A UK personal injury payout is built from two parts: general damages for the injury (assessed against the Judicial College Guidelines) and special damages for your financial losses. The calculator below adds them together and lets you apply a contributory-fault reduction and a 25% no-win-no-fee success fee so you can see an indicative range. It is illustrative only — not a valuation.
“How much is my claim worth?” is the first thing almost everyone wants to know after an accident, and it is the hardest to answer in one number. Compensation is not a flat fee or a lottery payout — it is assembled, piece by piece, from the harm the injury has caused you and the money it has cost you. This calculator shows you that structure and produces an honest, clearly-labelled estimate, while being upfront about its limits.
Compensation calculator
The two parts of every claim
General damages compensate the injury itself — the pain, suffering and loss of amenity (“PSLA”) you go through. Because pain cannot be measured with a receipt, courts use the Judicial College Guidelines (the 17th edition, published April 2024, raised most brackets by around 22% for inflation) alongside comparable decided cases, then shape the figure using your independent medical report.
Special damages reimburse your actual and projected financial losses: lost earnings (past and future), treatment and rehabilitation, care and assistance (including unpaid family care), travel, and any aids or adaptations. On serious claims these often dwarf the injury award. Our guide on special damages explains how each head is proven.
Illustrative Judicial College Guidelines brackets
The dropdown above uses a small set of verified 17th-edition brackets for industrial-disease and back injuries, where figures are well documented. They are illustrative ranges, not valuations — the exact point within a bracket depends on severity, recovery time and lasting effects.
| Injury | Severity | Illustrative bracket |
|---|---|---|
| Hand-arm vibration (HAVS / VWF) | Minor | £2,390 – £6,890 |
| Moderate | £6,890 – £13,360 | |
| Serious | £13,360 – £25,220 | |
| Most serious | £25,220 – £30,630 | |
| Occupational asthma | Mild symptoms | £12,990 – £23,430 |
| Severe, disabling | £52,550 – £80,240 | |
| Noise-induced hearing loss | Moderate tinnitus & NIHL | £14,900 – £29,710 |
| Severe back injury | Most serious (i) | £91,090 – £160,980 |
Source: Judicial College Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases, 17th edition (2024). Figures are illustrative and pre-settlement inflation may apply.
Worked example
Tom develops moderate hand-arm vibration syndrome after years on grinding tools. A solicitor places his general damages around £10,000 (within the £6,890–£13,360 bracket). He lost £3,200 in earnings while symptoms were investigated, paid £400 for treatment, and faces about £2,000 of future loss because he can no longer do overtime. His indicative claim is roughly £15,600 — or about £12,200 after a 25% success fee on the general damages and past losses.
What reduces a payout
A headline figure is not always what reaches your account. Contributory negligence cuts the award by your share of fault. The Compensation Recovery Unit may require certain state benefits to be repaid. And on a no-win-no-fee claim, a success fee (capped at 25% of general damages and past losses) plus any insurance premium come out of your damages if you win. Our no win no fee guide explains the deductions in plain English.
Why a calculator is only ever a guide
No website can value your individual claim, and you should be wary of any that promises a precise figure. A calculator cannot read your medical report, judge how an injury has changed your daily life, or weigh the contested facts insurers argue over. For road-traffic whiplash, most claims now use a fixed statutory tariff instead — see our whiplash tariff calculator. For everything else, treat the number above as a way to understand your claim, then get a proper valuation from a regulated solicitor.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is an online compensation calculator?
An online calculator gives only a rough, illustrative range. It cannot examine you, read your medical report, or weigh the facts that move a claim within a Judicial College Guidelines bracket. Use it to understand how a claim is built, not as a valuation — only an SRA-regulated solicitor reviewing your own evidence can value your claim.
What is the difference between general and special damages?
General damages compensate the injury itself — pain, suffering and loss of amenity — assessed against the Judicial College Guidelines. Special damages reimburse financial losses such as lost earnings, treatment, care and travel, past and future. Added together they form the value of the claim.
Will a no-win-no-fee success fee reduce my compensation?
Usually yes. Under a conditional fee agreement the success fee is capped at 25% of certain damages — broadly general damages and past financial losses, not future loss of earnings. Any After-the-Event insurance premium may also be deducted.
Does it matter if the accident was partly my fault?
Yes. Under contributory negligence a court can reduce your award by the percentage you are found responsible, such as for not wearing a seatbelt. The calculator lets you apply that percentage.
Keep reading: how compensation is valued, what compensation covers, special damages explained, interim payments, whiplash tariff calculator and all claim types.
Get help from official, free sources
- Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) — check a solicitor is regulated
- The Law Society — Find a Solicitor — accredited PI specialists
- Citizens Advice — free, impartial guidance on your rights
- GOV.UK — courts, time limits and the Official Injury Claim portal