GENERAL DAMAGES FOR PSYCHIATRIC INJURY – THE KEY ISSUES CONSIDERED: WEBINAR 30th JULY 2026

Psychiatric injury claims raise some of the most challenging issues in personal injury litigation. Questions frequently arise as to whether a claimant has suffered a recognised psychiatric illness, how damages should be assessed, the role of expert evidence, and how psychiatric injury should be valued alongside physical injury without leading to double recovery.

This one-hour  webinar provides a practical guide to the principles that govern the assessment of damages for psychiatric injury and examines the issues that practitioners encounter in day-to-day litigation. It provides a series of practical checklists to enable practitioners to fully consider the issues they have to address.

Booking details are available here.

THE WEBINAR

Drawing on recent case law and established principles, the session considers the way in which the courts approach psychiatric injury claims across a wide range of contexts, including cases involving workplace stress, sexual abuse, secondary victims and fatal accidents.

Whether you act for claimants or defendants, this webinar will provide practical guidance that can be applied immediately in the preparation, valuation and presentation of claims.

What the webinar covers

The webinar includes consideration of:

• How awards for psychiatric injury compare with awards for physical injury.
• The distinction between recognised psychiatric disorders and ordinary grief, distress or upset.
• The assessment and quantification of psychiatric injury.
• The importance of expert psychiatric evidence.
• Claims involving both physical and psychiatric injuries.
• Multiple injuries and the principles that prevent double recovery.
• Difficult issues of causation.
• Secondary victim and “bystander” claims.
• Psychiatric injury arising from workplace stress.
• Claims arising from sexual abuse.
• The factors that can increase or reduce awards for damages.
• Practical checklists for preparing and presenting psychiatric injury claims.

Learning objectives

By the end of the webinar participants will be able to:

• Understand how damages for psychiatric injury compare with those awarded for physical injury.
• Identify what constitutes a legally recognised psychiatric injury.
• Analyse the court’s approach to assessing and quantifying psychiatric harm.
• Apply the principles governing claims involving both physical and psychiatric injuries.
• Understand how courts deal with multiple injuries while avoiding double recovery.
• Evaluate causation issues commonly encountered in psychiatric injury litigation.
• Recognise the legal principles governing secondary victim and fatal accident claims.
• Assess claims arising from workplace stress and sexual abuse.
• Identify factors likely to increase or reduce awards for general damages.
• Use practical checklists to strengthen case preparation and maximise prospects of success.