By Richie Billing. Last Updated 29th November 2023. If you’re wondering what the typical payouts for personal injury in the UK are, this article should help. As you may know, a personal injury claim may be possible if you’ve been injured in an accident caused by somebody else who owed you a duty of care.
Employers, those in control of places accessible to the public and road users owe you a duty of care to protect your safety. That might mean seeking damages for a car accident, a back injury at work, or a head injury following a slip, trip or fall, for instance. Whatever type of accident you’ve been involved in, we’ll look at what compensation payout you could be entitled to.
If you’d like to look into starting a claim, why not contact our advisors? They’ll review your claim with you and give free legal advice about what to do next. If you decide to proceed, and your claim is strong enough, we could pass it to a personal injury solicitor from our panel. Importantly, they’ll offer a No Win No Fee service to make your claim less stressful if it’s taken on.
To speak with one of our advisors right away, you can call us on 0800 408 7825. Alternatively, you can get in touch with us online by using our online contact page or our 24/7 live chat service. To learn more about the typical payouts for personal injury in the UK first, please read on.
Typical payouts for A personal injury guide
Select A Section
- What Are The Typical Payouts For A Personal Injury In The UK?
- Compensation For Personal Injury – Claim Eligibility Criteria
- What Evidence Do You Need To Make A Personal Injury Claim?
- Personal Injury Payout Guide – How Could A Personal Injury Occur?
- How Long Do I Have To Make A Personal Injury Claim?
- Personal Injury Claim Payouts – Claim With A No Win No Fee Lawyer
- Helpful Resources
What Are The Typical Payouts For A Personal Injury In The UK?
It wouldn’t be useful to tell you the average compensation for a car accident or other personal injury incident, given that each case is unique and is awarded on its own merit. However, using the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), we can give you an insight into personal injury compensation amounts relating to specific injuries.
The JCG was last updated in April 2022 and is used by legal professionals to value claims for personal injury compensation. The Guidelines classify injuries depending on the body part, the degree of severity and how much it would affect the claimant’s quality of life. Please only use the figures below as guidance. Also note that the first entry is an estimated figure that is not based on any found in the JCG.
| Body Part / Injury | Level | Compensation Bracket | Further Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple Serious Injuries Plus Special Damages | Serious | Up to £500,000+ | Your compensation payout may cover multiple serious injuries as well as special damages such as loss of earnings and the cost of home care. |
| Arm | (b)(iii) Amputation | £96,160 to £109,650 | Where the claimant’s arm is amputated below the elbow. |
| Knee | (a)(i) Severe | £69,730 to £96,210 | This is the bracket that covers disruption to the knee joint, severe ligament damage, extensive treatment and considerable loss of function. |
| Back | (a)(iii) Severe | £38,780 to £69,730 | This category covers disc fractures or lesions and soft tissue injuries that, even after surgery, cause severe pain and other disabilities. |
| Psychiatric Damage (Mental Harm) | (b) Moderately Severe | £19,070 to £54,830 | The claimant will initially suffer significantly from distress, anxiety, depression or similar conditions. However, their prognosis will be relatively optimistic. |
| Leg | (iv) Moderate | £27,760 to £39,200 | A bracket that includes injuries like multiple or complicated fractures or crushing injuries. |
| Achilles Tendon | (b) Serious | £24,990 to £30,090 | Although the division of the tendon will have been repaired successfully, limited ankle movement, a limp or other disabilities will prevail. |
| Nose | (i) Serious | £10,640 to £23,130 | Covers fractured nose injuries where permanent damage results or where multiple surgeries are necessary. |
| Clavicle | (e) Fracture | £5,150 to £12,240 | This bracket is based on the severity of the fracture and what disability or symptoms it causes. |
| Teeth | (i) Serious | £8,730 to £11,410 | Includes cases where there has been serious damage or loss of several front teeth. |
It’s worth noting that when assessing the value of personal injury claims, solicitors also consider any financial harm you have sustained. The other head of claim is special damages. This relates to the financial losses you’ve experienced because of the injury. Examples of what you could claim for include:
- Travel expenses
- Care costs. You could claim this if the injury has led to you needing to pay for professional help (such as a nurse).
- Loss of earnings. You could also claim for future loss of earnings if you’ve suffered long-term or permanent health issues that lead to you being unable to work.
- Healthcare costs
- Adjustments to your home.
If you would like to connect with an expert solicitor from our panel to discuss what compensation you could be awarded, speak to our advisors and they’ll arrange a free consultation.
Compensation For Personal Injury – Claim Eligibility Criteria
If you are seeking compensation for personal injury, you must meet the eligibility criteria. You must be able to prove that:
- A relevant third party owed you a duty of care.
- This duty was breached.
- You suffered injuries as a result of the breach.
There are various situations in daily life in which you are owed a duty of care. These include:
- While in public spaces – Under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957, the person or organisation in charge of a space must take all the necessary steps to ensure your reasonable safety. This is their duty of care.
- Using the roads – The duty of care for road users is set by the Road Traffic Act 1988. It says that road users need to navigate the roads in a way that prevents injuries and damage to themselves and others. As part of this duty, road users are also expected to adhere to the relevant rules and regulations found in the Highway Code.
- At work – Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA), employers owe their employees a duty of care. This means that your employer must take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees while they are at work.
If you have any questions about typical payouts for personal injury in the UK or to see if you may have a valid case, you can contact our advisors.
What Evidence Do You Need To Make A Personal Injury Claim?
To make a successful personal injury claim, you will need to provide evidence that supports your case. Evidence could include:
- Medical records that confirm the injuries you’re claiming for.
- Any video footage available that shows how you were injured, such as CCTV footage.
- Photographs showing the accident scene and your injuries.
- The contact details of any witnesses who can provide a statement.
If you choose to work with a solicitor on your claim, they may be able to assist you in gathering evidence for your claim. A solicitor can also give you more insight into the process of personal injury claims, payouts, and other aspects of your claim.
To find out if a solicitor from our panel could help you, contact our team today. They can also give further guidance on typical payouts for a personal injury in the UK.
Personal Injury Payout Guide – How Could A Personal Injury Occur?
As part of our personal injury payout guide, it’s worth discussing ways that you could be injured in an accident as a result of a third party’s negligence.
Scenarios where a personal injury claim could arise include:
- You might have an accident at work because your employer failed to provide adequate training for manual handling tasks. Subsequently, you suffer a back injury.
- A road traffic accident occurs because another road user is driving whilst under the influence. You could suffer a serious head injury as a result.
- A slip or fall accident happens because restaurant staff failed to quickly clean up a spillage. Therefore, you might suffer an injury to your elbow.
Read on to find a list of compensation payouts for UK claims. Alternatively, contact our advisors at any time to be connected with an expert personal injury lawyer from our panel.
How Long Do I Have To Make A Personal Injury Claim?
Under the Limitation Act 1980, the standard time limit for starting a personal injury claim is three years. This usually applies from the date of the incident that caused your injuries. The three-year time limit applies to claims seeking compensation payouts for different types of accidents and injuries, such as car accident claim payouts.
Under certain circumstances, the time limit can work differently. If the injured party is a child, then the time limit will not start until the day they turn 18 years old. Before that day, a litigation friend could make a claim on the child’s behalf. If that doesn’t happen, then the injured party will have three years to start their own claim from the day of their 18th birthday.
If the injured party lacks the mental capacity to start their own claim, then the time limit will be suspended indefinitely. A litigation friend could claim on the injured party’s behalf instead. If, however, the injured party later recovers their mental capacity, and a claim hasn’t already been made, then they will have three years to make their own claim from the day of recovery.
To ask questions about the time limit for claiming, or other matters such as the average personal injury settlement, contact our advisors for free today.
Personal Injury Claim Payouts – Claim With A No Win No Fee Lawyer
You can discuss your potential personal injury claim with one of our advisors. If they believe that you could be eligible to make a claim, they could connect you with one of the lawyers on our panel. If they agree to take on your case, they may offer to work with you under a type of No Win No Fee arrangement called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).
When working with a lawyer on a No Win No Fee basis, they won’t charge you anything upfront or ask for you to pay ongoing fees. If your lawyer succeeds with your claim, they will take a legally capped success fee out of your compensation award. However, if your claim is not successful, your lawyer will not charge you for their services.
If you have any questions about making a personal injury claim following an accident, or the compensation amounts that could be awarded for various injuries, get in touch with our advisors. Our team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with free advice.
To speak about personal injury claim payouts with an advisor:
- Call 0800 408 7825
- Contact us online.
- Use our live chat.
Helpful Resources
- Herniated Disc Injury Claims – Information on claiming if you’ve suffered back problems because of a herniated disc.
- Broken Hip Claim – Advice on taking action if you’ve broken your hip because of somebody else’s negligence.
- Rights After An Accident At Work – Guidance on what you can do if you’ve been injured at work.
- Broken A Bone? – NHS information on what to do if you’ve fractured a bone.
- Health And Safety Executive (HSE) – The organisation that enforces and regulates safety standards in the workplace.
Other Guides You May Find Useful
- The Average Payout For Slips And Falls
- Examples Of CICA Payouts
- How Are Compensation Payout Amounts Calculated?
For more insights into typical payouts for personal injury in the UK, you can speak to our advisors today. You can get in touch with Public Interest Lawyers by using the contact details included in this guide.