What Is The Value Of A Wrist Injury Compensation Claim?

A successful wrist injury claim could see you awarded compensation for how the injury has affected you financially, physically and psychologically. 

rist injury claim

A guide to making a wrist injury claim

This guide will explain how your compensation might be calculated, what you would need to be eligible to make a claim, and more information about personal injury claims, and how they work. 

For any immediate information, you can contact an adviser now using: 

  • The number at the top of the page 
  • Live chat feature 
  • Contact page

Choose A Section 

  1. Can I Make A Wrist Injury Claim? 
  2. How You May Hurt Your Wrist 
  3. What Is The Recommended Treatment For A Broken Wrist?
  4. Estimating Compensation For A Wrist Injury Claim
  5. Must I Appoint A No Win No Fee Lawyer?
  6. Extra Information About Wrist Injury Claims

Can I Make A Wrist Injury Claim? 

In some situations, you are owed a duty of care by people around you or people in charge of the area you are using. 

A duty of care can mean they have a responsibility to: 

  • Make sure their actions do not reasonably cause harm to others 
  • Make sure the area they are in charge of is reasonably safe 

If they do not properly perform either of these responsibilities, leading to an injury, they could be found at fault in a personal injury claim. 

The three areas we’ll discuss in this guide are: 

We’ll explain what actions are expected of the parties who have a duty of care placed on them, and how you could be eligible to make a wrist injury claim if they breached that duty, causing you injury.

Wrist Injury Statistics 

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) requires the reporting of certain injuries, illnesses and near misses at work. For the year 2020/21, 3,782 wrist injuries were reported. This made it the 5th most common site of injury. 


How You May Hurt Your Wrist 

Public Places

The duty of care at work and in public places revolves around the controller of the area ensuring it’s safe for visitors. They should take steps to reduce hazards where reasonably possible. For example, if the environment is dangerous, they could close it off to visitors and put up warning signs. 

If you slipped, because of a spill in a supermarket that had not been dealt with in a reasonable amount of time – the supermarket might be found at fault for your injury if they had failed to both take action to recognise a hazard and reduce the risk to the public. 

Work

Employers should ensure that they take reasonable measures to ensure workplaces are safe for employees. They are required by legislation to take actions to look for, recognise and reduce risk wherever they practically can. 

Risk assessments for hazards can be a requirement. If employers do not sufficiently perform them, and so do not recognise a hazard that leads to your injury, they could be found at fault in your wrist injury claim. 

At work, the duty of care extends to the activities employers ask an employee to perform. Employers have to make sure that the activities are safe and that safety measures are provided if necessary. If you were injured because they failed to take reasonable actions to identify or reduce risk, then they could be found at fault for your injury. 

Road

The duty of care on the road is shared by all road users. 

Everyone using the road has a responsibility to other road users to make sure they take care in their actions and do not cause harm. The Road Traffic Act 1988 is the primary legislation around the road and is often used in conjunction with The Highway Code. 

If the other party disobeyed a traffic law, or were reckless in their actions leading to your accident and injury, then you could potentially claim against them in your wrist injury claim. 

What Is The Recommended Treatment For A Broken Wrist? 

If you have broken your wrist, or suspect that you have broken your wrist, it would be advised to seek out medical attention. 

The NHS offers a good resource on recognising and treating broken wrists. Medical evidence could be an important part of your claim, so if you have not already done so and are still suffering symptoms, you could seek out medical attention. It is important to know as much as you can about your injury.  

As part of the claim, an independent medical examiner could be appointed to assess your injury. 

Other evidence you could gather is evidence of how the injury happened. This could be proof of the hazard such as:  

    • Pictures (or similar recordings) that show the hazard being in place. e.g. a broken railing, or exposed wire.
    • Witnesses: Testimonies of witnesses who could have witnessed the accident or the surrounding hazard that led to the accident

You could also provide evidence of how the person failed in their duty of care, such as:

    • Emails: Proving your employer was not carrying out risk assessments or other similar requirements in their duty of care (such as providing safety equipment)
    • Witnesses: To a lack of training or other similar required actions
    • CCTV: Of the accident to prove their negligent actions

You can speak to a personal injury solicitor for more specific information about evidence in your claim but it is advised to keep detailed records of the injury and how it’s affected you. Notes on the day-to-day effects and maintaining financial records of how the injury has impacted you could be useful in your claim. 

Our advisers are available to provide free legal advice when you get in touch today.

Estimating Compensation For A Wrist Injury Claim 

For the injury, and the pain and suffering caused, you could seek a head of compensation known as general damages. 

The Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) can give you an idea of general damages. These guidelines are a collection of compensation guidelines listed beside potential injuries. They are based on previous compensation awarded in courts and are used by solicitors, judges and insurance firms when valuing claims. 

Some examples of JCG compensation brackets include the below. 

InjuryNotesAward
Wrist Injuries: (a)Complete loss of function in the wrist£44,690 to £56,180
Wrist Injuries: (b)Causing significant disability that is permanent, but some movement that is useful remains.£22,990 to £36,770
Wrist Injuries: (c)Injuries are less severe but still result in some permanent disability£11,820 to £22,990
Wrist Injuries: (d)Recovery takes longer but is completeRarely exceed £9,620
Wrist Injuries: (e)A Colles' fracture that's uncomplicatedIn the region of £6,970
Hand Injuries: (a)Total or effective loss of both hands£132,040 to £189,110
Hand Injuries: (b)Serious damage to both hands£52,310 to £79,360
Hand Injuries: (c)Total or effective loss of one hand£90,250 to £102,890
Hand Injuries: (e)Serious hand injuries that will have reduced the hand to 50% capacity£27,220 to £58,100
Hand Injuries: (g)Severe crush injury resulting in significantly impaired function£13,570 to £27,220

The other head of compensation is known as special damages. 

This is compensation intended for how the injury financially affected you. If you were unable to work because of the injury, or had to spend money towards treatment, you could claim for it under special damages.

This is why it is important to maintain the records of how the injury has financially affected you before requesting or calculating a compensation amount, know as much as you can about the injury. 

Your condition could worsen and this could lead to increased costs to you. You should be as informed as you can be about your injury and any possible effects before you seek a compensation amount. A settlement once agreed cannot be renegotiated.

Must I Appoint A No Win No Fee Lawyer? 

You do not have to enlist any form of representation, at any point in the claim. However, a solicitor could help you and guide you through the process with their expertise. 

What a No Win No Fee lawyer offers is a chance to enlist professional help without continuing worries about legal fees. They do not charge an upfront fee, nor do they charge ongoing fees. Payment would only be taken as a legally capped percentage of the compensation you are awarded. If you were not to be awarded compensation, there would be no payment to your solicitor. 

You can speak to one of our advisers now if you wish to enlist a No Win No Fee lawyer to help you in your wrist injury claim. 

Ask About A Wrist Injury Claim 

Our advisers are available now and can be reached using: 

  • The number at the top of the page 
  • Live chat feature 
  • Contact page

Extra Information About Wrist Injury Claims 

If you are unable to work, you could request

Statutory Sick Pay

Employment Support Allowance

You can use the HSE site to report a health and safety concern

Below, you can find links to more of our guides on personal injury claims: