You’d be surprised at just how badly a broken finger injury can affect you when it comes to simple domestic tasks and being able to work in your normal capacity. As I sit here typing this blog I realise that even typing away on my keyboard could be a near impossible feat if I had a huge splint wrapped around one of my fingers!
Although if you’ve come to this blog I presume I’m preaching to the choir – so here’s some info on what you can claim for and what you can expect to receive for a broken finger compensation claim.
What you can claim for
Normally the claim is formed in to two parts – one for the pain, suffering and inconvenience caused, and one for losses and expenses. General Damages is for the injury, and Special Damages is for the losses part.
General Damages is normally based on the length and severity of any suffering you have to endure. Losses is for things like lost money and expenses caused as a consequence of the injury. If you can’t work, we can look to recover lost earnings. If you need physiotherapy, we can arrange for private treatment. If you can’t drive and need to get buses and taxis, we can claim the costs of those back.
The idea is to put you back in the position you were in as if the injury would never have happened. Financially we can achieve this through recovering costs and expenses. Injury wise, we do this with a payout for the pain and suffering.
How much is a broken finger injury claim worth?
The big question people always want to know! Well it does all depend on the severity and length of your suffering, and the losses claim on top of it, but the official guidelines we use differentiate between which finger(s) you have injured as well. They say as follows:
- Fractured index finger – up to £8,700
- Serious fracture of ring or middle fingers – up to £11,700
- General fracture of any one finger – up to £3,375
If there are several severely fractured fingers, leading to partial amputations and prolonged or permanent damage and restricted movement, payouts can be increased up to £26,250.
Where you are when it comes to the actual payout for you is all about the severity and length of the suffering. Was it a straightforward fracture, or perhaps a complex one requiring operations with pins inserted? Is there any restricted movement or permanent pain / loss of sensation? Is the injured finger on your dominant hand? This is all taken in to account.
The losses claim is all about calculating the total amount of actual money lost or spent as a result of the injury. So long as it’s reasonable, we can claim it back for you.