Most people know you are awarded damages for your injury (“general damages”) and losses, eg wages (“special damages”).
But here are some unusual awards which show Judges can award money outside the usual categories of damage.
Loss of enjoyment of daughter’s wedding award
This arose from a road traffic accident.
The claimant said she had lost the enjoyment of her daughter’s wedding which was the day after the accident .The Judge had said, with some doubt at the start of the trial, that he looked forward to a barrister’s submission on this point but still found later he was able to award £750 for the claimant’s diminished enjoyment of the wedding as a result of her whiplash.
Birmingham County Court, 31 August 2007.
Loss of use of critical illness cover as a result of accident
You are entitled to include loss of entitlement to all employee benefits arising from an accident. They include, for example, lost entitlement to critical illness cover or private medical insurance.
Loss of congenial employment as a pilot
A claimant naval pilot lost his job as a result of an accident during training for fast jet flying. He loved his job and so was entitled to an award for that loss “of congenial employment”.
The award was £9,000.
Paul Eric Hanks -v- Ministry Of Defence (2007)EWHC 966(QB)