If you are considering making a personal injury claim, you might be wondering – how much compensation will I get? We appreciate that you will be keen to establish this. In fact, it might even be a deal-breaker.

Unfortunately, it is not an easy question to answer. This is because the value of your compensation settlement will depend entirely on the circumstances.

To help you understand how much money you could receive, it is useful to know that personal injury compensation is made up of two elements – your general damages and your special damages.

General damages

General damages are intended to compensate for the physical and psychological injuries you have experienced. This means that general damages for catastrophic injuries will be much higher than general damages for minor injuries.

In Ireland, we have something called the Book of Quantum. This sets out guidelines for general damages, suggesting how much compensation should be awarded for certain injuries. Other factors, such as your age and gender, should also be taken into consideration.

Special damages

Special damages are intended to recover the money you have lost because of your accident. Often, injured persons are unable to return to work, either temporarily or on a permanent basis. This can result in the loss of income. Then there may be other out-of-pocket expenses, like the cost of medical treatment and care.

Your compensation settlement should recover your past losses, and your estimated future losses. This ensures that you are not financially harmed because of your accident.

Calculating your personal injury compensation

Therefore until we have investigated your personal injury claim, it is difficult to say how much compensation you will receive. It all depends on the damages you have already experienced, and the likely impact your injuries will have in the future.

Because of this, it is important not to settle a personal injury claim too early. Ideally, you should wait until your injuries have either resolved, or a prognosis has been clarified. Otherwise you may be awarded too little money.

Sometimes an insurer will contact you, offering you a quick settlement. We understand that it may be tempting to accept, but it is vital to seek legal advice first. Typically, you will be entitled to a greater sum of compensation than that being offered.

Our personal injury solicitors

Some people feel embarrassed about claiming personal injury compensation, or about holding out for a larger settlement.

However, please remember that it is your legal right to claim compensation. It is important to obtain a settlement that truly reflects the nature of your injuries. Otherwise, you have been denied proper access to justice. It could also put you in financial difficulties.

At Mullins & Treacy LLP Solicitors, we ensure that all our clients are properly compensated for their personal injury accidents. We achieve this by conducting a thorough investigation of your claim, and working hard on your behalf to reach a desired outcome.

All compensation claims are initially assessed by the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB). If we believe the settlement being offered is too low, we can advise you of this, taking the matter to court if needed.

Contact us now

We are client focused and results driven. If you have had an accident and want to explore the possibility of lodging a personal injury claim, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are here to help.
Call us on 051 391 488 or email reception@mullinstreacy.ie for a no obligation enquiry.

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