Hip and pelvic injuries in motorbike accident claims

It’s common for riders to suffer hip and pelvic injuries after a motorbike accident as a result of an impact with another vehicle or an impact with the road.

As lawyers, we’re therefore used to dealing with claims for personal injury compensation where we’re looking at these kinds of orthopaedic injuries.

In this article, we’ll take a brief look at how you can determine the value of a claim for compensation for this kind of injury, and what you could be looking at in terms of guidelines for amounts.

How we value claims for compensation

We value claims for personal injury compensation using a combination of:

• Medical reports from independent experts we work with;
• Our own vast experience and previously settled cases;
• Official guidelines.

How much you can claim for hip and pelvic injuries will generally come down to the medical evidence and where we can fit this with our experience and the guidelines. We can take a look at the guidelines to give you a rough idea of amounts based on those guidelines, which we’ll do below.

Minor hip and pelvic injuries

When it comes to what the guidelines see as minor or less severe hip and pelvic injuries, potential amounts are as follows:

• Minor injuries that fully recovery: up to £3,500.00;
• More significant injury with a recovery within two years: up to £11,000.00;
• Injuries that lead to a hip replacement (including in the future): up to £23,300.00;
• Significant injuries that leads to permanent problems that aren’t major: up to £34,300.00.

This is just for the pain, suffering and loss of amenity, and doesn’t factor in any losses and expenses which can be significant in these types of cases when riders are left unable to walk or work for a period of time.

More serious hip and pelvic injuries

Generally speaking, the more you suffer, the more you can be entitled to claim in terms of the compensation amounts.

More serious hip and pelvic injuries will therefore be worth more, and the guidelines say as follows:

• Fractures leading to degenerative changes and instability where hip replacement is required and you’re left with permanent problems: up to £46,000.00;
• Fracture / dislocations of the pelvis leading to impotence and lasting problems (but less severe than the below): up to £68,000.00;
• Extensive fractures and dislocation of joints leading to spinal fusion, severe pain, bladder and bowel control loss, sexual dysfunction and deformities with lasting problems: up to £114,000.00.

Again, these are the guidelines for the General Damages side of the case, and the Special Damages for losses and expenses can be significant where serious injuries are suffered. When riders are left unable to work for a prolonged period of time, or may never be able to work again, lost earnings claims can be substantial.

For more tailored advice about how we may be able to help you claim personal injury compensation, make sure to speak to our team as soon as you can.