£250,000 Mental Health Compensation Payout For A Psychiatric Injury | Case Study

By Jo Anderson. Last Updated 16th January 2024. In this guide, we will discuss a case study regarding personal injury claims payouts for a psychiatric injury. In it, we provide information on who could potentially claim a mental health negligence compensation payout. We also give details on the biggest compensation payout in the UK and explain how depression compensation payouts in the UK could be calculated. If you’re considering making a mental health injury claim, this psychiatric injury claims guide could help you. We offer up-to-date guidance on mental health compensation payouts in the UK for 2022 claims, and show you how psychiatric injury compensation amounts could vary depending on how you’ve suffered. We offer guidance on claiming for injuries to mental health from medical negligence, and mental health compensation payouts for PTSD too.

If you’re considering claiming compensation for mental health injuries, or would like to know ‘how is compensation calculated?’ for such claims, this guide could be useful to you.

If you would like to speak to an advisor about your potential claim, get in touch using the details that follow.

Man struggling with a psychiatric injury

Psychiatric injury compensation claims guide

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  1. Case Study: £250,000 Mental Health Compensation Payout For A Psychiatric Injury
  2. Mental Health Injury Claims Criteria
  3. Time Limit For Making A Psychiatric Injury Claim
  4. What Evidence Could Be Used To Claim A Compensation Payout For A Psychiatric Injury?
  5. Mental Health Compensation Calculator – Calculating Compensation For Mental Health
  6. Claim Compensation For Mental Health Injuries With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
  7. Helpful Links Relating To Claiming A Payout For A Psychiatric Injury

Case Study: £250,000 Mental Health Compensation Payout For A Psychiatric Injury

In this case study, we are going to take a look at a personal injury claim, that resulted in a £250,000 payout for a psychiatric injury. While this mental health compensation payout seems significant, it is not the biggest compensation payout in the UK.

The victim was a 54-year-old man, who fell more than 30 feet from scaffolding while he was working, performing an inspection. The victim sustained some serious injuries, inclining fractures to his lower back and other bones, as well as a very severe blow to the head.

Although the multiple fractures the claimant sustained all seemed to heal properly, he was left with two ongoing problems. Firstly, he suffered chronic pain disorder in the lower part of his leg. Severe enough to prevent him from working, and also stopping him from taking part in his usual hobbies and pastimes. Secondly, he suffered a psychological injury in the form of post-traumatic stress disorder.

The claimant engaged a solicitor to process a personal injury claim for him. This claim was successful, and he was eventually paid an amount of compensation totalling a quarter of a million pounds.

What Accident Led To The Claimant Suffering PTSD?

The victim, in this case, had been working at the top of a high scaffolding tower, inspecting the work of another member of the workforce. He fell 30 feet to the ground. The fall caused several fractures, including one in the vertebra of his lower back.

The road to recovery was long and painful, with the victim immobilised for a long time after the accident. He was unable to work, and unable to get involved with family activities, and also had to stop his hobbies and interests. Although the injuries did eventually heal, he was left with chronic pain syndrome in one leg, and the entire experience had been so traumatic, that he now suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.

The victim contacted a personal injury lawyer, and arranged for them to process a psychiatric injury compensation claim on his behalf.

How Did Personal Injury Solicitors Help This Claimant?

The personal injury solicitor, in pursuit of psychological trauma compensation, contacted the victim’s employer in order to try and negotiate for a settlement. The premise for this claim, was that the work-related injury was a result of the company that employed the claimant, failing in their Health & Safety duties. Specifically, not ensuring that a person working at height was provided with proper training and safety equipment.

Mental Health Injury Claims Criteria

Before we discuss how much compensation for psychological damage a claim could bring, let us explore who could make a claim.

To be able to make a psychological damage compensation claim, you must demonstrate that your mental injuries were caused by a relevant third party breaching the duty of care they owed you.

Various parties owe you a duty of care in daily life. Some of these parties include:

  • Employers – Every employer owes their employees a duty of care to take reasonable steps to protect their health and safety while at work and performing work-related duties. This is as per the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA).
  • Road users – All road users have a duty of care towards others on the road. They must use the roads in a way that does not cause harm to themselves or others. They should also follow the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the rules and guidance within the Highway Code.
  • Occupiers- Parties that are in control of public premises, such as libraries, public parks, and restaurants, for example, owe members of the public a duty of care. They must take steps to ensure the reasonable safety of those using that space for its intended purposes. This is per the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957.

If you would like to learn more about your eligibility to claim or for a free valuation of the mental health compensation payout you could potentially receive, please do not hesitate to get in touch with an advisor.

Time Limit For Making A Psychiatric Injury Claim

If you are eligible to make a psychiatric injury claim, you will only have a limited amount of time to do so. The limitation period for most personal injury claims is three years from the date of the accident that caused your injuries. This is set by the Limitation Act 1980.

However, exceptions could be made to this time limit for certain psychological injury claims. One of these exceptions applies to those lacking the mental capacity to launch their own claim. In this case, the time limit is suspended. While it is suspended, a litigation friend could bring a claim forward on their behalf. If no claim has been made and the person regains this mental capacity, they will have three years to begin their own legal proceedings from the date of recovery.

For those under the age of 18, the time limit is paused until their 18th birthday. From this date, they will have until their 21st birthday to begin the claiming process. Alternatively, while the time limit is paused, a litigation friend could start a claim on their behalf.

To learn more about the personal injury claims time limit, or for a free valuation of your potential mental health compensation payout, you can contact one of our advisors.

What Evidence Could Be Used To Claim A Compensation Payout For A Psychiatric Injury?

If you are pursuing a compensation payout for a psychiatric injury, you will need evidence to support your claim. Depending on the specifics of your case, relevant evidence could include:

  • Medical evidence – this could be a copy of your medical records or a letter from a psychiatrist confirming the psychological injury you have been diagnosed with.
  • Video footage of the accident that caused your mental injury, such as dashcam or CCTV footage.
  • The contact details of anyone who witnessed your accident, as they could provide a statement later on.
  • Evidence of any financial losses your psychological injury has caused you to experience. For example, your payslips could help prove a loss of earnings.

To discuss your specific case, you can contact one of our advisors. They may also connect you with one of our solicitors who could assist you with gathering evidence for your case.

Mental Health Compensation Calculator – Calculating Compensation For Mental Health

If your psychological injury claim is successful, your award or settlement could include general and special damages.

General damages compensate you for the suffering and pain of your psychological injuries. Those calculating general damages for a mental health compensation payout would need to assess all the facts and circumstances of the case. They could also refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) for help. This document provides guideline compensation brackets for many different physical and mental injuries at various severities.

Below, we have put together a table using the figures from the 2022 JCG. However, this should only be used as rough guidance. The first entry of this table has not been taken from the JCG.

Edit
Type of injury Severity of injury Compensation amount
Multiple serious injuries with financial expenses included. A combination of psychological injuries that are serious, and cause financial expense such as care costs, medical expenses and loss of earnings for example. Up to £250,000+
Psychiatric damage generally Severe (a) – A profound impact on the person’s ability to function. £54,830 to £115,730
Psychiatric damage generally Moderately severe (b) – Some improvement with professional help and a better prognosis. £19,070 to £54,830
Psychiatric damage generally Moderate (c) Some improvement in symptoms would already have taken place and the prognosis would be good. £5,860 to £19,070
Psychiatric damage generally Less severe (d) – Recovery would be nearly complete with only minor symptoms remaining. £1,540 to £5,860
Post-traumatic stress disorder Severe (a) – This would severely impact every area of the claimant’s life. £59,860 to £100,670
PTSD Moderately severe (b) – Severe impacts on the person’s life but with a better prognosis. £23,150 to £59,860
Post-traumatic stress disorder Moderate (c) – Significant impact but with some improvement, and a good prognosis. £8,180 to £23,150
Post-traumatic stress disorder Less severe (d) – any ongoing symptoms would not be grossly disabling. £3,950 to £8,180

Special damages could compensate you for the financial costs and losses caused by your psychological injury. This could include:

  • Loss of earnings – if you’ve been unable to work due to your injuries and lost out on pay.
  • Travel expenses – for costs incurred getting to medical appointments or solicitor’s meetings.
  • Medical expenses – such as paying for therapy or for prescriptions.

You will need to present evidence of these losses with documents such as invoices and receipts.

To learn more about compensation payouts for psychological injury claims, or to get a personalised estimate of your potential compensation, please contact an advisor.

Claim Compensation For Mental Health Injuries With A No Win No Fee Solicitor

Legal help can be very beneficial when making psychological injury claims. If you are interested in claiming compensation for mental health injuries, one of our solicitors may be able to help. Our solicitors have years of experience in mental health claims, and take on cases from across the country. This means that you aren’t limited to working with a local professional. 

Our solicitors also work on a No Win No Fee basis. If you choose to work with one of our solicitors, they may offer you a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), which means you won’t be expected to pay any upfront or ongoing fees for their work. Similarly, if your claim is not successful, then you won’t pay your solicitor for their work.

However, if your claim is successful, then your solicitor will be due a success fee. They deduct this straight from your compensation as a small percentage which is limited by a legislative cap. This helps to ensure that the majority of what you receive stays with you. 

For more help with making a mental health claim, or to find out if you could be eligible to work with one of our solicitors, contact our team today:

Helpful Links Relating To Claiming A Payout For A Psychiatric Injury

Thank you for reading this guide to personal injury claims payouts for a psychiatric injury. Now we’ve explained about the biggest compensation payout in the UK, and offered guidance on how to secure a mental health compensation payout, why not get in touch with our team to start your claim?