compensation amount?

[chappy1980]

Hi I was assualted whilst at work and I am claiming compensation through the insurance company of the company I was working for. I have my own company and was on a building site working as a sub contractor when I was assualted by the contract manager of the company I was doing the work for, what I want to know is how much compensation at an estimate could I be looking at recieving. My solicitor has told me that liability is not an issue with the evidence that is at hand so just a matter of how much and how long to wait. the injuries suffered were a broken nose that needed surgery, severe concussion, whiplash type injury, loss of smell which im told is now likely to be permanent. I have also been to councilling where I was told I have a severe case of post traumatic stress disorder and I also have been diagnosed with deppression from my doctor. As you can see quite a list, and on top of that I have lost over £40,000 in earnings since the incident after being unfit to work for around six months, and then to top it off I am going to have to close my company as I cant afford to keep it running with no money coming in which I would also like to claim for, I am just a bit worried that after going through all of this I will lose everything. any advice is gratefully accepted.

[ummmm]

Too difficult to put a price on. You will be awarded per injury depending on what an independent doctor says.

Haven't got a clue about loss of earnings in a case like yours. If you were PAYE and had to have time off work, that's straight forward, but running your own business is a different matter. I take it your accounts are in order and your last invoice coincides with the date of the assault?

Also, how many doctors appointments have you had to attend?

[chappy1980]

Thanks for the reply ummmm, I have been to the doctors about 10 times, the hospital several times including an overnight stay, I have sick notes all signed up by the doctor as well.

[ummmm]

Then you need to see a solicitor. You can see a no win, no fee one. They will give you an estimation.

I was knocked over years back. Muscle damage and severe bruising (it was worse than it sounds) and I got 6k for the injuries. I didn't make a fuss with the doctors either...

[chappy1980]

I have got a solicitor but he cant give an estimation until he gets all medical records and has the reports back from the specialists, that is why I came on to ask for a rough estimate as the not having any idea is doing my head in! its pretty easy to find out what sort of payout you get for the physical injuries but the phsycological injuries i am finding a bit harder, would be great to get a best and worst case if I could. cheers

[factor-fiction]

If your solicitor can't give an indication yet then it's going to be difficult for us to give a meaningful figure I think. So were the injuries so bad that you couldn't work at all in your job or pay someone else to help run the business?

[chappy1980]

factor30 I had severe ptsd which stopped me from functioning at all for quite a while, I now just starting to pull myself into some kind of normality, I couldnt get someone to operate my business as the margins are too small as I actually do the work on site as well as run the company and I couldnt afford to pay someone to do everything because of the cost. Thanks

[Nini74]

sorry, but you'll just have to be patient and wait until your Solicitor has received the Medical Reports before they can give you a valuation. I assume you'll be seeing separate Consultants for the physical injuries and the psychological injury - your Solicitor will be able to give you an estimate of the value of your claim when they've been received, together with either copies of your Tax Returns or something from your Accountants in relation to the loss of earnings. Has liability now been admitted? I'm quite surprised that the company admit being responsible for the behaviour of the contract manager - are you sure its a claim against the company's insurers and not criminal injuries? x

[boxtops]

You'll have to be patient - I used to work in liability insurance and for personal injury it can take a considerable time for the ongoing and future effects of an injury to be assessed and the prognosis decided. If the claim is going through a public liability policy at the company you were contracted to, you're looking at a claim for loss of earnings/income too, which no doubt you have been asked to detail. It's impossible to estimate at this stage. How long ago did this assault take place?

[chappy1980]

hi nini - we have not got to the Liability stage yet as the solicitor is waiting for my reports and yes they are two seperate reports as you suggested. The solicitor is 100% certain that it is a work related incident and has already made contact with other sides insurance, he is also not concerned about liability due to the amount of evidence that we have.

[chappy1980]

hi boxtops - thanks for the reply, it has only been 7 months since it happened and I am fully expecting it to take years, it is just an idea of knowing what sort of figure I am waiting for that I would like to know. with you having that background do you have an average time on something like this to settle, I have been advised it will be anywhere fom 3-7 years; is this about right?