A Guide To Claiming Finger Injury Compensation

Have you been in an accident which caused you a finger or thumb injury? If your accident was caused by another person you could be able to make a finger injury compensation claim. This guide looks at when you can do this and at how a specialist solicitor could help you.

Key Takeaways In Finger Injury Compensation Claims

  • Personal injury compensation could include damages for physical injuries as well as financial losses.
  • You could claim whether you were injured on the road, at work or in a public place as long as you can show someone else was at fault.
  • You could claim on behalf of someone else, such as a child.
  • Our personal injury lawyers could help you on a No Win No Fee basis.
  • You can contact our team for a free, no obligation assessment of your case.

Please read our guide below for more information on personal injury claims. Contact us for an assessment of your claim.

A person has their hand bandaged with a broken little finger and ring finger.

Browse Our Guide

How Much Finger Injury Compensation Could I Claim?

Before we look at how to make a successful finger injury claim, we look at how compensation may be calculated. How much compensation may be awarded will differ based on the type of injury sustained and its severity.

Successful claims for finger injury compensation may be awarded two heads of claim. These are general and special damages.

General damages are awarded for any successful injury claim. They compensate for the injury itself. In this case, a finger injury. General damages may take account of:

  • The severity of the injury,
  • How long it takes you to recover,
  • Any loss of amenity (loss of enjoyment of life)

Special damages are awarded for financial losses that you can prove are because of your injuries. We will cover the financial impacts of an accident shortly, but for now, let’s look at injury damages.

Legal professionals may use your medical records, any reports from an independent medical assessment as well as the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). The JCG is a document wherein there are guidelines on suggested compensation for different types of finger injuries.

The table below presents figures relevant to finger injury claims. Figures (apart from row one) are taken from the JCG. The first row illustrates compensation for multiple injuries as well as special damages.

Type Of InjurySeverityCompensation Amount
Multiple finger injuries.Severe finger injuries.Up to £250,000+ with special damages.
Hand injuries(R) Loss of the thumb£43,350 to £66,920
(F) Severe finger fractures.Up to £44,840
(S) Very serious thumb injury£23,920 to £42,720
(Q) Amputation of terminal phalanges of the middle and index fingers.Around £30,500
(P) Amputation of little and ring fingers.Around £26,620
(I) Partial/ total loss of an index finger.£14,850 to £22,870
(K) Serious injury to ring fingers or middle fingers.£12,590 to £19,940
(J) Index finger fracture.£11,120 to £14,930
(M) Amputation of little finger£10,550 to £14,940

Please note any figures presented in this guide are illustrative, and how much compensation you are awarded may differ.

How Could A Finger Injury Affect You Financially?

As well as leaving you in physical pain, a finger injury could impact you financially. Depending on your job, you may find that you are unable to work for an extended period of time or may need to take on reduced or different duties. In the case of severe finger injuries, you may be unable to return to your previous job role.

Special damages may be awarded for loss of earnings, such as lost wages or workplace entitlements and benefits.

Further ways you could be compensated through special damages include:

    • Medical expenses.
    • Care costs.
    • Adapting a home or vehicle.

You must show that any financial losses are related to your accident and injury. You must also provide evidence of these losses, such as your payslips or invoices for medical treatment.

Please contact us for an assessment of your finger injury compensation claim.

Can I Claim Finger Injury Compensation?

To claim finger injury compensation, you must show that negligence has occurred. Negligence is where a party breached their duty of care resulting in an injury.

Whilst the following sections explore duty of care in the context of different types of accidents, all claims must meet the eligibility criteria:

  • The claimant was owed a duty of care.
  • This duty of care was breached.
  • The breach caused your finger injury.

Below, we look at the specific duty of care which may be applicable in different types of personal injury cases.

Accident At Work Claims

Whilst at work, you are owed a duty of care by your employer. They must ensure that they comply with legislation such as the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 which states that employers must take reasonable steps to keep workers safe. Reasonable steps could include:

  • Adequate training
  • Providing personal protective equipment (PPE)
  • Performing risk assessments and reducing risks identified where possible
  • Inspecting and maintaining workplace equipment and premises
  • Dealing with hazards quickly

You may be able to claim for a finger injury at work if your employer was in breach of their duty of care and this caused you an injury.

Public Liability Claims

Whilst you are in a public place, such as a restaurant, gym, public park or shop, the occupier of this space owes you a duty of care. This duty is set out in the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. Under this legislation, the occupier of this space must ensure that it is reasonably safe for visitors to use.

Taking reasonable steps in the circumstance could include:

  • Conducting risk assessments
  • Having a system of inspection and maintenance for the premises
  • Dealing promptly with dangerous defects or hazards that they are made aware of

Road Traffic Accident Claims

All road users must navigate the road in a safe manner. They must use the road in a way which avoids causing themselves or others harm. Road users must comply with the Highway Code and The Road Traffic Act 1988.

You could be eligible to claim compensation for a finger injury in any of the types of accident above. Please get in contact with our team to learn more about making a finger injury claim.

A person has injured middle fingers.

How Could A Finger Injury Occur?

You could make a finger injury compensation claim in a variety of different circumstances. These could happen at work, on the road or in public spaces. We look at examples of how a finger injury could occur below.

At work, finger injuries could be caused by:

  • Machinery accidents. You may have instructed you to use machinery without the proper training at work. This could lead to you getting your hand caught and suffering crush injuries.
  • Faulty or defective equipment. You may have been instructed to use workplace equipment which your employer knew was faulty or defective and thus dangerous to use. You may have climbed a faulty ladder, which collapsed, causing you to break your fingers.

Road traffic accidents may be caused by:

  • A driver failing to check their mirrors and signal when turning onto a side road. They may strike a cyclist, knocking them off their bike. The cyclist could suffer several broken fingers.
  • A driver enters a roundabout without checking for approaching vehicles or signalling. They collided with an oncoming vehicle that had the right of way. The driver of the oncoming vehicle could suffer severely fractured fingers where a steering wheel is trapped against a door.

Whilst in a public place, accidents may be caused by:

  • Powered or automatic doors which are known to be faulty are left in use by a supermarket. The door may close unexpectedly and crush a customer’s fingers.
  • A customer may trip and fall on broken paving in a shopping centre. Whilst falling, they may extend their hand to stop them and suffer fractures to multiple fingers.

Contact our team to learn more about how to claim for any of the different types of accidents discussed above.

Common Kinds Of Finger And Hand Injuries

Each of the fingers contains three bones. These are the distal, middle and proximal phalanges. The fingers also contain ligaments as well as flexor and extensor tendons and nerves. Injury to any of these could leave you unable to use your fingers or hand as usual.

Examples of finger and hand injuries could include:

  • Fractured or broken fingers.
  • Finger dislocations.
  • Strain and sprain injuries to your ligaments.
  • Lacerations. This could include those affecting the underlying tissue and even tendons, ligaments or nerves.
  • Damage to the tendons controlling the fingers.
  • Nerve damage.

Further, you could suffer similar injuries to the hands. This includes broken and fractured bones as well as soft tissues. Moving up to the wrist, you could also suffer injuries such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

A worker has suffered a lacerated hand.

My Child Suffered A Finger Injury, Can I Claim On Their Behalf?

Children could suffer finger injuries due to someone else’s negligence actions whilst using defective playground equipment, or when on the road. They could even suffer a finger injury at work, provided they are old enough to engage in this activity.

Those below the age of eighteen are not legally able to claim compensation on their own behalf. Instead, a suitable adult must do so in their place. This person must apply to the court to be appointed as a litigation friend.

If appointed, they will then be able to act on behalf of the person harmed in the claims process. They must act in the best interest of the child and keep them informed of the progress of their claim.

The standard time limit, which may be applied to personal injury claims, is three years taken from when the accident took place. However, where the person harmed is a child, the time limit is taken from their eighteenth birthday.

A claim may be made at any time prior to this by the litigation friend. If they do not, then the person harmed may claim on their own behalf after they turn eighteen.

Please contact our team to learn more about how long you may have to make a finger injury compensation claim.

How Can Claiming Finger Injury Compensation Help You?

There could be several benefits to claiming finger injury compensation. The first of these is financial help. Claiming compensation could allow you to both be compensated for your injury as well as for financial losses, such as lost wages.

Making a finger injury claim could also help you to get any long-term support you need. Your injury could have left you needing future medical care which you have to pay for. Making a claim can help to meet these costs.

Whilst we recognise that you do not have to have to claim with a solicitor, we believe that doing so can provide you with professional help and support.

Please contact us to learn how a specialist solicitor could support you in your claim.

Why Should You Work With Accident Claims?

Our personal injury solicitors have many years of experience in helping people to successfully claim compensation. The benefits of working with one of our solicitors include:

  • Gaining help from their years of experience and expertise.
  • Guidance through what happens when you make a personal injury claim.
  • Having an independent medical assessment organised for you if necessary.

In addition to this, the solicitor may be able to help you on a No Win No Fee basis.

What Is A Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA)?

A Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) is a way to make a finger injury claim (or other type of claim) on a No Win No Fee basis. By doing so, you will not have to make any upfront or ongoing payments for the solicitor’s services. You will also not be asked to make payments for the solicitor’s work if the claim is not successful.

If you win your claim, you will pay a success fee to the solicitor. This is deducted from your settlement. It is agreed upon with you as a percentage of the settlement and is legally capped.

Contact us for further information on the finger injury claims process or for an assessment of your case.

A solicitor provides free legal advice on a finger injury compensation claim.

More Information

Learn more about the claims process in these guides.

Helpful resources.

Thank you for reading our guide on how to claim finger injury compensation. Please contact us for further help and information.