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Serious Hand Injuries – Can I Claim Compensation?
By Jo Greenwood. Last Updated March 2024. Did you suffer serious hand injuries? Are you wondering if you could make a personal injury claim? If so, please continue reading our guide. We explain how to go about seeking compensation for injuries you sustained through no fault of your own. Whether you were hurt in an accident at work, in a road traffic accident, or in a public place, you may be entitled to compensation.
Serious hand injury
Our guide explains how one of our No Win No Fee lawyers could represent you. This means you won’t have to pay them any fees upfront. Moreover, we provide you with a general idea on how much your claim could be worth, and the sort of damages you could claim. There is information on the statutory time limits attached to personal injury claims and how these must be respected.
Please click on the following sections for more information. Alternatively, to discuss your case with one of our friendly advisers please call our freephone number 0800 073 8804. You can also contact us by:
- Emailing us at info@legalexpert.co.uk
- Using our Live Chat option
- Filling out the online claims form
Select A Section
- What Defines Serious Hand Injuries?
- How Can I Make A Successful Claim?
- What Are The Main Symptoms Of A Hand Injury?
- Where Could I Suffer Such An Injury?
- How Commonly Do Serious Hand Injuries Occur?
- Which Obstacles Might Stop Me From Claiming Compensation?
- What Are The First Steps Towards Filing This Type Of Claim?
- Hand Injury Compensation Amounts In The UK
- What Is The Difference Between General Damages And Special Damages?
- Claiming Hand Injury Compensation Amounts With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
- More Information On Serious Hand Injuries
What Defines Serious Hand Injuries?
Serious hand injuries include damage where there is severe bleeding, loss of motion, severe pain, obvious deformity, broken bones, fractures, amputation, infection, swelling, and fever.
People can suffer a severe hand injury in the workplace, in a road traffic accident or when they slip, trip and fall in a public area. When you suffer a hand fracture or suffer crushed bones in your hand, the pain can be excruciating. Furthermore, you won’t be able to grip anything which could affect your ability to work.
Our guide explains how you could seek compensation for serious hand injuries if you can show you are not to blame. We provide information on the symptoms you could experience and the sort of treatment you may receive. We have included information on how you could suffer a severe injury to your hand. Additionally, there is information on how often this type of injury happens.
You will find advice on when you could and could not claim serious hand injuries compensation. Moreover, we offer advice on what you should do before filing a claim. There is also a compensation payout table in the sections that follow. This will give you an idea on how much specific hand injuries are valued at in personal injury claims.
Lastly, our guide offers advice on how a No Win No Fee solicitor could represent you. However, first your case must be reviewed which is something our experienced advisers can do. To find out how Legal Expert can be of assistance, just call our freephone number at the top of the page.
How Can I Make A Successful Claim?
The onus is always on the claimant to show how those who should have been looking out for their welfare failed to do so in order to make a claim. Laws are in place so employers, road users and those in control of public spaces show a duty of care to others.
If you are owed a duty of care and that is breached, you could seek damages. However, you must show that but for the accident, you would not have suffered the injuries. This is where one of our personal injury solicitors can be of assistance. They can offer essential advice on how to prove your case. Whether you are injured in the workplace, in an RTA, or in some other sort of incident, we can help.
As previously mentioned, to prove liability you have to show serious hand injuries were caused by the negligent behaviour of a faulted party who owed a duty of care.
This type of injury could happen in the following ways:
- A motorbike or cycling accident because people extend their arms and hands to help break a fall. If another party caused the accident, they could be held liable.
- Slip, trip and fall accidents whether in the workplace or in a public area. If you can show your serious hand injuries would not have happened but for the negligence of another party, they could be held responsible.
- Workplace accidents that happen due to the negligence of an employer or an error on the part of a work colleague. When you can prove your injuries would not have happened if an employer had not breached their duty toward you, they could be held liable.
If you are not sure who could be held liable for your serious hand injuries, we can help. One of our experienced advisers will go over the details of your case before advising you accordingly. Just call our freephone number to receive free legal advice on how to seek compensation for serious hand injuries caused by a negligent party.
Your First Serious Hand Injuries Personal Injury Claim Consultation is Free
The first consultation you receive is free of charge. A member of the Legal Expert team will answer any questions you have. They will review the details of your claim and could connect you to one of our expert personal injury lawyers. If you have good cause to sue for compensation, you could be offered No Win No Fee terms.
Serious Hand Injuries Claim Time Limits
There are time limits attached to personal injury claims. The deadline varies depending on several things. Normally, you have 3 years to file a personal injury claim. However, this may vary because there are exceptions which are:
- The claimant lacks the mental capacity to file a claim
- The injured person is a minor (under the age of 18)
A litigation friend can be appointed to claim compensation on behalf of a minor. However, anyone under the age of 18 must wait to file a personal injury claim themselves until they turn 18 years of age. They have till they turn 21 to do so. In short, the three year time limit starts when the injured party turns 18 years of age.
A litigation friend can be appointed to file a personal injury claim for anyone who lacks the mental capacity to do so themselves.
Call one of our advisers today and find out more about the time limit linked to your claim. You will benefit from free legal advice. Furthermore, we can review the details of your case and connect you to one of our specialist solicitors.
What Are The Main Symptoms Of A Hand Injury?
According to the NHS, the symptoms linked to serious hand injuries could include excruciating pain in the injured hand. Other symptoms could include any or all of the following:
- Pain
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Loss of movement
- Numbness or pins and needles
- Obvious deformity
- Open fracture with a wound
Where Could I Suffer Such An Injury?
You can suffer serious hand injuries in an accident at work, in an RTA, or in a public place. When you can show that the accident was caused by a breach in the duty of care owed to you, you could be eligible to seek damages. We can be of assistance and we can advise you about the sort of evidence you need to support your claim.
Serious hand injuries could be caused by:
- Falls from height
- Slip, trip and fall accident
- Sporting accident
- Crushing accident
- Road traffic accident
Call today on our freephone number to find out whether you can seek damages for the hand injuries you suffered. Your first consultation is free, and you are not obliged to take your claim forward if you choose not to. A member of the Legal Expert team will review your details. When they establish you have grounds to sue, they will connect you to one of our specialist personal injury lawyers.
How Commonly Do Serious Hand Injuries Occur?
Some of the common musculoskeletal work-related injuries reported to the Labour Force Survey involve upper limbs. These account for 45% of workplace musculoskeletal work-related injuries. The latest Labour Force Survey (LFS) statistics show:
- The total number of cases of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in 2020/21 was 470,000, a prevalence rate of 1,420 per 100,000 workers which comprised of 212,000 (44%) cases of upper limb and neck injuries.
- Before the pandemic, there was a downward trend in the number of self-reported musculoskeletal disorders being reported.
- For the period 2020/2021, musculoskeletal disorders accounted for twenty-eight percent of work-related ill-health.
- In 2020/21 there were 3,200 non-fatal hand injuries reported.
- 3,782 wrist injuries to workers for the same period.
Which Obstacles Might Stop Me From Claiming Compensation?
You must have adequate proof that you suffered your injuries because there was a breach in the duty of care owed to due i.e. because of negligence. Without enough evidence, a personal injury claim for compensation could likely fail. You must provide evidence of your injury and the cause of the accident. Then there is the time limit to consider. If you wait too long, you may run out of time to seek damages even if your case is valid.
Legal Expert has the necessary expertise to handle all types of personal injury claims. Our solicitors have many years’ experience in successfully handling hand injury claims. We have secured compensation payouts for people who suffered through no fault of their own. Please contact one of our friendly advisers to find out how we can help you.
What Are The First Steps Towards Filing This Type Of Claim?
You must seek medical attention as quickly as possible when you suffer a serious injury to a hand. Once you have been treated and you are able to, you should gather as much evidence as you can. If you are unable to, ask a family member or trusted friend to do this for you. The sort of evidence you need to gather to support your claim is:
- Photos of your hand injuries and where the accident occurred
- Police report if they were called out to an incident
- A medical report detailing the extent of your hand injuries
- Witness contact details
We advise seeking legal advice as early as possible. This is where Legal Expert can help you. Our advisers can review the details of your case. They can offer advice on the sort of proof you need to gather. Moreover, they will answer all your questions and put you in touch with one of our expert personal injury lawyers.
Hand Injury Compensation Amounts In The UK
You may be wondering what hand injury compensation amounts in the UK could be. You could use a hand injury compensation calculator or talk to one of our advisors.
However, you can get some idea of the compensation you could potentially receive for your hand injury by using the table below. The figures provided are taken from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), which helps solicitors value compensation awards by providing guideline settlement values.
| Type of serious hand injury | Potential compensation payout based on Judicial College Guidelines | Extra details |
|---|---|---|
| Loss of one hand | £96,160 to £109,650 | Claimant suffers catastrophic injury to one hand which results in amputation. A higher amount is awarded in the loss of the hand involved the dominant one which negatively impacts the claimants future life and ability to carry on working |
| Serious injury to the hand | £29,000 to £61,910 | The claimant suffers catastrophic damage to one hand which sees them lose 50% ability to grip anything. The claimant’s dexterity is also negatively impacted which could affect their ability to carry on working at the job they did prior to their injury occurring |
| Less serious injury to a hand | £14,450 to £29,000 | The claimant suffers serious injuries to the hand which often includes crush injuries. The claimant will lose a degree of function in the affected hand despite receiving the right treatment, therapy and rehabilitation |
| Moderate injury to one hand | £5,720 to £13,280 | The claimant suffers soft tissue injuries, penetrating wounds, and deep cuts to a hand. Surgical intervention may not have resolved the injury which sees the claimant suffering from some degree of disability in which case the higher amount would be awarded |
| Severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder | £59,860 to £100,670 | The claimant experiences severe symptoms associated with PTSD which negatively impacts their ability to cope with life. The claimant’s ability to work is severely impacted too |
| Moderately Severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder | £23,150 to £59,860
|
The claimant experiences less severe symptoms of PTSD and with the right treatment and therapy the prognosis is expected to be more positive than above |
| Severe Psychiatric Damage | £54,830 to £115,730 | The claimant suffers extreme difficulty coping with normal daily life and their ability to work is greatly reduced. |
| Moderately Severe Psychiatric Damage | £19,070 to £54,830 | The claimant experiences significant mental health problems but with the right treatment and therapy the prognosis is expected to be more positive than above |
| Moderate Psychiatric Damage | £5,860 to £19,070 | The claimant experiences some degree of mental damage but the prognosis is more positive |
| Injury to the wrist (a) | £47,620 to £59,860 | The claimant suffers the total loss of function in an affected wrist which could impact their ability to carry on working at the job they did prior to receiving this type of injury |
| Injury to the wrist (b) | £24,500 to £39,170 | The claimant suffers a significant and permanent disability to a wrist. However, some mobility remains although only to a certain degree |
The figures above relate to general damages. This is the head of your hand injury compensation claim that covers the pain and suffering you endure as well as your injuries.
Alongside general damages, you could also receive special damages. Special damages covers the financial impacts your injuries have on your life. For example, if you need to take time off work to recover from your injuries, this could result in a loss of earnings.
To learn more about claiming compensation for a hand injury, get in touch with our team of advisors today for a free consultation.
What Is The Difference Between General Damages And Special Damages?
As previously mentioned above, when you make a successful serious hand injuries claim, you would receive general damages. You could also be entitled to claim special damages which are awarded to reimburse your out of pocket expenses. As such, you may be able to seek the following:
- Care costs
- Medical expenses
- Travel costs
- Home and vehicle adaptations
- Lost income
- Loss of future earnings
- All other expenses and losses directly linked to your serious hand injuries
Please note that special damages are based on ‘actual’ losses and expenses you incurred. As such, you must provide evidence for both. This could be in the form of receipts and other relevant documentation. Without the right proof, you will not be able to claim special damages.
Please call one of our advisers today if you have any questions about the damages you could seek in a successful personal injury claim. Your first consultation is free of charge, and you won’t have to go forward with your claim if you choose not to.
Claiming Hand Injury Compensation Amounts With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
If you are eligible to make a claim for a serious hand injury, you may wish to have help from a solicitor. Our solicitors have experience in many different types of personal injury claims, including hand injury claims. They could help you gather evidence for your claim, and could negotiate a compensation settlement on your behalf.
They may be able to assist you under a No Win No Fee arrangement, such as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). Under a CFA, you would typically not have to pay your solicitor upfront or throughout the claims process. Furthermore, if your claim were not successful, you would not have to pay for their work on your case.
If your claim does succeed, a success fee would be deducted from your compensation payout by your solicitor. This is a small, legally capped percentage of your payout.
To check if you could be eligible to get help from one of our No Win No Fee solicitors, you can contact our advisors. They can also offer you free advice and help answer any of the questions you may have about hand injury compensation amounts or the process of making a claim. To reach an advisor:
- Call 0800 073 8804
- Contact us online; or
- Use live chat to connect with an advisor
More Information On Serious Hand Injuries
Applied Legal Duty of Care:
Health and Safety At Work etc Act 1974
Occupierrs’ Liability Act 1957
Personal Injury Claim Guides:
Rear-end shunt road traffic accident claims guide.
FAQ’s on how to sue your employer claims guide
Data breach frequently asked questions claims guide.
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