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Shoulder Injury Compensation Claims
Simply complete the most relevant section of the Claim Assessment Form or e-mail us directly and one of our personal injury solicitors will contact you to have a free and confidential discussion about how your accident happened and the amount of damages that you may be due.
The main causes of shoulder injury compensation claims
A litigant can have sustained a shoulder injury in any number of ways. The most common way is whilst at work especially if the job involves lifting heavy objects or stretching and over-reaching. The second most common cause of shoulder injuries are road traffic accidents where this type of injury can affect the driver or his/her passengers. Finally the third most common cause of this type of claim are sports related accidents, whether sustained at school or whilst playing sport as an adult.
Other useful information about shoulder injury claims in general
The shoulder is classified as a ball and socket joint. It is the most mobile joint in your body. The four most common problems which a person may suffer from are as follows:
- Impingement caused by inflammation of the rotator cuff and bursa. Pain occurs when raising the patient’s arm above his/her head.
- Recurrent Dislocation caused by a tear in the labrum or excess laxity in the joint’s capsule may result in a disability.
- Painful Instability occurs when a shoulder is forced beyond the joint’s normal range of motion causing the ball to move abnormally in the socket.
- Arthritis may be caused by long-term wear and tear, infections, injuries or a variety of other diseases. It is characterized by roughened joint surfaces with worn cartilage. Fragmentation of bone and cartilage is also known as loose bodies.
Four common surgical procedures performed on shoulders as a result of an Injury
- Arthroscopy: Allows the surgeon to look inside the shoulder joint using small incisions and identify the problems. The surgeon may often be able to correct the problem using this procedure by removing loose unwanted tissue from the joint, with less disturbance to the joint. Recovery time is usually short.
- Bankart procedure: An operation that tightens ligaments and repairs torn capsular detachments, restoring shoulder stability. It is often performed for athletes involved in throwing sports who suffer from recurrent dislocations and subluxations. It allows the patient to return to contact sports such as baseball, football, wrestling, and ice hockey because the muscles and tendons are returned to their anatomic locations.
- Rotator cuff repair: A procedure that is performed to repair the tear, therefore, relieving the patient’s pain and improving function of muscles and tendons that move the joint. The surgery is commonly performed on older patients who complain of pain and weakness in the deltoid region that occurs with normal daily activities as well as work and sport. The pain is often worse at night.
- Prosthetic shoulder replacement: A procedure involving replacement of the head of the humerus or “ball” (hemiarthroplasty) or in some cases the resurfacing of the “socket” or glenoid as well (total shoulder replacement). This surgery is sometimes performed for patients with arthritis in the shoulder joint because it provides pain relief, which is the major indication for the procedure. Improvement of function may result but is less predictable.
Compensation award categories in shoulder injury claims
(a) Severe Shoulder
Injuries
Often associated with neck injuries and involving damage to the brachial
plexus (see Neck Injuries (a) (ii)) resulting in significant disability.
Compensation
awards range between £10,500 and £26,500
(b) Serious Shoulder Injuries
Dislocation of the shoulder and damage to the lower part of the brachial
plexus causing pain in shoulder and neck, aching in elbow, sensory
symptoms in the forearm
and hand, and weakness of grip. Here awards are slightly lower and between £6,750
and £10,500
(c) Moderate Shoulder Injuries
Frozen shoulder with limitation of movement and discomfort with symptoms
persisting
for about two years . Compensation between £4,250 and £7,000 will
be awarded.
(d) Minor Shoulder Injuries
Soft tissue injury to shoulder with considerable pain but almost complete
recovery:
(i) In less than two years; awards will range from £2,500 to £4,500
(ii) within a year compensation will be awrded up to £2,500
(e) Fracture of Clavicle
The level of the award will depend on the extent of the fracture, level of disability, residual symptoms, and whether temporary or permanent, and whether union is anatomically displaced. Here damages will be in the region of £2,750 to £6,500.
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