General damages is compensation awarded for pain, suffering, and loss of amenity.
Loss of amenity is the term used to describe the inability to complete activities, either temporarily or permanently, after an accident, which could be undertaken before, so for example could include being unable to ride your motorbike after the accident or go out with family and friends.
This will include a calculation of the impact the injury has had on your life both up to the point of settlement and any impact upon you after that date.
In summary, general damages include the following:
Pain
Suffering
Loss/impairment of mental health
Loss/impairment of physical capacity
Reduced enjoyment of life
Loss of companionship
Loss of consortium
Physical disfigurement
Disability
Clearly one claimant’s injuries are not going to be the same as another, and awards for accidents vary. However there is a table of awards which provides guidance for personal injury solicitors in calculating compensation.
For an idea of how much you could potentially claim for personal injury please click here (link to table below)
An award will also be made for special damages.
This is an award to compensate you for actual financial costs and any out of pocket expenses you have incurred as a direct result of the accident. The thought behind this is that special damages should help to return you, financially at least, to the position you were in before the accident.
So for example this could include (but isn’t limited to)
Loss of earnings – an award for any loss of earnings as a result of the accident, and any future loss of earnings that may result because for instance you can no longer do the job you did as a result of the accident.
Out of pocket expenses incurred/to be incurred which could include travel to and from medical and hospital appointments, payments for medication and or treatment costs
Payments for any care and assistance you now need as a result of the accident, including any future care you may need.
Future loss of pension
All of these calculations require expert knowledge and we work in partnership with some of the leading accountants, care providers and medical professionals in order to ensure these losses are properly calculated.
INJURY |
SEVERITY |
COMPENSATION MIN |
COMPENSATION MAX |
COMMENT |
Achilles Injury |
Most Serious |
|
Approx £38,350 |
Severed Achilles tendon, restricted ankle movement |
Achilles Injury |
Serious |
£24,490 |
£30,090 |
Complete division of the Achilles tendon has been repaired successfully but has left some disability with no further improvement likely. |
Achilles Injury |
Moderate |
£12,590 |
£21,070 |
Partial rupture of the Achilles tendon. Significant injury. Considered factors include treatment required, level of pain and suffering, any disability. |
Achilles Injury |
Mild |
£7,270 |
£12,590 |
Some damage to the Achilles tendon where support to the ankle may be affected. |
Ankle Injury |
Extremely Severe |
£50,060 |
£69,700 |
The most severe ankle injuries that may cause deformity, degeneration of joints, and potentially amputation. |
Ankle Injury |
Moderate to Severe |
£13,740 |
£50,060 |
Fractures, extensive treatment, disability are factors to be considered when calculating compensation for ankle injuries in the moderate to severe bracket. |
Ankle injury |
Mild |
|
£13,740 |
Ankle fractures, ankle sprain. The award would depend upon any scarring, persistent pain and recovery time. |
Arm Injury |
Extremely Severe |
£96,160 |
£300,000 |
Amputation of one or both arms, either partially or completely. |
Arm Injury |
Severe |
£39,170 |
£130,930 |
Major restriction and disability present on one or both arms causing significant pain and suffering. |
Arm Injury |
Less Severe |
£19,200 |
£39,170 |
A restriction in movement and/or disability in one or both arms but there is substantial recovery. |
Back Injury |
Severe |
£38,780 |
£160,980 |
Severe injury to the upper or lower back possibly causing paralysis or any relating issues to organs in the lower body. |
Back Injury |
Moderate |
£12,510 |
£38,780 |
Compression of the lumbar vertebrae, ligament or soft tissue damage and any pain or discomfort. |
Back Injury |
Mild |
|
£12,510 |
Back strain, back sprain, soft tissue injuries, slipped disc and/or muscle pain. |
Ear Injury |
Mild |
|
£45,540 |
Hearing loss in one or both ears and suffering with tinnitus as a result of the accident. |
Elbow Injury |
Extremely Severe |
£39,170 |
£54,830 |
Total restriction in elbow movement that has caused disability or resulted in surgery. |
Elbow Injury |
Less Severe |
£15,650 |
£32,010 |
Restriction in elbow movement that doesn’t cause disability or need surgery. |
Elbow Injury |
Mild |
|
£12,590 |
An elbow injury that causes pain but total movement will be possible. |
Eye Injury |
Extremely Severe |
£54,830 |
£268,720 |
Loss of sight in one or both eyes. |
Eye Injury |
Moderate to Severe |
£9,110 |
£54,830 |
Very restricted vision in a single eye or loss of sight in one eye. |
Eye injury |
Mild |
£2,200 |
£8,730 |
Eye pain, vision problems or temporary loss of sight in one eye. |
Eye Injury |
Temporary |
£2,200 |
£8,730 |
Eye pain, vision problems or temporary loss of sight in one eye. |
Facial Scarring |
Very Severe |
£29,780 |
£97,330 |
Facial disfigurement and severe scarring. |
Facial Scarring |
Less Severe |
£17,960 |
£48,420 |
Facial disfigurement is substantial and there is significant psychological damage. |
Facial Scarring |
Significant |
£9,110 |
£30,090 |
Plastic surgery has reduced the worst scarring but not all, and any psychological damage is not considered significant. |
Facial Scarring |
Mild to Less Significant |
£1,710 |
£13,740 |
Trivial scars to less severe scarring. |
Facial Injury |
Mild to Severe |
£2,320 |
£36,740 |
Simple fractures to multiple fractures and breaks to the facial area. |
Finger Injury |
Severe Fracture |
|
£36,740 |
Sever fractures where the consequence may include loss/impairment of grip, deformities, partial amputation, reduced mechanical function. |
Finger Injury |
Amputation of Terminal Phalanges to Index/Middle Fingers |
|
£24,990 |
Impaired grip, restriction of movement, scarring. |
Finger injury |
Amputation of Ring & Little Fingers |
|
£21,810 |
Amputation of ring and little fingers. |
Finger Injury |
Serious Injury to Ring/Middle Fingers |
£10,320 |
£16,340 |
Breaks/fractures to ring/middle fingers, serious tendon damage, deformity, permanent loss of grip/dexterity. |
Finger Injury |
Total/Partial Loss of Index Finger |
£12,170 |
£18,740 |
Total/partial loss of the index finger. |
Finger Injury |
Broken/Fractured Index Finger |
£9,110 |
£12,240 |
Grip remains impaired and pain from heavy use, likelihood of osteoarthritis. |
Finger Injury |
Little Finger Amputation |
£8,640 |
£12,240 |
Amputation of the little finger. |
Finger Injury |
Minor |
|
£4,750 |
Hairline fractures and minor scarring. |
Foot Injury |
Extremely Severe |
£83,960 |
£201,490 |
Amputation of one or both feet. |
Foot Injury |
Moderate to severe |
£13,740 |
£70,030 |
Severe injury to one or both feet that causes restriction, fractures or disability to the foot. |
Foot Injury |
Mild |
|
£13,740 |
Injury to a foot that will recover. |
Hand Injury |
Extremely Severe |
£140,660 |
£201,490 |
Amputation of one or both hands or if a hand is rendered useless due to the injury. |
Hand Injury |
Very Severe |
£55,820 |
£109,650 |
Total or effective loss of one hand that has been crushed and then amputated, or loss of the palm and all fingers have been amputated. |
Hand Injury |
Severe |
£29,000 |
£61,910 |
Finger amputation, major loss in function. |
Hand Injury |
Less Severe |
£14.450 |
£29,000 |
Crush injuries to the hand. Penetrating wounds, deep lacerations. |
Hand Injury |
Moderate |
£5,720 |
£13,280 |
Moderate crushing injuries, deep laceration, penetration wounds. |
Hand Injury |
Minor |
|
£4,750 |
Minor soft tissue damage, penetration wounds, crush injuries where recovery time is up to 6 months. |
Head Injury |
Extremely Severe |
£282,010 |
£403,990 |
Severe brain damage and unresponsive state. |
Head Injury |
Moderately Severe |
£219,070 |
£282,010 |
Severely disabled from brain damage, lost feeling in limbs, change in personality and/or a mental disability. |
Head Injury |
Moderate |
£43,060 |
£219,070 |
Memory is affected with a reduced ability or no ability to work, change in personality, high risk of epilepsy. |
Head Injury |
Less Severe |
£15,320 |
£43,060 |
Affected memory or low chance of epilepsy but overall a good recovery has been made. |
Head Injury |
Mild |
£2,210 |
£12,770 |
Head injuries which haven’t caused brain damage or very minimal brain damage but may have lasting effects. |
Hip/Pelvis Injury |
Extremely Severe |
£78,400 |
£130,930 |
Multiple fractures of the pelvis which leads to other significant disabilities such as hip deformities, sexual dysfunction. |
Hip/Pelvis Injury |
Severe |
£61,910 |
£78,400 |
Fractures and dislocations that may involve issues such as impotence or traumatic myositis ossificans. |
Hip/Pelvis Injury |
Less Severe |
£39,170 |
£52,500 |
Degenerative changes, leg instability, problems walking, possible future surgeries. |
Hip/Pelvis Injury |
Significant |
£26,590 |
£39,170 |
Severe hip injury but no major disability. |
Hip/Pelvis Injury |
Less Significant |
£12,590 |
£26,590 |
Surgery to the hip or hip replacement, continuing symptoms deemed more severe than minor. |
Hip/Pelvis Injury |
Moderate |
£3,950 |
£12,590 |
Injuries that may have led to minor or no lasting disability. |
Hip/Pelvis Injury |
Minor |
|
£3,950 |
Soft tissue injuries that will heal completely. |
Knee Injury |
Severe |
£26,190 |
£96,210 |
Disability due to a knee injury, major damage to muscles, muscle wastage and soft tissue damage. |
Knee Injury |
Moderate |
|
£26,190 |
Minor disability due to a knee injury, damage to the muscle, cartilage, soft tissue injury, that causes pain and suffering. |
Leg Injury |
Extremely Severe |
£97,980 |
£282,010 |
Amputation of one or both legs. |
Leg Injury |
Moderate to Severe |
£27,760 |
£96,250 |
Injuries to the leg which has caused a restriction in movement and disability that might have a life long prognosis. |
Leg Injury |
Less Severe |
|
£27,760 |
Simple leg fractures, breaks or soft tissue damage which has affected the muscle, to leg fractures with an incomplete recovery. |
Neck Injury |
Extremely Severe |
£45,470 |
£148,330 |
Very severe neck injuries, causing movement problems to other parts of the body. |
Neck Injury |
Moderate to Severe |
£7,890 |
£38,490 |
Neck fractures, causing pain when moving. Causing stiffness and inability to use the full movement of the persons’ neck. |
Neck Injury |
Mild |
|
£7,890 |
Whiplash type injuries. |
Nose Injury |
Severe |
£10,640 |
£23,130 |
Serious/multiple fractures to the nose that will have resulted in permanent damage and/or requiring a number of operations to repair. |
Nose Injury |
Less Severe |
£3,950 |
£5,100 |
Nose fracture where there has been a complete recovery after surgery. |
Nose Injury |
Moderate |
£2,520 |
£3,150 |
Moderate nose injuries such as displaced nose fractures that do not require surgery. |
Nose Injury |
Minor |
£1,710 |
£2,520 |
Simple undisplaced nose fractures with full recovery. |
PTSD |
Severe |
£59,860 |
£100,670 |
Permanent effects of trauma badly affecting the individual preventing them from being able to work or function anywhere close to before the trauma. |
PTSD |
Moderately Severe |
£23,150 |
£59,860 |
PTSD causing significant disability but the individual has a better future prognosis than the most severe cases. |
PTSD |
Moderate |
£8,180 |
£23,150 |
PTSD where any lasting effects are not grossly disabling from which the individual has largely recovered. |
PTSD |
Less Severe |
£3,950 |
£8,180 |
PTSD where the individual should essentially have made a full recovery in a year or two but minor symptoms could persist. |
Shoulder Injury |
Severe |
£12,770 |
£48,030 |
Paralysis. Limb numbness. Restriction on movement because of the injury in the neck and shoulder. |
Shoulder Injury |
Moderate |
£7,890 |
£12,770 |
Neck tissue damage that might last for a considerable length of time and that restrict the movement in the person’s arm and elbow. |
Shoulder Injury |
Mild |
|
£7,890 |
Soft tissue damage that should recover within 12 months and causes or has caused moderate pain. |
Toe Injury |
Extremely Severe |
£36,520 |
£56,080 |
Amputation of all toes. |
Toe Injury |
Very Severe |
|
£31,310 |
Amputation of a big toe. |
Toe Injury |
Severe |
£13,740 |
£21,070 |
Severe crush injuries that lead to amputation of a single or more toes, partial amputations. |
Toe Injury |
Serious |
£9,600 |
£13,740 |
Multiple fractures, crushed toes. |
Toe Injury |
Moderate |
|
£9,600 |
Straightforward toe fractures. |
Toe Injury |
Minor |
|
£5,590 |
Simple toe fractures that heal fully. |
Wrist Injury |
Very severe |
£47,620 |
£59,860 |
Complete loss of function. |
Wrist Injury |
Significant |
£24,500 |
£39,170 |
Significant and permanent disability. With some useful movement. |
Wrist Injury |
Less Severe |
£12,590 |
£24,500 |
Broken wrist causing some permanent disability. |
Wrist Injury |
Moderate |
|
£10,350 |
Wrist fractures, soft tissue injury where recovery is complete or expected to be complete over 12 months. |
Wrist Injury |
Minor |
|
£7,430 |
Uncomplicated Colles’ fracture and minor wrist fractures. |