Shoulder Injury Claims
Claim Compensation for a Shoulder Injury
Shoulder injuries can have a significant impact on your ability to work, play sports and enjoy everyday activities. If you've experienced a shoulder injury due to someone else's negligence, you may be eligible for compensation.
“This is an excellent PI team, who are highly respected in the PI sector. Their team includes bright, hard-working solicitors dedicated to achieving successful outcomes for their clients”
“Osbornes is a well-regarded personal injury practice well equipped to advise on high-value and high-profile claims.”
Table of Contents
The shoulders are essential to our ability to interact with the world. The pain and disability caused by a shoulder injury can hamper routine activities such as driving, cooking, personal grooming, laundry and dressing. Recovery usually involves a course of treatment, physiotherapy and even surgery for severe injuries. You may worry about taking time off work, adding financial stress to an already challenging situation.
If you have sustained a shoulder injury as a result of a workplace accident, a road accident, an accident at a public venue, medical negligence or any other kind of accident, we are here to help you claim compensation.
It’s important to explore your legal options, so you can access the compensation you deserve and focus on your recovery.
What are the different types of shoulder injuries?
The shoulder structure includes a key feature known as the rotator cuff, a group of muscles and tendons that hold the shoulder in place. The term ‘rotator cuff’ originates from the way these muscles encircle the head of your upper arm bone. Its function is to provide stability to the joint and facilitate a wide range of movements.
When we talk about shoulder injuries, we’re referring to any type of damage to the bones, tendons, ligaments and nerves of the shoulder or the rotator cuff.
Common conditions include:
- Strains and sprains to the muscles, ligaments or tendons around the shoulder, causing pain, swelling and limited movement.
- Torn rotator cuff which often leads to severe pain, weakness in the arm and difficulty with certain movements.
- Dislocation of the bones in the shoulder socket, causing intense pain, visible deformity and inability to move the joint.
- Fractures or breaks in the bones that form the shoulder.
- Shoulder impingement, a very common cause of shoulder pain where a rotator cuff tendon chafes against nearby tissue and bone as you lift your arm. Overuse or strain, often due to repetitive activities at work, is the usual cause.
What are the common causes of shoulder injuries?
Shoulder injuries and rotator cuff injuries can happen to anyone and can occur as a result of trauma or slow exposure to certain types of activity over time. Some of the more common causes of shoulder injuries include:
- High impact – this could come from a car accident, a cycling accident or a warehouse worker being hit by a forklift.
- Slips and falls – this could be slipping on a wet floor in a supermarket or falling off a ladder at a construction site.
- Lifting, pushing and overreaching – the physical activity we associate with warehousing jobs and manufacturing jobs can put a great deal of strain on the shoulders and can lead to sprains and tears.
- Sports injuries – fractures, dislocations and rotator cuff tears can occur in any type of sports, but are especially common in sports that involve swinging a bat, throwing and racquet sports.
- Repetitive motions – work involving repetitive movements of the shoulder can cause frozen shoulder and rotator cuff injuries. Some professions such as electricians and sewage workers often have to adopt awkward positions to get into small spaces which puts their shoulders at risk.
This is not a complete list. Looking at the way we use our shoulders, it’s not surprising that injury claims arise in a wide range of circumstances. The most important issue is not the type of accident, but whether you can prove that someone else was responsible for your injury.
This will involve gathering evidence and testimonies to support your case.
How much compensation can I receive for a shoulder injury?
The amount of compensation you receive is proportional to the extent of your shoulder injury. This generally means that the more serious the injury, the more compensation you should expect to receive.
When calculating the value of a claim, we look at two key pieces of evidence: the medical report and the Judicial College Guidelines.
The medical report is prepared by an independent doctor who specialises in your type of shoulder injury. They will examine you and give their opinion on the seriousness of the injury, the effect it has had on you, and the extent and timeframe for recovery.
Next, we turn to the Judicial College Guidelines. The Guidelines are an attempt to standardise personal injury payouts and bring some consistency to compensation awards. They give “ballpark” figures for different types of shoulder injury.
Below you’ll find some guidelines amounts for what a shoulder injury claim might bring:
- Minor soft tissue damage to the shoulder that heals in 3 months to a year – £2,450 to £4,350
- Minor shoulder injuries that heal within 2 years – £4,350 to £7,890
- Moderate shoulder injury that restricts movement of the arm – £7,890 to £12,770
- Severe shoulder injury that results in numbness, paralysis or limited range of motion – £12,770 to £48,030
Can I claim for earnings I lost as a result of my shoulder injury?
In addition to compensation for the pain and suffering of a shoulder injury, you can claim for your financial losses and expenses. This includes:
- Medical treatment and prescription costs, such as private tests, X-rays, corticosteroid injections and physiotherapy
- Travel expenses to attend medical appointments
- Cost of care and support
- Loss of earnings due to time off work
- Future loss of income based on your ability to return to work and expected earning capacity in the future.
Your solicitor will refer to the medical report to determine how long you need to recover and when you might be able to go back to work. This helps them calculate a fair amount of compensation for the losses your shoulder injury has caused you and may continue to cause you in the future.
Am I eligible to make a shoulder injury claim?
You are eligible to make a shoulder injury compensation claim if:
- Your shoulder was harmed in the last three years,
- Due to someone else’s negligence, and
- That person or organisation owed you a duty of care.
A duty of care means someone has legal responsibility to avoid causing harm to another. For instance, employers owe a duty of care to provide a safe working environment for their employees. Drivers have a duty of care to operate their vehicles responsibly and safely. Product manufacturers have a duty of care to produce and distribute safe products for consumers.
These are just examples, and the specifics of your situation will dictate who has a duty of care towards you and who the claim should be made against. Don’t worry too much about this. Your solicitor will be able to advise you on whether you are eligible to make a claim.
Is there a time limit for making a shoulder injury claim?
In most cases, you have three years from the date of your accident to make a claim.
For shoulder injuries that occur slowly over time, the three-year timeline starts from the date you learned about your injury and realised that it could be due to someone else’s negligence.
Three years may seem like a long time but the sooner you start your claim, the better. Your claim may be stronger when evidence and testimonies are fresh, so it’s crucial to seek legal advice as soon as possible.
Why choose Osbornes Law for your claim?
Our multi-award-winning team of skilledpersonal injury solicitors are experienced in handling shoulder injury claims. We’ve been helping injured people and their families for over 50 years. Every year, we secure millions of pounds in compensation for our clients who have been injured through no fault of their own.
We’re proud to stand up for our clients. We explain everything in plain English, and we make sure you always know what’s happening in your case. It’s part of our values to provide a personal and caring service, and we’ll work with you to gather evidence, negotiate on your behalf and advise you on any settlement offers received.
With ourno win, no fee policy, you can make a claim without any upfront cost. If your claim is successful, you only pay a pre-agreed percentage of your compensation. If your claim is unsuccessful, you won’t have any legal fees to pay.
What types of injuries can I claim for?
We have helped clients claim compensation for a wide range of injuries including:
- Ankle Injury Claims
- Arm Injury Claims
- Back Injury Claims
- Elbow Injury Claims
- Finger Injury Claims
- Hand Injury Claims
- Hip Injury Claims
- Knee Injury Claims
- Leg Injury Claims
- Neck Injury Claims
- Wrist Injury Claims
Osbornes prepares cases well; the whole team is good and lawyers there know their stuff.
They deal with people compassionately and take on the right amount of detail. The firm has some really brilliant key solicitors.
The personal injury team is responsive and its level of service towards clients and other professionals is exceptional and high quality
The team offers specialist expertise in cycling-related injury claims and regularly acts for foreign nationals.
It has considerable experience in cases arising from motor accidents and accidents at work
Osbornes is a well-regarded personal injury practice well equipped to advise on high-value and high-profile claims.
Their team includes bright, hard-working solicitors dedicated to achieving successful outcomes for their clients from partner level to paralegal. Their client care is exceptional.
They are a team who are highly respected in the PI sector.
This is an excellent PI team doing a broad range of PI work.
Osbornes’ ‘highly respected‘ personal injury team is experienced in a range of complex, high-value claims, with notable strength in acting for European clients for whom English is not a first language.
Osbornes’ ‘highly respected‘ personal injury team is experienced in a range of complex, high-value claims
Osbornes’ ‘highly respected‘ personal injury team is experienced in a range of complex, high-value claims.
"Osbornes always provides work of excellent quality and the advice is sound."
"The firm has the ability to handle the most sophisticated and complex matters."
"Osbornes is always client-focused and works tirelessly to obtain the best outcomes."
'The team deals with multi-million pound, often multifaceted claims, involving such factors as severe brain, psychiatric, gynaecological and spinal injury, major trauma, amputation and fatality.'
"They are a boutique firm with highly experienced partners who are well-respected in the industry."
"The team at Osbornes deals with catastrophic injury claims with the same professionalism as the largest firms, but provides a much more client-focused experience."
"A really first-rate team, well capable of dealing with the most serious and complex injuries."
"This team has carved out an exceptional reputation in catastrophic injury work."
"Osbornes has impressed me with their personal touch for clients whilst offering a first-class handling of catastrophic injury claims. The partners all have vast experience and are highly respected in their field."
"This is a really excellent personal injury team that can be regarded as one of the major players in the London claimant personal injury market."
"Osbornes have managed to recruit a team of outstanding catastrophic injury lawyers who are at the top of the game."
"They punch well above their weight. The quality of service they provide equals that of any of the larger top-name firms in this area"
Ben Posford is fiercely bright, with an unrivalled passion for his clients’ cases. His encyclopaedic knowledge of all things PI is second to none. His foresight and commercial nous have propelled Osbornes into the highest echelons of the market where they rightly belong.
The firm has an excellent and innovative line in cases involving non-English speaking claimants, managed by recruiting paralegals with multi-language skills – an impressive route for expansion of the caseload.
Great expanding team with expertise and respect in the sector. Led by a commercially savvy and business minded team.
A really excellent group of PI solicitors, notable for their individual quality.’
A niche firm that punches well above its weight in the catastrophic injury sector, borne out by the quality of work they obtain.
This combination of experience and diligence reaps massive rewards for clients, Osbornes being well known in the industry as a fantastic firm.
The Osbornes personal injury team now comprises some of the most technically adept and hard hitting lawyers in the business.
Ben Posford is one of London’s best catastrophic injury lawyers, in my view. He is a real brain injury specialist.
Excellent coverage of personal injury, and traumatic brain injury. There is a real specialism in claimants who do not speak English as a first language.
The group is noted for its expertise in matters relating to cycling injuries, and is the official legal partner of the London Cycling Campaign charity.
To complement its strong reputation for high-value and complex personal injury work, the firm continues to develop its 'excellent and innovative line in cases involving non-English speaking claimants'
"Osbornes comprises some of the most technically adept and hard hitting lawyers in the business"
"A small but high-powered team, dealing with cases of significant value and complexity."
"An excellent firm which achieves fantastic outcomes for clients."
"Osbornes Law have captured the magic of keeping the customer service levels of a smaller firm whilst having all the expertise and power of the biggest firms."
"A superb boutique catastrophic injury firm."
"Really good at dealing with people who have suffered a serious injury."
"Affable and charming with very good client-handling skills."
"superb firm with consummate professionals and a human touch."
Osbornes now has a team of highly experienced personal injury lawyers; particularly strong on high-value quantum cases, workplace accidents and claims involving foreign workers injured in the UK.
The team provides fantastic strength-in-depth for personal injury claims. It is also particularly well placed to service clients from Eastern Europe with specialist native language speakers. From the smallest case to a multimillion-pound spinal injury case, Osbornes has the right staff to manage every claim.
Ben Posford remains pre-eminent in his field with expert understanding of litigating cases of the upmost severity. His experience builds on Stuart Kightley’s running of the firm with recent partner additions of Rob Aylott making a fantastic addition.
A firm going from strength-to strength-which retains its client care whilst being able to offer a full personal injury service.
Beneath Ben Posford’s calm and reassuring presence, which clients love, lies a formidable tactical and legal brain. His experience tells and he gets it right at every stage of the process from arranging the best possible rehabilitation, to ensuring, so far as possible, a polite relationship with those acting for the defendant in order to ensure best and early resolution of the claim.
"Clients say he is very impressive, in terms of both his experience and his management of the personal injury team."
"They have an expanding profile in personal injury and clinical negligence and offer a superb, broad service in accidents abroad, enabled by their recruitment of bilingual legal executives who can guide non-English speakers through complex litigation."
"Solid personal injury practice well equipped to advise on high-value and high-profile claims arising from fatalities and severe head and spinal injuries."
"Offers specialist expertise in cycling-related injury claims."
"Offers specialist expertise in cauda equina syndrome cases."
"An exceptional outfit. They take on difficult cases, fight hard and win."
"Stuart Kightley is an incredibly empathetic solicitor who is very knowledgeable about traumatic brain injury."
"They are an outstanding firm to work with. They are consistently impressive in their work."
"Osbornes often handles claims valued at over £1m, particularly relating to severe brain and spinal cord injuries and niche areas such as cauda equina syndrome and cycling accidents."
"The hard-working, thorough and committed Robert Aylott, who brings significant heavyweight personal injury experience."
"Key team members include the energetic and personable Stuart Kightley who is head of the personal injury department."
"Osbornes has a growing influence and impressive work load and is gaining a reputation for handling complex catastrophic work."
"Catastrophic injury cases head Ben Posford is an excellent practical litigator who offers exceptional service."
"Stuart is also very experienced in advising on fatal accidents and workplace accidents."
Thank you for the hard work and patience and for being so patient with my constant questions.
"I have found Osbornes to be thorough, clear and understanding from the initial call. They do exactly what they say they will and with passion! I would recommend them to anyone".
Very good efficient service. Would not hesitate to use again.
I will use Osbornes for any future needs.
I don't think I could have asked for anything more. One of the best dealings I've had with the legal profession.
Sam was excellent and very professional in dealing with our claim.
Head of the personal injury department, Stuart Kightley is a first-rate practitioner, wholly focused on getting his client the best outcome in a pragmatic, sensible and consensual manner.
As a real specialist in spinal cord injuries, Ben Posford is always looking at new angles on how to maximise his cases.
Ben Posford is one of the best catastrophic injury lawyers around.
They provide exceptional service, great knowledge and understanding of the law, excellent client care and tactical nous
Stuart Kightley is praised for his expertise in catastrophic and fatal claims. Clients say he is very impressive, in terms of both his experience and his management of the personal injury team.
My claim was dealt with efficiently and professionally. Communication was excellent, and timely. Shrewd and sound advice was provided at every stage of the claim from beginning through to completion. On the basis of my personal experience I would strongly recommend Osbornes.
I just wish to thank you for your hard work and successful outcome. I am pleased with the result and would recommend you and your firm to anyone in the future.
Ben Posford … is ‘tactically astute’ and ‘one of the best personal injury solicitors around’.
Ben Posford ‘knows how to maximise the value of the claim for his clients’.
