the stress and work of making a claim, so that you have the time and space to concentrate on getting your life back on track.

The steps in the claims process for a neck injury are as follows:

If you’ve been injured you should seek medical help immediately. As well as maximising the chances of any recovery, prompt medical attention will create an official record of your neck injury as it happens.

If your neck injury happened in an accident you should report the accident to the relevant authorities. Depending on where the accident happened you should report it to:

• Workplace accident – report it to your employer so that it can be entered into any official accident book
• Road traffic accident – any accident involving injuries has to be reported to the police, and their report will form a part of the evidence for your claim
• Accident in a public place – an accident in a public place should be reported to the people responsible for the safety of anyone in that space, whether that means the owner of a business or a local authority

If you think you might be able to make a neck injury claim then contact Beacon Law for a free initial consultation. We’ll listen to your experiences, explain how the law around neck injury claims works and decide whether you have a strong case.

If we think you could make a neck injury claim then we’ll get to work straight away building the strongest possible case.

We’ll take a detailed statement from you explaining how your neck injury happened and the impact it has had on your life. We’ll encourage you to outline the psychological impact an injury of this kind can have, as well as the day to day effects and the financial repercussions.

We’ll gather the evidence needed to show that your neck injury was caused by negligence and highlight the impact it has had.

We’ll contact the other party in your case and inform them that you intend to seek compensation. In the majority of neck injury claims the strength of the case we present allied to our clear track record of successful claims will be enough for the other party to admit liability.

We always try to settle claims through negotiation and mediation rather than in court, and once liability is admitted we’ll negotiate a fair compensation payment. Despite wanting to settle claims quickly we never accept anything less than 100% of the compensation we know our clients are entitled to.

In some cases the complex nature of a neck injury means that it takes a prolonged period to agree on a fair compensation settlement. In cases like this we’ll always apply for interim payments to help with things like medical bills, care costs and rehabilitation in general until a final compensation payment is agreed.

If an agreement can’t be reached then your neck injury claim will be settled in court. This only happens in a minority of cases, but if it does the team at Beacon Law will be by your side throughout, arguing your case and fighting for the compensation you deserve.

You can contact Beacon Law at any point in the claims process to ask a question or just seek reassurance, and we’ll provide one to one support. We always communicate in clear, jargon free language and will help you to access any further help you need in terms of coping with your injuries.

What types of neck injuries can I claim compensation for?

You can claim for any type of neck injury if you feel it was caused by negligence. The neck injury claims we’ve successfully handled at Beacon Law include the following:

Soft tissue – injuries to the soft tissue in the neck, including whiplash, are often caused by road traffic accidents and can lead to pain and limited mobility

Fractures – a fracture to the neck caused by an accident can be serious and involve a lengthy recovery period. If you fracture your neck you may need to wear a neck brace or collar or, in more serious cases, undergo surgery.

Herniated discs and nerve damage – a spinal disc which bulges or ruptures could lead to backache and pain and weakness in your neck, shoulders and arms. Left untreated, it could cause long term nerve damage, which might for the basis of a medical negligence neck injury claim.

Muscle sprains and strains – a sprained or strained neck muscle can lead to pain and joint instability, as well as limited mobility. In the most severe cases it could require therapy or even surgery.

Cervical spine injuries – the impact of a spine injury could run from pains in the neck to a loss of bladder and bowel control. Recovery might involve bed rest or wearing a spinal brace, and in the most severe cases you could require surgery.

All of these injuries have one thing in common – the sooner you seek medical attention, the greater the chances of making a recovery are.

The right diagnosis and treatment could stop a minor neck injury turning into a major problem.

In all cases the seriousness of a neck injury and degree of pain and suffering you go through will have a material impact on the amount of compensation you are entitled to.

What evidence do I need for a neck injury claim?

There are two types of evidence needed for a neck injury claim. The first is evidence showing that the neck injury happened because another party was negligent, while the second is evidence demonstrating the full impact of your neck injury.

The team at Beacon Law are experts in gathering the evidence needed for successful neck injury claims, and we’ll get on with building your case while you concentrate on recovering as far as possible. The evidence we’ll use to make your neck injury compensation claim will include the following:

• Your detailed statement describing the accident, your injury and the impact it has had
• The results of a medical evaluation carried out by an expert we choose. This will deliver an in-depth account of the nature and severity of your neck injury and the prognosis for the future.
• Your existing medical records, particularly those relating to the treatment you received when your neck injury first happened
• We’ll speak to any witnesses to the accident which caused your neck injury and take down their accounts of what happened
• If you managed to take any photographs immediately following your accident these could be used as evidence in your claim. In some cases, photographs of the location taken at a later date could still prove to be useful.
• If the accident was covered by CCTV cameras we’ll try to obtain a copy of the footage. We’ll do the same for any relevant footage from dashcams or helmet cams.
• If the accident happened in a public place or workplace we’ll search for any evidence of a track record of accidents, or indications that those in charge of the space should have been aware of the risk
• We’ll gather documentary evidence of the financial impact of your neck injury, such as bank statements, wage slips from before and after the injury and any bills or receipts for injury-related expenses
• We’ll encourage you to keep an on-going account of recovering from your injuries, as detailing the impact as and when it happens will help to build the fullest possible picture of the scale of your neck injury

What are the time limits for neck injury claims?

The time limit for neck injury claims is 3 years from the date on which the injury was sustained. If your neck injury claim is based on medical negligence then the 3 years could run from the date on which you became aware of a connection between your neck injury and medical treatment you received in the past.

If you wait longer than 3 years then you will no longer have the legal right to seek compensation. The rare exceptions to this rule include the following:

• You were under the age of 18 at the time the neck injury was sustained. In cases like this the 3 year limit will run from your 18th birthday to your 21st.
• You were ‘mentally incapacitated’ at the time of the neck injury and so weren’t able to make a claim. If this happens the 3 year limit will run from the date on which you regain mental capacity.

Despite the presence of a 3 year timescale we would always recommend starting a neck injury claim as soon as possible after the injury is sustained. The sooner you start a claim, the sooner it will be processed, and gathering evidence is likely to be easier while the details of what happened are still fresh in your mind.

How can a solicitor help with my neck injury claim?

A solicitor like the experts at Beacon Law can help with your neck injury claim in a number of different ways. First and foremost, the law around personal injury claims of this kind is complex, and we have a combined total of more than 200 years’ worth of experience when it comes to dealing with those complexities.

We know what counts as negligence in a neck injury claim and how to go about gathering the evidence needed to demonstrate that negligence played a part in your injury. We also know exactly what you can claim for in terms of expenses or lost earnings, and we never settle for anything less than 100% of what we know you are entitled to.

Over and above our legal expertise is the approach we take to our clients. We’re a family run firm and we take each case personally, treating you as an individual dealing with a traumatic set of circumstances and not just another case number.

We offer support and empathy as well as legal advice, and help our clients with all aspects of recovery and rehabilitation. We know how stressful neck injury claims can be, but we handle that stress on your behalf, so that you can concentrate on recovering.

The support we offer our clients extends to seeking interim payments when cases take longer to settle, so that you can feel comfortable and secure in your recovery while we negotiate a final compensation payment. No matter how long it takes we’ll fight on your behalf and we’re always ready to answer questions or provide reassurance, with a guaranteed absence of baffling legal jargon.

If you’ve suffered a neck injury through no fault of your own then contact Beacon Law today. If we think you might be eligible to claim compensation then we’ll get to work there and then, doing everything we can to make sure it happens.

How long do burn injury claims take?

A burn injury compensation claim could take a few months to settle if the injuries are relatively minor and the circumstances clear cut, or more than a year if the case is more complex. Factors which could lead to a claim taking over a year to settle include another party refusing to admit liability, or the process of agreeing compensation being complicated by on-going care and medical requirements.

Once the facts of your burn injury claim have been established, the team at Beacon Law will be able to provide an estimate of how long we think it could take to reach a fair settlement.

If liability has been admitted but the compensation settlement takes longer to negotiate, we will apply for interim payments to help with your costs and make your recovery more comfortable until a final settlement is agreed.

Why Choose Beacon Law for your burn injury claim?

You should choose Beacon Law for your burn injury claim because we have more than 200 years combined legal experience and a track record of successful burn injury claims. In addition to this you’ll be working with a family law firm committed to delivering tailored individual help to each and every client.

We treat each burn injury claimant as an individual, helping you to get through a traumatic life-event and guiding you toward any extra help and support available while we concentrate on putting together the strongest possible case.

We provide an initial consultation free of charge and from that point on you’ll be kept informed of the progress of your claim in clear, jargon-free language, with members of the team in hand to offer advice, help and support whenever you need it.

We aim to deal with each claim as quickly as possible, using our negotiating and dispute resolution skills to settle the vast majority of burn injury claims without going to court. Despite working at speed we never settle for anything less than the full compensation we think you’re entitled to, and will negotiate to leave you in the best possible position to concentrate on recovering from your burn injury.

We do all of this on a no win no fee basis, meaning you can claim without having to worry about costs, and will only have to pay a maximum of 25% of any compensation we win after you’ve received it.