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£12,000 Compensation For A Broken Wrist At Work Claim

By Megan Black. Last Updated 20th January 2023. This is a guide on broken wrist at work claims. In this article, we will look at a case study where someone successfully claimed compensation following a broken wrist injury in the workplace.

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A Case Study About Broken Wrist At Work Claims

The claimant (who was 30 years old at the time the claim was resolved) sustained their injury when falling from a lorry. The broken wrist at work injury occurred whilst they were on a training exercise with the British Army. At the time of the accident, the claimant was a member of the UK armed forces. The wrist injury claim value was £12,000 and was paid out to the claimant following a court case.

How Common Are Broken Wrist At Work Claims?

Slip, trip and fall accidents are the most common form of workplace accident and make up around 30% of all workplace injuries in the UK, as can be seen in the statistics below from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

 

According to the HSE, the majority of serious slip, trip and fall accidents can cause a broken or fractured bone and 95% of major slips will result in a break or fracture.

What Is The Average Time Off Work With a Broken Wrist?

According to the NHS, most broken wrists will heal within 6-8 weeks. However, if you have an especially severe broken wrist, the recovery time may be longer than this.

The question of how long you’ll be off work for is another matter. The length of time you’ll be absent from work will depend on a variety of factors. If you work in a role that requires a lot of physical exercise, it’s possible you may require longer to recover or potentially even extra treatment before you can perform the role you did pre-injury.

However, some jobs require much less strenuous activity. If so, then it’s possible you could return to work as soon as the injury has healed. Each injury will come with its own set of circumstances. If you’re not sure if it’s safe for you to return to work, then seek the advice of a medical professional.

Compensation for a broken wrist can also include a figure to cover any loss of earnings caused by your injury. To put it another way, if you are unable to work due the injury, you could be reimbursed via your settlement for the wages you could have earned over this period of time.

Establishing Liability And Wrist Injury Compensation Amounts

Broken wrist at work

Broken wrist at work

In the broken wrist at work claim case, the judge found that due to the claimants’ deterioration, shown in his need for stronger pain medication and the future requirement for surgery was a high probability. It was alleged that prior to the injury, the claimant was a keen player in several sports such as cricket, rugby and football. He had played these sports to regimental standards. The accident removed his ability to play these sports again and, as well as being unable to play sports and participate in activities with his children, he was restricted in gardening.

It was alleged that the claimant also found it difficult to drive a car with a manual gearbox or a car that did not have power-assisted steering. The claimant had joined the army as a young man and subsequently left for reasons unrelated to the injury. The only qualification he had was some unqualified training in radio telecommunication and a Class 3 HGV licence. His disability prevented him from working as an HGV driver and his other skills were industry-specific to the military. The claimant did find work in a nuclear plant which involved heavy work laying cabling. Due to his injury, he was not able to perform this and was transferred to a supervisory role which involved lighter work. Later, he was made redundant. When he was made redundant his net income was £13,500 and had since been unable to find work. As such, the wrist injury claim value took all this into account.

What Injuries Were Sustained In This Broken Wrist At Work Claim Case?

At the time of the accident, the claimant was 24 years old. They sustained pain and suffering as a result of the injury. As a result of the injury, the claimant sustained a variety of wrist injuries. These included a compound fracture of the claimant’s radius as well as their ulna on the left wrist (their non-dominant side). The fractures were fixed during surgery under general anaesthetic by two wires being placed. After the surgery, the wrist was in plaster for five weeks. Two months after the surgery, the wires were removed. This involved a hospital stay of two days.

Three years after the accident, the claimant underwent an examination. At this point, it was noted that the bones had healed and were solid. It was also noted that their alignment was good, but not perfect. There was some distortion at the claimant’s wrist joint. There was also some evidence of their being disruption to the ligaments. The claimant also experienced weakness in their grip and had lost up to half the normal movement range of the wrist, this was taken into account in the wrist injury compensation amounts awarded. Their wrist remained painful and tender. It was passive when manipulated. The claimant was also suffering from disturbed sleep due to the discomfort caused by the wrist. This was noted as being worse after a day of heavy work. This was acuter upon waking in the morning.

Over time the claimant experienced a deterioration in his condition and had moved on from using non-prescription pain medication. At his examination, he was being prescribed stronger painkillers. The claimant suffered a small injury to the face. Three years later at the examination, this had largely recovered. The claimant was prevented from participating in a range of activities they had previously done, such as activities with their children. It was predicted that the claimants’ condition would worsen in the next 5 – 10 years. It was expected that they would require surgery to stiffen the wrist. This surgery could involve a bone graft which would be taken from the pelvis. This operation and treatment would require a two-week stay in the hospital as an in-patient. Their arm would also have to be immobilized in plaster for up to 4 – 5 months. The recovery period was predicted to be 12 months after the surgery.

What Is The Average Settlement For A Broken Wrist?

If you are researching personal injury claims, you may be wondering, ‘how much compensation do you get for a wrist injury?’.

If you have suffered a wrist injury at work, compensation could be awarded to you for your pain and suffering. This is known as general damages in personal injury claims. General damages also compensate you for how your quality of life has been affected due to your injury and can compensate you for both mental and physical injuries.

To help you gain a clearer idea of how much you could receive in general damages for your wrist injury, we have created the following table. The amounts listed have been taken from the most recent edition of the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), published in April 2022. The JCG is a document many legal professionals use to help them value claims. This is because it lists compensation brackets for various injuries.

We cannot provide you with an average settlement for a broken wrist. This is because how much compensation you could receive will be affected by the factors of your claim, meaning compensation is awarded on a case-by-case basis. Therefore, you should only use the following table as a guide.

Edit
Injury Notes Compensation Amount
Serious Damage to Both Hands There is significant cosmetic disability and loss of function. £55,820 to £84,570
Serious Hand Injuries The hand’s capacity is reduced to 50% and several fingers may need to be amputated. £29,000 to £61,910
Less Serious Hand Injury Function in the hand is significantly impaired due to a crush injury, regardless of whether the person has undergone treatment or not. £14,450 to £29,000
Moderate Hand Injuries Soft tissue or crush injuries where surgery has failed and a permanent disability remains is applicable to the higher end of this bracket. £5,720 to £13,280
Wrist Injuries An arthrodesis may have been performed, which will result in the complete loss of the wrist’s function. £47,620 to £59,860
Wrist Injuries Although useful movement remains, there is a significant permanent disability. £24,500 to £39,170
Wrist Injuries Pain is persistent and there is a degree of stiffness. £12,590 to £24,500
Wrist Injuries Minor symptoms however a full recovery takes place within 1+ years. £6,080 to £10,350
Wrist Injuries A Colles’ fracture that is uncomplicated. In the region of £7,430
Wrist Injuries Undisplaced or minor fractures that may require time in plaster but fully recover within a year. £3,530 to £4,740

Do not hesitate to contact one of our friendly advisors to discuss your claim. They could offer you free legal advice and answer any of the questions that you may have.

Wrist Injury Compensation Calculator

A wrist injury compensation calculator you find online may not be able to take all aspects of your claim into account. Every wrist damage claim is different, and you may be eligible to claim for special damages.

Under special damages, you could recover expenses related to your wrist damage. To qualify for special damages, you must be able to prove your costs. This can include submitting receipts, invoices, or wage slips.

Examples of what you could claim for include:

  • Prescription costs.
  • Plastic surgery expenses.
  • Home or vehicle adaptations if these are required to cope with your injury.
  • Lost income.

Call our advisors to learn more about what you could include in a claim for wrist damage.

Case Study Example

In this case, the judge took into account the disadvantage the claimant had in the labour market. The judge found that due to their skills, the most significant proportion of job opportunities available involved heavy or manual work.

The judge also found that their disability barred them from most of these opportunities and as such, they had reduced employment prospects. Ultimately the broken wrist compensation amount which they were awarded was £12,000.

Common Causes Of Broken Wrist At Work Claims

The major causes of broken or fractured bones at work are (according to the HSE) slip, trip and fall injuries. They extend from breaks to the hands and fingers through to fractures and breaks to the major bones. Looking at scaphoid fracture compensation amounts, these cases will look at fractures and breaks in the small bone of the wrist.

No Win No Fee Broken Wrist At Work Claim Cases

No Win No Fee personal injury claims help those who could not afford to make upfront or ongoing payments by providing them with a way to afford expert legal services. At Legal Expert, you will only pay if your claim is successful. This means your costs are recovered from the other party and your solicitor is paid in the form of a success fee. If unsuccessful, you won’t need to pay a penny.

Contact Legal Expert For Free Advice

Talk to Legal Expert today to find out how much compensation for a broken wrist at work claim we could get you. Phone Legal Expert today on 0800 073 8804. You can also email us with case details and also use our online chat feature.

Useful Links

Compensation For A Broken Bone
To find out how much compensation you get for a broken wrist and the average compensation for a broken wrist, see Legal Expert.

Accident At Work Claims
Get free legal advice for accident at work claims as well as find out how to start your personal injury claim.

Slip Trip And Fall At Work Claim
Find out how much compensation you can claim for a slip trip or fall accident at work.