Neck injury compensation calculator: how much could you claim?

The amount of compensation payable for pain and suffering following a neck injury, including whiplash, depends on various factors and no two claims are the same.

When awarding compensation consideration is given to severity, the recovery period, and whether or not there are any permanent residual long term symptoms.

Further compensation is also payable for financial losses and other expenses caused as a result of the accident.

Estimated Average Compensation Amounts

The estimated average neck injury compensation claim amounts are:

• Whiplash injury, good recovery - Up to £5,600
• Severe injury, permanent symptoms - Up to £17,850

Whiplash Injuries

Whiplash injuries are caused by a sudden acceleration of the head that can lead to tearing of muscles, ligaments, and other soft-tissues. The most commonly injured muscles are in the front of the neck which can become very sore for several weeks. This is most common in car crashes, but can be suffered through other means too.

Read more about Whiplash here

Types and causes of neck injuries

Common types and causes of neck injury include:

• Lifting, carrying, loading and unloading are all frequent causes of neck injuries in UK workers.
• The Manual Handling Operations Regulations require that all employers must carry out appropriate training of staff who perform manual handling tasks. As well as the basic advice, such as bending the knees when lifting/putting down heavy loads and holding heavy loads close to the body, the use of trolleys is, where possible, also strongly recommended.
• It may be surprising to some that office workers also sometimes make no win, no fee claims for neck injury compensation. If they have not been provided with appropriate desks and chairs or not been given regular enough breaks away from their workstations, prolonged periods sitting with poor posture may give office workers serious neck and back pain.
• Construction workers also suffer a higher than average incidence of neck injuries. This is because, as well as their jobs involving a lot of manual handling, they may also spend extended periods of time working with labour intensive machinery, working in unnatural or contorted positions or working for long periods without breaks.
• Gardeners and seasonal fruit pickers are also at risk of having to make a no win, no fee claim for a neck injury on account of the amount of time they spend stooping, crouching, bending and picking.
• Trip and slip accidents have also been known to cause neck injuries. Trip and slip accidents are not confined to any particular sphere of work and have the potential to affect every kind of worker in the UK.
• Neck injuries also have a strong association with sporting activities. Rugby and football are just two of the many sports whose participants sometimes suffer neck injuries. However, in all but the most exceptional of circumstances, people will have difficulty in claiming personal injury compensation for sporting accident neck injury.
• Slipped disc and cervical radiculopathy - Middle aged people, who experience whiplash injury, are more likely to also suffer from a herniated spinal disc as a result of the force of their neck movement during impact. A properly adjusted head rest may reduce whiplash, but otherwise healthy middle aged individuals, may be unlucky enough to 'slip a disc' because, with age, the spinal discs become less elastic and more prone to rupture under extreme pressure.
• Broken necks
• Slipped or prolapsed discs

How YouClaim can help

Once we have assessed your situation, your YouClaim solicitor will be able to make a more accurate estimate of how much you are likely to receive in neck injury compensation.

If you are in the UK and would like some free and friendly advice, you can call us on 0800 10 757 95 any time of the day or night to talk to a member of our trained staff, or request a call back by clicking below.