Training & Exercise Injuries

Severe (i): Incomplete paraplegia / permanent spastic quadriparesis / little or no movement with severe intractable headaches

Around £195,970

Most serious neck injuries associated with incomplete paraplegia or resulting in permanent spastic quadriparesis; severe headaches proved intractable despite wearing collar 24 hours a day for years.

Severe (ii): Serious fractures or disc damage with permanent disability (e.g. brachial plexus damage, substantial loss of movement)

£86,860 – £172,970

Usually involving serious fractures or disc damage in the cervical spine; permanent damage to the brachial plexus or substantial loss of neck movement and loss of function in one or more limbs.

Severe (iii): Fractures / dislocations / severe soft tissue damage leading to chronic conditions and significant permanent disability

£60,080 – £73,970

Fractures, dislocations or severe soft tissue damage / ruptured tendons leading to chronic conditions; award depends on duration of most serious symptoms, treatment required and prognosis.

Moderate (i): Fractures or dislocations causing severe immediate symptoms; may require spinal fusion; chronic conditions with referred symptoms or combined neck and back soft tissue injury

£33,020 – £50,850

Markedly impaired function or vulnerability to further trauma and limitation of activities; may include cases with pre-existing degenerative changes or accelerated symptoms.

Moderate (ii): Soft tissue / disc lesion causing cervical spondylosis, serious limitation of movement, permanent or recurring pain

£18,150 – £33,020

Serious limitation of movement, permanent or recurring pain, stiffness or discomfort; possible need for further surgery or increased vulnerability to further trauma; may include acceleration of pre-existing condition by five years or more.

Moderate (iii): Acceleration / exacerbation of pre-existing condition (usually less than five years); moderate soft tissue injuries with protracted recovery

£10,420 – £18,150

Also applies to moderate soft tissue injuries where the period of recovery has been fairly protracted and where there remains an increased vulnerability to further trauma or permanent nuisance-type symptoms.

Minor (i): Full recovery within one to two years (or short-term acceleration injury of one to two years)

£5,750 – £10,420

Severity of injury, intensity of pain, impact on daily life and work, and extent of treatment required are all relevant factors within this bracket.

Minor (ii): Full recovery within three months to one year

£3,240 – £5,750

Also applies to very short-term acceleration / exacerbation injuries, usually less than one year.

Severe (i): Damage to spinal cord and nerve roots; very serious consequences including incomplete paralysis and impaired bladder, bowel and sexual function

£120,340 – £212,670

Severe pain and disability; combination of incomplete paralysis and significantly impaired bladder, bowel and sexual function; significant psychological symptoms may affect award within bracket unless quantified separately.

Severe (ii): Special features beyond orthopaedic injury — nerve root damage, loss of sensation, impaired mobility, impaired bladder/bowel function, sexual difficulties, unsightly scarring

£97,980 – £116,820

Cases with features taking them outside lower brackets; includes nerve root damage with associated loss of sensation, impaired mobility, impaired bladder and bowel function, sexual difficulties and unsightly scarring.

Severe (iii): Disc lesions / fractures / soft tissue injuries leading to chronic conditions despite treatment; continuing severe pain, impaired agility, depression, unemployability, risk of arthritis

£51,230 – £92,130

Despite treatment (usually involving surgery), disabilities remain such as continuing severe pain and discomfort, impaired agility, impaired sexual function, depression, personality change, alcoholism, unemployability and risk of arthritis.

Moderate (i): Residual disability less severe than severe (iii); e.g. compression fracture with osteoarthritis risk, traumatic spondylolisthesis, prolapsed disc requiring surgery

£36,680 – £51,230

Wide variety of injuries including compression/crush fracture of lumbar vertebrae with substantial risk of osteoarthritis; traumatic spondylolisthesis with continuous pain; prolapsed intervertebral disc requiring surgery; or disc damage with nerve root irritation and reduced mobility.

Moderate (ii): Ligament / muscle injuries causing backache; soft tissue injuries with prolonged acceleration of pre-existing condition (5+ years); prolapsed discs requiring laminectomy

£16,520 – £36,680

Frequently encountered back injuries; precise figure depends on severity of original injury, degree of pain, extent of treatment, impact on daily life and social/recreational activities, and prognosis.

Minor (i): Full recovery or recovery to nuisance level without surgery within two to five years

£10,420 – £16,520

Also applies to shorter-term acceleration / exacerbation injuries, usually between two to five years.

Minor (ii): Full recovery without surgery within one to two years

£5,750 – £10,420

Also applies to very short-term acceleration / exacerbation injuries, usually between one and two years.

Minor (iii): Full recovery without surgery within three months to one year

£3,240 – £5,750

Also applies to very short-term acceleration / exacerbation injuries, usually less than one year.

Minor (iv): Full recovery within three months

Up to £3,240

Less serious strains, sprains, disc prolapses, soft tissue injuries or fractures recovering without surgery.

Severe: Often associated with neck injuries; damage to brachial plexus causing significant disability

£25,370 – £63,450

Serious brachial plexus injuries causing significant neck and/or arm symptoms should be assessed under the severe neck bracket or arm bracket; significant disability.

Serious: Dislocation with brachial plexus damage; fractured humerus with restricted movement; rotator cuff injury with persisting symptoms after surgery

£16,870 – £25,370

Pain in shoulder and neck, aching in elbow, sensory symptoms in forearm and hand, weakness of grip; rotator cuff injury with persisting post-surgical symptoms; soft tissue injury where intrusive symptoms will be permanent.

Moderate: Frozen shoulder with limitation of movement and discomfort persisting for about two years; soft tissue injuries with more than minimal symptoms persisting after two years but not permanent

£10,420 – £16,870

Limitation of movement and discomfort with symptoms persisting for about two years; also soft tissue injuries with more than minimal symptoms persisting after two years but not permanent.

Minor (i): Soft tissue injury with considerable pain but almost complete recovery within less than two years

£5,750 – £10,420

Starting point is duration of symptoms; severity of original injury, degree of pain and extent to which ongoing symptoms are minor may justify higher or lower bracket.

Minor (ii): Almost complete recovery within a year

£3,240 – £5,750

Soft tissue injury to shoulder with considerable pain but almost complete recovery within a year.

Minor (iii): Almost complete recovery within three months

Up to £3,240

Soft tissue injury to shoulder with considerable pain but almost complete recovery within three months.

Fracture of clavicle

£6,800 – £16,170

Level of award depends on extent of fracture, level of disability, residual symptoms (temporary or permanent), and whether union is anatomically displaced; unusually serious cases may exceed this bracket.

Complete loss of function (e.g. arthrodesis performed)

£62,910 – £79,080

Injuries resulting in complete loss of function in the wrist, e.g. where an arthrodesis has been performed.

Significant permanent disability with some useful movement remaining

£32,370 – £51,750

Injury resulting in significant permanent disability but where some useful movement remains.

Less severe with some permanent disability (persisting pain and stiffness)

£16,640 – £32,370

Less severe injuries still resulting in some permanent disability, e.g. a degree of persisting pain and stiffness.

Recovery longer than 12 months but complete or largely complete save for minor symptoms

£8,030 – £13,670

Where recovery from fracture or soft tissue injury takes longer than 12 months but is complete or largely complete save for minor symptoms.

Uncomplicated Colles fracture

Around £9,820

Uncomplicated Colles fracture.

Minor undisplaced / minimally displaced fractures and soft tissue injuries; full or virtual recovery within 12 months

Up to £8,030 (approx)

Very minor undisplaced or minimally displaced fractures and soft tissue injuries necessitating plaster or bandage for a matter of weeks; full or virtual recovery within up to 12 months or so.

Loss of both arms

£318,120 – £396,340

Reduces a person with full awareness to a state of considerable helplessness; value depends on whether amputation is above or below elbow, extent to which prosthetics restore function, whether dominant arm is affected, intensity of phantom pains, age, and effect on work, domestic and social life.

Amputation at the shoulder

Not less than £181,200

Arm amputated at the shoulder joint; most serious single arm amputation.

Above-elbow amputation

£144,860 – £172,970

Shorter stump may create difficulties in use of prosthesis — award towards top of bracket; amputation through the elbow normally produces an award at the bottom of the bracket.

Below-elbow amputation

£127,050 – £144,860

Amputation through the forearm; residual severe organic and phantom pains would attract an award at the top end of the bracket.

Most serious injuries short of amputation (e.g. extensive degloving, gross shortening, extensive bone grafting)

£127,160 – £179,560

Injuries so severe that courts have awarded damages at a similar level to amputation; includes extensive degloving of the leg, gross shortening, or fractures that have not united requiring extensive bone grafting.

Very serious: permanent mobility problems, need for crutches for life; multiple fractures requiring years of treatment; serious deformity and limitation of movement; arthritis likely

£72,440 – £117,210

Permanent problems with mobility; need for crutches or mobility aids for the remainder of life; multiple fractures taking years to heal with extensive treatment; serious deformity and limitation of movement; or arthritis in a joint making further surgical treatment likely.

Serious: compound or comminuted fractures / injuries to joints or ligaments; instability; prolonged treatment; near certainty of arthritis; extensive scarring

£51,790 – £72,440

Serious compound or comminuted fractures or injuries to joints or ligaments resulting in instability, prolonged treatment, lengthy period of non-weight-bearing, near certainty of arthritis, extensive scarring; combination of such features generally necessary to justify award within this bracket.

Moderate: complicated or multiple fractures / severe crushing injuries to a single limb

£36,680 – £51,790

Level influenced by extent of treatment; impact on employment; presence or risk of degenerative changes and/or future surgery; imperfect union of fractures; muscle wasting; limited joint movements; instability in the knee; unsightly scarring; or permanently increased vulnerability to future damage.

Fractures with incomplete recovery or serious soft tissue injuries (metal implant, defective gait, limp, impaired mobility, sensory loss)

£23,730 – £36,680

Reasonable recovery but left with metal implant and/or defective gait, limp, impaired mobility, sensory loss, discomfort or exacerbation of pre-existing disability; also serious soft tissue injuries causing significant cosmetic deficit, functional restriction and/or nerve damage.

Simple fracture of femur with no damage to articular surfaces

£12,040 – £18,600

Simple fracture of a femur with no damage to articular surfaces.

Simple fractures to tibia or fibula or soft tissue injuries

Up to £15,640

Simple tibia/fibula fractures with some ongoing minor symptoms towards top of bracket; complete recovery from simple fracture likely to justify £9,350–£11,930; soft tissue injuries, muscle tears, lacerations, cuts, bruising or contusions fully resolved within a few months likely to attract less than £3,240.

Loss of both legs (above knee or one above / one below knee)

£318,120 – £372,570

Level determined by severity of phantom pains; pain or problems with stump; age; associated psychological problems; success of prosthetics; side effects such as backache; risk of future degenerative changes in hips and spine; loss of amenity (e.g. inability to engage in particular sports).

Below-knee amputation of both legs

£266,200 – £356,840

Award at top of bracket where both legs amputated just below the knee; otherwise depends on phantom pains, stump problems, age, psychological problems, success of prosthetics, backache, and risk of degenerative changes in remaining joints, hips and spine.

Above-knee amputation of one leg

£138,490 – £181,610

Depends on level of amputation, severity of phantom pains, stump problems, age, psychological problems, success of prosthetics, backache, and risk of osteoarthritis in remaining joints, hips and spine; loss of amenity a factor.

Below-knee amputation of one leg

£129,440 – £175,690

Straightforward below-knee amputation with no complications towards bottom of bracket; traumatic amputation where injured person remained fully conscious, or where multiple failed attempts to save the leg preceded amputation, towards top; phantom pains, stump problems, age, prosthetics, psychological problems and increased chance of osteoarthritis all relevant.

Very severe: transmalleolar fracture with extensive soft-tissue damage and deformity; bilateral ankle fractures causing joint degeneration at young age requiring arthrodesis

£66,140 – £92,090

Limited and unusual cases; includes transmalleolar fracture with extensive soft-tissue damage resulting in deformity and risk that future injury might necessitate below-knee amputation; or bilateral ankle fractures causing degeneration of joints at a young age so that arthrodesis is necessary.

Severe: extensive treatment / lengthy period in plaster / pins and plates inserted; significant residual disability including ankle instability and severely limited ability to walk

£41,370 – £66,140

Level determined by features such as failed arthrodesis, presence of or risk of osteoarthritis, regular sleep disturbance, unsightly scarring, impact on employment, and need to wear special footwear.

Moderate: fractures, ligamentous tears giving rise to difficulty walking on uneven ground, difficulty standing or walking for long periods, awkwardness on stairs, irritation from metal plates, residual scarring

£18,150 – £35,130

Less serious disabilities; may also be a risk of future osteoarthritis.

Modest: less serious, minor or undisplaced fractures, sprains and ligamentous injuries

Up to £18,150

Level determined by whether complete recovery has been made; if incomplete, whether ankle gives way, and whether there is scarring, aching, loss of movement or risk of long-term osteoarthritis. Complete recovery without ongoing symptoms unlikely to exceed £10,170; complete recovery within a year unlikely to exceed £7,270.