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This year, APIL’s (The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers) Injury Awareness Week focuses on the subject of Body Integrity. The loss of body integrity, and the challenges it brings to an injured person is hugely important when pursuing a personal injury claim.
In this blog, Cameron Petch - a Solicitor Apprentice in our Personal Injury Team - discusses APIL’s focus for this year and how it can link to pursuing a claim in negligence.
Every year in the UK, around half a million people suffer injuries caused by negligence - injuries that could and should have been avoided. When an accident happens, it isn’t just your plans that get undone; fundamental aspects of your identity and bodily integrity are challenged.
What is bodily integrity?
Bodily integrity is your right to safety and autonomy over your own body - it’s a core human right. When someone else’s negligence leads to injury, that right is violated. APIL’s Injury Awareness Week reminds us that such incidents don’t just cause physical harm - they strip us of the control we expect over our own bodies.
When you sustain an injury, you are subject to more than just physical harm, you experience an emotional and psychological toll. Victims often report a profound sense of violation, especially in serious cases like losing a limb. Even the most minor of injuries can have profound effects on people’s lives, changing their trajectories in an instant. A sudden injury can shatter future plans - career, family, education, travel - turning everyday routines into challenges. People don’t tend to consider the impact of financial strains following an injury but the costs quickly pile up, from medical treatment to prosthetics, rehabilitation, lost earnings, and practical support.
How can a personal injury claim help?
Thankfully, personal injury law exists to support victims in reclaiming their lives and provides them with a path to rebuilding. Compensation (or damages, as referred to in Civil Litigation) isn’t about profit - it’s about restoring dignity and helping rebuild a sense of normality, with the aim to put the injured party in the position they would have been, but for the accident taking place, as best as money can do so.
Damages typically cover:
- Past financial losses: bills already paid, medical treatments, travel, etc.
- Future needs: adaptive equipment, care services, lost career opportunities.
- Pain, suffering & loss of amenity: the non‑financial impacts of life irrevocably changed.
Being in receipt of damages from a successful personal injury claim can fund access to a range of vital support services. This includes early intervention rehabilitation, which is widely recognised as essential for both physical and emotional recovery. Compensation can also cover the cost of specialist equipment and home adaptations, helping individuals regain their independence and rebuild confidence in everyday life. In many cases, it can also enable access to psychological therapy, providing crucial support in processing trauma and adjusting to life after injury.
How we can assist:
A personal injury impacts far more than just physical health - it can disrupt daily routines, diminish personal autonomy, and profoundly affect an individual’s sense of purpose and direction. However, with the right legal support, compensation serves as a crucial means of restoring not only physical well-being, but also a person’s identity, independence, and future prospects.
If you or someone close to you has sustained a life-changing injury as a result of another party’s negligence, it’s important to know that support is available. Seeking legal advice can be a vital step toward securing the assistance and compensation needed to move forward.
Get in touch with Lanyon Bowdler by emailing info@lblaw.co.uk or phoning 01743 280280.
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