Who Needs the Guide?

personal injury guide

Who needs the guide?

A person who has suffered a significant injury in England or Wales, for which another person (often another road user), or organisation (often an employer), was at fault.

A significant injury could be an unpleasant fracture or soft tissue injury (e.g. a more serious whiplash injury), often causing a prolonged period off work and longer term (or permanent) pain and restrictions.

It could also be one of the most serious injuries such as paralysis, brain damage, and amputations, all of which are likely to have devastating consequences for the injured person and their family.

It also applies equally to claims involving psychological injuries (such as depression), and pain syndromes (e.g. ‘complex regional pain syndrome’, or fibromyalgia) sometimes thought of as combining physical and psychological elements.

The guide will also be valuable in a number of other claims:

  • accidents resulting in death
  • accidents abroad
  • claims arising from medical treatment
  • road accident claims, whose total claim has a value of up to £10,000 (or after July 2013, over £25,000) as well as a much wider range of individuals injured (for example) at work and in tripping accidents (please see the April 2013 update to the guide). These claims must initially be dealt with under a governement scheme known as “the portal”. Please consult the RTA PI Claims Process website to understand in detail what the scheme entails and how to make a claim
  • small claims, involving individuals injured other than in a road accident, whose claim has a value of less £5,000 with injuries valued at under £1,000. These claims are dealt with in the County Court in what is called the “small claims track”.  However, individuals may find it helpful, even in these cases, to understand what they are entitled to claim.

Road traffic portal claims and County Court small claims are both explained in the guide. Typically, these claims involve a combination of injuries and financial losses which resolve completely after a few months.