When negligent medical care or an accident suffered in England or Wales leads to permanent disability, English law allows the injured person to claim full compensation. This also applies to some injuries abroad, such as claims for injuries on holiday or at UK military bases. The injured person’s right to claim is not affected by their nationality or where they live. Where the injured person is from another country, relocates, or the injury occurs elsewhere, this can affect: the right to claim; the process for claiming; and the amount of compensation. Injuries suffered in another country are compensated under the rules of that country (or US state). Complex injury claims, such as those involving cerebral palsy, brain injury, amputation or major trauma, rely on the skills of specialist solicitors to achieve the best outcome for the injured person. In an international claim, the injured person’s lawyer must specialise in complex injury but must also understand the legal, practical and financial issues needed to succeed in international compensation claims. Their lawyer must protect their interests and maximise their compensation taking into account the law of the country where they were injured and where they now live. Why use Boyes Turner for your international injury compensation claim? Our medical negligence and serious injury lawyers are experts in recovering full value compensation for clients with severe disability from cerebral palsy, brain injury, spinal injury, amputation and major trauma. We are also experienced in medical negligence and accident claims for clients whose injury occurred in England or Wales but now live abroad, or who live here but suffered their injury elsewhere. We have recovered compensation for clients in claims involving residency or injury in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Greece, Spain, Portugal and elsewhere. Why do international compensation claims need specialist lawyers? International claims carry unique challenges for each individual. The claim and the amount of compensation that they receive will depend on: their injury; their personal circumstances; their nationality; where the injury happened; where they live now; and the local laws, regulations and practices which affect every area of their life. Each of these challenges can be a pitfall for the inexperienced lawyer, leading to potential loss to the injured client. Our claims lawyers know how to overcome these challenges. Each client’s claim is carefully investigated to ensure that their compensation reflects their circumstances and meets their needs. International claims may have differences including: which country’s law rules the case (also known as jurisdiction); time limits for making a claim; police and other official investigations which follow an accident; documentary evidence that is available or must be produced; medical records and experts’ reports; the process for making a claim; the way the claim is valued. In some cases, the injured person’s claim may be affected if their new country of residence leads to differences in: quality, availability and cost of healthcare; quality, availability and cost of therapies; regulations relating to carers and manual handling; availability and cost of specialist equipment; quality, availability and cost of special education; employment opportunities; assessment of life expectation; financial considerations, such as currency, taxation and disability benefits; methods of managing, investing and protecting compensation funds. Who can we help with an international compensation claim? Our claims teams help clients with claims for: negligent medical treatment in England and Wales causing cerebral palsy, brain injury or serious disability, where the client now lives abroad; valuation of claims for UK residents severely injured by medical negligence abroad; foreign nationals severely injured by medical negligence in England and Wales; foreign nationals severely injured by negligent accidents in England and Wales; ‘ex-pat’ victims of mesothelioma or asbestos-related disease arising from exposure in England and Wales; UK residents severely injured in road traffic accidents (RTAs), or cruise, ferry or airline accidents abroad; UK residents severely injured by unsafe buildings, public or leisure facilities abroad; UK residents severely injured in sporting accidents abroad; UK residents severely injured as a result of their employer’s negligence whilst working abroad; UK residents who have been severely injured as a result of criminal injury abroad. What compensation can I get for an international injury? An injured person’s compensation depends on their injury and needs, the law of the country which governs the claim, and the skill and experience of their lawyer. We have helped clients claim compensation for: pain, suffering and disability; rehabilitation; costs of care and case management; increased costs of suitable accommodation; loss of earnings and pension; specialist equipment and aids; prosthetics after amputation; medical treatment and additional healthcare costs; cost of therapies, such as: physiotherapy (physical therapy); occupational therapy (OT); speech and language therapy (SALT); hydrotherapy; psychological counselling; assistive technology; additional travel costs and adapted vehicles; costs of meeting special educational needs; Court of Protection, trusteeship and other financial matters arising from serious injury claims. Recent cases $23 million compensation for a New York resident child with cerebral palsy from kernicterus brain damage suffered in the UK; Multi-million dollar compensation for an overseas resident whose cerebral palsy was caused by oxygen deprivation during his birth at a London hospital; a £13 million settlement in a claim for a client with permanent neurological disability from NHS maternity care, complicated by temporary relocation to Australia; compensation settlements for multiple family members following a road accident in France, including £1 million for the father’s head injury; £430,000 for bereaved the family of a mesothelioma victim exposed to asbestos in the UK but relocated to Portugal; £175,000 compensation for a British ex-pat with mesothelioma; £40,000 for British client who suffered a degloving leg injury from a moped collision in Greece; Settlement for a client who suffered burns and psychiatric injury in a gas explosion at a rented holiday villa in Portugal; £300,000 settlement from MOD for former British soldier whose PTSD was worsened by redeployment to Afghanistan.
