How Much Compensation For A Fractured Jaw?

For many of us, claiming compensation for an accident is something that we don’t even consider until we’re injured. And after the accident, you might be more preoccupied with getting better than looking into how to make a claim.

You might be unsure about what evidence you need to start a claim, or who exactly is responsible for the injury that you’ve suffered. We’ll guide you through what a duty of care is, who has it, and how you can spot when it’s been breached.

If you choose to use one, finding a solicitor to represent you can be an overwhelming process. Our clear explanation of No Win No Fee agreements and what you should be looking for in a solicitor can help ease the worries around choosing someone to act on your behalf.

We want you to feel confident that you have all the information you need to start a personal injury compensation claim by the end of the article. But if you have any questions or would just like to speak to someone about moving forward with a claim, you can chat to our team today.

What Is A Jaw Fracture/Injury?

The mandible, or jaw bone, is the largest bone in the lower part of your face. It’s the U-shaped bone that connects to your skull by the temporomandibular joints just in front of your ears.

If your jaw comes out of position from your temporomandibular joints, this is known as dislocation. A jaw fracture means that the bone of the mandible has been broken. You might just have one fracture in your lower jaw or multiple breaks along the mandible depending on the severity of the injury.

Most of the time, you’ll recognise the symptoms of your fractured jaw right away. As well as the expected pain in your jaw, you might find that your teeth feel out of alignment. It may also be difficult for you to open and close your mouth.

It’s important to seek medical attention if you think you’ve broken a bone, and a jaw fracture is no exception. Leaving a fracture to your jaw untreated might cause you difficulty eating, drinking and talking. In the long term, it could result in infections that might cause dental issues or arthritis in your jaw.

With a lot of bone fractures around the body, surgery isn’t necessary. This is because a plaster cast can hold the bones in place as they heal. Because this isn’t feasible for a broken jaw, surgical treatment is often needed.

The surgery may involve opening your gums to expose the fractured bone and screwing in metal plates to hold the bone together. These are usually left in your jaw permanently.

Examples Of Jaw Fracture Financial Issues

Being injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault can be an ordeal in itself. But when your injury stops you from being able to work, the financial impact of an accident can also be damaging.

For some people, suffering a broken jaw is unpleasant but mightn’t impact their ability to work. However, if your job involves a lot of speaking, like an actor or teacher, then your ability to work might be affected.

If you’ve suffered a fractured bone, you might expect to have to take medication to manage the pain. But when you’ve suffered from a fractured jaw, you’ll also need to take antibiotics to reduce the risk of infection. Make sure you keep a record of any prescriptions or medications you pay for so that they can be added to your claim.

Broken Jaw Compensation – Time Limits

When claiming compensation for a broken jaw, you should be aware of the time limit in place to start your claim. Generally, you have three years. This can either start from the date of the accident or the date you connected your broken jaw with negligence.

However, this is not always the case. Although the time limit is stated in the Limitation Act 1980, some circumstances can allow for exceptions to be made.

For example, if the claimant is under 18, or lacks the mental capacity to claim, they are not able to claim for themselves. Due to this, a litigation friend can be appointed to claim on their behalf. A claim can be put forward on their behalf while the time limit is suspended.

If no claim is put forward on behalf of the child, they will have three years to start their own claim from when they turn 18.

Similarly, if no claim is put forward on behalf of the person who lacks the mental capacity, they will have three years from the date of recovery to start their own claim.

Get in touch with our advisors today for more information on the time limits, including how much compensation for a broken jaw you could be owed.

Top 3 Most Common Accidents Causing Jaw Injuries

Nobody wants to suffer from a broken jaw, but an injury of this kind can be caused by a range of different accidents. Below, we’ll look at the most common accidents that result in a fractured jaw.

1. Accidents At Work

Being in an accident at work is something you might not anticipate, especially when the result is a fractured jaw. But these kinds of accidents do happen. If you’re involved in an accident at work, you should report it as soon as you’re able to in your company’s accident book.

Slips, trips or falls on the same level accounted for 29% of non-fatal workplace accidents that resulted in injuries in 2019/20 (as reported through RIDDOR).

Being struck by a moving object, whether it’s a piece of machinery or something falling on you, can also damage your jaw. These kinds of accidents made up 11% of non-fatal workplace injuries in 2019/20 (as reported through RIDDOR) and so pose a real risk to workers.

Falling from a height mightn’t be something that many people consider a risk in their workplace. But if your job involves spending a lot of time on ladders or travelling up and down stairs, you could fracture your jaw in a fall.

2. Road Traffic Accidents

If you’re involved in a road traffic accident that causes trauma to your face, it could result in a fractured jaw. This is true whether you’re driving a car or a pedestrian, cyclist or motorcyclist.

If you’re driving a car, the impact of a crash could cause your jaw to hit your steering wheel or dashboard. If you’re a passenger, a fractured jaw could be caused by impact with the seat in front of you. These kinds of injuries can be the result of head-on collisions, side-on impacts or even being hit from behind.

It isn’t just drivers and passengers who are at risk of suffering a broken jaw in an RTA. Cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists are all classed as vulnerable road users. Without the protection that a vehicle offers, they’re also at risk of an accident resulting in a broken jaw.

If you’ve been involved in an accident on the road that you feel was caused by someone else driving dangerously, get in touch with our team today to discuss moving forward with a compensation claim.

3. Incidents In A Public Place

Accidents in public places aren’t something that many of us expect to be involved in, especially if you conduct yourself carefully when out and about. But despite our best efforts, sometimes they do happen.

Slips, trips and falls account for half of all workplace reported accidents that members of the public are involved in in places like gyms, restaurants and supermarkets. A slip or a trip can result in a fractured jaw if it involves trauma to your face. You could also be at risk of suffering a broken jaw whilst outdoors if the space hasn’t been properly maintained.

It’s the responsibility of the person in control of the space to take reasonable steps to make sure it’s safe. This could be a business owner or, in the case of a park or beach, a local authority.

Get in touch with our team today to chat about moving forward with a claim if you’ve fractured your jaw in an accident in public that wasn’t your fault.

Case Study: £55,000 Compensation For A Fractured Jaw

Mr Bradley, a university lecturer, was driving to work when he stopped at a Give Way sign at a junction. The driver behind him wasn’t paying attention to the road and crashed into the back of Mr Bradley’s car. Even though he was wearing his seat belt, Mr Bradley’s head was thrown forward and his jaw hit the steering wheel with force.

He and the driver exchanged insurance information. Mr Bradley noticed that he had a sharp pain in his jaw and that he found it difficult to close his mouth fully. He attended the hospital, where it was confirmed that he’d broken his jaw in multiple places. The severity of the injury meant that Mr Bradley would need surgery.

Mr Bradley sought legal advice after the accident. Because of his injuries, Mr Bradley decided to pursue a personal injury compensation claim.

Aftermath Of The Accident

Mr Bradley had surgery to insert three metal plates in his jaw to keep the bones in place while they healed. After the surgery, he was sent home with a course of antibiotics and some pain relief.

Mr Bradley noticed that a tingling sensation that had been present in his chin since the accident had gotten worse since the surgery. His doctor explained to him that this could be related to nerve damage. The tingling eventually did go away, but Mr Bradley was left with a permanent numbness in his jaw.

Mr Bradley went back to the hospital after six weeks to check how his jaw was healing. But X-rays revealed that the surgery had somewhat failed. This meant that he had to undergo surgery for a second time.

Because the recovery from surgery meant that Mr Bradley wasn’t able to speak properly, he had to take time off from his job as a university lecturer. As he needed to undergo surgery twice, he was off for four months.

Why Mr Bradley Sought Compensation For A Fractured Jaw

Even when the injury was fully healed, Mr Bradley was restricted in how wide he could open his mouth. This affected his ability to eat and drink. In addition, he was left with an increased risk of arthritis in his temporomandibular joint. He paid for physiotherapy sessions to increase the range of motion in his jaw as much as possible.

The injury had caused a financial blow and the likelihood of him returning to full health was now non-existent. He was also concerned about his career prospects, having spent so much time off work. As a consequence, he suffered depression. His doctor referred him for counselling and, when the NHS sessions ended, Mr Bradley sought private therapy until he recovered.

He got in touch with a personal injury solicitor who helped him with his case. He recovered £42,730 for his physical pain and £7,000 for psychological suffering.

You can see the breakdown of the financial losses he reclaimed in the table below.

Types of Special Damages	Includes	How Much?
Medications/Prescriptions	Private physiotherapy sessions, prescriptions for painkillers and antibiotics	£450
Loss of Earnings	Absence from work	£3,400
Travel Costs	Travel to and from appointments and meetings with solicitor	£100
Care Costs	Time family spent caring for him	£640
Other costs	Private psychotherapy sessions	£680

The case study of Mr Bradley is not based on a real person, but does exemplify our experiences of handling claims. We’re using the case to illustrate how the personal injury process works.

Who’s Responsible For A Duty Of Care Breach?

If you’ve been injured whilst in a public place, the duty of care is with the occupier as outlined in the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. The occupier is someone in control of the premises, property or land who could’ve reasonably taken steps to stop the accident from happening. So if you’ve been injured in a public place like a gym, the occupier could be the business owner.

While you’re working, it’s your employer’s responsibility to take reasonable steps to make sure you can do so safely. This is outlined in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. To do this, they can take several steps including carrying out risk assessments. This is where risks to workers can be identified and removed or reduced. You should also have the right training for your role, and PPE if needed.

As road users, we all have a duty of care to one another. This is outlined in The Highway Code. All road users should adhere to the skill, awareness and care levels of a standard motorist, no matter their driving experience.

If you feel that you’ve been involved in an accident where you were injured because someone else neglected their duty of care to you, you can get in touch with our panel of personal injury lawyers today to get started on your claim.

Your Estimated Compensation For A Fractured Jaw

There are lots of personal injury compensation calculators online which claim to be able to calculate how much your claim is worth. But if you’re looking for an accurate estimate, it’s best to evaluate your evidence and injuries.

When you pursue a personal injury claim, you should attend a medical examination where it may be determined that your injuries are a result of (or worsened by) the accident you were involved in. In addition, it could also help identify any long term effects your injuries could have.

Let’s see what might make up your compensation amount.

General Damages

This is the portion of your compensation that will be paid out for the injuries you’ve sustained. Potential amounts are outlined in the Judicial College Guidelines, and they’ll change depending on the location, type and severity of your injuries as well as your medical evidence. (The JCG is a publication that solicitors may use to help them value injuries.)

Special Damages

Special damages are for anything you’ve had to pay for as a result of your injuries. They will also cover loss of earnings for any unpaid or underpaid time you’ve needed to take off work. You should keep hold of any bills, invoices and receipts for expenses that you’ve incurred. This ensures that they can be included in your claim.

No Win No Fee Claims

You might be hesitant to claim compensation because of the perceived financial risk of funding a solicitor. This can be especially true if you’ve already been left out-of-pocket because of expenses surrounding your injuries.

Luckily, our panel of personal injury lawyers can offer you a No Win No Fee agreement which means you won’t pay any solicitor fees upfront, while your claim is ongoing, or if it isn’t successful. If you do succeed in your claim, they’ll take a legally capped success fee.

For more information on No Win No Fee agreements and to discuss your claim today, get in touch with our team.

Talk About Your Claim

For more information, or to chat with someone about pursuing compensation for a fractured jaw, you can:

Call us on 0800 408 7826.
Write to us using our online form.
Chat to us using our live chat in the bottom right of this screen.

More Fractured Jaw Resources

Check out more of our personal injury claims guides below:

Written by RN

Edited by TH

How Much Compensation Could You Get For A Fractured Jaw?