The Highest Personal Injury Compensation Amounts UK vs USA

The team at LegalExpert.co.uk have explored some of the biggest personal injury payouts in the UK, whilst also comparing it with the biggest payouts received in the US to discover the largest insurance claims in history! It is now widely regarded that the UK has followed suit and joined the “compensation culture” prominent in the US. However this is in fact not the case, the number of compensation claims in the UK has stayed the same since 1989. At Legal Expert, we offer unparalleled personal injury claim advice. As such, we have extensively researched the biggest compensation payouts in history on either side of the Atlantic and see how the UK stacks up against our American cousins.

UK vs USA: Who has the biggest personal injury claims?

As evident in our Infographic the US’s compensation claims are in a completely different league to the UK’s. In terms of the five biggest personal injury claims in history in both countries even the fifth highest payout in the USA is almost five times the size of the largest UK personal injury claim! The highest personal injury claim in the US is a staggering $150 billion, which puts the UK’s highest claim of £28 million to shame. The USA’s highest personal injury payout was awarded to the Middleton family after their child faced life changing injuries after being doused with petrol and set on fire, unfortunately 12 years after the attack he passed away due to injury complications as a result of the assault. Whereas, the largest payout in the UK was made to a young girl under 10 after she was hit at speed from behind when sitting in her stationary parked parents’ car. She now requires 24/7 care and cannot walk independently and has lost the use of her arms.

UK vs USA: Who has the highest medical malpractice compensation claim?

Again the US wipes the floor with the UK for the highest medical malpractice compensation claim – the US’s claimant received $172 million in damages for medical malpractice after suffering from brain damage whilst waiting for an ambulance to arrive and being given the wrong medication sending her into anaphylactic shock. The ambulance that did arrive was ill-equipped as it did not have the necessary life-saving equipment. Whereas the UK’s highest medical malpractice compensation claim only reached £24 million. The claimant was only ten years old when undergoing treatment which entailed injecting glue into her to block off bleeding in blood vessels. Unfortunately, the glue was injected by accident into her brain and she was left brain damaged.

UK vs USA: Who has the largest road accident claim?

It is no surprise that the US has the largest road accident claim in history of $262 million for an automotive product liability claim. There is not much information in the public domain regarding this case, all that is known is the claim involved a US company being held responsible for a deceased child after their family brought an automotive product liability claim against them. The UK’s highest road accident claim is in fact the aforementioned largest personal injury claim in history in the UK which is likely to be due to the young girl’s age and the severity of her injuries.

If you happen to find yourself in an accident which was not your fault Legal Expert are specialists with a no win no fee service designed to help everyone access the legal services they deserve. We believe that no one should be stopped from making a personal injury claim because they can’t afford upfront or ongoing costs. You can start by taking advantage of a free, no obligation, legal consultation with one of our experts. From there we can provide the help and advice you need.