By Cat Way. Last Updated March 2024. Have you suffered a paralysis injury work accident? We have a team of medical expert negligence and personal injury solicitors who can represent you in your paralysis injury compensation claim on a No Win No Fee basis.
There are approximately 1,000 people paralysed by a spinal cord injury in the UK and Ireland every year. Most of those affected by a paralysis injury work accident are adults, and around 80% of those affected are male. Currently, approximately 50,000 people are believed to be living with paralysis in the United Kingdom and Ireland. This statistic displays those who have gone to a spinal cord injury medical centre and do not include people treated in a general hospital after paralysis.
The average economic cost to the UK is estimated to be £1 billion per annum, depending on the severity of the paralysis. 79% of people who have been discharged from spinal cord injury medical centres can go home. 20% of these patients leave the spinal cord injury centre clinically depressed as there is currently no cure for paralysis caused by a spinal cord injury.
Work-related accidents are one of the leading causes of paralysis at work. There are different types of workplace accidents across many professions and industries that can cause paralysis. These include vehicle accidents, slips, trips and falls, machinery accidents, burns caused by fires and explosions, stuck or caught between heavy objects or machinery, and workplace violence. Paralysis from falls, especially those from a significant height, accounts for over 40% of work accidents of paralysis injury. This includes falling down the stairs and falling from scaffolding on building sites.
The government introduced the working of heights regulations 2005 to enforce strict procedures put in place by employers to attempt to reduce the risk of a paralysis injury work accident. The injured employee needs to seek compensation to receive their rightful benefits through the worker’s compensation system. The financial support you may well be entitled to might help with the costs that paralysis can demand in your everyday life. Legal Expert can help you with this. With our professionals on your side, you could claim the paralysis injury compensation that is rightfully yours. Give us a call today for your free consultation.
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Paralysis in the Workplace Claims
Personal injuries that cause paralysis can happen in any workplace. Occupations most susceptible to spinal cord and brain injuries include construction workers, heavy machinery operators, drivers, furniture movers, mechanics and day labourers. A compensation claim for paralysis after a workplace accident can occur due to a severe accident or a simple fall. If the injury and accident were due to the negligence or carelessness of someone else, there is a strong possibility the compensation claim would be successful.
For a previously fully mobile person, becoming paralysed can be hard to deal with, and in most cases, it may mean living without the independence you previously enjoyed. You may require assistance with tasks that were simple to handle before. The inability to control your bladder and bowels or sexual function can be difficult issues to cope with.
Paralysis Slip, Trip and Fall Injuries in the Workplace
Unfortunately, paralysed workers don’t always receive compensation due to workplace injuries such as trip slips or falls. These types of accidents are quite prevalent in workplaces where the surface is wet or slippery and can be one of the more upsetting paralysis claims. The most serious of these kinds of accidents can be fatal. Such accidents often lead to back injuries, head injuries, fractures, and paralysis of the affected nerve in more serious cases.
Slips and trips mostly occur when the surface area is still wet and slippery. In workplaces, they might be down to negligence if there’s a wet floor. Safety procedures such as appropriate signs indicating wet surfaces should be present. A company or business might be liable for any injuries because of accidents due to failure to apply the necessary safety procedures. Tripping on wires and work equipment left lying about is also common and may cause a paralysis injury work accident that will mean you cannot return to work for a long time.
Slips, trips and falls at workplaces can happen for several other reasons. You could fall because of something like a faulty ladder, trip over uneven paving slabs, trip down a poorly maintained staircase or trip over boxes or litter. It’s recommended to record any useful information if you slip, trip or fall as these claims are often not easy to prove. If the accident and injuries are because of factors out of your control, you will have a good chance of claiming paralysis injury compensation.
Read what the HSE advise you do after falling at work here.
When Could You Be Eligible For Paralysis Injury Compensation?
In order to form the basis of a valid accident at work compensation claim, you must be able to meet the personal injury claim’s eligibility criteria, which are:
- Someone else owed you a duty of care.
- They failed to uphold this duty.
- As a result, you suffered an injury.
Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, employers owe a duty of care to their employees to take all reasonably practicable steps to keep them safe while they’re working. This can include carrying out regular maintenance of equipment, identifying potential hazards through risk assessments, and ensuring that staff receive adequate training.
If your employer breaches their duty of care, and you are paralysed as a result, then you may be entitled to compensation for paralysis.
Our advisors can help if you would like to learn more about making a personal injury claim. They can offer a free consultation, through which they can evaluate the validity of your claim and answer any questions you may have about the claims process. Contact our team today to learn more.
Paralysis Injury Claims – Compensation Examples
We can show you compensation examples for claims made for accidents that resulted in:
- A brain injury and paralysis
- A spinal cord injury and paralysis
- Severe leg injuries and subsequent paralysis
The compensation brackets come from the 2022 edition of the Judicial College Guidelines. This document can be used by legal professionals to help value claims.
| Type Of Injury | Severity | Potential Compensation | Description Of Injury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quadrepligia | Very Severe | £324,600 to £403,990 | The body and mental functions the claimant retains will affect the award |
| Paraplegia | Very Severe | £219,070 to £284,260 | Effects such as pain or depression will affect the award |
| Head Injury | Very Severe | £282,010 to £403,990 | Severe brain damage harming all movement and function |
| Head Injury | Moderately Severe | £219,070 to £282,010 | Brain damage harming mobility and causing paralysis |
| Back Injury | Severe (i) | £91,090 to £160,980 | Paralysis from a spinal cord injury |
| Back Injury | Severe (ii) | £74,160 to £88,430 | Impaired mobility and loss of feeling |
| Neck Injury | Severe (i) | In the region of £148,330 | Neck injury causing incomplete paralysis |
| Neck Injury | Severe (ii) | £65,740 to £130,930 | Loss of function in limbs from a serious fracture |
| Leg Injury | Severe (i) | £96,250 to £135,920 | Severe damage to the point the leg is considered functionally amputated |
The table shown only demonstrates general damages – compensation awarded for the pain and distress of an injury.
If you have suffered a paralysis injury, you could also seek compensation to help with any financial losses caused.
This could include:
- Affected income
- Treatment or full time care costs
- Travel costs to receive said treatment or care
Please reach out to an adviser today to speak about paralysis and accident at work claims and how much you could potentially claim.
No Win No Fee Paralysis Injury Work Accident Claims
No Win No Fee compensation claims are agreements between a complainant and a solicitor that guarantee they will not pay any fees until they win their compensation. Our no win no fee paralysis injury agreement ensures that even the least well-off patients can begin a claim without paying any legal fees upfront so they can receive compensation for paralysis after a workplace accident. To learn more about our no win no fee agreement, we can explain the details to you. Call us today for more information.
Paralysis Injury Compensation Useful Links
Find out if you could get sick pay after an accident at work with the help of our guide.
Learn about the steps to take when injured at work and get more information on how to claim for an accident at work.
Our guide to manual handling claims offers more help surrounding the accident at work compensation claims process.
Thank you for reading our paralysis injury compensation guide.
