header-logo header-logo

A stark contrast

24 July 2015
Issue: 7662 / Categories: Features , Personal injury
printer mail-detail
nlj_7662_trask

How do you translate personal loss into a financial figure? Suzanne Trask highlights some inconsistencies & calls for change

Claims for compensation arising out of a person’s death are different from other personal injury claims. This is because the entitlement to claim is statutory, rather than based in common law. The estate has a claim on behalf of the deceased, under the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1934 (LR(MP)A 1934) as amended by the Administration of Justice Act 1982 (AJA 1982). A claim can be brought on behalf of the dependants of the deceased brought in their own right under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 (FAA 1976) as amended by AJA 1982.

In contrast, claims where non-fatal injuries are suffered are for injuries and losses proved to have been incurred. The court hears the evidence on the extent of these, and compensation is assessed on a case by case basis. Where someone has suffered a life changing injury, awards can be for millions of pounds.

Claim by the estate

Claims under LR(MP)A 1934 by the estate

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

DWF—19 appointments

DWF—19 appointments

Belfast team bolstered by three senior hires and 16 further appointments

Cadwalader—Andro Atlaga

Cadwalader—Andro Atlaga

Firm strengthens leveraged finance team with London partner hire

Knights—Ella Dodgson & Rebecca Laffan

Knights—Ella Dodgson & Rebecca Laffan

Double hire marks launch of family team in Leeds

NEWS
The Supreme Court issued a landmark judgment in July that overturned the convictions of Tom Hayes and Carlo Palombo, once poster boys of the Libor and Euribor scandal. In NLJ this week, Neil Swift of Peters & Peters considers what the ruling means for financial law enforcement
Bea Rossetto of the National Pro Bono Centre makes the case for ‘General Practice Pro Bono’—using core legal skills to deliver life-changing support, without the need for niche expertise—in this week's NLJ
In this week's NLJ, Steven Ball of Red Lion Chambers unpacks how advances in forensic science finally unmasked Ryland Headley, jailed in 2025 for the 1967 rape and murder of 75-year-old Louisa Dunne. Preserved swabs and palm prints lay dormant for decades until DNA-17 profiling produced a billion-to-one match
Small law firms want to embrace technology but feel lost in a maze of jargon, costs and compliance fears, writes Aisling O’Connell of the Solicitors Regulation Authority in this week's NLJ
Charlie Mercer and Astrid Gillam of Stewarts crunch the numbers on civil fraud claims in the English courts, in this week's NLJ. New data shows civil fraud claims rising steadily since 2014, with the King’s Bench Division overtaking the Commercial Court as the forum of choice for lower-value disputes
back-to-top-scroll