I recently suffered a torn hamstring at work which my employer accepted liability for – is the $2,000 I have been offered enough compensation?
Whether $2,000 is appropriate compensation after you suffered a torn hamstring at work depends entirely upon the circumstances of your accident and injury. No two claims are identical, and as a result no two amounts of compensation for a torn hamstring will be the same, even if the injury is exactly alike. A torn hamstring injury settlement will be determined by a number of different factors other than the nature of your injury, and without specific details of your accident and injury it is difficult to determine whether $2,000 is fair settlement. For this reason you are advised to consult a personal injury lawyer at the earliest opportunity to determine the amount of torn hamstring accident at work compensation to which you may be entitled, which will include the following elements:
- Your torn hamstring at work compensation will begin with general damages for your injuries. This aspect of your torn hamstring injury settlement will consider the nature of your injury, the pain and suffering it caused at the time and the manner in which it is likely to affect you in the long-term. This figure will then be adjusted to consider your age, gender and general state of health prior to your accident, meaning a young, physically active woman will be entitled to more compensation than an older man who has smoked for decades.
- Your compensation for a torn hamstring will then consider special damages, which will return your finances to as though your injury had never occurred. This is done by providing you with the cost of any quantifiable expenses you may have incurred – for instance, medical expenses and the cost of alternative transport – as well as compensation if you have been unable to work on account of your injuries. You are advised to retain any receipts or payslips from before your accident to verify this aspect of your compensation.
- For any decline you have suffered in your quality of life as a result of your torn hamstring at work, you can seek compensation for “Loss of Amenity”. This will be awarded if – for instance – you can no longer perform everyday household tasks on account of your injuries. It is also possible that your loss of amenity could include compensation for being unable to partake in social and leisure activities – for example: if you can no longer play golf on account of your torn hamstring.
- Your torn hamstring injury settlement may also include compensation for psychological damage you have sustained. This must first be verified by a qualified psychiatrist, and may have been sustained as a result of the nature of your accident or because of stress and anxiety while in recovery from your injuries.
There is also a possibility that the insurance company is simply trying to offer you torn hamstring injury settlement for as small a sum as possible in order to save on their own expenses. The insurance company is uninterested in ensuring that you receive adequate compensation for a torn hamstring, and for this reason you should consult a personal injury lawyer at the earliest opportunity after suffering a torn hamstring accident at work. By assessing your claim, a lawyer can determine the correct amount of compensation to which you should be entitled for your injury and help ensure that you receive a satisfactory conclusion to your torn hamstring at work claim.