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Paralysis Injury Claims – Find Out How Much Compensation You Could Claim

Welcome to this paralysis injury claims guide. Paralysis is an injury that affects the capability to move and feel at least one part of your body. Sometimes, multiple limbs can be affected, and you may be unable to move any part of your body at all. If you or a loved one has been left paralysed following an accident or poor medical care, you might be able to claim paralysis compensation. 

In this guide, we discuss the eligibility criteria that need to be satisfied in order to begin a paralysis claim and provide examples of different types of serious accidents and how they could potentially happen.

We also explain how paralysis compensation is calculated and whether you could be reimbursed for your care costs and other financial losses.

Furthermore, we discuss what evidence is needed to prove that a third party is liable for your paralysis and what the time limit is to begin a paralysis injury claim. 

Finally, we look at what our No Win No Fee solicitors do to help their clients. 

If you wish to claim paralysis compensation for yourself or a loved one, please don’t hesitate to contact us. The consequences of paralysis are life-changing and can be devastating for both the injured person and their family. Our team are available 24/7 for a free no obligation discussion about your circumstances:

A person with paralysis injuries sat in a wheelchair holding the wheel.

Jump To A Section

  1. What Are Paralysis Injury Claims?
  2. Can A Paralysis Injury Claim Cover Care Costs?
  3. How Much Paralysis Compensation Could I Receive?
  4. What Evidence Can Help In Paralysis Injury Claims?
  5. How Long Do I Have To Make A Paralysis Injury Claim?
  6. Why Claim Paralysis Compensation On A No Win No Fee Basis?
  7. Learn More About Compensation Claims

What Are Paralysis Injury Claims?

Paralysis compensation claims can be made when negligence has occurred. Negligence is when someone suffers an injury, such as paralysis, due to a responsible third party being in breach of its duty of care. 

Numerous third parties could owe you a duty, depending on where you are. While we look at this in more detail in the following sections below, here are the eligibility criteria to make a paralysis claim:

  1. A third party, such as an employer, a road user, or a doctor, owed to you a duty of care. 
  2. The third party breached this duty. 
  3. You were paralysed because of this breach. 

If the above criteria apply to you or a loved one, please get in touch with us today to potentially claim compensation.

Accidents At Work

When you are at work, your employer owes you a duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. To comply with this duty, employers must take reasonable steps to ensure your safety at work. 

Here are a few ways that an employer might be in breach of their duty and cause an employee to suffer paralysis:

  • An employer gives one of their employees a faulty ladder to use on a building site, knowing that it is faulty. The ladder collapses, and the employee falls from a significant height. 
  • An employer fails to provide one of their employees with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as a hard hat, on a construction site. This lack of protective equipment can be very harmful if any objects fall on them.

Road Traffic Accidents

When you are on the road, all road users owe one another a duty of care. To comply with this duty, all road users must follow the rules in The Highway Code and the Road Traffic Act 1988 to ensure each other’s safety. 

Here are some ways a road user could potentially breach their duty and cause another road user to suffer paralysis:

  • A drunk driver swerves into the pavement and runs over a pedestrian
  • A driver is exceeding the speed limit, meaning they cannot brake in time at the traffic lights, and they crash into the back of a cyclist. 

Public Place Accidents

When you are visiting a public space, the occupier (the party in control of that space) owes you a duty of care under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. To comply with this duty, occupiers must take steps to ensure your reasonable safety as a lawful public visitor.

Here are a few ways that an occupier might be in breach of their duty and cause a member of the public to suffer paralysis:

  • An occupier failed to put out warning signs on the shallow end of a swimming pool in a leisure centre. Due to there being no diving signs, a public member could be seriously harmed if they dive head-first in shallow water.
  • An occupier of a shopping centre failed to fix a broken railing on the top floor, despite there being multiple reports of this. This could lead to a public member falling from a height if they lean on the broken railing.

Medical Negligence

When you receive medical care, all medical professionals who treat you owe you a duty of care. To comply with this duty, medical professionals must always provide the correct standard of care. If they ever provide substandard care that does not meet what is minimally expected from them, then this is a breach of duty. 

Here are some ways a medical professional could potentially breach their duty and cause a patient to suffer paralysis:

If you or a loved one has been left paralysed and you believe that it was someone else’s fault, then please contact us. By having a discussion with one of our friendly advisors, your claim eligibility can be confirmed.

Can A Paralysis Injury Claim Cover Care Costs?

In successful paralysis injury claims, there are up to two potential heads of claim which could make up the compensation value. One of these heads of claim is called special damages and is awarded in some successful claims. 

Special damages reimburse the financial losses you have suffered as a result of negligence. This includes:

  • Domestic and professional care costs. 
  • Loss of earnings from being unable to return to your old job.
  • Home and vehicle modification costs, such as making them wheelchair accessible. 

The likely need for professional and domestic care after paralysis and its life-changing aspects means that the special damages sum could be significant. Ongoing and future costs need to be claimed in addition to past losses. Receiving a special damages award is highly important as your financial position can be restored to what it was before paralysis was suffered. 

This is why keeping evidence like bank statements, invoices, payslips, and receipts is essential.  

Contact us to learn more about how your specific special damages could be calculated if your paralysis compensation claim is successful. 

 

A man in a wheelchair exiting a bus using a ramp.

How Much Paralysis Compensation Could I Receive?

As we have mentioned, there are up to two potential heads of claim which could make up the compensation value. The other one of these heads of claim is called general damages and is awarded in all successful claims. 

General damages compensate for the mental and physical effects you have suffered as a result of negligence. These are some factors that are taken into consideration during the evaluation of general damages:

  • Loss of amenity. 
  • The extent of medical treatment that is needed. 
  • Whether there is any ongoing pain and how severe it is. 

The Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) is a publication which can help legal professionals calculate general damages. In the JCG, there are guideline compensation brackets for types of injuries and illnesses at varying severities. 

In the table below, we have taken some injuries relating to paralysis from the JCG, and their accompanying guideline compensation brackets. 

However, the first figure is not from the JCG, and none of these figures are guaranteed as a specific general damages award. This is because every claim for injury is different in terms of the exact impact of the injuries on the claimant.  

InjurySeverityCompensation brackets
Multiple serious injuries and special damagesSeriousUp to £1,000,000+
ParalysisTetraplegia (a)£396,140 to £493,000
Paraplegia (b)£267,340 to £346,890
Brain damageVery severe (a)£344,150 to £493,000
Moderately severe (b)£267,340 to £344,150
Moderate (c) (i)£183,190 to £267,340
Moderate (c) (ii)£110,720 to £183,190
Moderate (c) (iii)£52,550 to £110,720
Less severe (d)£18,700 to £52,550

Contact us to learn more about how your individual general damages could be calculated if your paralysis compensation claim is successful. 

A paralysed person in a wheelchair holding the wheel.

What Evidence Can Help In Paralysis Injury Claims?

Evidence is very important in paralysis injury claims because it must be proven that you or a loved one is suffering from paralysis because of a breach of duty. 

As such, here are some useful types of evidence that you should collect:

  • CCTV footage, or dash cam footage, of the accident occurring.
  • Photographs of the cause of the accident, if possible. For example, a photo of a faulty ladder. 
  • Witness information such as contact details, if anyone saw your accident or saw you receive negligent care. Witnesses may provide statements during the paralysis claims process. 
  • Any medical evidence, such as copies of your medical records, that shows the extent of your injuries and list your treatments. 
  • A personal diary where you have noted details of the incident as well as your symptoms. 

If you are put in touch with one of our expert No Win No Fee solicitors, they could help you build the evidence you need. To see whether you can receive this help, please contact us today. 

How Long Do I Have To Make A Paralysis Injury Claim?

Under the Limitation Act 1980, the time limit to begin a paralysis claim is usually three years. This runs from the date you suffered your injury due to negligence. Or, if you’re claiming for medical negligence, this could also run from the date that you became aware that you suffered harm because of your negligent treatment. 

However, this time limit is paused for claimants who:

  • Are younger than 18 years old. 
  • Lack sufficient mental capacity to begin a claim themselves (for example, if they have suffered severe brain damage). 

A litigation friend may be appointed by the courts to begin the claim for the claimant whilst the time limit is paused.

If a claim is not started by a litigation friend before the claimant either turns 18 or regains their mental capacity, then the usual three-year time limit will commence from either:

  • The claimant’s 18th birthday (meaning they will have until their 21st birthday to begin a claim). 
  • The date the claimant recovers capacity. 

To obtain more information on how to claim paralysis compensation on behalf of a loved one, and to ensure that their claim is started within the time limit, get in touch with us. 

Why Claim Paralysis Compensation On A No Win No Fee Basis?

Our solicitors can greatly help with multiple aspects of the claims process to make claiming compensation as straightforward and stress-free as possible for their clients. 

Here are some of the services that are included in our solicitors’ work:

  • Potentially arranging suitable rehabilitation for you. In a significant claim for personal injury, rehabilitation should be a primary concern.
  • Collecting evidence on your behalf, such as obtaining medical records and witness statements.
  • Sending correspondence to the defendant and their insurer on your behalf.
  • Selecting suitable experts to assist with your case, e.g. surgeons, rehabilitation experts and barristers.
  • Ensuring that your claim is filed within the time limits.  
  • Giving you any updates as soon as possible. 
  • Explaining any legal jargon.

If you have an eligible paralysis compensation claim, it may benefit you to claim on a No Win No Fee basis, and one of our solicitors could offer you a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). 

Here is how you can benefit from a CFA:

  • Before the claim begins, you’re not charged for your solicitor’s services and work. 
  • Throughout the process of the claim, you’re not charged for your solicitor’s services and work. 
  • If your claim fails, you’re not charged for your solicitor’s services and work. 

Instead, if your claim succeeds, your solicitor will take a percentage from your compensation. This small percentage is called the success fee and is legally capped to ensure that most of the compensation goes to you. 

Contact Us Today

Contact us today if you wish to work with one of our specialist No Win No Fee solicitors on your potential paralysis claim today. If you or a loved one has suffered negligence, we can help you. You can contact us at any time 24/7 free-of-charge:

A solicitor, who is an expert in paralysis injury claims, talks to a client.

Learn More About Compensation Claims

Browse some of our other compensation claims guides:

Alternatively, you can browse some of these other pages for possible useful information:

  • NHS – information on paralysis, including causes and treatment.
  • The GCM (General Medical Council) set out the professional standards that are expected from doctors.
  • Back-Up – a spinal cord charity.

Thank you for reading our paralysis injury claims guide.

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    Meet The Team

    • Patrick Mallon legal expert author

      Patrick is a Grade A solicitor having qualified in 2005. He's an an expert in accident at work and public liability claims and is currently our head of the EL/PL department. Get in touch today for free to see how we can help you.

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