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Thompsons Solicitors for The Legal Line - Case History
5. Personal Injury – Damages
Record Damages
Thompsons has always concentrated on recovering the maximum compensation possible and securing the best result for any case.
In 1987, damages of £850,000 were awarded in the case of Cook v Engelhard Industries and Others. This case was handled by Thompsons partner, Steve Allen, and surpassed the previous highest known award of £675,000 in a personal injury case.
The level of compensation awards has grown with time and, in 1994, Thompsons secured £3.4 million damages in a case for Christine Leung, the highest ever award in a personal injury case at that time.
Compensation for Losses
Thompsons are proud to have assisted those who have suffered personal injury in recovering compensation for their losses, and continue to campaign for an increase in the levels of damages for personal injuries. Injured parties should be compensated for past and future losses, together with the pain and suffering endured and Thompsons have been instrumental in ensuring this:
Smith v Manchester Corporation (1974): In this case handled by Thompsons, Mrs Smith injured her elbow in the old people’s home where she worked. She continued to work despite an ongoing disability and her employers agreed to continue her employment for as long as they properly could. In spite of this, the Court of Appeal increased her compensation by £1,000 to take into account the loss of future earning capacity
As a result, in every case since, it is possible to argue for extra damages where a continuing disability could lead to a loss of potential future earning capacity.
Hale v London Underground (1993): Mr Hale was a firefighter injured in the course of duty during the Kings Cross disaster in 1987. He was severely and permanently injured and, in addition to awards for pain, suffering and loss of amenity, past and future losses and handicap on the open labour market, he was awarded an additional £5,000 for loss of congenial employment.
This case was fought by Thompsons, and paved the way for other cases where a claimant is forced by their injuries to either retire or seek less fulfilling work.
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