If you have suffered multiple injuries in an accident caused by someone else's negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. Our multiple injury solicitors deal with compensation claims for serious injury on behalf of accident victims. All of our multiple injury solicitors are experts in personal injury law with proven expertise in representing multiple injury accident victims including those suffering from catastrophic injury.
The amount of financial compensation awarded in a work injury claim depends on the facts of the case. No two claimants will suffer the exact same multiple injuries, which means that the calculation of damages will be unique in every case. However, there are certain factors that judges take into account in all cases when assessing the claimant’s damages :-
Pain & Suffering – The amount of compensation for pain and suffering a multiple injury victim will receive depends on the extent and severity of their injuries. Other factors included in the calculation are the length of recovery time, the effect of the injuries on the individual, any long-term side effects or disabilities and the overall effect of having multiple injuries.
The monetary value of each injury is added up as an initial “rough” guide to the amount of pain and suffering compensation that should be awarded. The total amount will be reduced by a certain percentage once overlapping injuries have been accounted for. However, the amount can be increased if the cumulative effect of the injuries makes the victim’s condition worse.
Financial Loss – You can make a claim for the financial losses you have already incurred as a result of the accident as well as foreseeable losses you are likely to incur in the future. These include costs such as medical bills and lost wages.
Lifestyle Changes – In addition to pain, suffering and financial losses, victims can also be awarded compensation for lifestyle changes and loss of enjoyment of life resulting from their multiple injuries. This includes the victim’s loss of job opportunities.
When treating a patient with multiple injuries, doctors often use a diagnostic tool known as the Injury Severity Score (ISS). The ISS is a scoring system designed to assign an overall score to the patient indicating the severity of their condition.
Under the ISS, each of the patient’s injuries is assigned an Abbreviated Injury Scale, which is a numerical value assigned to one or more of six body regions: face, head, chest, abdomen, extremities and external. The AIS assigned to a body region is used to describe the severity of the injury to that area :-
If more than one injury is present in a given region, the highest AIS score for that region is used in making the calculations. Once the AIS scores have been assigned, the scores for the three most severely injured regions are squared and added together. The final number represents the patient’s ISS score. The ISS score is an indication of the patient’s risk of death and a prediction of the likely outcome of treatment.
Poly-trauma is a medical term that refers to multiple traumatic injury. It describes the condition of a victim who has suffered two or more injuries to physical regions or organ systems. One or more may be a life-threatening injury, with the victim facing possible permanent physical and cognitive disabilities. The term poly-trauma is only used when the victim has been subjected two or more severe injuries.
Victims of poly-trauma are at the greatest risk of long-term side-effects and disabilities. In some cases, poly-trauma can be fatal. With so much at stake, it is critical that you work with a qualified personal injury expert. Poly-trauma claims are complex and you need a multiple inury compensation claim solicitor with access to a wide range of specialists who can assist in preparing your case.
Our multiple injuries solicitors provide legal representation to work accident victims across Australia. You may be entitled to financial compensation if someone’s negligence has caused you to suffer multiple injuries. Our solicitors take work injury claims on a no win no fee basis which means that your solicitor only gets paid if they win your case. If you do not win your case, you pay nothing, making it risk-free to bring your claim. If you have suffered multiple injuries in an accident at work, contact us today for legal advice at no cost from a qualified personal injury solicitor. Our multiple injuries solicitors are dedicated to getting accident victims the full and fair compensation they deserve.
LAWYER HELPLINE: ☎ 1800 339 958The author of the substantive medical writing on this website is Dr. Christine Traxler MD whose biography can be read here