How much compensation can I claim for a cycling accident?
The purpose of compensation is to help get injured people back to the position they were in before the accident.
Compensation settlements or awards are broken down into 2 components:
General Damages
General damages are awarded to claimants for any pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA) they have experienced as a result of the injury.
General damages are calculated with reference to a table of recommended compensation awards set out in the 'Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases, Thirteenth Edition by the Judicial College'.
The Guidelines are referred to by solicitors, insurance companies and the courts. For more information regarding the compensation payable for a particular injury, see the table below.
Calculating compensation for multiple cycling injuries
Due to the serious, high-impact nature of many cycling accidents, the injuries sustained in a collision with another road user can often result in multiple injuries.
A rider knocked off their bike could sustain both a leg fracture and a head injury, for example, and could be eligible to receive compensation for both injuries. General damages for multiple injuries, however, are not calculated on the basis of simply adding together the recommended amount for each injury.
The courts take the view that although you are entitled to compensation for each injury you have sustained, the severity of some injuries effectively masks the pain, suffering and loss of amenity of less serious injuries.
A broken toe, for example, will have less of an impact on a cyclist who is also bed-bound due to a broken leg than if no other injuries had been sustained.
As a result, a court is likely to make a full award for the most serious injury sustained, and calculate a fraction of the recommended amount for each other injury sustained, depending on the additional impact each other injury has had.
Special Damages
Special damages are awarded to compensate claimants for any financial losses, such as loss of earnings or damage to a bicycle as well as any costs incurred as a result of the injury.
Calculate your compensation
Our online cycling injury compensation calculator helps you calculate how much compensation you could be able to claim.
The calculator considers the type of injury you have sustained and refers to the Judicial College tables to give you an estimate of how much compensation you could receive. The calculator also factors in any financial losses of costs incurred as a result of your cycling injury.
The calculator also shows you how much of your compensation award you will keep as part of a typical no win no fee agreement.
| Section | Injury | Description | Min Amount | Max Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head injury | Brain injury | Minor brain or head injury | £1,675 | £9,700 |
| Less severe brain damage | £11,650 | £32,700 | ||
| Moderate brain damage | £32,725 | £166,500 | ||
| Moderately severe brain injury | £166,500 | £214,350 | ||
| Very severe brain damage | £214,350 | £307,000 | ||
| Epilepsy | Other epileptic conditions | £8,100 | £20,000 | |
| Established petit mal | £41,675 | £100,000 | ||
| Established grand mal | £77,500 | £114,100 | ||
| Facial injury | Simple nose fracture | £1,300 | £1,925 | |
| Simple cheekbone fracture | £1,775 | £2,275 | ||
| Displaced nose fracture | £1,925 | £2,400 | ||
| Displaced nose fracture requiring surgery | £3,000 | £3,875 | ||
| Simple cheekbone fracture needing surgery | £3,300 | £4,900 | ||
| Simple jaw fracture | £4,900 | £6,650 | ||
| Serious cheekbone fracture | £7,750 | £12,000 | ||
| Serious nose fracture with permanent damage | £8,100 | £17,575 | ||
| Multiple facial fractures | £11,300 | £18,200 | ||
| Serious jaw fracture | £13,650 | £23,175 | ||
| Le Fort fractures of facial bones | £18,100 | £27,925 | ||
| Serious multiple jaw fractures | £23,175 | £34,600 | ||
| Teeth injury | Loss or damage to back teeth (per tooth) | £830 | £1,300 | |
| Loss or damage to front tooth | £1,675 | £3,000 | ||
| Loss or damage to two front teeth | £3,300 | £5,800 | ||
| Loss or damage to several front teeth | £6,650 | £8,675 | ||
| Injury affecting sight | Transient (short lived) eye injury | £1,675 | £3,000 | |
| Minor eye injury | £3,000 | £6,650 | ||
| Minor permanent damage to vision in one or both eyes | £6,925 | £15,950 | ||
| Serious loss of vision in one eye | £18,000 | £30,000 | ||
| Complete loss of sight in one eye | £37,450 | £41,675 | ||
| Total loss of one eye | £41,675 | £50,000 | ||
| Loss of sight in one eye with reduced vision in the remaining eye | £48,600 | £80,500 | ||
| Total blindness | In the region of £204,250 | |||
| Total blindness and deafness | In the region of £307,000 | |||
| Post-traumatic stress | Post-traumatic stress | Less severe post-traumatic stress | £3,000 | £6,225 |
| Moderate post-traumatic stress | £6,000 | £17,000 | ||
| Moderately severe post-traumatic stress | £17,600 | £45,500 | ||
| Severe post-traumatic stress | £45,500 | £76,500 | ||
| Back injury | Back injury | Back injury recovering in a few months at most | Up to £1,860 | |
| Back injury recovering in up to 2 years | £1,860 | £6,000 | ||
| Back injury recovering in 2-5 years | £6,000 | £9,500 | ||
| Back injury causing permanent symptoms | £9,500 | £21,100 | ||
| Back injury causing serious permanent symptoms | £21,100 | £29,475 | ||
| Back injury causing chronic permanent symptoms | £29,475 | £53,000 | ||
| Serious back injury causing significant permanent impact | £56,375 | £67,200 | ||
| Severe back injury with spinal cord damage | £69,200 | £122,350 | ||
| Neck injury | Neck injury | Minor neck injury | £300 | £1,860 |
| Neck injury recovering completely in up to a year | £1,860 | £3,300 | ||
| Neck injury recovering completely in 1-2 years | £3,300 | £6,000 | ||
| Neck injury bringing other problems forward or making them worse | £6,000 | £10,450 | ||
| Neck injury causing spondylosis, serious limitation of movement or permanent/recurring pain | £10,450 | £19,000 | ||
| Neck injury involving fractures, dislocations or severe soft tissue (muscle) damage recovering to a restricted level | £19,000 | £29,250 | ||
| Neck injury involving fractures, dislocations or severe soft tissue (muscle) damage leaving chronic permanent symptoms | £34,575 | £42,550 | ||
| Serious neck injury involving fractures or damage to discs | £50,000 | £99,500 | ||
| Severe neck injury | In the region of £112,750 | |||
| Whiplash | Whiplash recovering within 3 months | £300 | £1,860 | |
| Whiplash recovering between 3 months and 1 year | £1,860 | £3,300 | ||
| Whiplash between 1 and 2 years | £3,300 | £6,000 | ||
| Shoulder injury | Shoulder injury | Minor shoulder injury | Up to £6,000 | |
| Moderate shoulder injury | £6,000 | £9,700 | ||
| Serious shoulder injury | £9,700 | £14,600 | ||
| Severe shoulder injury | £14,600 | £36,500 | ||
| Arm injury | Arm Injury | Fractured forearms (between the elbow and the wrist) | £5,000 | £14,600 |
| Serious arm injury leaving some long lasting effects | £14,600 | £29,800 | ||
| Serious arm injury leaving permanent and substantial effects | £29,800 | £45,500 | ||
| Loss of one arm below the elbow | £73,100 | £83,325 | ||
| Severe arm injury | £73,100 | £99,500 | ||
| Loss of one arm above the elbow | £83,325 | £99,500 | ||
| Loss of one arm at the shoulder | No less than £104,250 | |||
| Loss of both arms | £183,000 | £228,000 | ||
| Finger injury | Fracture of one finger | Up to £3,600 | ||
| Loss of part of a little finger | £3,000 | £4,450 | ||
| Loss of the end of a ring or middle finger | £3,000 | £6,000 | ||
| Loss of a little finger | £6,575 | £9,300 | ||
| Fractured index (first) finger leaving permanent symptoms | £6,925 | £9,300 | ||
| Loss of part of an index (first) finger | £9,250 | £14,250 | ||
| Loss of a middle finger | In the region of £11,875 | |||
| Serious ring or middle finger injury causing permanent loss of grip | £11,300 | £12,425 | ||
| Loss of an index (first) finger | In the region of £14,250 | |||
| Loss of ring and little finger | In the region of £16,600 | |||
| Loss of the end of the middle and first finger | In the region of £19,000 | |||
| Severe fractured fingers leading to possible amputation | Up to £27,925 | |||
| Loss of index finger and middle or ring finger | £47,050 | £69,000 | ||
| Hand injury | Minor hand injury | £700 | £3,300 | |
| Serious hand injury with full or close to full recovery | £4,100 | £10,100 | ||
| Serious hand injury with significant loss of use of the hand | £22,050 | £47,050 | ||
| Serious damage to both hands | £42,250 | £64,275 | ||
| Loss of one hand, or loss of use of one hand | £73,100 | £83,325 | ||
| Loss of both hands, or loss of use of both hands | £107,000 | £153,200 | ||
| Thumb injury | Thumb injury recovering in a short time | Up to £1,675 | ||
| Thumb injury recovering in around 6 months | Up to £3,000 | |||
| Severe thumb dislocation | £3,000 | £5,150 | ||
| Moderate thumb injury | £7,350 | £9,575 | ||
| Serious thumb injury | £9,575 | £12,750 | ||
| Very serious thumb injury | £14,900 | £26,600 | ||
| Loss of a thumb | £27,000 | £41,675 | ||
| Elbow injury | Elbow injury not causing significant long term problems | Up to £9,575 | ||
| Elbow injury causing some long term problems | £11,900 | £24,350 | ||
| Severe, disabling elbow injury | £29,800 | £41,675 | ||
| Wrist injury | Colles wrist fractures | In the region of £5,650 | ||
| Wrist fractures and other injury recovering in up to one year | £2,675 | £3,600 | ||
| Wrist injury taking around two years to heal completely | Up to £7,800 | |||
| Wrist injury causing permanent pain and stiffness | £9,575 | £18,625 | ||
| Serious wrist injury causing significant permanent problems | £18,625 | £29,800 | ||
| Severe wrist injury causing loss of function of the wrist | £36,200 | £45,500 | ||
| Pelvis or hip injury | Pelvis or hip injury | Minor hip or pelvis soft tissue (muscle) injury | Up to £3,000 | |
| Hip or pelvis injury leaving minimal or no long term problems | £3,000 | £9,575 | ||
| Significant hip or pelvis injury leaving some long term problems | £9,575 | £20,200 | ||
| Significant hip or pelvis injury without serious permanent damage | £20,200 | £29,800 | ||
| Hip or pelvis fractures needing surgery | £29,800 | £39,900 | ||
| Hip or pelvis fractures causing long term problems | £47,050 | £59,600 | ||
| Extensive fractures causing serious long term problems | £59,600 | £99,500 | ||
| Leg injury | Achilles tendon | Minor achilles tendon injury | £5,525 | £9,575 |
| Partial achilles rupture or significant tendon damage | £9,575 | £16,000 | ||
| Severed achilles tendon successfully repaired by surgery | £19,000 | £22,875 | ||
| Severed achilles tendon and muscle injury | In the region of £29,200 | |||
| Ankle injury | Ankle injury recovering completely or leaving mild symptoms | Up to £10,450 | ||
| Ankle injury causing some permanent problems | £10,450 | £20,200 | ||
| Severe ankle injury causing permanent problems walking | £23,800 | £38,050 | ||
| Very severe rare ankle injury | £38,050 | £53,000 | ||
| Foot injury | Common foot injury, most healing completely | Up to £10,450 | ||
| Displaced metatarsal fractures with permanent symptoms | £10,450 | £19,000 | ||
| Serious foot injury | £19,000 | £29,800 | ||
| Severe injury to one or both feet | £31,900 | £53,200 | ||
| Very severe permanent foot injury | £63,825 | £83,325 | ||
| Loss of one foot | £63,825 | £83,325 | ||
| Loss of both feet | £128,750 | £153,200 | ||
| Knee injury | Knee injury that recover completely or leave minimal symptoms | Up to £10,450 | ||
| Knee injury causing mild long term problems | £11,275 | £19,900 | ||
| Knee injury causing serious long term problems | £19,900 | £33,000 | ||
| Leg fractures which include the knee joint | £39,625 | £53,000 | ||
| Severe knee injury | £53,000 | £73,125 | ||
| Leg injury | Fractured femur (thigh bone) | £6,925 | £10,700 | |
| Fractured tibia or fibula (lower leg) or soft tissue injury | Up to £9,000 | |||
| Leg fractures or soft tissue injury causing some permanent problems | £13,650 | £21,100 | ||
| Severe crushing injury and serious or complicated leg fractures | £21,100 | £29,800 | ||
| Serious leg injury leaving permanent problems | £29,800 | £41,675 | ||
| Very serious leg injury leaving permanent problems | £41,675 | £64,275 | ||
| Severe leg injury without amputation | £73,150 | £103,250 | ||
| Loss of one leg below the knee | £74,475 | £101,075 | ||
| Loss of one leg above the knee | £79,700 | £104,500 | ||
| Loss of both legs below the knee | £153,200 | £205,300 | ||
| Loss of both legs | £183,000 | £214,350 | ||
| Toe injury | Toe injury not leaving significant long term problems | Up to £7,300 | ||
| Serious injury to the big toe or to several other toes | £7,300 | £10,450 | ||
| Severe toe injury including amputations | £10,450 | £16,000 | ||
| Loss of a big toe | In the region of £23,800 | |||
| Loss of all of the toes on a foot | £27,750 | £42,600 | ||
| Paralysis | Paralysis | Temporary paraplegia | £37,500 | £41,250 |
| Paraplegia | £166,500 | £216,000 | ||
| Tetraplegia or quadraplegia | £246,750 | £307,000 | ||
| Scarring | Scarring to other parts of the body | A single noticeable scar, or several superficial scars not to the face | £1,800 | £5,950 |
| Scarring after an exploratory laparotomy | In the region of £6,575 | |||
| Several noticeable scars or one disfiguring scar, not to the face | £5,950 | £17,275 | ||
| Burns covering 40% or more of the body | No less than £79,700 | |||