Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

Loss definition

What does Loss mean? In legal practice, loss means the harm, detriment or deprivation suffered—financial, physical or proprietary—and is not confined to permanent deprivation; temporary loss can suffice. The term is a broad, descriptive label used across civil, criminal, regulatory and insurance contexts. Some statutes define it for particular purposes: e.g., the Fraud Act 2006 (E&W and NI) defines gain or loss in money or other property and includes temporary loss; exposing another to a risk of loss may suffice. Comparable wording appears in Ireland. In Scotland, fraud is largely common law, but usage is similar. In civil claims (contract and tort/delict), damages compensate for loss...

England and Wales—Past loss of services dependency under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976: multiplicand/multiplier, replacement and gratuitous care, earnings proxy, and Regan v Williamson awards

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Practice notes

Claims for historic outgoings and Losses generally comprise, primarily, the following:

lost financial dependency (see Practice Note: Quantifying damages for Dependants—past losses—financial dependency)
the worth of services the deceased would have supplied had they remained alive

The loss is assessed via a multiplicand/multiplier method. In essence, the court will generally start by identifying the annual value of the loss (the multiplicand), before applying an appropriate multiplier. By way of a straightforward illustration: if the deceased gave the dependant £100 each month as an allowance (£1,200) and also delivered DIY help valued at £100 per quarter (£400), the yearly multiplicand would come to £1,600.

Calculating the annual value to the dependants of the loss of the deceased’s services

Typically, a claim of this kind is advanced where, prior to death, the deceased supplied the dependant with services that carry a quantifiable commercial value. In the same way as a claim for financial dependency, a claim for loss of services can also be brought for assistance not previously provided, but which would probably have been furnished had the deceased not died...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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