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Unfortunately this is open to abuse and you should not be misled by anyone who quotes figures straight away.
The true value of any compensation award can only be calculated after a thorough medical examination to establish the recovery period and any long-term affect your injury may have on your lifestyle, and any other factors that may be taken into account.
There are broadly two types of damages, namely General Damages and Special Damages.
In General Damages the 2 principal heads of claim are "pain and suffering" and "loss of amenity".
Pain describes the physical pain caused or consequential to the injury arising out of the accident.
Suffering is really the mental aspect; so that element which includes Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety, fear, embarrassment, etc.
Amenity will include claims where accident victims will not be able to enjoy their normal lifestyle, social activities or hobbies as much as before the accident - such as walking, sports, gardening etc....Inconvenience, discomfort disappointment and mental stress have all been the focus of judicial scrutiny for injured people.
In Special Damages we tend to look at where injury victims have a claim for calculable monetary loss. So examples of these damages would be: loss of earnings, damage to clothing or property, travel and medical expenses
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