By Stephen Bishop. Last Updated 23rd July 2024. In this guide, we provide information and advice on making finger injury compensation claims. Suffering a finger injury can have a significant impact on your quality of life and ability to perform everyday tasks. Even minor injuries of the fingers can affect different elements of your personal life, such as driving, personal care and work. Especially the latter if you work in a manual job where you’re dependent on your hands. Serious finger injuries like severely broken knuckles can have life-changing consequences and can result in someone becoming disabled or being forced to change their career.
In this guide, we will explain how finger injuries can happen, common types of finger injuries and also explain how you can claim finger injury compensation if the accident that caused your injury was not your fault. We will also advise you on how an excellent no win no fee personal injury solicitor can help you claim finger injury compensation or worker’s compensation for loss of a finger.
Get in touch with our advisors today. We are here any time of the day or night to offer you free legal advice and answer any questions regarding your claim. Speaking with us directly is the most effective way for you to gain a better understanding of the unique circumstances that surround your claim. You can:
- Call us on 0333 000 0729
- Contact us through our website
- Chat to us using the pop-up window in the corner
Jump to a Section
- Am I Eligible To Claim For Finger Injury Compensation?
- What Should You Do If You Injure A Finger Or A Thumb?
- Common Types Of Finger Or Thumb Injuries
- How To Start A Claim For Injuries To The Fingers And Thumbs
- Finger Injury Compensation Amounts in the UK
- Can I Make A Finger Injury Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis?
- Useful Links
Am I Eligible To Claim For Finger Injury Compensation?
You might be wondering where to start when it comes to claiming finger injury compensation. We’ll discuss some of the steps you can take later on in this guide, but the very first thing you need to do is establish whether or not negligence occurred.
For the purposes of a personal injury claim, negligence means that:
- You were owed a duty of care
- This duty was breached
- You were injured as a result of this
When someone owes you a duty of care, this means that they have a legal responsibility to take proper care to avoid causing foreseeable harm.
For example, when you’re working, you‘re owed a duty of care by your employer. This means that, as per the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA), they need to take all reasonably practicable steps to make sure that you are safe.
Or, when you’re in a public place, the controller of that space owes you a duty of care. This is outlined under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 (OLA), which states that they need to do all they can to ensure that visitors are reasonably safe.
However, breaching this duty of care alone is not enough to make a valid finger injury claim. You also need to be able to prove that this breach caused you to suffer an injury.
An example of when you could make a valid finger injury claim could be if you work in a factory producing tinned goods. If your employer asked you to use a piece of machinery that they knew was faulty, and this resulted in you losing a finger, then you may be able to make a claim.
Contact our team today to find out if you could be eligible to claim, or keep reading to learn about finger injury compensation amounts.
What Should You Do If You Injure A Finger Or A Thumb?
The advice in our finger injury medical claims guide is not medical. It goes without saying that if you suffer from a finger injury at work or elsewhere, you should seek the appropriate medical treatment immediately.
This is especially true if you are injured seriously. We wish to advise you however that if you are injured due to an accident that was not your fault, you or a friend can take certain steps at the scene of the accident, to help support your compensation claim further down the line. We have listed these steps below:
- Take photos: Taking photos of the hazard that caused your injury, and the injuries themselves can provide photographic evidence. Include a date stamp if possible.
- Witness contact details: Witnesses may be required to provide evidence further down the line, so collect their contact details.
- Report your accident: Make sure that you report your accident, and it is accurately reported in the business’s or building’s log book.
- Medical report: At the earliest possible convenience have your injuries assessed by a doctor. They will provide a medical report, which your personal injury solicitor will later use to value your personal injury claim for a finger injury.
- Keep your receipts: If you have any expenses associated with your injury, such as the cost of a taxi ride to the hospital, you need to keep your receipts. Not only will you be able to claim back these expenses as part of your finger injury compensation package, the receipts will also serve as evidence for your accident claims case.
Common Types Of Finger Or Thumb Injuries
At Legal Helpline, we handle personal injury claims for all sorts of finger injury cases and thumb injury cases. This includes claiming for broken finger compensation. partial finger compensation and hand injury compensation. We have also handled cases which included lost tip of finger compensation and worker’s compensation for a lost finger. Below are some examples of common finger injuries that Legal Helpline’s personal injury lawyers have helped their clients claim compensation for.
- Broken finger or fractured finger claims: Finger pain, tenderness, and discolouration could all be signs of a broken finger. As well being painful, broken or fractured fingers can be painful while they heal. Broken or fractured fingers can often occur as a result of a slip, trip or fall accident, if the injured person tries to break their fall with their hands.
- Thumb injury (such as a broken thumb): The thumb allows the hand to grip and apply pressure, so any sort of injury that puts the thumb out of action can impair the sufferer’s ability to perform simple everyday tasks.
- Dislocated fingers: Unfortunately people working in manufacturing, engineering or other careers where they have to operate heavy machinery often experience dislocated fingers. These injuries are often caused by negligence. Whilst fingers can be reinserted into their sockets they are a painful and debilitating injury.
- Finger amputations: Because we rely on our hands for so many tasks, lost tip of a finger, or the complete loss of a finger can be a debilitating and even life altering injury. In some cases, the person involved may have to retrain for a new career.
If you have a finger injury, or thumb injury which was caused by third party negligence, call us today to see if you could be entitled to claim compensation.
We will now look at some common finger injuries in more detail below.
How To Start A Claim For A Finger Injury Or Injured Thumb?
If you cut your finger at work, there are various steps you could take to pursue a claim. After seeking medical attention for your injury, you will need to inform those you believe to be responsible for your injury that you intend to make a personal injury claim against them.
This could be someone like an employer, or a road user who caused a road traffic accident. It may even be a medical facility if your finger was injured or lost due to medical negligence. It’s important to take this step as close to the date of injury as possible. Otherwise, the 3-year time limit as stated in the Limitation Act 1980 may expire. However, there can be exceptions to this time limit. So, seek legal advice if you’re unsure as to whether you can still claim.
Acquiring evidence is another important step you’ll need to take. This could include CCTV footage or witness contact details.
Finger Injury Compensation Amounts in the UK
If you have valid grounds to claim, then you may be asking how much compensation for a finger injury could be awarded to you. A settlement for a finger injury can include general damages and special damages.
General damages cover the pain and suffering you’ve experienced because of the accident that caused your injury. The compensation provided for general damages varies from case to case. It mainly depends on how severe your finger injury is and how it has impacted on your day-to-day life.
Those who value finger injury compensation for general damages may check the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This is a document which offers guideline compensation brackets for various types of injuries, including several types that affect the hands, fingers and thumbs.
You can view some of the compensation figures found within the JCG in the table just below as a guide. Please note that the top entry in the table is not based on the JCG.
| Injury type | Notes | Compensation Bracket |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple serious injuries plus special damages | If you're eligible to claim for multiple serious injuries, including any affecting your fingers or thumbs, then you could receive a payout that covers all injuries plus any related special damages, such as loss of earnings. | Up to £250,000+ |
| Amputation of index and middle and/or ring fingers | The affected hand will have been rendered of very little use. Any grip which remains in it will be very weak. | £75,550 to £110,750 |
| Serious hand injury | Such as long-term tendon damage, loss off mobility and stiffness. | £35,390 to £75,550 |
| Loss of your thumb | Complete loss of a (one) thumb. | £43,350 to £66,920 |
| Thumb Injuries - very serious | May include complete amputations or serious loss of function. | £23,920 to £42,720 |
| Finger Injuries - (p) | Amputation of Ring and Little Fingers | In the region of £26,620 |
| Thumb Injuries - serious | Serious injuries may never fully heal and there will be some loss of function in the thumb. | £15,370 to £20,460 |
| Thumb Injuries - moderate | This may include damage to the nerves or tendos which will heal fully. | £11,800 to £15,370 |
| Index finger | Fracture that although mended quickly, grip impairments and pain on heavy use remain. | £11,120 to £14,930 |
Finger Injury Compensation Amounts – Could They Include Special Damages?
As part of your finger injury claim, special damages could potentially also be added to compensate for financial losses or expenses related to your injury. Examples of what may be covered under special damages includes:
- The cost of certain medications or treatments you’ve received for your finger injury.
- Travel expenses for attending important medical appointments.
- Loss of earnings if you’ve had to take unpaid time off work while recovering from an injury to your fingers and/or thumbs.
You will need to submit certain documents as evidence to claim special damages as part of your finger injury compensation. These documents may include bank statements, invoices or wage slips.
Contact our advisors for free today if you would like to ask any questions about claiming for a finger injury or how much your potential case could be worth.
Can I Make A Finger Injury Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis?
Now that you know more about the benefits of claiming, you might be wondering why we recommend working with a solicitor. While enlisting expert legal help isn’t mandatory, it can be extremely beneficial.
For example, when you work with a finger injury solicitor from our panel, they can use their years of experience, training, and knowledge to help you maximise your compensation. They can do this by helping you support your claim with evidence, preparing the claim for court, and decoding complex legal jargon to help you understand what’s happening.
Our panel of solicitors offer their expert services on a No Win No Fee basis, thanks to something called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This means that you can access their services without:
- Paying any upfront fees
- Paying for their work as the claim is ongoing
- Paying for their services at all if the claim fails
If your finger injury claim succeeds, then you’ll pay a small success fee. This is taken as a percentage of your compensation, but this percentage is limited by a legal cap.
Contact Us
We understand that the finger injury claims process can seem complex and that you might be unsure of where to begin. Our friendly team of advisors are here to help, and can answer any questions you might have about making a claim during a free consultation. They can also tell you whether or not you could have a valid claim, and how a specialist solicitor from our panel could potentially help you.
To get started:
- Call us on 0333 000 0729
- Contact us online
- Use the live chat feature
Useful Links
How Much Compensation For An Accident At Work?
Find out how much compensation you could claim for an accident at work.
How Much Compensation For A Slip, Trip Or Fall Injury?
If you’ve had a slip, trip, or fall injury, due to a wet floor or another hazard, find out how to claim compensation.
An NHS Guide To A Broken Finger
Read this NHS guide to claiming compensation for a broken finger.
We hope this guide, which has covered different aspects of finger injury compensation claims, has been useful for you.
