Suffering a shoulder injury can be extremely painful and disrupt your mobility, ability to work, and daily life in general. Whether you sustained a fracture, dislocation, or frozen shoulder, understanding how much compensation you could be owed can be key to securing financial support for your recovery. Using our shoulder injury compensation calculator can give you a quick estimate of the amount of compensation you may be eligible to claim.
This guide takes you through everything you need to know, from how to use a calculator to when you may be eligible to pursue compensation and the types of injury which could be claimed for. You can also find information on how the claims process works and how a solicitor from our panel could help you.
Read our guide below to learn more about making a personal injury claim, and contact our team when you are ready to do so:
- Tell an advisor what happened to you using our live chat.
- Call us now on 0800 408 7826.
- Or, use our online form to contact us.
Select A Section
- How To Use Our Shoulder Injury Compensation Calculator
- Am I Eligible To Claim For My Shoulder Injury?
- Types Of Injuries You Can Claim For
- How To Start Your Compensation Claim
- How Compensation Calculator Can Help
- More Information
How To Use Our Shoulder Injury Compensation Calculator
Using our shoulder injury compensation calculator may help you to work out what you could get for your injuries. For instance, according to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), a severe shoulder injury might range anywhere from £23,430 to £58,610.
Your calculation may be based on:
- The nature of your injuries: Did you suffer a single or multiple injuries?
- Injury severity: Whether it was minor, moderate, or even severe.
- Financial losses: What financial losses, such as a loss of earnings, did the injury cause?
Figures in the following table (with the exception of the first figure) are taken from the JCG. This document has guidelines valuing different types and severities of injury and might be used by solicitors to estimate the value of injuries. However, this table does not guarantee how much compensation someone may receive for a shoulder injury.
| Injuries | Severity | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple injuries to the shoulder and special damages. | Severe shoulder injury. | Up to £200,000+ |
| Shoulder | Severe | £23,430 to £58,610 |
| Shoulder | Serious | £15,580 to £23,430 |
| Shoulder | Moderate | £9,630 to £15,580 |
| Shoulder | Minor (i) | £5,310 to £9,630 |
| Shoulder | Minor (ii) | £2,990 to £5,310 |
| Shoulder | Minor (iii) | Up to £2,990 |
| Shoulder | Fracture of Clavicle | £6,280 to £14,940 |
How Payouts Are Calculated
Compensation for a shoulder injury can fall under two heads of loss: General damages and special damages.
General damages compensate for pain, suffering, and loss of amenity. Specifically, they may be awarded for the physical and psychological impact of an injury, taking into account factors such as:
- Physical pain and suffering: Including immediate and long-term effects.
- Reduced quality of life: Encompassing the impact on your independence and mental well-being.
- Psychological impact: Factors in psychological trauma or anxiety.
Special Damages And How They Affect Your Claim
In addition, your shoulder injury compensation payout may include special damages. These cover the financial impact of your shoulder injury and ensure you are fairly compensated for any losses due to it. Special damages will only be awarded if you can provide evidence of the loss. Financial losses you could claim for include:
- Loss of earnings and income: Considers income lost during your recovery and potential future reductions in pay.
- Medical costs: Covers hospital treatments, physiotherapy, and long-term care.
- Domestic or other care and assistance: May include the cost of professional care in the home or that provided by family members.
- Travel costs: Compensates the cost of attending medical appointments.
You may include copies of invoices, receipts, bank statements and payslips detailing these losses. Get in touch with us for a more accurate assessment of how your injury claim could be valued.
Am I Eligible To Claim For My Shoulder Injury?
You may be eligible to make a shoulder injury compensation claim if it was the result of someone else’s negligence. The general eligibility criteria personal injury claims must meet are the following:
- A duty of care was owed to you.
- This duty of care was breached.
- The breach resulted in you suffering physically or psychologically.
The specific criteria your shoulder injury claim may need to meet and the duty owed by another party can depend on the circumstances of your accident. Below, we look at some scenarios in which you could suffer a shoulder injury.
Road Traffic Accidents
Injuries to the shoulder are common in road traffic accidents. For instance, seat belt strain may cause a broken collarbone, whilst other injuries may result from side-impact collisions or motorcycle accidents.
You could claim compensation in scenarios such as:
- Another road user drives recklessly and fails to follow traffic signals at a junction, causing a car crash and fracturing your clavicle.
- A driver doesn’t stop at a pedestrian crossing, resulting in a hit-and-run accident that leaves you with a dislocated shoulder.
Road users have a duty of care to use the roads responsibly in a way that avoids harm to one another (or to themselves). As part of this duty of care, they must comply with the regulations and rules set out by the Highway Code and the Road Traffic Act 1988.
Accidents At Work
Under legislation such as the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, your employer must take reasonable steps to ensure the welfare and safety of staff. You could make a shoulder injury compensation claim against your employer if they fail to provide a safe working environment.
Potential causes of work-related shoulder injuries you could claim for include:
- An employer fails to inspect and maintain lifting equipment, leading to defective equipment failing and giving you a serious shoulder injury.
- Heavy objects are stored unsafely on overhead shelving. Consequently, they collapse on you, leaving you with a broken collarbone due to the impact.
Accidents In Public Places
Property owners, occupiers, and those in charge of public spaces have a duty of care to ensure the reasonable safety of visitors. This duty of care is set out in legislation, such as the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. A public liability claim may be made where:
- Broken or damaged seating in a restaurant collapses, causing you to fall and fracture your shoulder.
- A handrail on a pub staircase gives way, resulting in you falling and fracturing your collarbone.
Medical Negligence
All healthcare and medical professionals have a duty of care to their patients. If they provide poor medical care, they may cause or aggravate shoulder injuries. However, it’s important to remember that you must have a strong body of evidence to claim for medical negligence.
Moreover, not all harm is avoidable or due to someone’s negligent actions. After all, treatments often have potential risks and negative consequences, even when medical professionals meet the minimum standard expected of them. If someone does fall below expected standards, it could result in medical negligence claims like the following:
- A surgeon makes an unnecessary and avoidable error during an operation. Due to their mistake, the surgery results in the patient suffering nerve damage.
- A doctor misreads the test results for a shoulder injury, resulting in it worsening and causing a delay in treatment.
Contact our team for help and advice on using our shoulder injury compensation calculator.
Types Of Injuries You Can Claim For
Shoulder injuries can vary both in their severity and impact. A shoulder injury can affect mobility in the joint, impacting daily activities, work, and long-term health. Your shoulder injury compensation claim may take account of both the nature of your injury and the impact. Let’s take a look at a few common shoulder injuries:
- Fractures: Shoulder fractures, such as a broken collarbone or scapula, could be caused by heavy impacts, such as during a road traffic accident. A scapula fracture may take between 6 and 12 weeks to heal. It may cause swelling, bruising, and difficulty moving the affected arm.
- Dislocations: Often caused by falls or a sudden impact. Dislocated shoulders happen when the humerus is forced out of the socket.
- Soft tissue injuries: Injuries to the tendons, ligaments, or muscles in the shoulder may lead to ongoing pain, discomfort, and reduced mobility. Soft tissue injuries may be due to sudden impacts or strains, such as manual handling operations performed without proper lifting techniques.
- Frozen shoulder: This injury can lead to chronic pain and stiffness in the joint and may severely restrict movement. Trauma to the shoulder from a moving object or vehicle in the workplace is sometimes at fault.
To discuss your case and how to use a shoulder injury compensation calculator, reach out to our team today.
How To Start Your Compensation Claim
To begin your shoulder injury compensation claim, you need to establish liability, collect supporting evidence, and ensure that your claim is filed within the relevant time limit. Working with one of the shoulder injury claim specialists from our panel can help simplify the claims process.
How Long Do I Have To Make A Claim?
In the UK, the standard time limit for beginning a personal injury claim is 3 years. This time limit is set out in the Limitation Act 1980 and may apply to the date on which the injury occurred or on which you became aware of it.
Those under the age of 18 cannot legally start a claim for themselves, meaning time limits do not take affect until they come of age. Further exceptions apply to those with reduced mental capacity. Here, there is no time limit, but the 3-year window will take effect from the date the capacity to make a claim is regained.
If someone is unable to start a claim, another person may act as a litigation friend on their behalf. The role is often taken by a close relative (such as a parent) or solicitor, who can start the process for them.
Collecting Evidence
You can help to strengthen your claim by having clear evidence which proves how you suffered a shoulder injury and the impact it has had on you. For instance, your claim could benefit from:
- A copy of your medical records with details of your shoulder injury, treatment, and recovery.
- Accident reports, such as copies of records from a workplace accident book.
- Police reports covering road traffic accidents.
- Photographs and video showing the cause or scene of the accident. In addition, photographs can document a visible shoulder injury.
- Contact information for anyone who witnessed the accident.
A solicitor from our panel can help you gather statements and other evidence to support your claim. Additionally, you may be asked to attend an independent medical assessment. During this, a medical expert will review your medical history and examine your injuries. Their report may be added to the body of evidence submitted with your claim.
What Are No Win No Fee Agreements?
The shoulder injury claim specialists from our panel of solicitors can offer you a No Win No Fee agreement known as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). It allows you to pursue a compensation claim without having to pay upfront solicitors fees. Under a CFA:
- You won’t pay a solicitor’s fee at the start.
- You won’t pay a solicitor’s fee during the claim itself.
- You won’t be liable to pay a solicitor’s fee if your claim fails.
In the event of a successful claim, you’ll see a small success fee deducted from your compensation. This is in line with the terms of your agreement and the percentage is legally limited.
How Long It Can Take To Get A Shoulder Injury Compensation Payout
There is no set time for your shoulder injury compensation payout. The length of time a claim takes may depend on factors like the severity of your injury, liability disputes, and the strength of available evidence.
Using our shoulder injury compensation calculator could give you insight into your potential payout. Moreover, contacting our team can help you better understand the claims process.
How Compensation Calculator Can Help
At Compensation Calculator UK, we work with an expert panel of solicitors. They could help you by:
- Handling your case on a No Win No Fee basis.
- Explaining legal terminology and the claims process.
- Helping to organise physiotherapy or rehabilitation services.
- Negotiating your settlement and applying for an interim payment if necessary.
Contact Us
Contact us today and find out how to claim compensation for your shoulder injury.
- Phone 0800 408 7826.
- Talk to an advisor live below.
- Contact us by completing our online form.
More Information
You can find further resources related to personal injury compensation claims below.
- Learn more about making a minor injury claim with personal injury solicitors in this comprehensive guide.
- Our full guide to serious injury claims takes you through when and how to seek compensation.
- You can also learn about neck injury claims, which are sometimes connected to shoulder injuries.
Please also consider the following external resources:
- NHS information concerning painful shoulders.
- Government information on Statutory Sick Pay.
- You can find information on upper limb disorders from the Health and Safety Executive.
We hope our guide on using a shoulder injury compensation calculator has helped you make an informed decision about taking the next step in the claims process.