How Much Compensation For Broken Wrist Injuries Could I Claim?
If you have suffered a broken wrist and it was someone else’s fault, we may be able to help you. Our team of advisors can put you in touch with our panel of personal injury solicitors who specialise in winning compensation for broken wrist injuries.
There are various types of wrist fractures and a number of ways for them to occur. In this guide, we will help you understand them more clearly. Individuals will receive different amounts of compensation depending on the types of fractures and their severities.
We illustrate these variables by presenting to you a case study. While the person in the example case in this article is fictional, their experiences are based on claims we have dealt with in the past.
If you need more information at any point please feel free to talk to us using the live chat window in the bottom right-hand corner of this screen. You can also contact us through this website, or call us 24/7 on 0800 408 7826.
Please read on for our detailed guide.
Jump To A Section
- A Guide On The Average Compensation For Broken Wrist Injuries
- What Are Broken Wrist Injuries?
- Case Study – £29,000 Compensation For Broken Wrist Injuries At Work
- Causes Of Broken Wrist Injuries At Work
- Calculating Compensation For A Broken Wrist Injury
- What Special Damages Could You Be Awarded?
- How Our Team Could Help With Free Legal Advice
- No Win No Fee Compensation For Broken Wrist Injuries
- Contact Our Team For Helpful Advice
- Related Case Studies And Other Resources
- FAQs On Broken Wrist Injury Claims
A Guide On The Average Compensation For Broken Wrist Injuries
The amount of compensation for wrist injuries can vary depending on the type of fracture and the severity of the injury. The long-term consequences, such as loss of mobility of your wrist, will also contribute to the final amount.
A common wrist injury is a distal radius fracture, also known as a Colles fracture. This type of wrist fracture is usually caused by falling on an outstretched hand when you’re breaking your fall.
If a distal radius fracture heals without complication, you’ll receive toward the lower end of the scale. This can be as much as £9,000 or more.
More severe injuries which result in a complete lack of function in the wrist could see you recover much more. An experienced personal injury solicitor can help claimants receive north of £50,000 in compensation for broken wrist injuries of this nature. This is usually only when your injury seriously limits the mobility of your wrist when it’s healed.
Using these two figures as a rough guide—every claim is unique and will attract different payouts—you can see the levels of compensation that are possible in relation to the severity of your injury.
What Are Broken Wrist Injuries?
It’s important to be able to identify if your wrist is broken. If your wrist is merely a little uncomfortable then it’s unlikely there are any wrist fractures present. Breaks in the wrist carry with them a great deal of pain. If you have poor bone health, your wrist may break easier.
If you experience only mild discomfort following a wrist injury, a fracture is unlikely. The pain will usually prevent you from using the arm or wrist due to its severity. There’ll also be noticeable swelling and possibly even bruising around the wrist.
If the bone pierces the skin after an injury, this is known as a “compound fracture”. There is much of a risk with these kinds of injuries due to the risk of excessive blood loss. They also tend to leave scars.
When you arrive at the hospital, your wrist will be set with a temporary splint which keeps fractured bones from moving out of place, then a plaster cast. An x-ray will also likely take place.
A particularly bad fracture will occasionally require surgery to correct the bone position. This is only when the position of the broken bones are deemed “unacceptable” by a doctor.
Most broken wrists will heal in 6-8 weeks. More severe cases can take longer.
Case Study – £29,000 Compensation For Broken Wrist Injuries At Work
Harry is a keyboard player in a rock band who sustained a fractured wrist following a soundcheck at a music venue.
How Harry broke his wrist
Harry was leaving the stage following a soundcheck. The sound technician at the venue had not safely secured the cables running along the stage floor. Harry tripped on these cables and tried to brace his fall by holding out an outstretched hand. He landed awkwardly, felt a crack and an intense wave of pain.
Harry’s bandmates quickly called an ambulance while they tried their best to treat his injury, placing ice on his wrist to help with the swelling. While waiting for the ambulance, they took photographs of the unsecured stage cabling.
With the evidence of negligence obtained, Harry was able to look into how much compensation he was owed. He found out he had a relevant personal injury claim which he could pursue under a No Win No Fee agreement.
How much compensation were they awarded?
At the hospital, Harry was diagnosed with a Colles fracture, one of the most common kinds of fractures. However, not all injuries of this nature are without their complications. Harry suffered damage to the median nerve, which runs through the forearm.
As a result, Harry’s hand experienced permanent stiffness and discomfort. This meant he was unable to play the keyboard for sustained periods and could no longer earn money with his band. He received £18,000 in general damages due to these long-term effects.
Harry was also entitled to special damages. Special damages are in addition to general damages and cover a variety of things from loss of earnings, to the cost of medication such as prescriptions for pain management.
We’ve listed a detailed breakdown below of what Harry was awarded in special damages.
Breaking down the compensation settlement
| Type of Special Damages | Includes | How Much? |
|---|---|---|
| Loss of earnings | Concerts that Harry’s band had scheduled whilst his wrist was fractured | £4,500 |
| Future losses | Inability to collaborate on upcoming studio time | £3,000 |
| Mental Health Counselling | Therapy for depression | £1,500 |
| Travel Costs | Transport to and from physiotherapy, doctor and hospital appointments. | £800 |
| Prescription Costs | Pain management, prescriptions, specialist pain medications | £1,200 |
Harry’s case is purely an example. It is based on our past experiences of handling and valuing claims and serves to illustrate how accidents can happen and how they are valued.
Causes Of Broken Wrist Injuries At Work
There are three main incidents where wrist fractures can occur, regardless of bone health.
In a Road Traffic Accident
There are many types of wrist fractures that could possibly be sustained in these scenarios. One of the more common wrist injuries occurs when the driver braces their hand on the steering wheel during a collision. This could result in a break to the radius bone. Your hand being in close proximity to the airbag as it deploys could fracture the radius bone too.
In a Public Place
There can also be claims for compensation for broken wrist injuries due to accidents in various public places. A pedestrian could be walking down the street and trip on a loose paving stone, resulting in a scaphoid fracture. A scaphoid fracture is another common wrist injury caused by a fall onto an outstretched hand.
At Work
Jobs involving manual handling such as construction tend to carry the biggest risk. Heavy materials and tools can land on your hand, fracturing bones such as the trapezoid and the capitate.
Other wrist injuries are also possible. Conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome can be experienced in roles that require repetitive actions. Typing on keyboards is an example of this. Tendons in the nerve will swell up and press on tendons in the wrist. It’s still possible to claim compensation for wrist injuries of this nature. If you’re ever unsure, contact us for free legal advice.
How Can You Suffer An Injury At Work?
Suffering a wrist injury at work can happen in a number of ways. Objects falling onto your wrist or hand is one. Slips, trips and falls are another. Falling from a height is a risk you take most workdays in some jobs too.
What duty of care do employers have?
Employers have a legal obligation to ensure the workplace is safe, and that accidents/injuries are as avoidable as possible. This duty is contained in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
Should employees require any special training or equipment to carry out their duties, the employer must see to it that such measures are taken.
This duty is not absolute. As long as the employer has taken all reasonable measures to ensure the safety of the workplace, then they aren’t necessarily liable for any injuries sustained by their employees. However, it’s always worth seeking legal advice on an accident, so get in touch today to discuss your options.
How could employers be in breach of this duty?
If a job requires heavy lifting and the right techniques are not properly taught via training, then the employees could suffer a number of injuries as a result. These injuries could be cumulative or instantaneous, but the employer would be to blame in both instances.
If an employer supplies unsafe equipment for their employees, this would also be a breach of their duty of care.
To gain an idea of how much compensation you could achieve, you may look for tools like a personal injury calculator. However, such features don’t properly account for the uniqueness of your claim for broken wrist injuries.
Calculating Compensation For A Broken Wrist Injury
If you use a wrist injury compensation calculator, like our calculator here, you’ll get a useful insight into what a payment for different types of wrist injuries can look like.
However, a calculator does not provide a guarantee, for the same reason that we do not share the average compensation for a broken wrist. In reality, all wrist injury compensation amounts are based on the facts of the individual case.
Compensation for broken wrist injuries can be split into two parts, which are called heads of loss. Firstly, the payment addressing your physical suffering comes under the general damages head. It can also address any psychological injury you are diagnosed with due to the accident.
General damages are impacted by factors like loss of amenity (the inability to take part in pre-accident activities), severity and recovery time. You can claim for multiple injuries, so, for example, your payout could address a fractured elbow as well as the broken wrist.
The general damages payment always forms part of the settlement. However, you may find that the financial impact of an accident outweighs the physical or emotional pain, especially in the long term.
If you’re affected financially, you can receive a payment under the special damages head of loss. It certainly isn’t unheard of for someone to win a claim and find that this payment is significantly greater than the general damages element.
With that in mind, keep all records of expenses or losses if you plan to claim. That includes keeping all receipts, invoices, bank statements and payslips from work. These documents, along with your medical records, are key examples of evidence that can help you get the best possible settlement.
Check out the next section to learn some more about special damages and what you can claim compensation for.
What Special Damages Could You Be Awarded?
As we’ve seen above, special damages can cover a wide range of expenses and can differ from person to person. The costs that can be covered in compensation for broken wrist injuries are:
- Loss of earnings for the duration of your healing process
- Future losses if your wrist does not return 100% to as it was before the accident and it prevents you from returning to your existing job
- Medical and travel expenses
After these, many things can be considered eligible for special damage when pursuing your personal injury claim. Some examples are listed in the case study above. Or to find out more, get in touch with our personal injury claims team.
How Our Team Could Help With Free Legal Advice
Our team of experienced advisors is on hand 24/7 to help you pursue your claim and offer you free legal advice. If you’re unsure if you have a valid claim worth pursuing then get in touch.
Our advice will only be as relevant to you as the information you give us. In other words, we can’t give you any definitive advice until we know more about the circumstances surrounding your injury. Once we have more of the facts in place then we will be able to assist you more effectively.
No Win No Fee Compensation For Broken Wrist Injuries
No Win No Fee claims are as simple as they sound. If our panel of solicitors determines that you have a relevant claim, then you won’t pay anything unless you win your case.
This kind of claim has evident benefits, as you will only need to cover any legal costs should you win your case. Whilst it is possible for you to pursue a claim yourself, it is ill-advised unless you have detailed knowledge of what you are doing.
Should you represent yourself whilst seeking compensation for broken wrist injuries and lose, then you may be responsible for paying any legal bills. These bills can be very expensive.
So to avoid this, it’s strongly advised that you are represented by a lawyer for the duration of your case. Their payment comes in the form of a small percentage of your final compensation amount, which is capped by law. By pursuing your claim this way, there is a much lower potential financial burden for you to bear.
Contact Our Team For Helpful Advice
Wherever you are across Great Britain, we are here to help. We offer No Win No Fee agreements for you to claim the financial compensation you deserve for your injury. As personal injury specialists, we aim to greatly increase your chances of success.
Speak to us in any of these three ways:
- Call us on 0800 408 7826
- The live chat window in the bottom right corner of this page
- Contact us through our website directly
Related Case Studies And Other Resources
Here is some additional information regarding wrist injuries.
- NHS guide for wrist fractures requiring surgery
- This is our guide on compensation for finger fractures
- Look here to find information about compensation for broken nose injuries
- Read our guide on compensation for broken teeth
We also have some other guides that you may find useful:
- Shoulder injury compensation calculator
- Hernia injuries compensation calculator
- How is car accident compensation calculated?
- Our calculator for a road accident causing death and fatalities
- How much compensation could you claim for a broken cheekbone?
- Ankle injury compensation calculator
- Hand injury compensation calculator
- Knee injury compensation calculator
- Head injury and concussion compensation calculator
- Broken jaw compensation calculator
- Broken femur compensation calculator
- Fractured and broken shoulder injury claims
FAQs On Broken Wrist Injury Claims
Could I get an early payout?
If the party responsible for your injury admits liability, they may make you an early offer before you are medically examined. Whilst this is usually the quickest option available, the offered amount is usually quite low.
It’s not advised to accept this offer, as it’s usually possible to receive much more money when the claims process fully and properly takes place.
How long do broken bone claims take?
Broken bone claims usually take 6 months plus in the most straightforward instances. Some cases can take longer though, depending on the circumstances, particularly if the defendant disputes liability or if the injury is still healing.
Payment is often received between 14-28 days following the settlement of the case. There are factors that can make this take longer, such as a foreign insurance company being involved.
Could I claim if partially at fault?
You may still be able to make a claim if your injury was not entirely someone else’s fault. If you were only partially to blame then it’s still worth looking into claiming compensation for broken wrist injuries.
The amount you would receive would likely be much less than if the accident was entirely the result of someone else’s negligence.