Severely injured people and their complex life-long needs must be front and centre of an ongoing review of how compensation is calculated, a campaign group says.
The review is taking place as latest figures released for Road Safety Week (17-23 November) show that 30,000 people each year suffer serious, life-changing injuries after being involved in crashes on the UK’s roads. This year’s theme for Road Safety Week is After the crash - every road victim counts.
“Behind the numbers are families whose lives have been changed forever, and in many cases the crash should have been avoided,” said Kim Harrison, president of not-for-profit campaign group APIL (Association of Personal Injury Lawyers).
“After the crash, the law does at least allow people injured by negligent drivers the right to compensation, which pays for things such as adaptations to their homes, prosthetic limbs, wheelchairs, physical therapy and, in some cases, round-the-clock care,” she explained.
“A key calculation used to work out how much compensation a seriously injured person should receive in England and Wales is being reviewed by the Lord Chancellor now. The outcome will determine whether injured people can afford to meet the costs of their needs for life, or whether their money may run out,” said Ms Harrison.
“Government estimates show that currently, a third of victims of negligence with catastrophic injuries will not receive all the compensation they need*. This review must put that right.
“It’s paramount that the needs of injured people are put at the heart of the process and they receive full and fair compensation,” she went on.
“Any one of us could see our lives as we know it changed in an instant. It’s essential that if we were ever to need it, compensation is adequate.
“The wider impact when injured people are undercompensated is that taxpayers must pick up the bill for supporting injured victims of negligence. This review is not just a legal issue, it is a societal one,” said Ms Harrison.
Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood is required to announce the result of her review by 11 January 2025.