Novel Dunia

A personal injury occurs when an individual sustains some form of injury, whether it is physical or psychological, as a result of an accident or incident. Any combination of illness, pain, suffering, disability and inconvenience may be experienced.

Often we suffer personal injuries through no fault of our own; that is they are accidental or caused by a third party. Personal injuries can occur as a consequence of any number of situations from a road traffic accident or an accident at work to medical negligence or a slip or trip in a public place. Read more about scenarios in which a personal injury can occur.

Physical personal injuries

There are a wide range of physical personal injuries that we could suffer but it would take a substantial length of time to discuss them all so we will focus on those that are most common.

Of course, the type of accident or incident that you are involved in will determine the type of injury that you sustain. Read more about types of personal injury.

Here we will consider the physical personal injuries that can be experienced as a result of a car accident or medical negligence.

Personal injury following a car accident

When considering those involved in car accidents, around 20% will sustain a whiplash injury, a stretching and straining of the muscles and ligaments in the neck area that occurs when jolted suddenly. Read more about whiplash and neck injuries.

A closed head injury may be suffered if your head hits the windscreen while an open head injury may occur if a piece of glass or debris from the crash becomes imbedded in the head. Read more about head injuries.

In the absence of frontal air bags, it is also likely that you may receive chest injuries if you hit the steering wheel or damage to your knees if they hit the dash board.

Personal injury following medical negligence

We hear numerous frightening stories in the media about medical negligence. When admitted to hospital for routine treatment you are at risk of contracting diseases or indeed suffering further personal injuries.

Epidemics and superbugs such as MRSA, a bacterial strain which is resistant to antibiotics, were rife a few years ago. A crackdown on cleanliness saw a general decline in cases throughout the UK yet we still hear of some today.

There have been instances when surgical instruments and sponges have been left inside patients and others where the incorrect level of anaesthetic has been administered, leading to further health complications and distress.

General neglect and ill advice during labour and childbirth and careless consultations before operations have also caused unnecessary suffering to patients and significant problems for the health profession.

Other physical personal injuries that our personal injury solicitors are highly experienced at dealing with include: neck, shoulder, back and spinal cord injuries, hip, leg and ankle injuries, vibration whiter finger, carpel tunnel syndrome, repetitive strain injury and tinnitus. Read more about types of personal injury.

Psychological personal injuries

Psychological injuries are often overlooked as they cannot be seen in the way that a cut or bruise can; however, they do cause substantial suffering. Common symptoms of psychological injuries include mood disturbances, stress symptoms, social anxieties and deterioration in close relationships.

Psychological personal injuries can be caused by another individual and examples include bullying at school or in the workplace.

They also can be a result of stress such as performance anxiety, which is often experienced by musicians and entertainers that are put under substantial pressure to perform to consistently high standards.

It is also common to suffer psychological effects in the form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder following a tremendous ordeal such as being involved in a plane crash.

The afflictions of physical personal injuries that leave you unable to undertake everyday tasks, like returning to work or completing housebound chores, can also affect your mental health, causing depression and anxiety disorders. Read more about psychological personal injuries.

The effects of personal injuries

If you suffer a physical personal injury, such as a broken leg that leaves you unable to walk without assistance, then you will be temporarily disabled and, depending on your profession, may have to take time off work. This may mean that you suffer a loss of earnings that will further affect your quality of life. On top of this, you may have to fork out for prescriptions, taxis when commuting to and from the hospital and medical fees.

Very serious personal injuries that leave you wheelchair bound will result in many changes to the way you live. You may need to make modifications to your house including wheelchair access and rails in your bathroom. Some personal injuries may also result in a need for 24-hour care which can be both pricey and difficult to come to terms with.

Alternatively, a psychological personal injury could leave you either unable to cope with the stresses of work or a fear of leaving the house. This may mean that you become dependent on the assistance of others and you may need substantial therapy or counselling that can be an expensive, lengthy process. Read more about costs and losses that you can claim back.

Claiming compensation for a personal injury

It is your legal and civil right to claim for personal injury compensation following an accident that wasn't your fault.

We aim to get you on the road to recovery as soon as possible and can put you in touch with the very best medical professionals in your area, including doctors, therapists and specialists.

The money sought from a compensation claim can go towards helping you to rebuild your life and allow you to pay for all the extra expenses incurred by your personal injury.

Our personal injury solicitors have an excellent success rate with a broad range of personal injury cases. They are at hand to offer you free legal advice and talk you through each stage of the claim process so that together you can build a strong case and obtain the most amount of compensation available. Read more about personal injury compensation amounts.

We work on a no win no fee basis and making a personal injury claim will be entirely cost-free as we take great care to protect you from yours and the other party's costs. The best news of all is that we guarantee you will receive every penny of compensation awarded to you, providing your case is successful.