

Whether or not the injury is to your dominant hand (I.e. the right hand if you are right-handed) is also a factor in the amount of compensation.
Severe hand injury includes partial amputation, complete loss of use and permanent disfigurement or loss of most of your strength.
Moderate hand injury includes deep lacerations, damage to tendons or fingers which causes some permanent loss of dexterity, and loss of part of a finger.
Minor hand injury includes fractures and dislocations which cause pain and temporary impairment, but from which a full recovery is made.
Minor injury to a thumb or finger. Up to £2,500.
Loss or amputation of part of a finger. £2,000 to £4,000.
Loss of a finger or thumb. Compensation depends on the importance of the digit lost, ranging from £4,000 to £28,000.
Moderate hand injury. £3,000 to £7,000.
Severe hand injury, including amputation of two major digits or considerable loss of capacity. £15,000 to £45,000.
Total loss of one hand. Around £50,000.
Damages for injury are awarded under two aspects. The most immediately obvious effects of your injury are covered by “General Damages”. This part of your injury claim covers “pain and suffering” and “loss of amenity”
Pain refers to the physical pain resulting from your injury.
Suffering concerns the mental and emotional aspects, so part of your injury claim will be based on whether you suffer anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, embarrassment and so on.
Loss of amenity covers activities and abilities you will no longer be able to enjoy as much as before the injury. For example, a passionate hiker who can no longer walk, or an amateur musician who loses their hearing.
The “Special Damages” part of your injury claim involves financial loss or additional costs. Under this heading will come loss of earnings if you are unable to work, costs of nursing care and changes to accommodation or equipment (e.g. cars) to allow you to live as normal a life as possible.
If your injury claim is to succeed, you must be able to prove “on the balance of probabilities” that your injury is due to negligence by another party. Note that this does not necessarily mean that you have to be entirely fault-free; you need only demonstrate that the other party is more than 50% responsible for your injury. If you can do this, you may then be able to win compensation.
On the contrary, compensation awarded for your claim can include an element for aggravating an existing condition. It is most important that you give a full medical history when discussing your claim for this reason.