Have you suffered multiple injuries due to an incident that wasn’t your fault? Are you wondering how to sue for multiple injuries? If the answer is yes, please read through this guide to learn how you could be entitled to compensation by making a personal injury claim.
Firstly, we discuss your eligibility to make a claim and whether the claims process for multiple injuries is more complex. This guide further explains the different forms of compensation you could be awarded and how long you have to begin the claims process.
Additionally, we discuss whether you can claim on behalf of a loved one and whether a multiple injury claim will require court attendance. Lastly, we explore how one of the solicitors from our panel can help you.
Please contact us to discuss your case with one of our friendly advisors, and they will be able to answer any questions you may have. Please contact us by:
- Calling on 0161 696 9685
- Using the live chat feature
- Contacting us online
Frequently Asked Questions
- What Are Multiple Injury Claims?
- Am I Able To Make A Claim For Multiple Injuries?
- Is The Claim Process For Multiple Injuries More Complex?
- Can I Claim For Multiple Injuries On Behalf Of A Loved One?
- What Compensation Could I Get For A Multiple Injury Claim?
- How Long Do I Have To Sue For Multiple Injuries?
- How To Sue For Multiple Injuries
- Will I Have To Go To Court If I Claim?
- Get Help From A Solicitor On Our Panel
- Learn More
What Are Multiple Injury Claims?
A multiple injury claim is a specific type of personal injury claim that can be made after suffering from multiple injuries arising from an incident. If you suffered multiple injuries, it essentially means that you suffered more than one kind of physical or emotional harm. For example, if you suffer a broken arm, a knee fracture and anxiety following an accident.
Continue reading our guide to see when you could have a valid case and how to sue for multiple injuries. You can also contact our advisors with any questions you may have.
Am I Able To Make A Claim For Multiple Injuries?
You are able to claim for multiple injuries as long as you can prove that your case meets the following criteria:
- You were owed a duty of care
- The duty of care was breached
- You suffered multiple injuries as a result of the breach
The above principle is otherwise known as negligence, and it is vital to your multiple injury claim to establish that it occurred.
Multiple injury claims may arise from numerous types of incidents, such as road traffic accidents, accidents at work, and accidents in public places. Below we set out the duty of care in each of these scenarios and how you may suffer multiple injuries.
Road Traffic Accidents
All road users owe a duty of care to use the roads in a manner that avoids causing harm. They must also follow the rules set out in the Highway Code and the Road Traffic Act 1988. A breach of this duty may cause multiple injuries, such as:
- A drunk driver may negligently drive through a crossroads, causing a pedestrian to suffer a neck and back injury.
If you were involved in a car crash, you could therefore be entitled to claim compensation if there was a breach of duty resulting in your injury.
Accidents At Work
Employers have a duty of care to take reasonable measures to ensure the safety of their employees. Their duty of care is set out by the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1957.
If you were involved in an accident at work, you may be entitled to claim compensation if your injuries were caused by your employer breaching their duty of care. For example:
- An employer may fail to provide safe and adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) in a factory, which may result in multiple injuries such as burns, cuts, and broken bones in different areas.
Public Place Accidents
Those who are in control of spaces open to the general public owe a duty of care under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 to ensure the reasonable safety of visitors to that public space.
Any breach of this duty may result in multiple injuries, such as:
- A person in control of the premises of a restaurant may fail to repair a broken floorboard, causing a customer to trip and suffer a knee fracture and sprained ankle.
If you have suffered an injury in a public place that wasn’t your fault, you could be entitled to compensation. To see if you are eligible to make a claim, please contact one of our helpful advisors today.
Is The Claim Process For Multiple Injuries More Complex?
The complexity of the claim process for multiple injuries varies on a case-by-case basis. For example, if you have suffered numerous injuries of different severities, you will have different recovery times and treatments. Additionally, if you have not fully recovered from an injury yet, it will take longer to understand the full effects this injury will have had on you and your life and calculating compensation to reflect this.
Multiple injury claims may also be more complex as they often require more than one medical expert for opinions. This is due to the fact that different injuries are most likely located in different areas of the body, and therefore, a specialist’s views would be required for specific areas.
Regardless of how long your claim may take to resolve, a solicitor from our panel could help you every step of the way. Contact our advisors to learn more about how to sue for multiple injuries with the help of a solicitor.
Can I Claim For Multiple Injuries On Behalf Of A Loved One?
Yes, you may be able to claim for multiple injuries on someone’s behalf in the following scenarios:
- The claimant lacks the mental capacity to claim themselves or;
- They are a child under the age of 18, and so cannot claim on their own.
You can be appointed as a litigation friend by the courts and make a claim on their behalf. This essentially means that you will make decisions on the claimant’s behalf, and ensure that their best interest are always protected throughout the claim process. For this reason, litigation friends are usually parents, guardians or a solicitor.
If you are wondering how to sue for multiple injuries on behalf of a loved one or want to learn more about what a litigation friend is, you can contact our advisors.
What Compensation Could I Get For A Multiple Injury Claim?
If you have sustained multiple serious injuries such as brain damage and a spinal injury with loss of earnings, you could potentially receive over £1,000,000 in compensation.
Any injuries you have suffered, both physical and psychological, would be compensated under general damages in a successful claim.
Those calculating this could make reference to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). Various compensation guideline brackets are listed in this document for different injuries.
In the table below, we have used some of the JCG’s figures, aside from the first entry. The figures are merely guidelines and do not provide a guarantee of what you will receive for your injury.
| Injury | Compensation |
|---|---|
| Multiple severe injuries and special damages (e.g. loss of earnings) | Up to £1,000,000 + |
| Paralysis (Tetraplegia) | £396,140 to £493,000 |
| Very severe brain injuries | £344,150 to £493,000 |
| Moderately severe brain injuries | £267,340 to £344,150 |
| Severe neck injuries (i) | Up to £181,020 |
| Severe back injuries (i) | £111,150 to £196,450 |
| Severe knee injuries (i) | £85,100 to £117,410 |
| Severe ankle injuries | £38,210 to £61,090 |
| Wrist injuries (b) | £29,900 to 47,870 |
| Serious shoulder injuries | £15,580 to £23,430 |
How Is Compensation Calculated?
Each multiple injury claim is valued on a case-by-case basis due to the number of factors that can affect the calculations. For example, the following factors may affect the amount of compensation you receive:
- The recovery period of your injuries
- The severity of your pain
- The effect on your quality of life
- The impact on your daily activities
Can I Claim Compensation For Financial Losses?
Yes, you may be entitled to claim for financial losses as part of your claim under special damages. The aim of special damages is to compensate you for any financial losses you have incurred due to your injuries. You may even be able to claim for any predicted future loss of earnings whilst you heal from your injuries. Some examples of special damages include:
- Loss of earnings
- Travel costs
- Childcare costs
- Medical costs
- Home modification costs
Evidence will need to be presented to claim for these losses, such as invoices and receipts.
Am I Able To Get Interim Payments?
You may be able to receive interim payments for any financial losses you are incurring throughout your claim. Depending on the predicted length of your suffering, it may be agreed that you would likely benefit from receiving ongoing supportive payments for your special damages.
You are usually eligible to receive interim payments where the defendant has already admitted fault or it is likely that your claim will be successful in the event of a trial.
Any interim payments received will also be deducted from your final compensation amount. Examples of possible interim payments may include receiving payments for ongoing physiotherapy treatment to aid your injuries.
To learn more about how to sue for multiple injuries, you can contact our advisors.
How Long Do I Have To Sue For Multiple Injuries?
You have 3 years from the date of the accident to start your personal injury claim. This is set out by the Limitation Act 1980.
There are also two exceptions to this time limit, such as:
- The injured party is under the age of 18. As previously mentioned, a litigation friend can start a claim in this instance. If, however, the child chooses to wait, they have 3 years after their 18th birthday to start their own claim.
- The injured party lacks the mental capacity to claim themselves. If the person regains mental capacity, they have 3 years from this date to start their claim.
How To Sue For Multiple Injuries
When suing someone for the multiple injuries you have suffered, you will need to ensure you have sufficient evidence that supports your case.
Examples of evidence could include:
- Your medical records detailing your injuries
- Any possible CCTV or dashcam footage of the incident
- Independent witness contact details that could be approached for a statement
- Photographs of your injuries
- Any incident report forms or police reports that show the incident occurred
Please get in touch with one of our advisors today, and they will be able to answer any questions about what evidence you could gather for your particular case.
Will I Have To Go To Court If I Claim?
No, it is unlikely that you will go to court for your multiple injury claim. Most personal injury claims settle before court proceedings are issued. However, the following factors may increase the likelihood of court attendance, such as:
- Liability is denied by the defendant
- The case is complex with serious injuries
- The settlement amount cannot be agreed between both parties.
Get Help From A Solicitor On Our Panel
A No Win No Fee Solicitor from our panel could help you with making your personal injury claim. By offering their services to you under a Conditional Fee Agreement, you will experience the following benefits:
- You do not pay for any upfront or ongoing service fees
- You do not pay any fees for your solicitor’s work if your claim is unsuccessful
- If your claim is successful, you will pay a small success fee to your solicitor, which is taken from your compensation. The law limits the maximum percentage this fee can be.
Contact Us
If you are wondering how to sue for multiple injuries, please contact us to discuss starting your claim today. Our advisors are here to answer your questions and offer you free advice:
- Calling on 0161 696 9685
- Using the live chat feature
- Contacting us online
Learn More
To learn more about making a personal injury claim, please see our other guides:
- Learn about how to sue for a warehouse accident
- Get help with claiming for a broken ankle
- See the following advice about how to sue for a head injury
Additional external resources:
- Information on how to treat sprains and sprains from the NHS
- See if you could be eligible for statutory sick pay (SSP) from Gov.UK
- Guidance on when to call 999 from the NHS
Thank you for reading this guide on how to sue for multiple injuries.