Unless you work directly within the field of personal injury law, the notion of filing a claim against the guilty party can be incredibly daunting. For many of us, ‘rocking the boat’ and standing up for ourselves in this manner is something that we can all too easily talk ourselves out of, and chalk the negative consequences of our experiences up to our own faults.
Are we being oversensitive? Probably. Will we feel better in the morning? Maybe. Do accidents happen to all of us? Of course.
And then, after putting it off for a few days, weeks, or months, we (thankfully) do begin to feel better, and convince ourselves that we are happy to put the whole sorry incident behind us.
Of course, life is rarely so simple, and personal injuries – even when they are not permanent – can and do end up taking a significant toll on our lives. This toll, in turn, interferes with many aspects of life and, even if the physical injury fades, we are all too often left with the lasting fallout it caused.
So, is it worth pursuing a claim for a non-permanent personal injury? Absolutely, and here’s why.
Time is Not the Only Factor to Consider
It is rare that a personal injury runs its course in a vacuum. If someone breaks their leg, then they also need to deal with myriad ‘unseen’ ramifications – for instance, lost work and, as a result, financial stress, an inability to travel, and/or emotional problems caused by the incident, and the period that follows.
In another example, London-based Sarina Saul-Hassam suffered a burn during a blow-dry appointment at her local salon. While the burn faded, Saul-Hassam’s greatest struggle was against the emotional impact of the stylist’s mistake. Her customer-facing job meant that she was reminded near-constantly of the injury, which held a prominent position on her face, and, as a result, she felt self-conscious, and now suffers an ongoing anxiety over blow dry appointments.
After filing a claim against the salon, Saul-Hassam was awarded £2,064 in damages.
These are just a few examples of the countless effects that can be caused by a personal injury. Whether they last for weeks or months, they have the power to derail life-as-we-know-it, and to cause immeasurable emotional difficulties which can take years to overcome – if ever.
Measuring the Impact
As we mentioned above, it can be difficult for claimants to feel sure that they have a right to file a personal injury claim. For the majority of the population, it is not something with which they hold any practical experience, and it is incredibly easy to write off genuine suffering as something we simply have to ‘get over’.
It is for this reason alone that working with an experienced personal injury solicitor is so important. As experts in their field, they are best-placed to understand quite how significant the ramifications of your personal injury are, and to ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve.