How Much Compensation For Serious Injury Claims – Advice On Payouts

How much compensation for serious injury claims can range from tens of thousands to in excess of £1 million. For example, a severe shoulder injury could be awarded £23,430 to £58,610 whilst quadriplegia could be awarded £396,140 to £493,000. This is in line with figures taken from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) which may be used by lawyers valuing injuries. The amount of compensation awarded will depend on what injuries you suffered and whether you incurred any financial losses.

Key Points

• Serious injuries, such as those to the spine, or brain, can have severe and life-altering consequences for those who sustain them that may require inpatient treatment with follow-up nursing care.
• Serious injury could leave you with life-long challenges affecting your health, ability to work, independence, and finances, however, a personal injury claim can compensate you for this.
• Accidents could occur on the road, at work, in a public place if the appropriate reasonable safety measures are not taken.
• Serious injury claim payouts could include compensation for your injuries as well as financial losses.
• Compensation for serious injury claims will be awarded based on the severity and what effect the injury will have on you as well as the associated monetary losses, such as your lost income and home adaptations.

A solicitor from our panel could help with personal injury claims on a No Win No Fee basis. They will help secure the maximum compensation amount for your injuries and can help you apply for interim payments to cover any immediate needs. Our panel can also help you claim on behalf of a loved one who is unable to manage the proceedings themself.

If you sustained a serious injury in an accident which was not your fault, you could be owed compensation. For a free claim assessment, please speak to one of our advisors now.

Jump To A Section

• How Much Compensation Is Awarded For Serious Injury Claims?
• How Are Serious Injury Compensation Claims Valued?
• Can Other Losses Be Compensated After A Serious Injury?
• What Is Classed As A Serious Injury?
• Who Can Make A Serious Injury Compensation Claim?
• How Might A Serious Injury Be Sustained?
• How To Make A Serious Injury Claim
• What Can Our Panel Of Solicitors Do To Help A Serious Injury Claim?
• No Win No Fee Serious Injury Compensation
• Learn More

How Much Compensation Is Awarded For Serious Injury Claims?

How much compensation you could be awarded for serious injuries will depend on the injury sustained (general damages) and your financial losses (special damages). We explore these in the following sections. However, firstly, you can find relevant examples taken from the JCG. This resource contains compensation guidelines for different forms of harm.

Injury	Notes	Compensation
Multiple injuries, severe, with special damages such as lost income, medical costs, and care bills.	Covering multiple injuries and special damages.	Up to £1,000,000+ with special damages.
Paralysis - tetraplegia.	Brain and head injury, reduced life expectancy, and lack of awareness are taken into account.	£396,140 to £493,000.
Paralysis - paraplegia.	Presence of depression, degree of independence, and life expectancy are all factored into compensation payouts.	£267,340 to £346,890.
Brain or head injury - very severe	The person may have some postural reflex movement and be able to open their eyes.	£344,150 to £493,000.
Brain or head injury - moderately severe.	Insight, awareness of loss of life expectancy, and dependence are taken into consideration.	£267,340 to £344,150.
Injuries affecting sight.	Total blindness and deafness. These are considered alongside the most devastating injuries.	Around £493,000.
Chest injuries (a).	Worst chest injuries with the removal of a lung and/or serious cardiac damage.	£122,850 to £183,190.
Deafness/ tinnitus.	Total deafness which may present with tinnitus and/or a speech deficit.	£110,750 to £133,810.
Back injuries - severe.	Loss of sensation due to nerve root damage and impaired mobility.	£90,510 to £107,910.
Kidney damage (C)	Loss of a kidney. Remaining is undamaged.	£37,550 to £54,760.

Please be aware: the figure for multiple severe injuries does not come from the JCG. This is our own illustrative example of compensation payouts, including special damages. Also, this table is only intended to act as a guide. If you would like a more specific estimate of how much compensation for serious injury claims relevant to your case, speak to an advisor now.

How Are Serious Injury Compensation Claims Valued?

Serious injury compensation claims are valued using two heads of claim, general and special damages.

General damages. These directly compensate for the pain and suffering your injury has caused you. General damages assess:

• Your pain and suffering, covering both physical and psychological harm.
• The extent and duration of any disability, such as a permanent disability, etc.
• Loss of amenity, accounting for any reduction in your ability to enjoy life, etc.

Special damages. This covers qualifying expenses and costs, such as medical bills, care expenses, and loss of earnings.

We explore special damages and how a serious injury claim could help you meet these expenses in the following section. Get in touch to learn more about how compensation amounts are calculated.

Can Other Losses Be Compensated After A Serious Injury?

Yes, other losses, such as the cost of private medical treatment or domestic care, can be compensated for after a serious injury. These are compensated for under special damages, which could include out-of-pocket expenses, such as:

• Medical costs, such as that for private medical treatment or prescriptions, etc.
• Therapeutic services, such as counselling, physiotherapy, or occupational therapy.
• The cost of adapting your home, vehicle, or those relating to disability equipment purchase or rental.
• Prosthetic limbs and other devices.
• Travel for medical care and legal services.
• Loss of earnings due to time taken off work and/or the inability to return to work.

One of the personal injury solicitors from our panel could assess your case. They could then help to estimate how much compensation for serious injury claims you could be owed.

What Is Classed As A Serious Injury?

A physical or psychological injury may be classed as serious if it has a long-term, permanent, or otherwise life-altering impact on your health, mobility, and independence. Serious injuries may require extensive and ongoing care. This could include medical treatment, rehabilitation, support, and nursing care.

Severe injury claims could be made for:

Brain and head injuries: traumatic brain injuries (TBI) or non-traumatic brain injuries can have a wide-ranging impact on the person harmed. Effects can include loss of cognitive function, behavioural and emotional changes, movement, mobility and coordination difficulties, and sensory loss.

Back and spinal cord injuries: these could include tetraplegia and paraplegia as well as the loss of movement in part of the body, loss of sensation, and numbness. They may also impact bodily functions such as bladder, bowel, and sexual function.

Serious organ damage compensation: this could include serious injury to the internal organs, such as the lungs, heart, liver, or kidneys. Such injuries could include the loss of an organ, and loss of or reduced function in the organ.

Amputations: this category includes,

• Surgical amputations resulting from the need to amputate a body part following an accident, injury, or illness.
• Traumatic amputations in which a body part, such as a limb, is traumatically amputated directly in an accident.

Burn injuries: severe burn injuries could cover an extensive area of your body causing immediate shock. Following this they could leave you with disfiguration and/or permanent scarring. Severe burns can also develop infections leading to sepsis.

These are just some examples of when you could make a personal injury claim. Please talk to our team about your case.

Who Can Make A Serious Injury Compensation Claim?

You can make a serious injury compensation claim if you have suffered a life-altering injury as a result of another party’s action or inaction. As seen in the following section, serious injuries could be caused by accidents at work, in public spaces, or on the road.

Severe injury claims may be brought directly by those harmed, or by a loved one on their behalf if they are unable to do so themselves. You could claim on behalf of a child under the age of 18 or someone with reduced mental capacity, as such parties are unable to take legal action themselves. You can make an application to the court to be appointed as their litigation friend. This enables you to bring their claim.

There are 3 criteria which any serious injury claim must meet.

1. A Duty Of Care Was Owed
An organisation, business, or individual had a legal responsibility (duty of care) to take reasonable steps to protect your health and safety at the time you were injured. This may be owed by employers, road users, and those in control of public spaces.

2. They Breached This Duty
You need to show that this party failed to meet (breached) their duty of care towards you. This means they did not act as a reasonably competent organisation or person would have. They may have failed to comply with health and safety regulations, failed to address known hazards, or made avoidable mistakes.

3. You Suffered An Illness Or Injury
You must have sustained a medically recognised injury or illness due to the breach in order to claim compensation. This includes physical and psychological injuries or illnesses.

Please get in touch with our advisors to see if you could make a serious injury compensation claim.

How Might A Serious Injury Be Sustained?

Serious or catastrophic injuries may be sustained in accidents in the workplace, on the roads, and in public places. Below, we take you through examples of accidents which could cause serious injuries.

Workplace Serious Injury Compensation Claims

Workplace serious injury compensation claims can be made against employers in instances where they breached health and safety legislation or guidelines. A serious work injury could include:

• Machine entanglement – a factory worker is asked to use machinery without the appropriate safety guards or adequate training. Their arm is caught in the machinery, causing severe lacerations, crush injuries, and necessitating its later amputation.
• Falls from heights – a construction worker falls from improperly erected scaffolding. They suffer a traumatic brain injury and upper spinal cord damage.

You can read about how to claim for a serious injury at work in our dedicated guide.

Compensation For Serious Injuries In Public Places

You could bring a public liability claim against the party in control of a public space, known as the occupier, if they breach health and safety legislation. Examples could include:

• Pavement trips – a pedestrian trips and falls on broken paving a council had been informed of and failed to repair. They sustain a serious soft tissue injury, completely tearing their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
• Gym accidents – a gym-goer is using a leg-press machine. The machine has not been properly maintained and the locking mechanism suddenly fails. The weight sled unexpectedly falls back on the user, causing serious knee and lower back injuries.

Learn more about public liability claims in our resource.

Road Traffic Accident Compensation For Serious Injuries

Drivers must use the roads in a way which ensures both their safety and that of others. If they fail to do so, serious injuries and accidents could occur. Examples could include:

• HGV accidents – a lorry changes lanes on a motorway without signalling or checking their mirrors, forcing a car into the central reservation barrier. They suffer multiple, severe injuries to their internal organs.
• Cyclist accidents – a driver pulls over whilst looking at their sat-nav, without checking their mirror, failing to see a cyclist. The cyclist is knocked off their bike, suffering multiple broken bones and brain damage.

You can learn more about road traffic accidents in our dedicated resource. Get in touch to learn more about catastrophic injury compensation claims.

How To Make A Serious Injury Claim

To make a serious injury claim you can collect evidence (such as accident reports), file your claim within the limitation period, and get help from a personal injury compensation solicitor.

What Evidence Will Be Needed For A Serious Injury Claim?

You need comprehensive evidence, such as accident reports and medical records to prove liability and make a successful serious injury claim. Evidence needed can include:

• Medical records detailing your diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.
• Expert testimony and independent medical assessments.
• Photos of the accident scene and visible injuries.
• Witness contact information.
• Records of financial losses.

You can read more about the evidence needed to prove negligence in compensation claims in our dedicated guide.

The Serious Injury Compensation Claim Time Limit

Serious injury compensation claims must be filed within the 3 year time limit, set by the Limitation Act 1980. There are circumstances in which exceptions to the limitation period may be made. This includes claims made on behalf of children, or those with reduced mental capacity.

You can learn more about limitation periods here, or by speaking to an advisor.

Can Serious Injury Claims Be Made On A No Win No Fee Basis?

Yes, serious injury claims can be made on a No Win No Fee basis. This may be done so through Conditional Fee Agreements (CFA’s). These are discussed in more detail in a subsequent part of this guide.

Speak to an advisor and learn more about how to make personal injury compensation claims.

What Can Our Panel Of Solicitors Do To Help A Serious Injury Claim?

A solicitor from our panel could help you to make a serious injury claim by providing expert advice, explaining the claims process, and assisting in collecting evidence. A solicitor could support you by,

• Providing expert advice and guidance throughout the claims process.
• Helping you to gather a strong body of evidence.
• Explain complex terminology and jargon.
• Negotiating with other parties to the claim.
• Supporting your recovery and rehabilitation by connecting you to specialists you may not be able to access otherwise.

Please speak to a member of our advisory team to find out how a personal injury solicitor from our panel could support you and learn about how much compensation for serious injury claims you could be owed.

No Win No Fee Serious Injury Compensation

No Win No Fee agreements allow solicitors to provide their services without the need for you to pay for their services in advance, or during the claims process. The benefits of using No Win No Fee personal injury compensation solicitors include:

• No upfront solicitors fees.
• No solicitors fees whilst the claim is in progress.
• Not having to pay solicitors fees if the claim is unsuccessful.

If you win your case, you will need to pay a success fee, which will automatically be deducted by the solicitor. This fee is based on a percentage of your compensation, which is legally capped. An advisor can provide further information on how No Win No Fee serious injury claims work.

Contact How Much Compensation

Contact How Much Compensation today to start your claim by,

• Calling 0800 408 7826.
• Contact us using our form.
• Talking to an expert live.

Learn More

Some more guides from How Much Compensation that you might find helpful:

• Click here to use our personal injury claims calculator and see what compensation you could be owed.
• View personal injury compensation amounts for a pedestrian hit by a car here.
• A spinal injury is one of the most serious injuries you could sustain, see how to claim here.

References

• Learn about Statutory Sick Pay here.
• Check how to obtain CCTV footage of your accident.
• Find first aid information from the NHS.

Our advisors are on hand to explain more about how much compensation for serious injury claims you could be awarded. Please get in touch with us today.