Are you wondering how to use a serious injury compensation calculator? In this step-by-step guide, we explain how to estimate the compensation you or a loved one could be owed after a serious injury caused by others. As well as what compensation can cover.
We explain who might be eligible to launch a personal injury claim and what types of accidents can commonly result in serious harm at work, in public or in road traffic accidents. You’ll find helpful information on how to gather evidence that supports your claim and the time limits involved.
The final section of our guide explains how our panel of solicitors can assist you in launching your claim. They provide expert services through a type of No Win No Fee agreement, which means you or a loved one can benefit from their help without fears of upfront solicitors’ costs holding you back.
Please read on to learn more about how compensation calculators work, or reach out to us now to discuss personal injury claims:
- Call for a free assessment of your claim on 0800 408 7826
- Ask our advisors a question through the chat box below.
- Contact us online to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Serious Injury Compensation Calculator
- What Can Compensation From Serious Injury Claims Help With?
- What Accidents Could Result In Serious Injuries?
- Starting A Serious Injury Compensation Claim
- What Can Compensation Calculator UK Do For Me?
- More Information
Serious Injury Compensation Calculator
Our compensation calculator is a tool that can be used to estimate damages for physical harm, psychological injury, and financial losses resulting from a serious injury. Compensation amounts always vary and the best way to get a really clear picture of what you might be owed is to consult with an expert solicitor like those on our panel.
The first part of your serious injury claim that will be considered is called ‘general damages’. General damages places a value on the physical injuries and their severity. It also values psychological injuries and whether the person suffered a permanent disability. The overall detrimental impact of the accident and injury can also be assessed here and is known as ‘loss of amenity’.
Our calculator uses figures from the Judicial College Guidelines to estimate the value of general damages. This is the same document that could be used by your solicitor or others involved in valuing your claim. The JCG provides a list of compensation guideline amounts for a wide range of injuries. The figures reflect past successful claims in England and Wales. The person valuing your claim may also use medical evidence or the results of an independent medical assessment to help ensure that your injuries are correctly valued.
The tables below use excerpts from the Judicial College Guidelines (except the first line). It’s essential to stress that these amounts are only suggested and not guaranteed. Every claim has unique factors and is calculated accordingly:
Serious Head And Brain Injury Compensation Amounts
TYPE OF HARM SEVERITY COMPENSATION GUIELINES NOTES
Multiple forms of injury and Special Damages Severe Up to £1 million plus Cases where the person experiences more than one form of severe harm and receives Special Damages for care, lost income and home adaptations.
Head/Brain (a) Very Severe £344,150 increasing to £493,000 Permanent and profound disability with total reliance on others for care.
(b) Moderately Severe £267,340 increasing to £344,150 A severe disability, substantial reliance on others with increased risk of future medical problems.
(c) Moderate (i) £183,190 increasing to £267,340 Severe deficit of intellect and impact on personality and senses with no prospect of employment.
Payouts For Serious Back And Spine Injuries
AREA OF HARM SEVERITY COMPENSATION GUIDELINES NOTES
More than one form of severe injury and Special Damages award made. Severe Up to £500,000 plus. Reflects a group of severe injuries and Special Damages that reflect loss of income, mobility aides, home adaptions and nursing care as well as domestic help.
Back/Spine (a) Severe (i) £111,150 increasing to £196,450 The most severe damage to nerve roots and spinal cord, leading to a combination of incomplete paralysis and significant impairments to the bladder and bowel plus sexual function along side severe pain and disability.
(a) Severe (ii) £90,510 increasing to £107,910 Special features such as nerve root damage, lost sensation and impaired bladder or bowel function.
(a) Severe (iii) £47,320 increasing to £85,100 Disc fractures, disc lesions and soft tissue injuries that cause chronic pain and impaired mobility.
Orthopaedic Serious Injury Compensation
AREA OF HARM SEVERITY COMPENSATION GUIDELINES NOTES
Multiple orthopaedic severe injuries and Special Damages Severe Up to £500,000 plus. Cases where the person may suffer multiple forms of severe orthopaedic (or other) harm and is awarded Special Damages for care, lost employment and private medical expenses.
Neck (a) Severe (i) In the region of £181,020 Injuries associated with incomplete paraplegia or permanent spastic quadriparesis.
(a) Severe (ii) £80,240 increasing to £159,770 Serious fractures or cervical spinal disc damage causing substantial movement loss.
(a) Severe (iii) £55,500 increasing to £68,330 Dislocations, fractures, soft tissue damage and ruptured tendons causing significant permanent disability.
Severe Leg Injuries (i) The Most Serious Injuries, Short of Amputation £117,460 to £165,860 Although an amputation hasn't occurred, the injury is so serious that it might be valued at a similar level.
Arm Severe £117,360 to £159,770 These injuries are so serious that they leave the injured person little better off than if the arm had been lost.
Hips and Pelvis Severe (i) £95,680 to £159,770 Extensive fractures, which could include low back joint dislocation and ruptured bladder.
Foot Very Severe £102,470 to £133,810 Injuries in this bracket cause permanent and severe pain or a really serious and permanent disability.
Knee Severe (i) £85,100 to £117,410 Joint disruption, osteoarthritis, gross ligamentous damage, lengthy treatment, pain and function losses.
Hand Serious Damage to Both £68,070 to £103,200 These injuries cause permanent cosmetic disability and significant functioning loss.
Ankle Very Severe £61,090 to £85,070 Transmalleolar fractures with extensive soft tissue damage.
Hand Serious Hand Injuries £35,390 to £75,550 The hand has been reduced to 50% of its capacity.
Wrist Loss of Function £58,710 to £73,050 The claimant has lost the function of their wrist.
Elbow Severely Disabling £47,810 to £66,920 To be awarded this amount, the claimant must have suffered a severely disabling injury.
Shoulder Severe £23,430 to £58,610 Damage to the brachial plexus causing significant disability, often associated with neck injuries.
Serious Injury To Internal Organs
AREA OF INJURY SEVERITY COMPENSATION GUIDELINES NOTES
Multiple types of harm and Special Damages Severe Up to £500,000 plus. Various types of severe harm and Special Damages allocated for lost income, care and medical recovery.
Kidney Serious £206,730 to £256,780 Both kidneys have serious and permanent damage.
Bowels and Bladder Double Incontinence Up to £224,790 There's been a complete loss of function to both the bowels and bladder with further medical complications.
Reproductive System - Female Infertility With Significant Complications £140,210 to £207,260 Infertility with sexual dysfunction, depression, anxiety, pain and scarring.
Reproductive System - Male Total Loss of Reproductive Organs In excess of £187,790 The award is determined by: fertility, pain and sexual dysfunction, hormonal effects, whether they already have children/complete family, scarring, psychological reaction and complications.
Chest Injuries (a) Most severe £122,850 increasing to £183,190 Examples where one lung needs to be removed and serious heart damage is caused.
Amputation Injury Settlement Figures
AREA OF HARM SEVERITY COMPENSATION GUIDELINES NOTES
Multiple injuries and a Special Damages payment Severe Up to £1 million plus. Multiple degrees of severe harm and Special Damages for impact on healthcare, earnings and future work prospects.
Arm Amputation (a) Loss of both arms £293,850 increasing to £366,100 An injury severe enough to render the person helpless with full awareness.
Leg Amputations (i) Loss of both legs £293,850 increasing to £344,150 Cases where both legs are lost above the knee and degrees of phantom pain exist.
(iii) Above knee amputation of one leg £127,930 increasing to £167,760 Issues such as level of amputation, phantom pain and psychological impact guide the award level here.
Compensation For Loss Of Senses
AREA OF HARM SEVERITY COMPENSATION GUIDELINES NOTES
More than one type of severe injury and Special Damages award made. Severe Up to £1 million plus. Instances where the person experiences multiple forms of harm and receives Special Damages for lost wages, health needs and on going care.
Injuries affecting sight (a) Total blindness and deafness In the region of £493,000 Cases that rank as among the most devastating injuries.
(b) Total blindness In region of £327,940 Total, permanent sight loss.
Injuries affecting hearing (b) Total deafness £110,750 increasing to £133,810 Higher end of the bracket includes speech deficit and tinnitus.
Severe Burn Injury Average Payouts
AREA OF HARM SEVERITY COMPENSATION GUIDELINES NOTES
More than one severe injury and Special Damages compensation. Severe Up to £500,000 plus Examples of multiple severe injury and Special Damages pay out for lost employment, private care and domestic help.
Burns/Scarring to the body Serious Likely to exceed £127,930 Where burns cover 40% or more of the body.
Facial Disfigurement (a) Very severe scarring £36,340 increasing to £118,790 Impacting younger claimants (under 30) leaving very disfiguring cosmetic effects and psychological reaction.
(b) Less severe scarring £21,920 increasing to £59,090 Substantial disfigurement and significant psychological reaction.
If you’d like help understanding how a compensation calculator determines an amount for your pain and suffering or that of a loved one, please contact our advisory team using the options above. They can advise you on using our serious injury compensation calculator or help you estimate how much compensation you could be eligible for.
What Can Compensation From Serious Injury Claims Help With?
In addition to general damages, another component of the compensation can be special damages. This head of loss takes into account the financial losses and expenses caused by the serious injury. It can form a significant part of any damages paid to you or to a loved one claiming on behalf of the injured party. For special damages, a serious injury compensation calculator can take the following into account:
Loss Of Income and Future Earnings
After a serious accident, you will most likely need a prolonged period away from work. In very serious cases, you may be unable to return to work at all. These lost earnings can be calculated and reimbursed if you have the pay slips or statements to prove them. Also, a solicitor from our panel can predict future lost earnings for the remainder of your work life and include this amount in your claim.
Care Costs
A serious injury often requires constant care and support. This support can be 24/7 and place a severe strain on the family. With this in mind, family members and friends can be reimbursed for the time they spend looking after someone (called gratuitous care). Also, with statements and receipts as evidence, it is possible to claim back the costs of any professional care needed. Again, if the care is expected to be permanent, a predicted amount can be calculated and included in the claim to cover this.
Medical Costs
A serious injury compensation calculator can also help to estimate the cost of medical surgeries or procedures needed immediately or in the future. After a serious injury, there may be numerous ongoing treatments or rehabilitation that are not available through the NHS (such as counselling or scar treatments). The solicitors on our panel often assist clients in sourcing and accessing the most suitable medical care, and these costs can be included in the claim.
Rehabilitation
The injured person may require a significant amount of support to rebuild their life after a serious accident. Physiotherapy to help the person adjust can take months or even years, so it’s essential that any compensation calculations accurately reflect this. If you choose to work with a solicitor from our panel, they can bring an expert understanding of how to calculate the costs of rehabilitation and ensure they are an integral part of your claim.
Home Or Car Adaptations
The seriously injured person often needs to adapt their lifestyle after the accident. This can generate a host of expenses and costs which may be eligible for reimbursement. For example, to stay in their home, it may be necessary to install a chair lift or modify the bathroom to accommodate a more accessible shower. Wheelchair ramps may also be required to access the home. Likewise, their car might need to be adapted to better suit their abilities after the serious accident. All these costs could be included under special damages.
Travel Expenses
Severe injury may require regular trips to hospitals and specialists, some of which may be a significant distance away. The cost of travel to these essential appointments is also something you could reclaim. It’s vital to keep hold of all bus and train tickets and get receipts for any taxi cabs you or your loved one need to get to these appointments.
Interim Payments
In some cases, the outcome of a compensation claim appears certain before a final decision is made. If the third party admits liability, it can be possible to request small parts of the compensation money in the form of interim payments. These amounts must be reasonable and not exceed the total compensation amount.
Each request is subject to court approval. These amounts help the injured person and their family deal with any immediate medical costs or necessary adaptations. It is also a way for the family to cope financially with household expenses if the injured person is the main income earner.
If you would like to discuss applying for interim payments on behalf of yourself or a loved one, please contact our team using the options detailed above. Our personal injury solicitors could step in and help.
What Accidents Could Result In Serious Injuries?
There are a variety of accidents that could cause serious injuries. In the following sections, we examine some accidents that could cause serious injury and what laws apply to prevent harm. Please remember that it can be possible to suffer multiple injuries (to varying degrees of severity), and the examples below are not exhaustive:
Road Traffic Accidents
Driving in a manner that avoids harm or damage is a key part of the duty of care that motorists owe to one another. The Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Highway Code explain how compliance is achieved, and a breach can involve the following:
- A drunk driver mounted the pavement and hit a pedestrian, causing them serious spinal injuries.
- A speeding motorist failed to stop in time at the lights and collided with a cyclist, causing them severe head and brain injuries.
- An erratic driver rear-ended another motorist and caused that driver to get crushed under a lorry in front. The injured motorist required amputation to be cut free from the wreckage.
Public Place Accidents
The third parties in charge of areas open to the public owe them a duty of care. Under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957, they need to take steps to ensure the reasonable safety of anyone on their premises or using their services. A breach giving rise to public liability claims can be:
- The operators of a fairground ride failed to conduct safety checks, and a ride broke. A rider was thrown from the carriage and suffered a serious and life-altering neck injury.
- The stairs in a restaurant were left uncleaned after a spill, and a customer slipped, fell down the stairs, and banged their head. The injury was severe enough for them to lose their sight.
- The fire exits in a nightclub were not kept free from obstruction, and a member of the public was trapped in a fire and suffered severe burns.
Workplace Accidents
Employers owe their staff a duty of care, as detailed in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA). To comply, they must take reasonable steps to prevent employees from being injured while performing their duties at work. So here a breach could be:
- The correct personal protective equipment (PPE) was not provided to a worker, and they suffered eye damage while working with an arc welder.
- An employer failed to ensure that hazardous chemicals were clearly labelled, which resulted in a member of staff suffering burns and internal lung damage after toxic fume inhalation.
- Works planned at height were not carried out correctly, and unstable scaffolding caused an employee to fall to the ground. They suffered internal organ damage and a fractured neck in the fall.
There are numerous other ways a serious injury could occur if the required health and safety protocols are not followed. If you want to discuss your grounds to start a personal injury claim or have general questions about how our serious injury compensation calculator might help you, get in touch.
Starting A Serious Injury Compensation Claim
There are eligibility criteria involved in making a serious injury compensation claim. You or your loved one need to demonstrate the following:
- A duty of care protected your safety at the time of injury.
- Those responsible breached this duty of care.
- You suffered injury as a consequence.
All three points are used to define negligence and form a solid basis for a valid claim. Please consult with our advisory team to check your eligibility. It’s a free call and carries no obligation.
Time Limits
Another criterion to be aware of is time limits. The Limitation Act 1980 places a 3-year time limit on starting personal injury claims, which usually begins from the date of the injury. There are two exceptions to be aware of:
- Those under 18 years of age cannot claim independently until their 18th birthday, whereupon the 3-year time limitation period begins.
- Those lacking mental capacity are not subject to a time limit unless and until they recover their cognitive capacity, as they also cannot claim independently. The 3-year period then starts from that date of recovery.
- A litigation friend can be designated by the courts to initiate a claim on behalf of either of these groups while the time limit is paused. Usually, this is a family member, guardian, social worker or solicitor acting in the injured person’s best interests.
Call to discuss acting as a litigation friend for a loved one. Or if you have time limit concerns, connect with us.
What Can Compensation Calculator UK Do For Me?
Here at Compensation Calculator, we can help you in many ways, including getting you started with our serious injury compensation calculator. In the capable hands of our panel, a compensation calculator can take into account all the ways you were harmed with much greater accuracy. In addition to this, the solicitors on our panel can provide an array of excellent services for the clients they represent, such as:
- Help to arrange an independent assessment of your (or your loved ones) injuries so that a full and clear medical report can be made.
- Help to gather evidence that bolsters your claim.
- Using that evidence to calculate an accurate and fair compensation amount.
- Drafting the Letter of Claim, which starts the claims process off.
- Communicating with the other side throughout and keeping you up to date with developments.
- Ensuring that all relevant court requests and deadlines are met. If the claim needs to go to court, they’ll ensure that the right barrister is picked to take on your case.
- Help for you or your loved one to access the right rehabilitation care.
- Negotiating your final settlement.
Using a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA)
In addition to all this, our panel provides their expert services in a No Win No Fee capacity. They use a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), which helps people fund their services without needing to pay upfront or ongoing money for their solicitor’s fees. Furthermore, if the claim fails, there is no requirement to pay solicitors’ fees for the work that was completed on the claim.
Claims that enjoy a positive outcome mean that a success fee needs to be paid to your solicitor. This is deducted from the compensation as a set percentage, which can be agreed upon prior to work starting. In addition to this, the success fee is subject to a legal limit. Thereby guaranteeing that the person seeking personal injury compensation will receive almost all of their payout.
Interested in learning more?
Get Free Advice – Contact Our Panel
- Call for a free assessment of how much compensation you could be owed on 0800 408 7826
- Also, you can ask our advisors a question through the chat box below.
- Contact us online to get started.
More Information
This guide detailed using a serious injury compensation calculator, and the following links provide more useful information:
- Here, we look in more depth at what your claim is worth.
- This guide looks at multiple injury compensation claims.
- Also, read more about how to calculate loss of earnings.
Outside links to help:
- Here is guidance on requesting your medical records
- Also, how to get CCTV footage of yourself
- Lastly, information on financial help if you’re disabled from GOV.UK.
In conclusion, we hope that this guide has helped explain the benefits of using a serious injury compensation calculator. If you would like any guidance or assistance with understanding more, please reach out to our team.
