Posted By Paul L Williams
Beth,
This is taken from the Judicial Studies Board Injury Guidelines 2002. (6th edition) The book setts out levels of awards. If you are interested you will be able to buy the latest edition online. (8th edition)
The book is designed to provide a clear and logical framework for the assessment of general damages while leaving the discretion of the assessor, since every case must depend to a degree on its own facts. They provide an invaluable guide to all those involved in personal injury litigation: solicitors, barristers, insurance companies, trade unions, and medical defence organizations.
? Brackets have been adjusted for the change in the value of money. The last edition described awards in May 2000 so the strict RPI increase over the period is 170.7 to 179.9, about 5.2%. The Guidelines are descriptive of judicial behaviour rather than prescriptive so the increases are not mathematically consistent. As a very broad indication of the scale of the revision, many awards between £100,000 and £200,000 have been increased by £5,000, and many awards between £50,000 and £100,000 have been increased by £2,500;
? to illustrate the changes made for inflation:
? the highest awards at the top of the brackets for quadriplegia and very severe brain damage increase from £200,000 to £205,000;
? in the mid range, below elbow amputation of one arm increases from £47,500 - £55,000 to £50,000 - £57.500;
? the bracket for moderate whiplash increases from £7,000 - £12,500 to £7,250 - £13,000;
? the bracket for simple fracture of the jaw with complete recovery increases from £3,250 - £4,250 to £3,350 - £4,500.
? There are new sections on asbestos-related disease, injury to the digestive system and dermatitis;
? the brackets for minor whiplash and minor back injury are now subdivided;
? there is a new (and more realistic) upper bracket for severe shoulder/brachial plexus injury of £10,000 to £25,000