It is understandable that Claimant’s often want to know how much compensation they can claim. Unfortunately it is difficult for a firm of solicitors to say with any certainly how much compensation is likely to be awarded. This is due to the simple fact that at the outset of a claim the extent, seriousness or length of your injury may not be known and there is no medical evidence to confirm your injuries/suffering.
At the outset, the only real guidance we can give is by using the JC Guidelines which assist in valuing claims. Note that these are just guidelines and not set amounts, every case is different. The guidelines are the only tool available to us at the outset. Once all evidence is obtained, we would value a claim using the guidelines in addition to past cases and the medical evidence in your case.
In terms of a broken arm, how much are you likely to be awarded? We can look at the guidelines for a rough guide. If you see the guidelines themselves, you will note many arm injuries. The top brackets start with amputation of arms and loss of both arms etc. Obviously we are talking significant injuries here and the award bracket reflects this (loss of both arms noted as £194,700 to £242,550).
For a broken arm we would be looking at the lower brackets. Under arm injuries there is a bracket of “less severe injury” which is awarded at £15,510 to £31,625. The guidance for this section notes “While there will have been significant disabilities, a substantial degree of recovery will have taken place or will be expected.”
From looking at the brackets themselves, I would expect most broken arm injuries, unless there is some other specific problem or prolonged suffering, to fall within the bracket of “simple fractures of the forearm” which is awarded at £5,390 to £15,510. There is no further guidance notes for this section.
Personally, I wouldn’t advise reading too much into the brackets of compensation. The brackets are quite wide and every case is different and dependent upon other factors such as medical evidence and litigation risks. No solicitor can say how much your claim is worth (with any certainty) until the required medical evidence is obtained. A rough guide can be given based on the JC guidelines and based on past similar cases.
To discuss a potential claim, do not hesitate to contact The Injury Lawyers today.
