BARRY HEALY & COMPANY SOLICITORS MONAGHAN T/A HEALYLAW PERSONAL INJURY
When it comes to the effects it has on your capacity to function and enjoy life, it can be incredibly difficult to deal with sustaining a serious or life-altering injury due to a third party's negligence. It is a top priority for many injured claimants to pursue the compensation they are entitled to for the injuries they incurred, even if no amount of money can completely make up for serious impairments like the loss of a limb or vision.
It seems sense that parties who have been harmed need to know what kind of settlement they are likely to achieve in order to assist them cope with the effects the damage has had on their life. For financial losses and expenses incurred as a result of the injury, such as lost wages and medical bills, extra damages are granted in personal injury claims proceedings. Successful personal injury lawsuits, however, may also result in an award of general damages for pain and suffering. The extent and impact of the injury determine the settlement amount for this kind of award. Therefore, compared to, say, a mild head injury, really severe injuries requiring paralysis will result in a bigger settlement amount.
Below, we've listed different categories of accident cases along with typical personal injury awards made in Ireland. This is based on the Personal Injuries Guidelines document from the Judicial Council, which was released in March 2021. These rules could change, so if you want the most recent information on pursuing a personal injury settlement, please contact our legal team.
accidents that limit life expectancy
In Ireland, compensation for accidents that shorten a person's life can be quite high. The maximum amount of general damages is €550.000. Those who receive a settlement this big will have gone through a great deal of pain and suffering as a result of the harm, and they will also have to cope with the loss of a partner and/or children. This kind of injury and award could include severe burns that are accompanied by lung impairment and excruciating anguish. If the injured party has little to no pain from the damage, a smaller compensation settlement is likely to be agreed.
accidents that cause paralysis
One of the categories of personal injury lawsuits with the highest predicted payout amounts is injuries that cause partial or total paralysis. Payments range from €320,000 to €450,000 for paraplegia and from €400,000 to €550,000 for quadriplegia, depending on the patient's age, the degree of their residual movement, their level of pain, and how their condition affects their other senses.
recompense for brain injury
The amount of compensation granted for brain damage varies greatly depending on how severe the injury was. Personal injury settlements of up to €550,000 may be negotiated in circumstances of exceptional severity where the claimant is in a vegetative condition and needs round-the-clock nursing care. Depending on how long it takes the victim to recover from the injury, cases involving slight brain damage or a head injury might result in payouts of up to €25,000. The likely settlement will be in the range of €500 to €3,000 coupled with a special damages award to cover any lost wages, medical care costs, and other expenses if the claimant is anticipated to make a significant recovery within 6 months.
Psychological harm
A claimant may be entitled to pursue a personal injury settlement for between €80,000 and €170,000 if they have suffered significant psychiatric harm as a result of another party's negligence. The claimant must have experienced serious interference with quality of life and educational opportunities, negative effects on job and interpersonal relationships, limited effectiveness with mental therapies, and a prognosis that indicates sustained future vulnerability in order for this level of compensation to be granted. Claimants requesting compensation for minor PTSD, when it is anticipated that the symptoms would subside within two years, are at the low end of the spectrum in this category. Settlements for cases of this nature typically range from €500 to €10,000.
loss of hearing, sight, and/or other senses
One of the most catastrophic injuries a person may suffer is the partial or total loss of any of their senses. As a result, compensation payments take into account the degree of anguish and the affected individual's capacity to function and enjoy life. Total deafness and blindness cases that are successful are likely to receive settlements in the range of €400,000–€500,000. Total blindness claims will probably be settled for between €270,000 and €400,000, and claims for loss of vision in one eye with diminished vision in the other will likely be settled for between €120,000 and €300,000. Compensation awards including total deafness and loss of speech could range from €200,000 to €350,000. Loss of taste injuries fall within this group and are more likely to be subject to lesser compensation payments. A payout for an injury that results in a partial loss of taste may range from €7,500 to €20,000.
Back and neck pain
The most serious damage in this group would be partial paraplegia, which would necessitate wearing a collar continuously for years. The amount of the payout for this kind of harm will be between €150,000 and €300,000. The amount of compensation for minor back injuries ranges from €500 to €20,000, depending on how long it would take for them to heal.
Compensation for amputation
When a person loses a limb due to a personal injury, settlements might be very high. For instance, cases where the claimant has lost both arms are likely to pay up between €300,000 and €475,000. injuries that don't require amputation but are still exceedingly serious
General damages will probably range between €100,000 and €150,000 if the injury is severe and leaves the victim with little to no use of the limb.
Do you need guidance on a certain injury kind that isn't included here?
The negligence of a third party, such as an employer or healthcare provider, might result in many hundreds of different sorts of individual injuries. Please feel free to write us a message or give our legal team a call for assistance if you can't find the category that applies to the harm you or a member of your family has suffered here. If your case is successful, we would be pleased to evaluate it and offer advice on the potential payment that would be granted. An expert staff member will review your problem and possible next steps when you call us at 047 71556 You can also send an email to barry@healylaw.ie, and we'll respond as quickly as we can.