When deciding how much compensation you should be awarded for your injury, the courts will look at a publication called the Judicial Studies Board Guidelines as a starting point. These guidelines are updated every couple of years and indicate the appropriate awards of compensation that the courts should make. A court will look at the guidelines, look at the facts of your own case, and then perhaps look at other cases involving injuries similar to yours to see what awards were made in those cases. Here is what you may get:
Quadriplegia: up to £235,000. The precise amount you get will depend on a number of factors, including the effect your injuries have on your senses and life expectancy. If you are brain damaged, you will recover more. Any award will also be affected by how much movement you have left, the extent of any residual pain, and the presence or absence of depression.
Paraplegia: up to £165,500.
Very severe brain damage: up to £235,000. The exact award will be affected by the degree of insight, life expectancy, and the extent of physical limitations.
Moderately severe brain damage: up to £165,500.
Moderate brain damage: up to £127,250. The degree of dependence will be lower in these cases.
Minor brain damage: up to £25,000. These cases are where a good recovery has been made and the injured individual is able to work.
Minor head injury: between £1,300 and £7,425. Brain damage will be minimal or non-existent. An award at the lowest end will be made if there is a full recovery within a few weeks.
Epilepsy: up to £87,500.
Severe psychiatric damage: up to £67,200
Moderately severe psychiatric damage: up to £32,000
Moderate psychiatric damage: up to £11,200
Minor psychiatric damage: between £840 and £3,450. The extent of interference with daily activities and sleep will be a factor.
Severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: up to £58,500
Moderately severe PTSD: up to £13,500
Minor PTSD: between £2,300 and £4,825. These are cases where there has been a virtually full recovery within a couple of years.
Severe chronic pain syndrome: up to £37,150
Moderate chronic pain syndrome: up to £19,100
Total blindness and deafness: £235,000
Total blindness: £155,250
Loss of sight in one eye with reduced vision in the other: up to £104,500
Total loss of one eye: up to £38,175
Complete loss of sight in one eye: up to £32,000
Serious loss of vision in one eye: up to £22,650
Minor but permanent impairment of vision in one eye: up to £12,200
Minor eye injuries: £2,300 to £5,100
Transient eye injuries: £1,300 to £2,300
Total deafness and loss of speech: up to £81,500
Total deafness: up to £63,625
Total loss of hearing in one ear: up to £26,500
Partial hearing loss/ tinnitus: between £4,300 and £26,500, depending on severity
Total loss of taste and smell: £22,650
Total loss of smell and significant loss of taste: £19,100 to £22,650
Loss of smell: £14,500 to £19,100
Loss of taste: £11,200 to 14,500
Lung disease: up to £79,000
Mesothelioma: up to £74,300
Lung cancer: up to £58,500
Asthma: up to £38,175
Impotence: up to £86,500
Infertility: up to £98,500
Severe neck injury: £86,500
Moderate neck injury: £4,575 to £14,500, e.g. whiplash, depending on severity of symptoms and presence or absence of permanent symptoms
Minor neck injury: £750 to £4,575, e.g. minor soft tissue and whiplash injuries with a full recovery between a few weeks and a couple of years
Severe back injury: up to £98,500
Moderate back injury: up to £22,650
Minor back injury: up to £7,125
Frozen shoulder: £4,575 to £7,375
Fracture of clavicle: £3,000 to £7,125
Loss of both arms: up to £174,500
Loss of one arm: up to £79,000
Broken arm: £3,800 to £11,200, depending on recovery time and degree of disability
Broken elbow: up to £7,375
Broken wrist: up to £5,850
Loss of both hands: up to £117,000
Amputation of index and middle and/or ring fingers: up to £52,950
Serious hand injury: up to £36,125
Less serious hand injury: up to £16,800
Moderate hand injury: up to £7,625
Minor hand injury: up to £2,550
Severe fractures to fingers: up to £21,350
Total loss of index finger: £10,700
Partial loss of index finger: up to £10,700
Fracture of index finger: up to £7,125
Total loss of middle finger: £8,900
Amputation of the little finger: up to £7,125
Loss of part of the little finger: up to £3,450
Fracture of one finger: £1,775 to £2,800
Loss of thumb: up to £32,000
Trivial thumb injuries: £1,250
Vibration white finger: up to £22,400
Serious broken leg: up to £22,650
Fracture of leg where incomplete recovery: up to £16,300
Simple fracture of femur: £5,350 to £8,150
Moderate knee injuries: up to £8,150
Broken ankle: up to £8,150
Minor Achilles tendon injury: up to £5,850
Simple fractures to feet: up to £8,150
Moderate toe injuries: up to £5,600
Broken nose: up to £13,500 but starting at £1,000
Fractured cheekbone: £1400 to £9,150
Broken jaw: up to £26,500 but starting at £3,800
Damage or loss of teeth: between £630 and £6,600
Severe facial scarring: up to £56,500
Trivial facial scarring: up to £2,000
Bodily scarring: anything from £1,300 to £8,200
Damage to hair: from £2,300 for fairly serious cases up to around £6,350
The above figures are guidelines only and the amount of compensation you will get will all depend on the precise circumstances of your case, such as the severity of your injury and the nature of any ongoing symptoms. A solicitor will be able to advise you on what you are likely to recover, so please contact one in our directory.