

For this reason it is essential to go to a solicitor with considerable experience in handling claims for PTSD. Psychiatric assessment will be crucial to the success of your claim.
It is very difficult to give general guidance, as victims experience such a wide range of differences in symptoms and severity. The following give some examples. Typical symptoms of PTSD are:
Avoiding places like the one where the incident occurred. Flashbacks, panic attacks, shaking, shortness of breath. Racing heart and loss of bowel/bladder control. Sleep loss, nightmares and headaches. Nausea and hot flushes. Forgetfulness, depression, lack of motivation and loss of confidence.
Minor PTSD from which the sufferer makes a full recovery in less than a couple of years. Up to £3,000.
Moderate PTSD. The sufferer will mostly recover and long-term effects will not cause major disability. £4,000 to £12,000.
Severe PTSD, in which the sufferer’s life is hugely affected and long-term professional treatment is required. £20,000 to £50,000.
If you have suffered an injury which wasn’t mainly your fault, the law says you are entitled to compensation for pain, suffering and loss of amenity. You may also gain compensation for loss of earnings and additional expense incurred due to the injury.
Personal injury law has established a duty of care on the part of people, companies and organisations to ensure they do everything reasonably possible to avoid causing injury to others. As examples, if land owners allows the public access to their property, they should ensure that walkways are adequately maintained. Shopkeepers should keep aisles clear of objects shoppers might trip over, and clean up spillages promptly to prevent slips. When playing sports, the law expects people to behave responsibly and not inflict injury on others. There is also specific employment law which lays down the duties of employers to minimise the risk of personal injury.
If your injury claim is to succeed, the law says you must be able to prove “on the balance of probabilities” that your injury is due to negligence by another party. Note that this does not necessarily mean that you have to be entirely fault-free; you need only demonstrate that the other party is more than 50% responsible for your injury. If you can do this, you may then be able to win compensation under the law.
Amounts are determined by legal decision on a case by case basis. In England and Wales, Judges have issued broad guideline figures for different types and degree of injury, laid down in the Judicial Studies Board Guidelines. This has been built up from case law in personal injury claims. Information is given on this site under individual types of injury.