If you have suffered a neck injury in an accident which was not your fault you could be owed compensation. Our neck injury compensation calculator could help to estimate how much compensation your claim could be worth. Whether you suffered a soft tissue injury, serious neck injury or one involving your spinal cord, you could make a personal injury claim.
In this guide we look at how to use our compensation calculator, who could claim neck injury compensation and the types of accidents which could cause an injury. Following this we look at different types of neck injuries and how to make a claim. Finally, we look at how to get free advice from our team.
To find out how our panel could help you,
- Call now on 0800 408 7826.
- Tell us what happened over our live chat.
- Contact us using our claims form.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Neck Injury Compensation Calculator
- What Can Neck Injury Compensation Help With?
- Who Can Claim For Neck Injury Compensation?
- What Accidents Can Cause A Neck Injury?
- Types Of Neck Injuries
- How To Make A Neck Injury Claim
- Get Free Advice From Compensation Calculator UK
- More Information
Neck Injury Compensation Calculator
If you have suffered a neck injury it is important to understand how much compensation you could claim. This is why our guide includes a comprehensive neck injury compensation calculator. Whether you suffered a soft tissue injury, whiplash or even paralysis and permanent disability, knowing how much compensation you could claim could help you to manage financial losses and plan for your recovery.
Compensation could cover the physical, emotional, psychological and financial impact of your neck injury. Our calculator provides example amounts for different forms of injury.
| Injury | Severity | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple injuries to the neck. | Multiple severe or serious injuries. | Up to £10,000,000+ where inclusive of special damages. |
| Paralysis | (a) quadriplegia/ tetraplegia | £396,140 to £493,000 |
| Neck injury | (a) severe (i) | Around £181,020 |
| (a) severe (ii) | £80,240 to £159,770 | |
| (a) severe (iii) | £55,500 to £68,330 | |
| Neck injury | (b) moderate (i) | £30,500 to £46,970 |
| (b) moderate (ii) | £16,770 to £30,500 | |
| (b) moderate (iii) | £9,630 to £16,770 | |
| Whiplash | Lasting 18-24 months, with psychological injuries. | £4,345 |
| Lasting between 18 and 24 months. | £4,215 |
The initial figure is our example of a settlement for multiple injuries, the remainder have been taken from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), with the final two being taken from the whiplash tariff set out in the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021. These will be explained further in the following sections.
How Is Compensation Calculated?
What you could get for your claim may be calculated by combining an award for general damages and special damages.
- General damages: this head of claim compensates for pain, suffering and loss of amenity due to your neck injury. Factors such as how severe the injury was, how long it takes for you to recover and any long-term impacts are factors in determining compensation.
- Special damages: this head covers financial losses due to your injury. Examples may include lost earnings and income, domestic care and support, medical expenses, travel costs and the cost of adapting your home or vehicle.
How severe an injury is may play a significant role in calculating what your claim is worth. For example, minor neck injuries may attract a lower amount of compensation than those which are severe and have life-long impacts.
Solicitors or others involved in calculating compensation payouts may use resources such as your medical records and the JCG to assess how much compensation may be appropriate. The JCG is a regularly updated document containing compensation guidelines for different forms of injury.
The New Whiplash Regulations
As highlighted, the final two entries in our table come from the fixed tariff set under the Whiplash Injury Regulations (WRP). The WRP was introduced in 2021, changing how compensation is claimed and awarded for whiplash injuries. The regulations apply to low-value claims (those valued at £5,000 or less) arising from road traffic accidents.
The new rules apply to:
- Drivers and passengers of vehicles
- Those over the age of 18
- Claims made in England and Wales
If the total value of your injuries exceeds £5,000, such as where you suffered additional forms of harm, your claim may be made via the traditional route. However, any whiplash injuries are valued in line with the fixed tariff.
Contact us for more help, advice and information on how to use our neck injury compensation calculator.
What Can Neck Injury Compensation Help With?
As we have already highlighted, the purpose of compensation is to address the physical, psychological and financial impact of your neck injury. It may provide support for immediate, medium and long-term requirements.
Neck injury compensation could help with;
- Lost income: where you have lost the ability to work, or work in the same way you could be compensated for lost earnings, lost career progression and pension contributions.
- Home and vehicle adaptations: where a severe neck injury has reduced your mobility you may need to adapt your home or car to accommodate new needs, such as a disability. This may include installing ramps or creating accessible bathrooms.
- Domestic care costs: following a serious neck injury you may require professional help in the home on a short, medium or even permanent basis.
- Medical treatment: this may include the cost of medical treatment and medication.
- Rehabilitation: this could include compensation for physical therapy, mobility aids and related equipment.
You could be awarded compensation for these expenses as part of special damages. To claim for these, or other financial losses, you must provide evidence such as invoices, payslips and receipts.
The purpose of financial compensation and support in these areas is to help you rebuild your life and adjust to your neck injuries.
Who Can Claim For Neck Injury Compensation?
Having looked at how to use our neck injury compensation calculator, we look at who could make a claim. To claim compensation for a neck injury you must meet certain eligibility criteria. These criteria help to establish that another party was responsible for the incident and what impact it has had.
Compensation may be awarded where it can be proven that,
- The party responsible for the accident taking place owed you a duty of care. This party may be an employer, road user, healthcare professional or party controlling a public space.
- The above party breached their duty of care.
- You suffered a neck injury as a result of this.
Additionally, most claims must be filed within three years of the incident taking place. We will discuss circumstances in which neck injury claims may be made outside of this.
One of our panel of specialist personal injury lawyers could review the circumstances of your case and determine whether you are eligible to claim.
What Accidents Can Cause A Neck Injury?
Neck injuries could result from a variety of different types of accidents.
Below, we look at different scenarios which could lead to neck injury claims, the legislation which may apply and provide examples of circumstances in which the accident could occur.
Road Traffic Accidents
Accidents on the road are a leading cause of neck injuries, such as whiplash. Such injuries may occur due to rear end car accidents in which the force of the impact jolts the neck forwards and back.
Examples could include:
- A driver stopped at a junction is struck from behind by another vehicle which failed to slow down or stop.
- A driver fails to stop at a roundabout, striking a passing car in a side impact. The collision could cause a passenger a neck injury involving fractures.
Road users must adhere to the Highway Code and The Road Traffic Act 1988. These require them to use the road in a responsible way, preventing harm to others.
Accidents At Work
Neck injuries could be caused by accidents at work, such as falls from heights or during the use of heavy machinery.
Examples could include:
- A warehouse worker falls from a height due to insufficient safety facilities, such as safety bars and harnesses.
- A construction worker suffers a neck injury when workplace machinery falls from scaffolding above, striking them on the shoulder and neck.
Employers duty of care and responsibilities to maintain safe workplaces is set out in legislation such as The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER).
Public Liability Accidents
Accidents causing neck injuries could occur in public places, such as shops, leisure centres and parks.
Examples could include:
- A child falls from playground equipment which has been poorly maintained, suffering a serious neck injury.
- A pedestrian could trip and fall on uneven and cracked paving stones on the pavement. This could lead them to fall and land awkwardly, injuring their shoulder and neck.
Public liability claims could be made where the party in control of a public space, known as the occupier, has breached their duty under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957.
Medical Negligence
Medical negligence could lead to neck injuries if a healthcare or medical professional fails to provide appropriate care.
Examples could include:
- The delayed diagnosis of a neck fracture which leads to both worsening symptoms and more invasive treatment required.
- A surgeon causes avoidable harm to a patient during cervical spinal surgery leading to a spinal cord injury.
Medical professionals had a duty to adhere to professional standards and meet minimum standards of care.
These are just some examples of when a specialist personal injury solicitor could help you claim compensation.
Types Of Neck Injuries
The neck is a complex part of the body consisting of muscles, tendons and ligaments. The neck also includes the uppermost part of the spine, the cervical spine, which houses the spinal cord. Injuries to the neck can range in severity from causing short term pain and discomfort to those which are life-changing.
In the following sections, we look at examples of different types of neck injury.
Injured Spinal Cord
Spinal cord damage could occur where the vertebrae or discs are crushed or get pushed out of alignment. This can pinch the spinal cord, damaging it. This may be painful, causing loss of mobility and could even lead to paralysis.
Neck Fractures
A fractured neck could have serious or even severe consequences on accident victims. They may be caused by high-impact forces during road traffic accidents. Fractures may cause intense pain and swelling. Again, these could lead to degrees of paralysis or loss of sensation.
Cervical Dislocation
Cervical dislocation is a type of injury affecting the cervical spine. It occurs where two (or more) vertebrae are abnormally separated. This damages the ligaments, causing pain. It is important that the injury is immediately stabilised to prevent further damage to the neck.
Herniated Discs
Herniated discs occur when the gel-like interior of a spinal disc protrudes through the outer shell of the disc. This protrusion compresses nerves, either in the spinal cord, or those coming off the spine to other parts of the body. Symptoms may include pain in the neck, tingling, weakness or loss of sensation in the arms or hands.
Whiplash
Whiplash is a common type of neck injury caused by the head being thrown forward and back quickly in an accident, such as a car accident. A whiplash injury may include severe soft tissue damage, such as injuries to the ligaments and muscles. The injury could lead to loss of mobility, stiffness and pain.
Contact our team to learn more about types of neck injury you could claim for and how one of our panel of personal injury lawyers could help you.
How To Make A Neck Injury Claim
Seeking medical care should always be your first step after suffering a neck injury. Doing so not only ensures you get the right medical treatment as soon as possible, it also starts creating evidence which could support your claim.
Evidence is a vital part of the claims process. Types of evidence which could support a claim may include:
- Medical records, such as scans or x-rays of the neck, showing how you were injured.
- Photos of the scene of the accident.
- CCTV footage of the accident taking place.
- Records of financial losses, such as the impact on your income or expenses you have had to meet.
The more documentation you have to prove your claim, the stronger your case may be. Neck injury claims must also be filed within the applicable time limit. In most instances this is within three years of the accident taking place.
Time limits are paused in the case of minors (until they are 18) or where someone lacks the mental capacity to claim themselves (paused indefinitely). In such instances, another person may act as a litigation friend on behalf of the person harmed.
To find out how a solicitor from our panel could help you strengthen your claim, contact our team of advisors today.
Get Free Advice From Compensation Calculator UK
We work with a panel of solicitors specialising in personal injury claims. If you have suffered a neck injury, a member of our panel could help you. They could review the details of your case and, if they determine you are owed compensation, could take your claim on through a Conditional Fee Agreement. This is a way to claim on a No Win No Fee basis
Key advantages of claiming on a No Win No Fee basis include:
- No upfront solicitor’s costs.
- No solicitor’s fees to pay whilst the claim is ongoing.
- Nothing to pay if the claim is unsuccessful.
- A small percentage of your compensation is deducted as a success fee. This percentage is limited by legislation.
Claiming on a No Win No Fee basis can make it a more accessible way to fund the work of a solicitor.
Contact Our Advisors
Contact one of our advisors today by,
- Calling 0800 408 7826.
- Talking to us using our live chat.
- Use our claims form to contact us.
More Information
You can find further resources and references below.
- You can learn more about what a litigation friend is in this article.
- In our guide to making shoulder injury claims we look at what you could claim.
- Our back injury calculator examines how much you may be owed.
Reference articles.
- Get patient information for neck injuries in this NHS resource.
- Read more about the Whiplash Reform Program here.
- Find out more about Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) in this government resource.
Thank you for reading our guide on how to use a neck injury compensation calculator. For further advice or to start your neck injury compensation claim, please contact our team.