Co-op Legal Services personal injury team ranked in Legal 500 2026
Co-op Legal Services personal injury team earns Legal 500 recognition.
Psychological injury claims
Contact our team to find out if you can make a compensation claim for psychological injuries.
A significant number of people who are involved in a traumatic event such as a road accident or work accident go on to suffer psychological injury as well. These individuals can be affected in a number of different ways, typically reliving the traumatic event through nightmares and flashbacks and experiencing feelings of confusion, irritability, guilt or sorrow.
Our personal injury solicitors understand that suffering from psychological injuries and trauma can have a profound and long-lasting effect on your life and also on the loved ones around you.
Who can claim for a psychological injury?
Where psychological or psychiatric injury has occurred through the negligence of another person, such as a negligent driver, or through the negligence of an employer, we can support you in bringing a claim for psychological injuries compensation. We can also help with any physical injuries that you might have suffered.
Psychological injury compensation awards can be made for the pain and suffering caused, rehabilitation, and any financial losses that resulted from the traumatic accident or event.
At Co-op Legal Services, most claims can be dealt with on a no win no fee basis.
What are secondary victim claims?
If you’ve witnessed a loved one being seriously injured in an accident and it’s caused you psychological harm such as anxiety, depression, or PTSD, you may be able to make a claim as a secondary victim. This means you weren’t physically hurt yourself, but you were emotionally affected by what you saw.
To claim as a secondary victim, you must have:
- a close relationship with the person involved, such as being their parent, child, or partner
- witnessed the accident or its immediate aftermath in person
- suffered a recognised psychological injury as a direct result
These claims can be complex, so it’s important to speak to a solicitor who can assess whether your situation meets the legal criteria.
What are psychological injuries?
Psychological injuries are psychological or psychiatric conditions which can result after witnessing or being involved in a severely distressing and traumatic event.
In serious cases the ability to function normally in daily life can be significantly impacted, and this in turn can affect personal and professional relationships, possibly resulting in reduced earnings, delayed career progression or loss of employment.
It is also not unusual for the psychological aspect of these injuries to last longer than the physical injuries. However a victim may not realise that there has been psychological damage straight away. This may not become apparent until weeks, months or sometimes even years later.
Common symptoms of psychological injuries
Common symptoms of psychological injury include:
- sleeping problems
- difficulty concentrating
- anxiety
- depression
- hypervigilance or being overly alert
- drug or alcohol misuse
- loss of enjoyment
If you believe you have suffered psychological trauma due to an accident, our Personal Injury Solicitors can help you. We can provide free legal advice and a free assessment of your claim. We know how difficult managing psychological injuries can be and we can fully support you throughout your claim.
Our values
It is part of the Co-op’s ethos and values to provide help and support in enforcing legal rights so as to prevent injustice. We will always strive to secure the best possible compensation and rehabilitation for our clients.
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