Compensation Claims, how to go about making one Part One

Compensation is a term that many of us don't think about often and hopefully one that we won't ever have to. Compensation to many people stands for extra money but to the people who have actually had to claim it the definition is a lot different.

Compensation is a mask for accidents, injury and suffering. The reason compensation exists is to bring a small piece of justice to the people who have been left to suffer the results of accidents that were through no fault of their own. If you have been injured in the UK following an accident that occurred due to the negligence of another person you are entitled to claim for compensation.

Personal injury through accidents such as road traffic accidents, slips trips or falls, work place accidents and medical malpractice, to name just a few, can leave you suffering for weeks, months or even alter the way in which you live the rest of your life. These personal injuries could be anything from arm or leg injury, minor burns, fractured/broken bones, head/neck injury or even spinal cord damage and loss of limbs. If the injuries that you have received due to an accident that wasn't your fault have affected your life and left you unable to perform tasks without help or have forced you out of work then speak to a solicitor about your option of claiming for compensation.

Thanks to the introduction of the Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) it is now possible for anyone to put a claim in for compensation. The Conditional Fee Agreement brought with it no win no fee claims, which is why it has never been easier to claim for compensation. A no win no fee claim means that win or lose you have no fees to pay. If you claim is unsuccessful you simply walk away after paying nothing out for the help and advice that you have received. If your claim is successful you walk away with 100% of the compensation that you are awarded with any fees, such as your solicitors, being paid by the losing party's insurance company.

The amount of compensation that you are awarded for a successful claim varies from time to time. Your compensation is awarded based on your individual circumstances.

There are two main types of compensation that you will be awarded, the first being described as ‘general damages.' The legal term refers to the compensation that is awarded for physical injuries and the pain and suffering that you have gone through following the accident. The amount of compensation that you are awarded for ‘general damages' varies from case to case, depending on the amount of suffering that you have endured.

Within the term ‘general damages' you can not only claim for compensation based on the physical injuries that you have suffered but also any psychological effects you are now experiencing due to the accident that you suffered such as depression and post traumatic stress disorder.

General damages are difficult to access as a value has to be placed on the pain and suffering you've gone through. In order to assess this in an accurate way your solicitor may instruct a medical expert to produce a written report on your injuries, which will be used to assess the value of your claim by looking at the seriousness of your injuries and how they have affected your lifestyle as well as if there is any permanent disability.

If you have suffered pain and any form of personal injury following an accident that was caused through no fault of your own then it is highly advised that you speak to an accident compensation solicitor about whether or not you have a good chance at claiming for compensation before you take any action to do so.

Helen is the web master of Accident Consult and Accident Consultant, specialists in Compensation Claims and Personal Injury Claims.