By Stephen Moreau. Last Updated 13th December 2024. Welcome to our guide exploring the question ‘how long does compensation take to come through?’ To be eligible to claim for personal injury compensation you must meet specific criteria. In different areas of life, we are owed or owe others a duty of care. If this duty is breached through negligent practices and injuries are suffered by others they may be eligible to make a claim for compensation.

In this article, we’ll guide you through the process of putting forward a valid claim including the steps you may need to take to build a strong case. For instance, evidence you may need to obtain such as medical records detailing any injuries or financial documents to highlight any losses of a financial nature.

Additionally, this guide will look at the amount of compensation you could claim and how long you may have to put forward your claim.

Furthermore, we’ll explore the options available to you with regard to legal representation. Although you may be concerned about the upfront costs usually associated, there may be another option available to you.

Get In Touch With Our Team

Our advisors are available 24/7 to answer your questions so why not contact them on the following:

• Telephone 020 3870 4868
• Arrange for one of our advisors to call you back
• Speak to an advisor right away through live chat at the bottom of the page

Alternatively, continue reading for further information on the different types of accidents you could claim for.

Services And Information

1. 1. How Long Does Compensation Take To Come Through?
   2. Am I Eligible For Personal Injury Compensation?
   3. Do I Need A Prognosis Or To Have Recovered From My Injury To Make A Claim?
   4. Does The Complexity Of The Claim Affect How Long It Takes?
   5. Injury Compensation Calculator
   6. Securing An Interim Payment
   7. How Long After An Accident Could I Start A Claim?
   8. I Was Injured In An Accident, What Should I Do?
   9. Making A Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis
   10. Other Information About How Long Does Compensation Take To Come Through

How Long Does Compensation Take To Come Through?

If you are wondering “How long does it take to receive compensation to be paid?”, we can’t give you an exact time frame, as there isn’t one. This is because all personal injury claims are different from one another. However, we can tell you what factors could affect this time frame.

Every incident brings a unique set of circumstances with it. For instance, certain things may vary such as the injury you sustain and how severe the injury is.

This might mean that each claim follows a similar process but the specific dealings will differ depending on whether the various factors make the case more complex.

Certain factors that may come into consideration when looking at how long your claim will take to settle might include:

• Accident type e.g. workplace, public place or road traffic accident
• The nature of your injuries including severity, whether there are multiple injuries and the overall recovery time
• Evidence that you’ve obtained and what may still be needed
• Who the claim is against e.g. an employer or uninsured driver
• Whether the defendant accepts liability for the accident that caused your injuries

Am I Eligible For Personal Injury Compensation?

The process of making a personal injury claim can seem overwhelming at first due to the vast amount of information available. However, our guide aims to provide you with the information you need to know.

Firstly, there are various accidents that you could claim compensation for such as an accident at work, a road traffic accident or an accident in a public place. Additionally, you may have suffered one injury or multiple injuries.

In order to hold a valid claim, it must meet three criteria that demonstrate that negligence took place. This means:

• You need to have been owed a duty of care by someone
• The person who owed you a duty of care needs to have breached it
• You need to have suffered an injury as a result of the failings

For instance, your employer may have failed to provide you with a hard hat on a building site resulting in you suffering a severe injury to the head.

If your claim meets the three criteria above, you may have grounds to claim compensation.

Do I Need A Prognosis Or To Have Recovered From My Injury To Make A Claim?

When you make any type of injury claim you may be invited to attend an assessment by an independent medical expert. This looks to assess the extent of the injury and/or illness, look at how it has affected you and how this suffering may continue in the future. It will also examine how the life of the claimant will be affected.

Very often when the claimant is making a claim they are still injured. The medical assessment will look to provide a prognosis for the injury/illness. This can be used within the valuation of the suffering. Therefore the claimant does not have to be recovered for compensation to be paid out.

If the claimant is recovered they will still be invited to the medical assessment so a report can be done on how the person has suffered in the past and how much of their life was disrupted.

Does The Complexity Of The Claim Affect How Long It Takes?

If your claim is more complex, it could affect how long your claim takes to settle and therefore the amount of time it takes to get your compensation.

For instance, whether you have a more severe injury that may have a bigger impact on your future life or if you have multiple injuries that need evaluating.

Furthermore, the independent medical assessment may conclude that you have more tests or more treatment before a complete report can be compiled. This could mean that further evidence is required which could delay proceedings.

Despite the added time the complexities may bring, the steps are necessary for ensuring you get the right amount of compensation.

Injury Compensation Calculator

Whether you’re making a personal injury claim for compensation, your compensation will be made up of general damages and special damages. General damages cover you for your injuries both physical and psychological and will take into account the long term impact you may suffer.

The table below looks at some of the injuries you could claim compensation for and provides an example of how much each injury may be valued at. The Judicial College Guidelines, a document used to help value claims, has provided the figures listed in the table.

However, you should only use them as a guide. Additionally, as each case is unique, you should be aware that your overall compensation settlement figure may be different. The top figure is also not from the JCG.

Injury	Severity	Guideline Amount
Multiple serious injuries with special damages	Serious	Up to £1,000,000+
Brain damage	Very severe (a)	£344,150 to £493,000
	Less severe (d)	£18,700 to £52,550
Amputation of arms	Loss of both arms (a)	£293,850 to £366,100
Back	Severe (a)(i)	£111,150 to £196,450
	Moderate (b)(i)	£33,880 to £47,320
Neck	Severe (a)(i)	In the region of £181,020
	Moderate (b)(i)	£30,500 to £46,970
Other arm injuries	Severe (a)	£117,360 to £159,770

In addition, you may be able to claim any financial losses under special damages. For instance:

• Loss of earnings
• Travel costs
• Care costs

Speak to our team if you require any further help and advice on how compensation is calculated.

Securing An Interim Payment

Interim payments are when part of your compensation is paid to you before the claim is settled. They are an immediate payment for an immediate need.

For instance, in the event where you’ve suffered a severe injury, you may need the money to pay for medical bills or home adjustments that you can’t afford.

An interim payment would provide you access to a sum of money from the compensation settlement you will be awarded, to allow you to pay for these costs. Interim payments will only be made when liability has been admitted.

How Long After An Accident Could I Start A Claim?

You may have questions such as “How long does compensation take to come through?”, and “How long do I have to make a claim?”. The Limitation Act 1980 states that all personal injury claims must be started within 3 years from the date the accident occurred.

However, the time limit will be paused if the claimant is either:

• Younger than 18.
• Lacking their full mental capacity.

In these cases, a litigation friend may be able to step in and begin a claim on behalf of the claimant while the time limit is paused. But if a litigation friend has not stepped in by the time the claimant:

• Turns 18.
• Recovers their full mental capacity.

Then the usual 3-year time limit will commence from these dates (either of their 18th birthday or of their mental recovery).

If you have more questions such as “How long does it take to get paid after a settlement?”, please contact us today.

I Was Injured In An Accident, What Should I Do?

The process of building a strong case involves obtaining evidence to support your claim. For instance, you’ll need evidence to claim compensation for general and special damages.

For general damages this might include:

• CCTV footage
• Pictures of your injury or accident
• Witness details
• Police reports
• Details of the accident in an accident book

Additionally, the process of seeking medical care can provide useful evidence detailing the specific nature of your injuries. For instance, it can provide records of appointments, treatment and any diagnosis a medical professional has given.

Evidence for special damages might include anything that can prove the financial losses you’ve incurred, such as:

• Receipts to show any travel expenses or additional care costs
• Payslips to show any loss of earnings
• Invoices to show any future payments that you may need to make

Lastly, if you need any help or information on the process of seeking compensation, you can get in touch with our team on the number above.

They could connect you to a solicitor from our panel to help you build a strong case and advise you throughout the claims process.

Making A Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis

We can appreciate that seeking legal representation may be causing you apprehension, but we can provide you with a solution.

A solicitor from our panel can take your case on a No Win No Fee basis which means if they don’t succeed and your case fails to win, you won’t be required to pay solicitor fees.

Additionally, before entering into this agreement, you and your solicitor will agree on a small legally capped success fee that you’ll pay if your case succeeds. This will be deducted from your overall compensation package.

Furthermore, you can avoid upfront costs and costs that may incur while your claim is ongoing. You’ll also have access to a solicitor experienced in handling cases similar to your own and will have expert knowledge on personal injury law.

If this is something you’d like to consider, get in touch with our team using the details below:

• Telephone 020 3870 4868
• Arrange for one of our advisors to call you back
• Speak to an advisor right away through live chat at the bottom of the page

Other Information About How Long Does Compensation Take To Come Through

If you were involved in an accident with an uninsured driver, take a look at our guide exploring the options you have when claiming compensation.

Were you involved in a slip or fall on ice at work? If so, our guide may be able to provide the information you need.

For more information on what you can do if you suffered after an operation went wrong, see our guide.

If you’re interested in learning more about road safety, see the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents website.

See the Health and Safety Executive website for statistics on workplace accidents.

Visit the NHS website if you require any medical advice.

Thank you for taking the time to read our guide which we hope has answered the question ‘how long does compensation take to come through?’.

Writer AC

Checked by IE.