The term “compensation” has received a bit of a bad name in recent times. It is often associated with people complaining they were scalded by spilling hot coffee and generally it has been associated with people trying to get something for nothing.
However, the simple fact is if you, a friend or a family member were to be injured and couldn’t work because of falling on a wet spill that wasn’t clearly marked the chances are you would want compensation for it. In this article we are going to be looking at how to go about claiming compensation.
How long does it take?
A claim for compensation can take a couple of weeks or a couple of years – the quickest claims are when the people at fault admit that they were at fault and provide a settlement.
If they do not accept fault then this goes to court – going through procedures, giving evidence and reaching a verdict means this will take longer (and why companies often try to settle out of court as much as possible).
In recent times, the government put in a “fast track” so that claims for accidents and liability claims can be settled around six months (typically these will be between £1,000 and £25,000).
How compensation is calculated
- Severity of injury- For example, you would get more for a chronic condition caused by your workplace then an injured finger
- Length of time you will be out of work – You would be compensated for the amount you would have earned had you been at work
- Related expenses such as medical bills
- Complications to your lifestyle – For example needing to purchase a wheelchair or mobility aids
Can you claim?
Another aspect of this is whether or not you have a legitimate claim – for example, if you fall over a wet patch on the floor of a building and it was clearly signposted then it can be harder to make a claim for compensation than if the area was not clearly marked.
Furthermore, you should also consider the likely amount – sometimes the amount of compensation you would be likely to get would not be worth the time or expense incurred in pursuing it.
This is why at Larcomes we believe in discussing this with you – it is not about processing cases. We want you to be aware of the details of your case and whether or not we would personally recommend pursuing the claim.
The motto of Larcomes has always been “big enough to specialise and yet small enough to care.” We have the tools at our disposal to represent you in the best possible way and our specialist team have the experience to look at your individual circumstances.
If you would like to know more about claiming compensation or would like more information on your current case please contact us today and our specialist team would be happy to discuss this in more depth to help you find out more about whether or not you should claim compensation and what to expect.