How Much Compensation For Head Injury Claims?

Last Updated 13th October 2025. Compensation for brain damage is determined by such factors as the severity of the injury and its impact on quality of life. That means a brain injury claim amount can vary, ranging from up to £15,580 for minor damage to between £344,150 and £493,000 for very severe head trauma. Financial losses can also be claimed for physiotherapy, rehabilitation, home and car adaptations, private medical care, lost wages, and around-the-clock care. It is important to point out that this financial impact can amount to more compensation than for the injury, meaning payouts can run into millions of pounds. A specialist solicitor can use their expertise to help you navigate the claims process and secure the maximum brain injury compensation for you or your loved one.

If you have suffered a head injury and it was someone else’s fault, you could be entitled to compensation. A head injury can range from a concussion to significant brain damage. This guide about head injury claims will aim to provide information about who is eligible to claim and how compensation is calculated.

Head Injury Claims Key Takeaways

• If someone else caused your head injury, you could be entitled to compensation
• This could be in an accident on the road, at work, or in a public place
• You can be compensated for both injuries and financial losses
• There is a general three-year time limit to start a personal injury claim, but there are exceptions
• An expert personal injury solicitor from our panel could help you claim compensation on a No Win No Fee basis

Head Injury Compensation Calculator

InjuryPlease SelectMultiple, Very Severe Injuries + Special DamagesHead/Traumatic Brain InjuryEpilepsy (post-injury)

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Guideline figures from recent brackets. Final awards depend on medical evidence, care needs, work impact, and other special damages.

We have a compensation calculator that can provide a rough estimate of potential damages, but we would encourage you to read this guide in full. You can also get in touch with an advisor at any time by:

• Ringing the team on 0800 408 7826.
• Reaching out to us through our contact page.
• Asking the chat bubble below anything for an immediate response.

Jump To A Section Of Our Head Injury Compensation Guide

• • Average Head Injury Compensation Payouts In The UK
  • £90,000 For A Head Injury Claim – Case Study
  • Am I Eligible To Claim For A Head Injury?
  • Can I Claim For A Head Injury If I Was Partially At Fault?
  • Types Of Head Injuries You Can Claim For
  • Common Types Of Accidents That Lead To Claims
  • Can I Claim On Behalf Of Someone Else?
  • How To Make A Head Injury Claim
  • How Our Panel Of Solicitors Can Support Your Claim
  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Head Injury Claims
  • More Information

Average Head Injury Compensation Payouts In The UK

The term ‘average compensation’ tends to suggest that awards are made in a general way. This isn’t strictly true, as every personal injury claim has different elements to it. No two brain injuries are the same, and so the only certain way to obtain an accurate assessment of what could be owed is to consult with an expert solicitor like the ones on our panel.

How We Can Estimate Compensation Amounts

Our panel of solicitors know that two categories of loss, called general and special damages, can make up the compensation award. General damages are calculated by looking at medical evidence and consulting with publications like the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This document provides suggestive brackets of compensation for various injuries, reflecting factors such as the following:

• The pain and suffering the person experienced.
• Whether they suffered a permanent or long-term disability.
• The impact on the quality of their life.
• The psychological damage they have endured.

Our table includes several JCG brackets, except for the top figure. As stated, no two claims are alike, so these brackets are to be read as strictly guidelines.

Compensation Guidelines

Injury	Severity	Compensation	Notes
Multiple, Very Severe Injuries, Together with Special Damages	Very Severe	Up to £1 million plus	Monetary losses may relate to care provision and adaptations needed at home.
Head/Traumatic Brain injury	(a) Very Severe	£344,150 up to £493,000	Permanent and serious disability requiring round-the-clock professional care with little meaningful reaction to environment.
	(b) Moderately Severe	£267,640 up to £344,150	A very serious disability creating substantial dependence on others because of cognitive reduction and limb paralysis.
	(c) Moderate (i)	£183,190 up to £267,340	A moderate to severe deficit to intellect as well as impact on senses, epilepsy risk and no employment prospects.
	(c) Moderate (ii)	£110,720 up to £183,190	Some degree of intellectual deficit, risk of epilepsy and great reduction (if not total loss) of employment prospects.
	(c) Moderate (iii)	£52,550 up to £110,720	Impact on memory and concentration, small risk of epilepsy and employment capacity is reduced.
	(d) Less Severe	£18,700 up to £52,550	Similar issues to award bracket immediately above but generally a good recovery is made with only minor persisting issues with memory, mood and concentration.
	(e) Minor	£2,690 up to £15,580	Minor brain damage issues that typically resolve within 2 - 3 years or sooner.
Epilepsy	(a) Established Grand Mal	£124,470 up to £183,190	Compensation considers factors such as how effectively controlled the condition is with medication, and what effect there is on social life.
	(b) Established Petit Mal	£66,920 up to £160,360	Award can depend on whether medication helps stabilize the condition.

Special Damages – How They Affect Your Claim

The second head of loss that our panel of solicitors focus on is financial losses. A serious head injury can generate enormous expense for the person and their family. If they suffer permanent injury, they may need to rely upon professional care for the rest of their life, which can be extremely expensive. Under special damages, an amount can be calculated to cover these costs as long as you have evidence such as:

• Proof of short and long-term care costs.
• Rehabilitation expenses.
• Evidence of lost income because of the injury.
• Proof of travel expenses to medical appointments.
• Receipts, invoices and statements for the cost of essential adaptations in the home.

Using the evidence presented, a solicitor can calculate the predicted costs to come and ensure they are included in the head injury compensation claim. If you’d like to discuss how they might help you build a more comprehensive request for damages, get in touch.

It’s important to emphasise that the best way to assess how potential compensation might be calculated is to speak to our team. Our advisors can assess the potential of your head injury compensation claim on the spot, and if strong, connect you with a solicitor from our panel.

Also Read: How Much Compensation For Prison Injury Claims In The UK?

£90,000 For A Head Injury Claim – Case Study

The talented solicitors from our panel have decades of experience in securing settlements for clients who’ve suffered head injuries. In this case, the claimant’s name was Dave Chatten, who was a long-standing employee at a construction company.

On the day of the accident, Mr Chatten was working on the scaffolding of a building with other members of staff. It was when Mr Chatten leaned his hand against a railing that he realised that it had not been secured properly. As a result, Mr Chatten fell from a height and landed on his head. As a result of the accident, Mr Chatten didn’t just suffer a moderate head injury at work, he suffered other multiple fractures to his collarbone, ribs and arms. The claimant also suffered from psychological injuries due to the accident. Due to this, Mr Chatten had no choice but to take 8 weeks off work and missed overtime pay opportunities.

With the help of our panel at How Much Compensation, Mr Chatten was able to receive physiotherapy sessions to aid his injuries, as well as counselling sessions to help him move forward. As part of a larger settlement, the claimant received £90,000 for the head injury claim. Without the help of one of the expert solicitors from our panel, this settlement would most likely have been a lot less. 

Our panel of personal injury solicitors could help you with cases just like this. Please get in touch with a member of our advisory team for a free eligibility assessment today, which will include a free estimate of how much compensation for a head injury you could be awarded. Please also bear in mind that the above case study was created for illustrative purposes only.

Am I Eligible To Claim For A Head Injury?

Having an eligible personal injury claim for head and brain damage caused by others relies upon meeting the following:

• Firstly, did the third party owe you a duty of care at the time of injury? (We discuss duty of care below).
• Secondly, did they breach that duty of care in some way?
• Thirdly, did this result in you suffering harm (like a head injury)?

Duty of care is a legal responsibility on those in charge of certain areas to prevent you from suffering harm as much as reasonably possible. Some examples include:

• Accidents at work – The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA) applies a duty of care on employers to take reasonable and practicable steps to ensure that employees are safe while performing their duties.
• Accidents in public places – The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 states that those in charge of areas accessible to the public must implement whatever steps are reasonable to ensure the public is unharmed while lawfully using their facilities to avoid public liability claims.
• Road Traffic Accidents – All road users owe each other a duty of care to avoid causing injuries when travelling, such as in a car accident. To adhere fully, each must comply with the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Highway Code.

Wherever you experienced a head injury and believe others created the circumstances in which you were hurt, call our team to check your eligibility to launch a head injury compensation claim.

Can I Claim For A Head Injury If I Was Partially At Fault?

Yes, you can still claim head injury compensation as long as you can prove that the other person was also at fault. However, depending on the extent of your fault, your head injury payout would be reduced. This is the rule of contributory negligence.

Generally, in head injury claims, which are a kind of personal injury claim, the fault of the other party needs to be established. This is also mentioned in the eligibility criteria discussed above. You might be wondering whether accepting even some degree of fault would weaken your claim. However, you can claim compensation as long as there was a breach of duty by the other party. The only difference is that your compensation amount would be reduced accordingly.

For Example: While working at a construction site, you suffer a head injury after falling off a defective scaffold. However, your injuries were further exacerbated by the fact that you weren’t wearing a helmet. In this case, your employer would have to suggest the proportion of liability and prove how you were at fault. If you are found to be 40% liable for your injury, your compensation amount will be reduced by that amount. 

Contact our advisory team for more detailed advice on contributory negligence in personal injury cases.

Types Of Head Injuries You Can Claim For

Head injuries can vary greatly from person to person, but the following is a list of some commonly encountered injury types:

• Headaches and dizziness.
• Nausea and drowsiness.
• Visual disturbances and flashing spots before the eyes.
• Cuts and bruises.
• Mild to severe concussion.
• Fractured skull.
• Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) such as subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH), which is bleeding from damaged blood vessels in the arachnoid membrane.
• Intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) where there is bleeding into the brain tissue.
• Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) where bleeding occurs throughout the brain tissue.
• Contrecoup injury is an injury or bleeding on the opposite side of the brain from the injury.
• Closed TBI injuries are injuries to the brain that do not penetrate the skull.
• Open TBIs are injuries caused by an object (either blunt force or sharp) that penetrates the skull.

You might have a combination of these injuries, which you could claim for. To be sure, start by consulting with our advisors on the contact points above.

Common Types Of Accidents That Lead To Claims

With these injuries in mind, we now look at some scenarios where a breach of care duty might cause injury:

• An employer failed to ensure that ladders and construction equipment were safe for employees to use despite a fault being reported to them. This caused an employee to fall and suffer severe head injuries.
• Employers on a construction site provided sub-standard personal protective equipment (PPE). A worker was struck on the head by falling debris and suffered life-altering injuries.
• An intoxicated motorist collided with a pedestrian, and as a result, the person suffered brain damage as part of multiple injuries.
• A driver failed to pay attention to the road ahead and collided with a cyclist at a junction. The cyclist went on to suffer a serious concussion.
• Staff in a restaurant failed to attend to a spillage on the floor, despite being aware of the issue. Because of this, a customer suffered a blow to the head after slipping on the wet floor.

There could be many other ways in which a head injury occurs because those responsible failed to meet their health and safety obligations. If you’d like to discuss your case in detail, please reach out to our team on the contact options above. Or why not ask the chat box on this screen a question for an instant reply?

Can I Claim On Behalf Of Someone Else?

Sometimes, someone is so badly injured that they do not have the mental capacity to claim for themselves. In this circumstance, a person can make a claim on behalf of someone else. To do so, they must be appointed a litigation friend.

This is a suitable adult (usually a family member) who makes decisions on behalf of the injured person and is approved by the court. A litigation friend can also be used to claim on behalf of a child, as those under 18 cannot start a claim by themselves.

In general, if someone is over 18 and has the capacity to do so, they must conduct their own claim.

How To Make A Head Injury Claim

We now look at some actions you can take to start building your head injury compensation claim, such as gathering evidence and seeking the help of a personal injury solicitor:

Gather Your Evidence

Evidence is an essential part of the head injury compensation claim process. You should gather together proof that shows the third party concerned was in breach of the care duty and that this caused your injury. The following can be useful:

• Any CCTV film of the accident, or dashcam and helmet cam footage.
• The contact details of others who saw what happened. If you appoint legal representation, part of their services can be to collect supporting statements from eyewitnesses to strengthen your claim.
• Additionally, you’ll need the contact details of any involved party if your head injury was sustained on the road. You’ll also want to obtain the vehicle registration (as well as make and model) and insurance information.
• Photos of the visible injuries and the cause of the accident.
• A copy of any workplace accident book.
• Copies of medical records showing the treatment you received for the head injury, such as X-rays, scans or A&E admission notes.

A skilled personal injury solicitor could help you collect this essential evidence. Call today to see if you are eligible to claim.

Consider Claim Time Limits

There is a three-year time limit for starting personal injury claims under the Limitation Act 1980. Typically, the time limit starts from the date of the accident and injury. Under certain circumstances, this limitation period can vary. For example:

• Those under 18 cannot start a personal injury claim themselves. They must wait until they turn 18 to do so, from which date they have three years. However, we stated above that a claim could be started sooner by a litigation friend.
• Those lacking sufficient mental capacity are not subject to a time limit. They have three years to claim from any date that sufficient capacity returns. If capacity is never recovered, there is no time limit.

Also, compensation can sometimes be accessed prior to a claim’s conclusion. If fault has been accepted, interim payments can be applied for to deal with pressing financial costs. Call to learn more.

How Long It Can Take To Get Head Injury Compensation

There is a deadline by which to start a personal injury claim, but once it has begun, there is no set time for it to conclude. It isn’t unreasonable to expect that a settlement is reached within a matter of months if both parties agree. However, certain factors might delay receiving compensation:

• The complexity of the brain injuries.
• The duration of recovery and treatment.
• Whether the liable party disputes the claim.
• The workload of the courts.

A skilled solicitor from our panel could help you navigate these issues and reach a settlement more quickly. Take a moment to see if they could assist you with your head injury compensation claim.

How Our Panel Of Solicitors Can Support Your Claim

In addition to helping settle claims quickly, our panel of solicitors offer a swathe of other professional services to their clients. Chiefly, they can offer their services through a type of No Win No Fee contract called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). Its terms offer numerous advantages to potential claimants, as they ensure that there are:

• No immediate service fees are to be paid to your solicitor.
• No solicitors’ fees apply for work conducted as the claim develops.
• No service fees to pay at all if the claim fails.

A minimal amount will be deducted from the compensation if the claim is won. This is deducted as a percentage that is locked into a legal limit, so the person claiming receives most of the compensation.

Why not see if solicitors from our panel could fight to get you the maximum damages today?

• Ring the team on 0800 408 7826 to discuss a claim for a head injury.
• Reach out to us online through our ‘Contact Us‘ page.
• Ask the chat bubble below anything about how to claim head injury compensation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Head Injury Claims

We will now answer some frequently asked questions related to head injury claims:

Contact our advisory team if you have any more questions related to head injury compensation.

More Information

As well as the information about head injury compensation in this guide, these other resources might prove useful:

• Here is a brain injury compensation claim guide.
• Also, hearing loss claims, which can be a feature of a traumatic brain injury.
• Furthermore, read about suing the council as an injured person.

External information to help

• Advice about head injuries from the NHS.
• NHS guidance concerning the recovery process after an acquired brain injury.

In conclusion, we value your interest in our guide about head injury claims, and our advisors are standing by to assist with any questions.