Distal Radius Fracture Compensation Calculator

If you’ve suffered a fractured distal radius due to the negligence of someone who owed you a duty of care, you may be able to make a successful personal injury claim. This involves proving that you were owed a duty of care which was then breached, resulting in you being injured. In just a few minutes, our distal radius fracture compensation calculator can help clarify the amount you could receive for a broken arm or broken wrist. 

Calculating Compensation For A Distal Radius Fracture 

This guide answers questions such as: 

Distal radius fracture compensation
Distal radius fracture compensation
  • What is a distal radius fracture? 
  • What is the difference between a Colles’ fracture and a Smith fracture? 
  • How long does it take a distal radius fracture to heal?
  • How painful is a distal radius fracture?
  • Is surgery necessary for a distal radius fracture?
  • Is a distal radius fracture a broken arm?
  • What are the distal radius fracture recovery exercises? 
  • How could a No Win No Fee solicitor help me receive compensation? 
  • What kinds of things can I claim when seeking compensation? 

Our panel of advisors offer free legal advice, so if you have any questions or queries about the claims process, like wanting to see if you’re eligible, please get in touch with them. You can call them on 0800 408 7826. Alternatively, to find out more about our personal injury calculator, please read on. 

Jump To A Section

  1. A Guide To Using A Distal Radius Fracture Compensation Calculator
  2. What Is A Distal Radius Fracture?
  3. Special Damages In Personal Injury Claims
  4. What Could Cause A Fractured Distal Radius?
  5. Road Safety And Injury Statistics
  6. What Medical Special Damages Could You Claim?
  7. Check How To Use A Distal Radius Fracture Compensation Calculator
  8. What Are Broken Arm Claims Worth?
  9. Distal Radius Fracture Compensation Calculator
  10. Claim Distal Radius Fracture Compensation With A No Win No Fee Agreement
  11. Get Free Legal Help
  12. Ask If We Could Calculate Your Injury Claim Settlement
  13. Related Information
  14. Frequently Asked Questions About Distal Radius Fractures

A Guide To Using A Distal Radius Fracture Compensation Calculator

A fractured arm injury of any kind can be very debilitating, as it can affect your arm’s mobility. It can also seriously impact your ability to work; in particularly active roles, it might stop you from being able to work at all. 

Personal injury compensation could help. It aims to return you to the position you were in before the accident that caused your injuries as much as is possible. If you have been injured because of a breach of duty of care, you have the right to pursue compensation. 

Our compensation payout calculator can help provide you with more awareness about the claims process. It can also give you a reliable compensation estimate for what you could receive should your claim be successful. You’ll need to provide information about:

  • The type of injury suffered
  • How the injury occurred
  • Any financial losses caused due to the injury that you’re looking to claim for. 

If you prefer, you can speak to one of our advisors for free legal advice. They can discuss your claim eligibility and even give you a compensation estimate over the phone. Call them today using the phone number at the top of this page. 

What Is A Distal Radius Fracture?

Because it’s an arm injury, whether you’ve sustained a left or right distal radius fracture would depend on which arm is fractured. The injury is effectively a break in one of your forearm bones leading up to the wrist, called the radius. The other forearm bone is the ulna and, in a particularly serious injury, you could break both bones during the same incident. 

There are two distinct distal radius fracture types. They are: 

  • A Colles’ fracture – When the displacement occurs dorsally (where the bone leans upward after the break). 
  • A Smith fracture – When the displacement occurs ventrally (where the bone leans downward after the break). This type of break may be referred to as a reverse Colles fracture. 

Symptoms of injuries, such as a left distal radius fracture, might include: 

  • Pain or numbness upon the injury occurring
  • Swelling, bruising and potential deformity
  • Pain when pressure or weight is put on the site of the injury

Treatment for a Distal Radius Fracture

You may be wondering, “Is a distal radius fracture a broken arm?”. The answer is yes, but it’s a specific type of broken arm injury.

Upon arriving at the hospital with a fractured distal radius, your arm will be placed in a splint to stop the fractured bone from moving. An X-ray will then be performed to confirm the nature and extent of the injury. If the break is a non-displaced one, where the pieces of broken bone have not moved out of position, a plaster cast will be placed on the arm to heal correctly. 

Answering the questions “How painful is a distal radius fracture?” and “Is surgery necessary for distal radius fracture?” is difficult, as the answers depend on the severity of the injury. A severe injury of any kind can be extremely painful. In extreme circumstances, distal radius fracture surgery may be required as the broken bones may need to be fixed back into place so the arm can heal correctly. 

With this in mind, the answer to “How long does it take a distal radius fracture to heal?” also depends on how complicated the injury is. For a simple fracture where surgery isn’t required, broken distal radius healing time tends to take 6 to 8 weeks. For a more complicated injury, this can take longer. Your doctor will clarify the timescale for your expected recovery. 

Distal radius fracture recovery exercises can also help. They are listed in this NHS guidance and include the following: 

  • Bending and then straightening your elbow fully
  • Touching the hand to the back of your neck
  • Putting your hand behind your back as high as you can. 

You should always follow the advice of your doctor before undertaking any exercises during your recovery.

Special Damages In Personal Injury Claims

There are two potential heads of claim when making a personal injury claim for any type of injury, including a distal radius fracture. General damages relate to the physical and psychological pain caused by the injury and the decline in your quality of life.

Special damages, meanwhile, relate to the financial losses caused by the injury. This means you could claim for things like: 

  • Loss of earnings
  • Loss of future earnings
  • Travel costs
  • Recreational activities that you can no longer attend. 

However, there’s one thing to consider: just because you receive compensation for general damages doesn’t mean you’ll receive it for special damages. This is because both heads of claim are calculated independently, based on the evidence you’ve provided.

Our personal injury calculator can help you break down the special damages you wish to claim. If you prefer, you can call one of our advisors for free legal advice using the phone number above. 

What Could Cause A Fractured Distal Radius?

There are many ways you could suffer a broken arm, but not every accident type could lead to a successful personal injury claim. The important thing to consider is whether negligence led to you being injured.

Certain third parties have a duty of care to you because of their legal responsibilities. As such, if you suffer an injury that occurred because they breached their duty of care, they would be considered negligent. This means you could receive compensation for the way the injury has affected your quality of life. This section will provide potential claim scenarios in order to give you a better understanding of your own situation. 

Tripping With An Outstretched Hands

Those in control of public places (known as “occupiers”) have a duty of care to members of the public using their facilities. This is outlined in the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957.

Essentially, they need to make sure that the space is safe to be used by the public for its intended purpose. As such, if you’ve injured yourself in a public place because of the occupier’s negligence, you may be able to claim.

Examples of accidents in public places that could be claimed for include: 

  • Falling downstairs due to a faulty handrail. This could lead to you suffering a left distal radius fracture if you land on your wrist. 
  • Slipping on wet floor when there are no warning signs present. This could require you to have distal radius fracture surgery if the break is particularly bad. 
  • Suffering a broken wrist after tripping over exposed wiring and using your hand to break your fall. 

Car And Vehicle Accidents

As explained in the Highway Code, every road user has a duty of care to one another. This means that everyone is expected to take steps to ensure the safety of other road users.

It clearly defines what responsible driving is and, in doing so, clarifies that reckless, negligent driving is any conduct that goes outside of these definitions. This is because such conduct could lead to a serious road traffic accident. Examples of such negligence include: 

  • A vehicle speeding through a red traffic light, resulting in it colliding with your vehicle. Due to the nature of the injury, this could lead to you wondering what the broken distal radius healing time is. 
  • Another vehicle swerving into you on a dual carriageway due to them not indicating correctly. This car accident could result in you using a personal injury calculator to calculate how much your injuries are worth. 
  • A road traffic accident occurring due to another driver going above the speed limit and crashing into the back of your vehicle. This could lead to you suffering serious injuries, such as a broken leg and a rib fracture, as well as a fracture to the distal radius. 

Motorcycle And Biking Accidents

You could also suffer a serious injury while using other vehicles on the road. Cyclists and motorcyclists come under the category of “vulnerable road users”. This means that, because they don’t have the protection that is offered by a car or other vehicle, they may be more at risk of being injured. 

Examples of negligence involving cyclists or motorcyclists can include: 

  • A lorry crashing into your motorcycle as it failed to indicate when it was turning. As a result, you could suffer a fractured arm. 
  • Suffering various distal radius fracture types due to a multi-car pile-up caused by a drunk driver’s vehicle crashing into your motorcycle. You could sustain multiple injuries in addition to a distal radius fracture, such as a broken thumb and a broken heel.  
  • Biking accidents, including a car colliding with your bike due to the driver not checking their mirrors before changing lanes. 

If you’ve suffered injuries from a road traffic accident and, collectively, they are worth less than £5,000, you’ll have to claim through a different method. This is outlined in The Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021.

However, please call us before pursuing compensation through this channel, as your injuries may be worth more than you think. Speak to one of our advisors for free legal advice using the phone number at the top of this page. 

Workplace Accidents Involving Faulty Or Dangerous Machinery

Employers have a duty of care to every employee within working hours. Basically, within reason, they are required to make sure their employee can do their job safely. This is outlined in The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

If you suffer a work injury due to your employer failing to take all reasonable steps to ensure your safety, you may be able to claim. Examples of employer negligence causing an accident at work could include: 

  • A faulty ladder causing you to slip and fall. This could lead to you using a compensation payout calculator to see how much your injuries could be worth. 
  • Suffering a crush injury due to malfunctioning machinery like a conveyor belt. This could result in a right distal radius fracture which could leave you seeking compensation for the pain and suffering caused. 
  • Suffering a broken arm due to falling through unsecured flooring on a construction site because a risk assessment had not been performed. 

Road Safety And Injury Statistics

distal radius fracture compensation

The Department for Transport provides road traffic accident statistics for any reported road incident in Britain. The figures listed in the graph above, which provide information on the different severities of accidents that occurred in 2020, are currently only provisional. However, they still show how frequent serious injuries or fatalities on the road can occur. 

There were 22,014 casualties resulting in a serious injury. Their definition of being seriously injured means that the victim must have had to become an inpatient at a hospital due to suffering from injuries such as fractures, crushings or burns. Separate from that, there were almost 1,500 fatalities. There were also over 91,000 slight injuries.  

Injuries like yours may happen more often than you think. Use our personal injury calculator today to see how much you could claim. Alternatively, call one of our advisors for free legal advice using the phone number at the top of this page. 

What Medical Special Damages Could You Claim?

Special damages relate to claiming for financial losses you’ve experienced as a direct result of the injury. This could include care costs, which relate to the medical costs endured as a result of the accident and the practical effects it’s had on your life.

 You could claim for things like: 

  • Prescriptions and medicine
  • Gracious care from a friend or family member
  • Private physiotherapy sessions to address psychiatric damage caused by your injury

You will need evidence to prove the losses you’re looking to claim. Without evidence, it will be difficult for you to claim back the full value of your special damages. 

Check How To Use A Distal Radius Fracture Compensation Calculator

Our compensation payout calculator can give you a reliable breakdown of what you could receive from a successful personal injury claim. It only takes a few minutes, and it can give you a greater understanding of what you can claim for your pain and suffering. 

The figures from the calculator are taken from the Judicial College. They look at previous payouts, reviewing both the injury and its relative severity, to create guideline compensation brackets relating to injuries you could sustain. We then use these general damages compensation brackets to make our calculator as accurate as possible. 

What Are Broken Arm Claims Worth?

Special damages can help supplement the general damages head of your claim. They allow you to claim back financial losses you have experienced due to the injury.

If your claim is successful, the value of the special damages you receive could greatly increase the amount of your compensation. You’ll need financial evidence to prove these losses, such as: 

  • Receipts
  • Invoices/bills 
  • Bank statements

Distal Radius Fracture Compensation Calculator

Our personal injury calculator is quick, simple and easy to use. Input your injury, how it occurred and any financial losses caused due to it, and you can have a reliable compensation estimate in just a few minutes.

Below is a list of injuries and their respective general damages compensation brackets. These figures come from the guidelines released by the Judicial College. 

Area of InjuryAmount of CompensationDescription
Arm£36,770 to £56,180Significant fractures to one or both forearms causing serious disability due to this. This could be either a cosmetic or functional disability.
Arm£18,020 to £36,770While there still has been significant disabilities caused by the injury, a large degree of recovery is expected.
Arm£6,190 to £18,020Uncomplicated forearm fractures with no disabilities or other complications as a result.
Elbow£36,770 to £51,460An injury that causes severe disability.
Elbow£14,690 to £30,050Injuries that result in the elbow being impaired functionally. However, significant surgery is not required.
ElbowUp to £11,820Most elbow injuries fall into this category, including tennis elbow, frozen elbow and other lacerations.
WristRarely exceed £9,620This bracket is for when recovery from fracture injuries take longer than expected, but a complete recovery is still made.
WristIn the region of £6,970A simple Colles' fracture with no further complications.
HandUp to £34,480Significant fractures to fingers which could result in partial amputations and lead to impairment of grip and disturbed sensation.
Hand£13,570 to £27,220This bracket is for severe crush injuries causing impairment of function but where future surgery is not required.

We understand if you’d like a more accurate estimate. Our advisors can do this for you; simply get in touch. They can also offer free legal advice and can let you know how much your injury could be worth. Call them today using the phone number at the top of this page. 

Claim Distal Radius Fracture Compensation With A No Win No Fee Agreement

Our panel of solicitors work on a No Win No Fee basis. You may be wondering how this kind of agreement can benefit you when making a claim with legal representation. It means that: 

  • Your personal injury solicitor will not request legal fees either upfront or during the claims process. 
  • Instead, they cover their legal costs by taking a legally capped portion of your compensation as payment in the event that your claim is successful. 
  • Your personal injury solicitor will not request legal fees if your claim is unsuccessful, as they only receive payment upon you having a successful claim. 

Get Free Legal Help

Our distal radius fracture compensation calculator can give you a reliable estimate in minutes. Our advisors can be contacted 24/7 and offer free legal advice so, if you have any questions or queries, please give us a call. With years of personal injury law experience, our panel of solicitors could help you receive thousands of pounds in compensation. 

  • Call us now using 0800 408 7826
  • Write to us using the Live Chat window on the right-hand side of your screen. 
  • Contact us via our website. 

Ask If We Could Calculate Your Injury Claim Settlement

If you don’t want to use our compensation payout calculator, don’t worry; you can still get an accurate estimation of your claim’s value. You can call our advisors for free legal advice. They can then judge your eligibility to make a claim and provide you with a reliable compensation estimate. Call them today; you could be through to one of our helpful advisors in moments. 

Related Information

For more useful information, use the links below. 

Visit the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website for information about work-related injuries.

Click on this page from the HSE to find out more about reporting a defective product. 

The NHS provides more guidance on how to deal with arm and elbow pain here. 

Have you suffered a broken arm? If so, and you want to see if you can claim, visit our website. 

Other Personal Injury Claims Guides You Can Read

Frequently Asked Questions About Distal Radius Fractures

For answers to frequently asked questions about a distal radius fracture, see below. 

How long does it take a distal radius fracture to heal?

It depends on the severity of the injury. For a standard case, it can take 6 to 8 weeks to heal. Injuries that require surgery can take longer. Please refer to your doctor for more information about your specific injury. 

How painful is a distal radius fracture?

It can be very painful. More severe arm breaks can be worse to deal with due to suffering from multiple fractures, for example. However, if you’ve suffered a hairline fracture to your distal radius, it may not be very painful at all. 

Is surgery necessary for a distal radius fracture?

Not always. It is usually only required where the bones are badly broken or have moved out of position. This means that they will have to be realigned before the arm is allowed to heal. 

Is a distal radius fracture a broken arm?

Yes, it is a type of broken arm injury. However, you may notice that you experience pain and stiffness in your wrist following an injury of this nature. 

Guide by XR

Editor RO