Types of Injuries

What is a personal injury claim?

A personal injury claim is a legal case you can start if you’ve been injured in an accident and it wasn’t your fault. It’s the process of recovering compensation from the party responsible for your injury.

Typically, an injury claim can be started when you or a loved one has been injured in an accident that:

1. Happened within the last three years
2. Resulted in you suffering financially as well as physically
3. Was caused by somebody else

Types of injuries

WHIPLASH

Whiplash is a soft tissue injury which occurs in the neck, usually after the head has been jolted forwards, backwards, or sideways, causing a sudden extension of the neck muscles.

Whiplash is usually caused by road accidents. On the point of impact although your body is restrained by the seatbelt but your head and neck isn’t – The sudden and unexpected movement of the neck.is whiplash.

SYMPTOMS OF WHIPLASH

Some sufferers experience neck pain immediately after the accident, and some will notice the symptoms days afterwards. Everyone reacts different to whiplash – The longer it takes for you to experience the symptoms the less likely you will associate it to the accident so in order for you to identify the symptoms of a whiplash injury can include:

1. Headaches
2. Neck pain
3. Pain in the shoulders and arms
4. Dizziness

In severe cases, symptoms can include memory loss, problems concentrating, tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and depression. It is always a good idea to visit your GP if you feel you may have suffered a whiplash injury so that they can recommend the best treatment for you.

The GP’s medical records will also be used during your compensation claim as proof that you were diagnosed with the condition.

UPPER BACK

Injuries to the back can be caused by slip, trips and falls, road traffic accident and sporting accidents. These injuries can be very painful and take a long time to heal, in some cases they may never fully heal; these injuries can also prevent mobility. Back injuries can cause pain and limit movement, for many people, this can alter their life significantly. This is why people who have suffered a back injury through someone else’s negligence should make a claim for back injury compensation. Treatments for back injuries can include bed rest, ice packs, physical therapy, and in the most severe cases, surgery.

All employers who require employees to lift weights or move heavy objects around should offer proper training when employees start work, to help avoid back injury. Employees should then understand the right way to lift something heavy, when to seek help, and when not to attempt a lift because of the risk of back injury.

LOWER BODY

Injuries to the lower body can include injures to the hips, lower back, abdominals, legs, thighs, knees and feet. The injuries could have been acquired from a road traffic accident or a slip/trip. If you were injured due to the fault of a third party then Legal Link Scotland can help you claim compensation. Lower body injuries can be particularly inconvenient, often meaning that you can’t walk around, work, look after your children or take part in your favourite hobbies. All of these factors are taken into consideration when deciding how much compensation you will receive if you make a claim and it’s successful.

In particular, if you are unable to work, leading to a loss of income, you would be able to claim compensation for the money that you would have earned.

People often think that lower body injuries only apply to your legs and feet, but that isn’t true. You can also make a claim for any injuries listed below:

1. Hip Injury Claims
2. Leg Injury Compensation
3. Groin Injury Claims
4. Knee Injury Compensation

NECK

There are various types of neck injuries that can be caused in an accident. The most severe types are whiplash or a vertebrae fracture, these can be very hard to recover from and they can be very hard to treat. If you have injured your neck in an accident that wasn’t your fault then Legal Link Scotland can help.

The most common type of neck injury is whiplash, which is an injury to the soft tissue in the neck. Whiplash neck injuries are usually suffered by people involved in road traffic accidents, particularly car accidents.

Whiplash occurs where the neck is jerked forwards and backwards in sudden movements. Sometimes, the pain from a whiplash type neck injury can take some time to develop.

SHOULDER

Shoulder injuries can be common in manual labour, as frequent lifting and carrying can strain and injure the shoulder. There are also risks to working in factories or warehouses because of the machinery and moving parts. Your shoulder can easily be caught, knocked, broken or dislocated by the machinery. Shoulder injuries are also common in road accidents particularly car accidents.

Recovery on such an integral joint can take a long time and keep you out of work. In such instances, compensation can be the only way to recover lost earnings and help to make up for the trouble involved in having such an injury.

With any arm, elbow, shoulder or wrist-related injury – if it was the fault of someone else or of a negligible employer.

KNEE

TYPES OF KNEE INJURIES

• Sprain: A sprain can occur if a ligament in the knee has been over a slip, trip or fall
• Bleeding in the joint: Bleeding can occur when a ligament is torn
• Torn meniscus: The meniscus is a part of the knee made of cartilage, which can tear if the knee joint is bent and then twisted
• Torn ligament: There is usually a snapping sound when this happens.

Because the knee is a complex joint it can be very difficult to treat/ heal. Sometimes it can require surgery; other times rest and an ice pack can heal the injury. If you have had a knee injury that wasn’t your fault Legal Link Scotland can help you gain compensation.

Knee injuries are very common and can happen for a number of reasons. Often, they are the results of sports accidents. Knee injuries can also be the result of car accidents, osteoarthritis or slips, trips and falls.

If the knee receives a large impact, or is forced to move in a strange direction or beyond its usual range of movement, this may cause a knee injury. Sometimes it is the bones which are damaged, but more often it is the soft tissue such as ligaments which are affected.

HEAD

CAUSES OF HEAD & BRAIN INJURIES

An injury to your brain or skull could occur in any number of ways, but most often they are caused by road traffic accidents. The impact of hitting or being hit by another car can force your head to move in unnatural ways.

A road accident can be even worse if you’re a cyclist, as you have less protection from vehicles and the road, leaving you vulnerable to more severe head injuries. It’s essential, as a bike rider, to always wear protective clothing, including a helmet, to try and limit the likelihood of sustaining a head or brain injury.