Accident claims

Many people who suffer harm in an accident are not aware that they can make a claim for compensation. The principle behind accident claims is to compensate you for the pain, suffering and loss incurred from an accident, whether physical, emotional or financial.

Accident claims can be made in a wide variety of circumstances. Some of the more common situations are motor accidents, accidents at work, slips, trips and falls in public, and medical accidents.

It may not always be obvious that there is someone against whom you can make a claim. Accident claims can be made not only against natural persons, but also against employers, companies, and local councils - basically, accident claims can be made if someone else was, at least in part, responsible for your injury. What needs to be established is that a person or organisation had a duty of care towards you, and that they failed to take reasonable care, either by something that they did or failed to do.

Accident claims can be made for physical injuries, suffering and loss of amenity, pain and possibly psychological injury. Financial losses and expenses caused by the accident can also be compensated, including lost earnings, costs of medical treatment, and damage to property. The compensation may also be awarded for how much you are likely to suffer in the future, e.g. for activities that you can no longer do, and loss of future earnings.