UK personal injury payouts range from a few hundred pounds for minor whiplash up to several million for catastrophic, life-changing injuries. But a range that wide isn't much help when you're trying to decide whether to claim. This guide is the quickest way to get to a realistic number — grouped by injury, based on the current (17th edition, April 2024) Judicial College Guidelines, and honest about the factors that push a figure up or down.
UK personal injury payouts range from a few hundred pounds for minor whiplash up to several million for catastrophic, life-changing injuries. But a range that wide isn't much help when you're trying to decide whether to claim. This guide is the quickest way to get to a realistic number — grouped by injury, based on the current (17th edition, April 2024) Judicial College Guidelines, and honest about the factors that push a figure up or down.
For a personalised estimate in under a minute, use our free compensation calculator. Otherwise, read on.
TL;DR — three examples at the extremes
Minor whiplash, recovered in 3 months: around £260 (tariff) + travel expenses. Total ≈ £400.
Moderate back injury keeping you off work for 4 months: £14,490-£27,760 general damages + £6,000 special damages. Total ≈ £20,000-£35,000.
Moderately severe brain injury, 45-year-old with ongoing care needs: £267,340-£344,150 general damages + £1m+ future losses. Total ≈ £1.5m-£3m across the claimant's lifetime.
The gulf between them is mostly about special damages and future losses, not the injury band itself. More on that below.
How UK personal injury compensation is calculated
Every award is built from two pots:
General damages — the injury itself
The amount awarded for pain, suffering and loss of amenity. This is the 'what the injury feels like to live with' component. Judges and solicitors value general damages by reference to the Judicial College Guidelines, currently the 17th edition (April 2024), which raised awards by roughly 22% over the 16th edition to reflect inflation.
Special damages — the financial losses
Everything the injury has cost you (or will cost you) in money terms. Loss of earnings, medical treatment, travel to appointments, physiotherapy, care provided by family at home, equipment and home adaptations, pension contributions, vehicle damage excess, and — for long-term injuries — future loss of earnings, future care, and ongoing treatment costs. Special damages routinely exceed general damages in moderate-to-severe cases.
For the full technical breakdown, see our guide on general vs special damages.
UK compensation bands by injury (2024 JCG)
These are the general-damages ranges from the Judicial College Guidelines 17th edition. They are ranges, not fixed figures — where you sit in the bracket depends on severity, recovery time, permanent effects and psychological impact. Special damages are in addition.
Head and brain
- Minor head injury: ~£2,690 - £15,580
Back, neck and spinal
- Minor back injury (full recovery within 5 years): ~£2,990 - £14,490
Shoulder, arm, hand and wrist
- Minor shoulder: ~£2,690 - £14,020
Leg, knee, ankle and foot
- Minor leg / knee: ~£2,690 - £14,020
Psychological injury
- General psychiatric damage (less severe): ~£1,880 - £7,150
Scarring and disfigurement
- Less significant facial scarring: ~£3,950 - £13,740
For each injury, the matching injury-type page on Casibus has the full severity gradient, recovery milestones, and matching JCG sub-bands.
Whiplash is different — the tariff system
If you were an adult driver or passenger in a road traffic accident, your whiplash-type injury recovers within two years, and its value is under £5,000, your claim runs through the Official Injury Claim portal under a fixed tariff. The tariff was increased by around 15% by the Whiplash Injury (Amendment) Regulations 2025 for accidents on or after 31 May 2025. Examples of the current tariff:
- Up to 3 months: £275 (£300 with minor psychological injury)
For accidents before 31 May 2025, the original 2021 tariff applies (starting at £240 / £260). Outside those limits — children, pedestrians, motorcyclists, cyclists, over-£5,000 claims, or injuries lasting more than two years — the Judicial College Guidelines apply in the usual way. Full detail in our guide to whiplash claims.
How serious injury claims are valued (the bit competitors skip)
For catastrophic injuries — spinal cord, brain, multiple amputation, severe burns — general damages are just a starting point. The bulk of the claim is future losses: the lifetime cost of care, the lifetime loss of earnings, accommodation adaptation, specialist equipment, and case management. These are valued using the Ogden Tables, which translate future annual losses into a present-day capital sum using an actuarial discount rate set by the Lord Chancellor (currently +0.5% in England and Wales).
Where liability is admitted, interim payments can be made before settlement to fund treatment, care or adaptations — see our interim payments guide. Where benefits are in play, a Personal Injury Trust can stop compensation from being treated as capital for means-tested benefits purposes.
Factors that affect your final figure
- Severity and duration. The longer you're affected, and the worse the effect, the higher you sit in the bracket.
Worked examples — how the numbers actually build
Example 1 — minor whiplash, 8 weeks off work (2025 tariff)
- Tariff (up to 3 months whiplash, post-May 2025): £275
Example 2 — moderate back injury, 5 months off work
- General damages (moderate back, within bracket £14,490-£27,760): £18,000
Example 3 — severe brain injury, 45-year-old with ongoing care
- General damages (moderately severe brain injury): £300,000
Will I pay tax on my compensation? Will it affect benefits?
Personal injury compensation is not taxable as income in the UK — whether it comes as a lump sum or periodical payment. Interest on damages is a limited exception and may be taxable.
Means-tested benefits (Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support, Pension Credit) are a different matter. A lump-sum compensation payment can push you over the capital threshold and stop benefits. A Personal Injury Trust is the established solution — compensation held in the trust is disregarded by the DWP when means-testing. Ask your solicitor about setting one up before settlement lands in your account. See our guide on personal injury trusts.
How long before I get my money?
For straightforward whiplash under the Official Injury Claim portal: often 4-8 months. Moderate personal injury claims: 9-18 months from instruction to settlement. Serious, life-changing injuries: usually 2-5 years, because the settlement should only be finalised once your long-term prognosis is clear. Where liability is admitted early, interim payments can bridge the gap — see interim payments.
What will I keep after legal fees?
On a no win, no fee claim the success fee is capped at 25% of your general damages and past losses, exclusive of VAT. Future losses sit outside the cap — so in larger claims, the net-to-client percentage is higher than the headline 25% implies. The full breakdown is in our no win no fee explained guide.
