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Guide · Serious injury
What Is Classed as a Serious Injury?
There's no single legal definition, but a serious injury is usually one with significant, long-lasting or permanent effects on your health, work or independence. Examples include serious fractures, spinal cord and brain injuries, severe burns, amputations, internal organ damage, loss of sight or hearing, and multiple injuries. If someone else caused your injury, you may be able to claim compensation, rehabilitation and support.
Knowing whether your injury counts as serious matters, both for getting the right treatment and for how a claim is handled. This guide explains the main types of serious injury, why the difference matters and what your claim could be worth.
- Source
- Department for Transport, reported road casualties
- Legal definition
- None. It depends on the effect on your life
- Rehabilitation
- Can start before your claim settles
- Time limit
- Usually 3 years, with exceptions for children and lack of capacity
Is there a legal definition of a serious injury?
No. In personal injury law, "serious injury" usually describes an injury with a significant and lasting impact on someone's life, for example one that needs long-term treatment or care, stops them working, or leaves a permanent disability.
Other definitions are used for other purposes. For example, in road casualty statistics, a serious injury includes anyone kept in hospital as an inpatient, and injuries such as fractures, concussion, internal injuries, crush injuries, burns and severe cuts, whether or not they stay in hospital.
Common types of serious injury
These are the injuries most often treated as serious, medically and in injury claims.
Fractures and broken bones
Serious breaks to the arms, legs, hips, pelvis or skull, which often need surgery and can leave long-term pain, reduced mobility or disability.
Spinal cord injuries
Damage that can cause partial or complete paralysis and loss of feeling, often needing lifelong care and support. See spinal injury claims.
Head and brain injuries
Traumatic brain injuries that can affect memory, concentration, behaviour and physical ability. See traumatic brain injury claims.
Severe burns
Burns covering a large area or causing deep damage, which may need long hospital stays, surgery and skin grafts, and can leave scarring and psychological trauma.
Amputations
The loss of a limb or part of one, needing rehabilitation, prosthetics and often long-term support. See amputation claims.
Internal organ damage
Serious damage to organs such as the lungs, liver, spleen or kidneys, which may need emergency surgery and ongoing treatment.
Loss of sight or hearing
Partial or total loss of vision or hearing, which can affect work, independence and everyday life.
Serious psychological injury
Conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety or depression after a traumatic accident.
Multiple injuries
Several injuries from one accident. Even if each seems less serious on its own, the combined effect on your health and life can be severe.
Why it matters for your claim
- Your compensation has to cover the futureSerious injury claims look at your long-term needs, such as care, lost earnings, equipment and changes to your home, so the medical evidence is more detailed and it often takes longer to settle.
- Support can start earlyWhere an injury is serious, insurers are encouraged to fund rehabilitation and a case manager early, and interim payments can help before the claim settles.
- It needs specialist handlingSerious injury claims need experienced solicitors and independent medical experts to value them properly, so your settlement covers what you'll need.
Find out more about getting early rehabilitation, catastrophic injury claims and how long serious injury claims take.
Compensation guide
How much compensation could I get for a serious injury?
The table below shows indicative ranges for some of the most common serious injuries, based on the current guidance used by the courts in England and Wales. You can also claim for financial losses, such as lost earnings, care, rehabilitation and changes to your home.
| Injury type | Severity | Indicative range |
|---|---|---|
| Brain injuryTraumatic brain injury affecting memory, concentration, personality or independence | Moderate to severe, with ongoing symptoms or disability | £56,900 – £533,700+ |
| Spinal injurySerious damage to the back or spine, including nerve damage | Serious back or spinal damage with long-term symptoms | £51,200 – £212,600+ |
| AmputationLoss of a hand, arm, foot or leg, including below or above the knee | Loss of part or all of a limb | £113,500 – £372,500+ |
| Leg injuryComplex or multiple fractures, often needing surgery | Serious fractures, permanent symptoms or disability | £36,700 – £117,200+ |
| Arm injuryFractures or nerve damage that leave lasting weakness or loss of use | Serious fracture, nerve damage or loss of function | £25,400 – £172,900+ |
| Serious burnsBurns needing grafts or leaving lasting scarring | Significant burns, scarring or disfigurement | £12,000 – £128,600+ |
| Serious scarringScars to the face or body that are noticeable or permanent | Noticeable or permanent scarring | £5,200 – £128,600 |
| Loss of sightDamage to one or both eyes | Partial or total loss of vision | From £72,400 |
| Loss of hearingDamage to hearing in one or both ears, sometimes with tinnitus | Partial or total hearing loss | From £41,400 |
| Psychological injuryPTSD, depression or anxiety after a serious accident | Severe impact on daily life, work and relationships | £25,200 – £152,900+ |
How to read these figures
- These are indicative ranges for pain, suffering and loss of amenity only. In serious injury claims, financial losses are often much larger and can include lost earnings, future loss of earnings, care and support, rehabilitation, home adaptations, equipment and transport.
- Figures are rounded and based on the Judicial College Guidelines (18th edition, April 2026). A "+" means the most severe cases can be worth more.
- Where the other side accepts fault, you may be able to receive interim payments before your claim settles to help with costs such as care and treatment.
- Every claim is different. The amount you receive depends on your medical evidence and circumstances, and past results don't guarantee future outcomes.
Serious injuries: FAQs
Is a broken bone a serious injury?
It can be. Simple fractures that heal well within a few months are usually treated as less serious. Fractures that need surgery, cause lasting pain, stiffness or reduced mobility, or affect the hips, pelvis, spine or skull are often classed as serious.
Is there a legal definition of a serious injury?
No. In injury claims, the term usually describes an injury with a significant and lasting impact on someone's life, such as one that needs long-term treatment or care, stops them working or leaves a permanent disability.
Can a psychological injury be a serious injury?
Yes. Conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety and depression after a traumatic accident can have a serious and lasting effect on your life, and can be included in a claim.
What if I have several smaller injuries?
Multiple injuries from the same accident are looked at together. Even if each one seems less serious on its own, the combined effect on your health, work and daily life can make it a serious injury claim.
How much compensation could I get for a serious injury?
It depends on the injury, how it affects your life and what it will cost you in future. Indicative ranges for pain and suffering run from around £5,200 to over £500,000 depending on the injury, and financial losses such as care and lost earnings are added on top.
How long do I have to make a serious injury 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?
Suffered a serious injury?
Talk to our serious injury team for free, with no obligation, whether you're the injured person or a family member. We'll explain whether there's a claim and how we can help you get rehabilitation and support early. Eligible claims are handled on a No Win No Fee basis.