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Guide · Serious injury
Amputation Claims: Compensation, Time Limits and Your Rights
If you lost a limb, or part of one, because of someone else's negligence, for example in a road accident or an accident at work, you may be able to claim compensation. It can cover your pain and suffering and the lifelong costs of your injury, including prosthetics, care, lost earnings and changes to your home. You usually have 3 years to start a claim, and interim payments can help with costs before it settles.
Losing a limb changes almost every part of your life. This guide explains who can claim, what compensation can cover, how to get financial support and rehabilitation early, and what to expect along the way.
- Loss of a limb
- £113,500 – £372,500+ for pain and suffering alone
- Time limit
- Usually 3 years from the accident
- Interim payments
- Possible once fault is accepted
- Rehabilitation
- Can start before your claim settles
Can I make an amputation claim?
You may be able to claim if your amputation was caused, wholly or partly, by someone else's negligence. The most common causes we see include:
- Road traffic accidents, involving drivers, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians
- Accidents at work, such as with unguarded machinery, vehicles or falls from height
- Accidents in public places or on someone else's premises that weren't kept safe
- Delays or errors in medical treatment that led to an amputation that could have been avoided
You don't have to have been completely blameless. If you were partly at fault, your compensation may be reduced to reflect your share, but you can usually still claim. If your amputation followed medical treatment, the claim is a medical negligence claim, which follows different rules. Talk to us and we'll explain your options.
Find out more about road traffic accident claims, accident at work claims and machinery injury claims.
What can an amputation claim cover?
Compensation is made up of 2 parts: general damages for your pain, suffering and loss of amenity, and special damages for your financial losses, past and future.
Prosthetics
Prosthetic limbs and their replacement over your lifetime, maintenance, and specialist limbs such as waterproof or sports prosthetics.
Care and support
Paid care, and the value of care and help given by family and friends, even if they weren't paid.
Lost earnings and pension
Earnings you've already lost, future earnings if you can't go back to the same work, and lost pension contributions.
Your home and vehicle
Adapting your home, moving to a more suitable one, and adapting or replacing your vehicle.
Treatment and rehabilitation
Physiotherapy, occupational therapy, private medical treatment, and psychological support for trauma, anxiety or depression.
Travel and other costs
Travel to appointments, equipment and aids for daily living, and other costs caused by your injury.
In serious amputation claims, these financial losses are often much larger than the award for pain and suffering, and can add up to hundreds of thousands of pounds over a lifetime.
How much compensation could I get?
For pain, suffering and loss of amenity, the guidance used by the courts in England and Wales gives an indicative range of £113,500 to £372,500 or more for the loss of a hand, arm, foot or leg. Where in that range a claim falls depends on which limb was lost, where it was amputated, whether more than one limb was affected and how well you can use a prosthetic. The loss of fingers or toes is valued separately.
Your financial losses are then added on top, and in serious cases they're usually the largest part of the claim. Figures are based on the Judicial College Guidelines (18th edition, April 2026). Every claim is different, and past results don't guarantee future outcomes. See how compensation is calculated.
Our £1.9 million motorcycle amputation case
A car pulled out of a junction into our client's motorcycle, and after 6 months of treatment his leg had to be amputated below the knee. The driver's insurer disputed fault and offered £1 million, which our client turned down. NJS Law, the firm behind Injuries Direct, went on to secure a £1.9 million settlement. Read the case study.
Getting money before your claim settles
You don't always have to wait until your claim settles to get financial help.
What is an interim payment?
A payment from the other side's insurer before your claim settles. It's taken off your final compensation, and in serious cases there can be more than one.
When can I get one?
Usually once the other side accepts fault. If they don't, and court proceedings have started, the court can order a payment if it's satisfied you're likely to win a substantial amount.
What can it pay for?
Things you need now, such as rehabilitation, a better prosthetic, care, adaptations or a more suitable home, and replacing lost income.
We can also ask the insurer to fund early rehabilitation under the Rehabilitation Code, so treatment and support aren't held up by your claim.
Life after amputation
Every person's experience of limb loss is different, but the effects are rarely only physical. A claim should reflect all of them.
- Physical rehabilitationRecovery usually involves a team of specialists: surgical follow-up, prosthetic assessment and fitting, physiotherapy to rebuild strength and mobility, and occupational therapy to help with daily life. Getting the right help at the right time can make a lasting difference.
- Your mental healthAnxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress and changes to how you see yourself are common after limb loss. Psychological treatment can be included in your claim.
- Work and moneyYou may not be able to go back to the same job, or work at all. Together with the lifelong cost of prosthetics and care, that can put a family under real financial pressure, which is why future losses are such an important part of the claim.
How long does an amputation claim take?
Serious injury claims like these usually take longer than simpler claims, often several years. The main reason is that your compensation has to cover your future needs, so doctors and other experts need to assess how you're likely to be affected long term, including your prosthetic needs over your lifetime. Claims also take longer if the other side disputes fault.
Settling too early can mean your future needs aren't fully covered. Interim payments and early rehabilitation mean you can get help while that work is done.
Time limits for amputation claims
- The usual ruleYou usually have 3 years from the date of the accident to start court proceedings.
- ChildrenThe 3 years starts on their 18th birthday, so they have until they turn 21.
- People who lack mental capacityIf the injured person lacked mental capacity when the injury happened, the time limit doesn't run until they regain it.
- Medical treatmentThe 3 years may run from when you knew, or should reasonably have known, that the amputation was linked to the treatment you received.
- If the amputation came laterIf your limb was amputated some time after an accident, the time limit usually still runs from the accident itself, so don't wait.
See our guide: how long do I have to claim?
Amputation claims: FAQs
Can I claim if my amputation was caused by medical negligence?
Possibly. If a delay in diagnosing an infection or circulation problem, or an error in treatment, led to an amputation that could have been avoided, you may be able to make a medical negligence claim. These claims follow different rules, and the 3 year time limit may run from when you knew the amputation was linked to your treatment. Talk to us and we'll explain your options.
Can I claim if I was partly at fault for the accident?
Yes, you may still be able to. If you were partly responsible, your compensation may be reduced to reflect your share, but you can usually still claim. In our £1.9 million case, the insurer argued our client was partly to blame, and the claim still settled for £1.9 million.
How long do I have to make an amputation claim?
You usually have 3 years from the date of the accident to start court proceedings. Children have until their 21st birthday, and the time limit doesn't run while someone who lacked mental capacity when they were injured still lacks it. See our guide: how long do I have to claim?
What prosthetic costs can be included in my claim?
Your claim can include the cost of prosthetic limbs over your lifetime, including replacements, repairs and maintenance, and specialist limbs, such as for swimming or sport, where you need them. Experts look at what you need now and what you're likely to need in future.
Will I have to go to court?
Most claims settle without a trial. Court proceedings are sometimes started to move a claim on or to protect the time limit, but even then most claims are agreed before a hearing. If you do need to go to court, we'll support you through it.
Can a family member claim on behalf of someone who has had an amputation?
If the injured person is a child or lacks mental capacity, a family member can usually bring the claim for them as their litigation friend. The value of care given by family members can also be included in the claim, even if they weren't paid.
Lost a limb in an accident?
Talk to our serious injury team for free, with no obligation. We'll explain whether you have a claim, what it could cover and how we can help you get rehabilitation and financial support early. Eligible claims are handled on a No Win No Fee basis.