A serious injury can make an ordinary home difficult or unsafe to live in. Compensation is meant to put you, as far as money can, in the position you would have been in without the injury, and that includes a home you can live in safely and independently.
What adaptations can be claimed?
Typical examples include ramps and level access; grab rails; a stairlift or through-floor lift; widened doorways and turning space for a wheelchair; a level-access shower or wet room; adapted kitchens with lower worktops; ground-floor bedroom or bathroom extensions; and environmental controls. Running costs, such as extra heating, insurance and maintenance of equipment, can also be claimed.
What specialist equipment is covered?
Wheelchairs and their replacement over time, hoists, adapted beds, pressure-relief equipment, mobility aids, communication aids and adapted vehicles. The claim covers not just the first purchase but replacements over your lifetime.
How are the costs proved?
Usually through an occupational therapist's assessment of your needs, supported by an accommodation expert or architect who designs and costs the work, and builders' quotes. The defendant's insurer may instruct its own experts, and the court decides what is reasonable.
What if I need to move house?
If your current home cannot be adapted, you may need a different property. Courts do not award the full purchase price of a new home, because you would keep the capital value. Instead, a specific legal method is used to compensate for the extra cost of suitable accommodation. This area of law was developed in Roberts v Johnstone and revisited by the Court of Appeal in Swift v Carpenter [2020] EWCA Civ 1295, and it depends on the discount rate in force. It is complex and needs specialist advice and expert evidence.
Can I get money before the claim settles?
Yes. If liability is admitted or likely, you can ask for an interim payment to fund urgent adaptations and equipment, so you are not left waiting years. See interim payments explained.
What about care at home?
Care and support are claimed separately. See claiming for care and assistance. For the most serious injuries, see spinal injury at work claims and amputation injuries at work.
Sources
Browse every plain-English guide in the work accident guides hub, or read the main guide to how a claim works.
This guide is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Every claim turns on its own facts. For advice about your specific situation, speak to a regulated solicitor.