Jaw Injury
Compensation Claims

Things to consider when claiming for a jaw injury

• Compensation can range from £7,160 for a simple jaw fracture to £50,520 for serious, multiple fractures and disfigurement.
• You can claim for jaw and facial injuries caused by your employer's negligence, poor maintenance of public premises, or a road accident.
• You can also claim for a jaw injury that was caused, misdiagnosed, or made worse by a medical error.
• You have 3 years from the date of your injury to begin your claim.
• 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 can also cover the psychological effects of a facial injury, including for anxiety, depression, a loss of confidence and PTSD.
• Your claim can proceed on a no win, no fee basis.

If a jaw injury has set you back, we'll help you move forward

Jaw injuries, ranging from minor discomfort to severe trauma, can significantly impact one's ability to speak, eat, and even breathe properly. These injuries can result from various causes, including work accidents, road accidents, physical assaults, sports injuries, or negligent medical procedures.

From fractures and dislocations to damage to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), jaw injuries can have lasting effects on your health and well-being. Making a compensation claim can help ease the financial burden of recovery, allowing you to focus on getting better. With a No Win, No Fee claim, your solicitor can handle your case without the stress of upfront legal costs.

Up to 70% of people experience jaw problems at some point, you are not alone

Broken jaw and other jaw injuries can have serious, long-term health consequences.

Most jaw injuries are the result of facial trauma, such as a sporting accident, trip and fall accident, road traffic accident or criminal assault. Occasionally, they are due to negligent dental treatment. Dental implants, for example, have been known to cause permanent nerve damage in some patients.

Symptoms typically include problems opening the mouth, problems with chewing and brushing teeth, facial numbness, disfigurement and teeth damage.

Over 1,200 patients were admitted to NHS hospitals in 2022-23 with jaw injuries, including dislocations, sprains and fractures (digital.nhs.uk).

Common jaw injuries include:

• Broken or fractured jaw
• Dislocated jaw
• Cancer of the jaw
• Torn muscles, tendons or ligaments
• Nerve damage
• Temporomandibular disorder

If you are looking for information on jaw pain symptoms and treatment, see: jaw pain (nhs.uk).

How much compensation can I claim for a jaw injury?

The compensation you can claim for your jaw injury is based on:

• how severe your injury is,
• the effect of your injury on your daily routine and ability to work,
• any financial liabilities or costs you?ve incurred from your injury.

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 is compensation awarded to cover any financial losses and expenses you incur as a result of your jaw injury or negligent medical treatment. These damages aim to put you back in the financial position you would have been in, had your injury not occurred.

Special damages will also cover your medical treatment expenses, that might include pain medication, soft diet and jaw splint.

Read more:

A complete list of recoverable losses in a personal injury claim

How is compensation calculated if I have multiple injuries?

Average jaw injury general damages compensation table

The following jaw 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).

Facial injury

Jaw injury

Can I claim compensation for a psychological injury?

If you have suffered psychological harm in addition to a physical injury or illness, you are not alone.

According to our 2025 Personal Injury Claimant Survey shows that 29.03% of potential claimants sustained a psychological injury, 70.97% of which related to a physical injury.

Jaw injuries can cause anxiety about eating, speaking, and in some cases, concerns about facial appearance.

Your solicitor will help ensure that any psychological harm you have suffered as the result of another party's negligence is recognised and included in the calculation of your compensation award or settlement. In addition, you can also claim for mental health treatment costs that may not be readily available on the NHS.

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 jaw injury claim?

You can claim compensation for a jaw injury, if:

• you became ill within the last 3 years, and;
• someone else was responsible, and;
• they had a legal responsibility to prevent foreseeable harm.

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.

Compensation claims with shared fault

It's not unusual for personal injury claims to involve fault on both sides.

In our 2025 Personal Injury Claimant Survey, we found that 13.99% of respondents felt they had at least some responsibility for the injuries they sustained.

You can often still claim compensation even if you were partly to blame, as cases with shared fault usually settle 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 make a jaw injury claim?

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.

What are the chances of success?

The claimant's solicitor must prove that the defendant negligently caused the accident in question. They must also show that the injury arose as a result the accident and not from some other cause, such as an underlying illness.

If the broken jaw or other jaw injury was due to criminal violence, such as actual bodily harm, the claimant need only show that an act of violence occurred. Negligence does not have to be proved.

To establish dental negligence, the claimant's solicitor must prove that the dentist made a mistake that no other reasonable dentist would have made. Read more about medical negligence claims.

How the cause of your jaw injury affects the claims process

The claims process changes depending on the cause of your jaw injury. Click the icons below to learn more.

Work accidents Public places Road accidents Medical negligence Other accidents

Sources

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.