Key advice when you claim for a hand injury
- Claims can be made for injuries suffered at work, on the road, or in an accident in a public place.
- You can also claim if you suffered a hand injury, or an existing injury was made worse, due to a medical professional's negligence.
- Hand injury claims can result in compensation from £3,920 for a minor wrist fracture to as much as £223,550 for permanent injuries to both hands.
- You have up to 3 years from the date of your injury to start a claim.
- Your claim can proceed on a no win, no fee basis.
- Your compensation will depend on the seriousness of your injury, and your financial losses and expenses. You can find out how much you can claim with our compensation calculator.
- Compensation will also cover ongoing care costs, prosthetics and lost future earnings if you are not able to continue in your current profession.
If you have been affected by a hand injury, we can help
Hand injuries, ranging from cuts and fractures to nerve damage and loss of function, can significantly impact your daily activities and your ability to work. You can claim for compensation to cover a range of treatments, from emergency care to rehabilitative therapy and prosthetics.
You can make a No Win, No Fee compensation claim with the help and support of a personal injury solicitor.
With over 80,000 hand injury admissions each year, you are not alone
There were 80,572 hospital admissions for hand and wrist injuries in 2022-23, according to an analysis of NHS England data (digital.nhs.uk).
Around 10% of all Accident & Emergency department visits are due to hand injuries. The most frequent types of hand injuries are lacerations, contusions and fractures.
If you decide to make a hand injury claim, your personal injury solicitor will take you through every step of the claims process. Your solicitor will be with you until you win your claim and get the compensation you need to move forward.
For information on hand pain symptoms and treatment, see: hand pain (nhs.uk).
How much compensation can I claim for a hand injury?
Your compensation for your hand injury is based on:
- the severity of your injury,
- how your injury impacts your life and ability to work,
- the costs or financial losses you?ve experienced due to your injury.
Hand injury
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Updated April 2025
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General damages are awarded for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA). Awards for general damages are set by the Judicial College (judiciary.uk) and published in their guidelines for personal injury awards.
Special damages are awarded to compensate you for any costs or losses you've incurred or might incur as a result of your accident. These costs might include lost wages, bonuses, benefits and other perks, or any other out of pocket expenses.
Special damages may also be awarded for medical treatments or procedures that you might need to treat your hand injury, including splinting or casting, pain medication, physiotherapy and surgical repair.
Read more:
A complete list of recoverable losses in a personal injury claim
How is compensation calculated if I have multiple injuries?
Average hand injury compensation payouts
The following hand injury payouts refer to the Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases, 17th Edition by the Judicial College (oup.com).
These tables are used by solicitors or by the courts as a starting point when calculating your compensation.
Please note: these average figures represent general damages only, and do not include any element of special damages (e.g. lost wages).
Finger injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Relatively minor injury | Finger fractures that recover in under 6 months, and/or injuries with tenderness, pain in cold weather, or scarring | Up to £5,270 |
| Amputation | Loss of part of the little finger | £4,380 to £6,500 |
| Amputation | Amputation of the ring or index finger | Around £27,730 |
| Index finger fracture | Fracture fully heals, but with ongoing pain, disability and an increased risk of osteoarthritis | £10,110 to £13,570 |
| Amputation | Loss of terminal phalanx of ring or middle finger | £4,380 to £8,740 |
| Amputation | Amputation of the terminal phalanges of the index and middle fingers | Around £24,200 |
| Serious injury | to ring or middle finger | £11,450 to £18,130 |
| Amputation | Total or partial loss of index finger affecting your grip or dexterity | £13,500 to £20,790 |
| Amputation of fingers | Where your grip is severely weakened and/or you are unable to use your hand | £68,680 to £100,680 |
| Finger fractures | Fractures that cause deformity, affect sensation, and/or have a long term affect on your grip and ability to use your hand | Up to £40,760 |
Hand injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) injuries to one or both hands | A fracture or break recovering within 6 months, and/or with scarring, tenderness and pain in cold weather | Up to £5,270 |
| Moderate injuries to one or both hands | Moderate crush injuries, penetrating wounds, or deep cuts | £6,280 to £14,730 |
| Moderate/serious injuries to one or both hands | Serious crush injury that causes impaired function andthat cannot be resolved with surgery | £16,040 to £32,170 |
| Serious injuries to one hand | Amputation of fingers and/or part of the hand, or a serious hand injury causing a reduction of grip, dexterity and cosmetic damage | £32,170 to £68,680 |
| Serious damage to both hands | Permanent cosmetic damage and loss of function to both hands | £61,880 to £93,820 |
| Total or effective loss of one hand | A severly crushed or amputated hand and fingers | £106,690 to £121,650 |
| Total or effective loss of both hands | Both hands rendered permanently unusable | £156,070 to £223,550 |
Thumb injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) | Thumb fracture with recovery in under 6 months, and/or with scarring, tenderness or pain in the cold | Up to £5,270 |
| Dislocation | Severe dislocation of the thumb | £7,040 to £8,630 |
| Moderate | Including arthrodesis of the interphalangeal join, damage to tendons or nerves, impairment of sensation and function | £10,730 to £13,970 |
| Serious | Injuries that impair your grip and dexerity, including partial amputation, nerve damage, and fractures requiring wires | £13,970 to £18,600 |
| Very serious | Including a severed and reattached thumb, an amputation through the interphalangeal joint, and thumb injuries that severly affect the thumb's function | £21,750 to £38,840 |
| Loss of thumb | Complete effective loss of use, or amputation of the thumb | £39,410 to £60,840 |
Wrist injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lesser | Relatively minor soft tissue injury or displaced fracture, with a full recovery within 12 months | £3,920 to £5,260 |
| Moderate | Uncomplicated Colles' fracture | Around £8,250 |
| Moderate | Fracture or soft tissue injury with complete recovery | £6,750 to £11,480 |
| Serious | Some permanent disability, persistent pain and/or stiffness | £13,970 to £27,180 |
| Severe - Some useful movement retained | Significant permanent disability, with largely restricted movement | £27,180 to £43,460 |
| Very Severe - Complete loss of function | Complete and permanent loss of wrist function | £52,830 to £66,410 |
Claiming compensation for psychological injuries
If you have experienced psychological issues in addition to physical symptoms, you are not alone.
Our 2025 Personal Injury Claimant Survey found that 29.03% of claimants reported a psychological injury, with 70.97% of these relating to a physical injury.
Hand injuries often lead to anxiety and distress about loss of function and impact on daily life and work.
Psychiatric harm is less obvious than physical injury, but the consequences can be just as difficult to deal with.
Our compensation calculator can estimate your compensation for psychological injuries. Or you can call us on 0800 376 1001 to speak to a specialist advisor.
Do I have a hand injury claim?
You can claim for a hand injury, if:
- you were injured within the last 3 years, and;
- someone else was responsible, and;
- they owed you a legal duty of care.
Find out online if you can claim with our injury claim calculator. Alternatively, you can speak to a claims advisor on 0800 376 1001 and find out if you have a claim in minutes.
Claiming when you're partially at fault
Personal injury claims often involve circumstances where there is some degree of blame on each side.
We found that, in our 2025 Personal Injury Claimant Survey, 13.99% of respondents were unsure as to which party was legally liable for their injuries.
Claiming compensation is still an option even if you were partly at fault. These contributory negligence cases are typically resolved with a split-liability agreement.
Read more:
Can I claim if I feel I was partly responsible for my accident?
How long do I have to claim hand injury compensation?
In most cases, you have 3 years from the date of your accident or injury.
If you were injured when you were under 18, a parent, guardian or adult 'litigation friend' can make a claim on your behalf. Once you turn 18, you have until your 21st birthday to start an injury claim.
Types of hand injury
The circumstances of the hand injury, whether as a result of a road traffic accident, an accident at work, or an accident in a public place, has no bearing on how much compensation can be claimed. If negligence can be established, only the nature and severity of your hand injury will affect the amount of compensation you will receive.
To support your claim, your solicitor will arrange for an independent medical report to assess the extent of your hand injury and a prognosis for recovery.
Our panel of specialist personal injury solicitors have assisted claimants with the following types of hand injury:
Breaks, fractures and crushing of bones
The hand is made up of a number of different bones. Accidents which cause damage to any of these bones can extremely painful and severely inhibit the ability to manipulate the hand. It may be impossible to operate tools, machinery, or use the hands for everyday purposes until the injury is fully healed.
Strains, sprains, and muscle, ligament and tendons tears
The muscles, ligaments and tendons in the hand enable you to grasp and release. Injury to these soft tissues can severely impact on the functioning capability of the hand.
For information on strain and sprain symptoms and treatment, see: strain and sprain (nhs.uk).
Nerve fibre damage
The fingertips of the hand have numerous nerve endings which enable your sense of touch. If these nerve fibres are damaged the sense of touch can be diminished. Lack of sensation in the hands can make work and everyday tasks impossible, or extremely difficult.
See also:
Fractured or broken bone claims
Who is liable?
To make a hand injury claim it must be proven that your hand injury is the result of another's fault or negligence. Quittance's panel of solicitors have assisted with many hand injury claims, including:- Bicycle accident claims and motorbike accident claims - a hand if often thrown out as an instinctive response when an individual is thrown off a bike. The party responsible for the accident which caused the hand injury will be liable in your hand injury claim.
- Claims for slips, trips and falls - the liable party for hand injuries caused by damaged, cluttered or slippery floors will be owner of the premises. If the accident happened in your workplace, your employer may be held liable.
- Work accident claims - employees using work machinery and tools may sustain hand injuries in the course of their work. If your employer has failed in their health and safety practices, resulting in your hand injury, you may be able to claim compensation from your employer.
If you do not know who is responsible for your hand injury, your solicitor will help in identifying the liable party.
How the cause of your hand injury impacts the claim process
The claims process is influenced by how your hand injury occurred. Click the icons below to find out more.
Can I make a no win, no fee hand injury claim?
Yes. With no win, no fee, you can claim hand injury compensation without financial risk. If your claim isn't successful, you pay nothing. If you win, you only pay a pre-agreed percentage of your compensation.
Get expert advice now
Interested in talking to an injury specialist about your claim?
- Calls are FREE
- Confidential consultation
- No obligation to claim
- No Win No Fee solicitors
Call 0800 376 1001
or arrange a callbackSources
Sprains and strains - NHS (reviewed: 29/07/2024)
Author:
Chris Salmon, Director
About the author
Chris Salmon is a co-founder and Director of Quittance Injury Claims. Chris has played key roles in the shaping and scaling of a number of legal services brands and is a regular commentator in the legal press.