Tongue injury
compensation claims

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

If your life, or the life of a loved one, has been affected by a tongue injury, we can help.

If your injuries were caused by someone else's actions or negligence, you may be entitled to claim compensation.

You can make an injury compensation claim with the help and support of a personal injury solicitor.

You are not alone

Tongue injuries are reasonably common, in particular those that affect the lingual nerve. This nerve is located near the sides of the tongue and is responsible for your sense of taste and touch to front two-thirds and underside.

This nerve can sustain accidental damage as a result of surgical treatments to the mouth, particularly during the extraction of lower wisdom teeth. It may also suffer injury during surgery for facial deformity or as a result of facial fractures.

Although 90% of injuries are temporary and resolve with 8 weeks, if the symptoms last longer than 6 months they may be considered permanent.

If you have sustained a tongue injury as a result of someone else's negligence, you may be able to make a compensation claim.

If you decide to make a tongue 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 deserve.

What are the symptoms?

A patient whose lingual nerve has been damaged may experience symptoms which include:

• Anaesthesia - a numbing sensation of the tongue;
• Paresthesia - tingling in the mouth;
• Dysesthesia - burning pain of the tongue or mouth.

These abnormal sensations or pain may cause difficulty with speech and mastication (chewing) as well as altered taste perception.

A course of steroids or anti-inflammatory tablets and pain killers may help ease the symptoms, but surgery may also be required.

Claiming against a surgeon or dentist

Injuries such as these may affect a claimant's quality of life. As well as physical issues such as pain and the loss of taste, if his speech is affected he may be reluctant to socialise, leading to emotional problems.

If it can be demonstrated that the injury could have been avoided, and therefore the surgeon was negligent in his treatment of the claimant, it may be possible to claim for special damages to cover the cost of any treatment and loss of earnings, and general damages for pain and suffering and loss of amenity.

Cancer of the tongue

The tongue may sustain injury when a person accidentally bites his own tongue, or burns it by drinking or eating overheated foodstuffs. These injuries generally heal quickly, but where a sore or lump fails to heal it may be a symptom of tongue cancer.

Diagnosis and treatment

If a person's GP suspects that his patient may have tongue cancer he should refer him to an oral specialist.

Diagnosis is confirmed through a biopsy of the lump and any tumour should be treated by radiotherapy and/or surgery. Both treatments may have significant side effects, affecting swallowing and speech. Radiotherapy may also interfere with the salivary glands and this may result in tooth decay.

Failure to diagnose

If diagnosis is delayed a cancer may progress to a more advanced stage and may spread to other parts of the .

Delays in diagnosis may arise from a GP's negligence in not thoroughly examine a patient or refer a patient to a specialist for further investigation.

An oral specialist may also misinterpret investigations and consequently fail to correctly diagnose. This may also lead to unnecessary surgery being performed on a non-cancerous tongue.

As misdiagnosis can be very serious it may be possible to succeed in a medical negligence claim if it can be demonstrated that the delay affected the outcome of the claimant's future health.

Am I eligible for tongue injury compensation?

You should be entitled to tongue injury compensation if your injury resulted from the negligence or actions of another person or organisation, or from an accident that was not your fault.

Use our injury claim calculator to find out if you can claim. Or you can call 0800 376 1001 to speak to a specialist advisor. Find out in minutes if you have a claim.

What if I was partly to blame?

Liability for an accident often involves fault on both sides.

In our recent 2023 Personal Injury Claimant Survey, 13.99% of respondents thought they could be partially to blame for their accident.

Even if you partly caused the accident or your injuries (refered to as 'contributory negligence'), you may still be entitled to make a claim. These claims can often be settled on the basis of 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 tongue injury claim?

In most cases, you have up to 3 years from the date of your accident or injury to start a claim.

For an injured child, the three-year limitation period begins on their 18th birthday, giving them until they are 21 to start a claim.

How much compensation can I claim for a tongue injury?

The amount of money you could claim for a tongue injury will depend on:

• the severity of your injury, and
• any financial losses or costs you have incurred.

At the start of your claim, your solicitor will consider the many ways your injuries have affected your life. Your solicitor will take these considerations into account to calculate the correct compensation award.

Claiming compensation for psychological injuries

Psychiatric harm is less obvious than physical injury, but the consequences can be just as difficult to deal with.

According to our 2023 Personal Injury Claimant Survey shows that 29.03% of potential claimants sustained a psychological injury, 70.97% of which related to a physical injury.

Tongue injuries can cause apprehension and anxiety about eating, speaking, and can impact social interactions.

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.

General damages

General damages are awarded for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA).

Awards for general damages are set by the Judicial College and published in their guidelines for personal injury awards.

How is compensation calculated if I have multiple injuries?

Special damages

Special damages are for financial losses and expenses you have incurred because of your accident. In addition to paying for lost wages and business losses if self-employed, special damages can cover any care costs and medical procedures you need, such as pain medication, antibiotics and cleaning the wound.

Read more:

A complete list of recoverable losses in a personal injury claim

What happened?

Claiming compensation for a tongue injury is dependent on how your injury occurred. Click the icons below for more detail:

Work
accidents

Public
places

Road
accidents

Medical
negligence

Other
accidents

Injury FAQs

How long does an injury claim take?

What are my chances of winning my claim?

Will my claim go to court?

Can I claim for someone else?

How long do I have to make an injury claim?

What if a child was injured?

How we can help you with your injury claim

Your solicitor will fight for the best possible compensation settlement for you, and the highly-experienced panel of solicitors have an excellent track record of winning injury claims.

• FREE
  consultation
• Find out
  if you can claim
• No obligation
  to start a claim

Handled with the utmost professionalism... extremely kind, courteous and empathetic.

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Author:
Gaynor Haliday, Legal researcher

About the author

Gaynor Haliday is an experienced legal researcher and published author. She has had numerous articles published in the press and is a legal industry commentator.