It all depends on the proportion of liability attributable to the at-fault driver, the extent of your injury and the quality of your evidence.
Someone whose injury has had a significant effect on their quality of life (work, psychological, physical) is entitled to greater compensation than someone whose injury has had a minor impact on their lives.
General Damages
General damages were intended to compensate you for the pain and suffering you have endured and will endure in the future as a result of your injuries, as well as any permanent disability you're likely to suffer.
General damages awarded in Queensland have been set at artificially low sums and can be quite trivial in comparison to other States. The most serious injuries such as quadriplegia are awarded around $150,000 and some reasonably serious back injuries are restricted to just $10,000.
Special Damages
These include:
- Expenses paid or incurred by you, including medical and pharmaceutical.
- Expenses paid by others. Some of these amounts are required to be collected from the at-fault party and paid back to Medicare, Comcare, WorkCover, DVA, public hospitals and private health funds.
Past Income Loss
You are entitled to claim for any income you have lost as a result of the incident. If you weren't currently working and the injuries prevented you from looking for work or caused you to turn down job opportunities, you may also be able to claim for those situations.
Future Income Loss
You are entitled to be compensated for any future economic loss you may incur as a consequence of your injuries. If your injuries have resulted in some permanent disability – even to a small extent – you may be at risk of loss of wages in the future.
People who continue to work full-time can still recover future income loss on the basis they are at risk on the labour market when compared to able-bodied job applicants.
Domestic Assistance (paid and unpaid)
Domestic assistance you receive from friends, family members or care professionals following an accident is compensable in many cases – even if you don't pay for it. It's important to keep detailed records of any assistance you get from other people if you intend to claim domestic assistance.
For more information on how much compensation you will receive, contact our CTP claims Lawyers and we help you today.