By Stephen Burke. Last Updated 23rd April 2024. In this guide, we discuss claiming compensation for a fingers caught in a door accident or similar injuries. If you’ve suffered a crushed finger, have had a finger trapped in a door at work, or want to claim for a trapped thumb in a car door, legal advice is included in this guide.
We also give guidance on the question ‘I slammed my finger in a car door, is it broken?’ Plus, we offer guidance on what injuries you could claim for if someone shut your finger in a car door on purpose. We discuss what could be included in a dominant hand injury settlement, and provide an alternative to a finger injury claim calculator.
To speak to an advisor about claiming compensation for a finger injury, then you could contact us through the following methods:
- Telephoning 0800 073 8801
- Contact us online
- Using the 24/7 live chat feature
Choose a section
- Can You Claim If Your Fingers Have Been Caught In A Door?
- Time Limit For Fingers Caught In A Door Compensation Claims
- Steps To Take Once Your Finger Has Been Caught In The Door
- Common Symptoms Of A Smashed Finger
- Finger Injury Compensation Amounts
- Making Fingers Caught In A Door Compensation Claims With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
Can You Claim If Your Fingers Have Been Caught In A Door?
If you have trapped your finger in a door, you may be wondering whether you could claim compensation. To have a valid personal injury claim, you would need to prove that a relevant third party breached a duty of care that they owed to you, causing your injury.
Your employer owes you a duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA). They must take reasonable steps to prevent you from coming to harm while at work and performing work-related duties. For example, if they failed to fix the hinges on a heavy slow-stopping door, this could cause the door to shut very fast and trap your fingers, and you may be able to make a claim.
Those in control of public places also have a duty of care towards members of the public. This is per the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. Per their duty of care, they must take the necessary steps and measures to ensure your reasonable safety while you are visiting that public space for its intended purpose. For example, if a supermarket failed to regularly maintain its automatic entrance door, it could malfunction and trap your fingers, and you may be able to make a claim.
If you trapped your fingers in a door and would like to check whether you may be eligible to make a personal injury claim, you can contact a member of our advisory team today.
Time Limit For Fingers Caught In A Door Compensation Claims
Under the Limitation Act 1980, there is a three-year time limit to start a personal injury claim for injuries caused by an accident involving a door, such as if you had a trapped thumb in a car door. The time limit usually begins from the date you were injured. However, the time limit can work differently under some circumstances.
The time limit will be frozen indefinitely if the injured party lacks the mental capacity to start their own claim. If this is the case, then a litigation friend could start a claim instead on their behalf. However, if the injured party later regains this mental capacity and a claim hasn’t been made already, then the time limit to start their own claim will run from the day of recovery.
If a child has been injured in an accident involving a door, then the time limit for starting a claim will be put on hold for them until they turn 18. A litigation friend could start a claim on the child’s behalf before that happens. Otherwise, the injured party will have three years to start their own claim once they reach their 18th birthday.
To ask questions about your eligibility to start an injury claim, you can contact our advisors for free either online or by giving us a call.
Steps To Take Once Your Finger Has Been Caught In The Door
An important part of making a personal injury claim after you’ve trapped your finger in a door is collecting evidence. There are multiple areas of your claim that require evidence, and the right kinds can help illustrate who is liable for your injury, how it occurred, and how your injury will affect your life going forward.
Some examples of evidence that may help your claim if your finger was trapped in a door could include:
- Medical records: Your medical records can offer more insight into your injuries and the treatment you have needed and will need in the future.
- Photographs: Taking pictures of both your injuries and the site of the accident, such as a broken hinge on the door, could help your claim.
- Witness statements: Taking the contact details of those who may have witnessed your accident allows their statements to be taken by a professional at a later date.
- CCTV footage: If your accident was recorded on a CCTV system, you may be able to request the footage, as this can help prove how your accident occurred.
- Accident book logs: If you were injured at work, you should log your injuries in the accident book. All workplaces with ten or more employees are legally obligated to have an accident book.
For more information on the kind of evidence that you could collect to help support a claim for a trapped finger, contact our friendly advisors today.
Common Symptoms Of A Smashed Finger
When it comes to a crushed finger, NHS guidance shows that a smashed finger that occurs through injury or trauma can be very painful. Some of the most common symptoms for someone who closed a finger in a car door or shop door are as follows:
- Severe finger pain, especially throbbing and aching pain
- Stiffness in your finger
- Colour change and bruising of the skin and fingernail
- Loss of sensation in the fingertip
- Difficulty using the fingertip
- Inflammation – pain, swelling, and redness
Finger Injury Compensation Amounts
Compensation for successful finger or thumb injury claims could include general damages and special damages. General damages compensate you for the pain and suffering caused by your injuries. They are also awarded in all successful cases.
Those valuing your claim for general damages may use a document called the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), since it lists numerous kinds of injuries alongside guideline compensation brackets.
You can view some of these brackets in the table below. Take note that the table should be viewed as a guide and the first entry is not taken from the JCG.
| Injury | Notes | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple serious injuries with financial expenses. | A combination of injuries which result in pain, suffering and financial costs, such as medical expenses and loss of pay. | Up to £200,000+ |
| Amputation of Middle and Index and/or Ring Fingers | The injury means that the hand is deemed to be of little use. | £75,550 to £110,750 |
| Loss of Thumb | The thumb is amputated. | £43,350 to £66,920 |
| Severe Fractures to Fingers | This could potentially lead to a partial amputations with grip impairment and a deformity. | Up to £44,840 |
| Total and Partial Loss of Index Finger | The higher end of this bracket is applicable where the finger has been amputated. | £14,850 to £22,870 |
| Serious Injury to the Thumb | The tip of the thumb may need to be amputated. Injuries also include fractures and nerve damage. | £15,370 to £20,460 |
| Serious Injury to Ring or Middle Fingers | Serious tendon injuries or fractures that result in deformity and cause stiffness. | £12,590 to £19,940 |
| Moderate Injuries to the Thumb | Damage to the tendons or nerves that may lead to a cosmetic or functional deformity. | £11,800 to £15,370 |
| Fracture of Index Finger | The fracture will have mended quickly but the person experiences pain and grip impairment. | £11,120 to £14,930 |
| Amputation of Little Finger | The little finger is lost. | £10,550 to £14,940 |
| Serious Injury to Little Finger | The finger may require time in plaster due to a fracture. | In the region of £7,320 |
If you’re eligible to claim general damages, then your finger injury compensation could potentially also include special damages. This compensates you for the financial expenses or losses you’ve experienced due to your injuries. Examples of expenses or losses that may be covered under special damages include:
- Loss of earnings if you’ve been required to take unpaid time off work to recover from your injuries.
- The cost of certain medications or treatments you’ve required.
- Travel expenses for attending vital appointments that are part of your recovery.
Evidence is needed to claim special damages, and this could comprise of certain documents, such as wage slips or bank statements.
For more advice on potential compensation payouts for certain accidents, such as one that led to a trapped thumb in a car door, please contact our advisors for free today.
Making Fingers Caught In A Door Compensation Claims With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
If you have valid grounds to claim for injuries caused by an accident, such as a trapped thumb in a car door, our advisors could connect you with one of our No Win No Fee solicitors.
Our solicitors can support a personal injury claim under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). If you claim under such an arrangement, you won’t need to pay your solicitor for their services before your claim has started or while it’s progressing. You also won’t be required to pay your solicitor for their work if the claim fails.
If your claim is successful, then your solicitor will take what’s called a success fee. This means that your solicitor will take a small, legally capped percentage of the compensation awarded for your case. The legal cap ensures that you get to keep most of your personal injury compensation.
Contact our advisors for free today to learn more about claiming with a No Win No Fee solicitor. Our team can also advise you on other steps of the personal injury claim process. You can get in touch with our team by:
- Calling us on 0800 073 8801
- Contacting us online
- Using our 24/7 live chat
Helpful links Relating To A Fingers Caught In A Door Accident
This link will take you to the NHS page for broken fingers, where you will read information on symptoms of a broken finger, treatment, aftercare, where to get medical help, and what to do.
You can use this page to check your symptoms in an effort to try and diagnose the injury you have sustained. For example, if you’re asking ‘I slammed a finger in a car door, is it broken’ this site could provide useful advice.
