Last Updated 14th March 2025. If you have suffered nerve damage following an accident, you may be wondering whether you could be eligible to claim compensation. Within this guide, we will discuss the eligibility criteria that nerve injury compensation claims must meet in order for them to be valid.
Additionally, we will set out the time limits that must adhered to when starting a personal injury claim. We will also share examples of evidence that could be used to help support your nerve damage claim.
Furthermore, this guide will explain how compensation is calculated for successful cases, and the different heads of claim that you could be awarded. We will also share some of the benefits of making a personal injury claim with one of our expert No Win No Fee solicitors.
If you would like to receive free advice for your potential claim, you can contact a member of our advisory team today. They can be reached via the following methods:
- Call 0800 073 8801
- Contact us online.
- Live chat with an expert.
Select A Section
- What Is Nerve Damage And How Can It Happen?
- What Is The Average Payout For Nerve Damage In The UK?
- Can I Claim Nerve Damage Compensation?
- How Long Do I Have To Claim Nerve Damage Compensation?
- What Evidence Do You Need To Claim For A Nerve Damage Injury?
- Making Nerve Damage Injury Compensation Claims With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
- Learn More About Nerve Damage Injury Compensation Claims
What Is Nerve Damage And How Can It Happen?
Nerve damage, also referred to as peripheral neuropathy, is a condition that damages different nerves across the body. It often results from traumatic injuries or illnesses such as diabetes. Our bodies contain hundreds of nerves that are essential for sending messages to and from our brains for the functioning of our senses, breathing, digestion and much more. As nerve damage destroys the nerves and causes pain, discomfort and further problems, it is important to seek medical attention to prevent it from affecting your quality of life.
What are Nerve Damage Symptoms?
As nerve damage can affect many areas of the body, people often experience different symptoms that can develop slowly or quickly. Therefore, there are different forms of nerve damage that are associated with different symptoms. Here are some examples of the types of nerve damage and the symptoms that you may experience or should look out for:
- Sensory neuropathy – pins and needles, numbness, sharp pain and loss of balance
- Motor neuropathy – twitching, muscle cramps and the thinning of muscles
- Autonomic neuropathy – bowel problems, bloating, low blood pressure and increased heart rate
- Mononeuropathy – altered senses in fingers, double vision and facial weakness
If another person was responsible for your nerve damage, you may be eligible to start a nerve damage injury compensation claim. To support your claim, you must obtain medical evidence of your nerve damage, your symptoms and how they affected you. Contact our helpful advisors today to learn more about this or to discuss the average payouts for nerve damage.
What Is The Average Payout For Nerve Damage In The UK?
Whilst you might be wondering what the average payout for nerve damage in the UK is, the unique facts and circumstances of your case are considered when valuing settlements. As such, it can be difficult to provide an average as payouts vary on a case-by-case basis.
Generally, though, a settlement awarded following a successful nerve damage claim could comprise both general and special damages. General damages is the head of claim that compensates you for the suffering and pain caused by your nerve injury.
When calculating nerve injury compensation, legal professionals could obtain guidance from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This publication provides guideline compensation brackets for different injuries at various severities. We’ve used some of the figures from the JCG to complete the table below.
This should only be used as guidance, however. Also, the figures only apply to claims made in England and Wales. Additionally, the top entry of this table does not feature within the JCG.
| Injury | Severity | Notes | Compensation Guideline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple Severe Injuries Plus Financial Losses | Severe | A combination of serious injuries with compensation also awarded for financial losses such as medical costs. | Up to £250,000+ |
| Back Injury | Severe (i) | Severe damage to the spinal cord and nerve roots, leading to a combination of serious consequences that are not usually found in back injuries. | £111,150 to £196,450 |
| Severe (ii) | Nerve root damage with impaired mobility and loss of sensation. | £90,510 to £107,910 | |
| Moderate (i) | Example injuries include damage to an intervertebral disc with nerve root irritation and limited mobility. | £33,880 to £47,320 | |
| Leg Injury | Less Serious (i) | Injuries may include serious soft tissue damage to one or both legs with some nerve damage in the lower limbs. | £21,920 to £33,880 |
| Skeletal Injuries | Fractures of Nose or Nasal Complex (i) | Multiple or serious fractures, requiring a number of operations with permanent nerve damage, damage to the airways and difficulty breathing. | £12,990 to £28,220 |
| Hand Injury | Serious Injury to the Thumb (t) | Amputation of the tip of the thumb with nerve damage, or a fracture that needs wires inserted. | £15,370 to £20,460 |
| Moderate Injuries to the Thumb (u) | Injuries that cause damage to the nerves or tendons, or necessitating arthrodesis of the interphalangeal joint. | £11,800 to £15,370 |
As well as general damages, you could claim for out-of-pocket expenses caused by your nerve injury. These are compensated under the head of claim called special damages. Claimable costs and losses could include:
- Care costs
- Travel expenses
- Medical costs
- Loss of income
Evidence, such as receipts, travel tickets and invoices, could be provided to help prove any financial losses.
To discuss the average settlement for nerve damage in the hand or other part of the body in more detail, please contact an advisor. Or, read on to learn more about nerve damage claims.
Can I Claim Nerve Damage Compensation?
Now that you have seen how compensation for nerve damage settlement cases is calculated let’s take a look at who could be eligible to make a personal injury claim. If you are considering claiming compensation for nerve damage, your claim would have to meet certain eligibility criteria.
- Someone owed you a duty of care
- They breached this duty of care
- You suffered nerve damage as a result of the breach.
Examples of duties of care that could be owed to you include:
- At work: Under the Health and Safety etc at Work Act 1974, employers must take reasonably practicable measures to keep their employees safe while working.
- In public spaces: In a public area, the controller of the space must take steps to ensure that visitors are reasonably safe under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957.
- On the roads: Those using the roads have to stop harm from coming to themselves and to other road users. To do so, they must follow the rules and guidelines set out under the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Highway Code.
If you would like to check your eligibility to claim or learn about using tools like a nerve injury compensation calculator to check how much you could receive, please contact an advisor.
How Long Do I Have To Claim Nerve Damage Compensation?
The time limit to make nerve damage injury compensation claims, according to the Limitation Act 1980, is 3 years. These 3 years commence from the date the accident took place.
However, there are some instances where this time limit is paused. While the time limit is paused, a litigation friend could be appointed to step in on the claimant’s behalf.
These instances are if:
- The claimant is younger than 18 years old. The time limit will instead commence from their 18th birthday if a litigation friend already hasn’t started a claim for them.
- The claimant lacks their full mental capacity. The time limit will instead commence from the date of their full mental recovery if a litigation friend already hasn’t started a claim for them.
To learn more about claiming for yourself or someone else, or for information on the average payout for nerve damage, please contact an advisor.
What Evidence Do You Need To Claim For A Nerve Damage Injury?
have enough evidence to back up your claim. You should be able to prove who is responsible for your injuries, as well as how severe they are.
Evidence that you could collect to help support your claim include:
- Medical evidence: This could include your medical records, test results, and scans that show the severity of your nerve injuries.
- Witness statements: Taking down the contact details of those who witnessed your injury means that their statements could be taken later.
- CCTV footage: You may be able to request footage of the accident if it was caught on CCTV, which could then be used as evidence.
- Photographs: Taking photographs of your injuries or of the accident site could help strengthen your claim.
You don’t have to collect all of this alone. A solicitor can help you support your claim for nerve injuries by arranging an independent medical assessment, talking to witnesses, and helping find other avenues of evidence.
To find out how one of our solicitors could help you with your nerve injury claim, contact our team today.
Making Nerve Damage Injury Compensation Claims With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
If you have valid grounds to make a claim for a nerve damage settlement, then you could seek support with your case from a solicitor. If you get in touch with our advisors, they may connect you with one of our No Win No Fee solicitors.
They may offer to support your nerve damage claim under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). If a solicitor supports you under such an agreement, you won’t have to pay upfront or ongoing fees for their services. You also don’t pay your solicitor for their work if your claim proves unsuccessful.
The No Win No Fee solicitor who helped with your claim will take a legally capped percentage from your compensation if your claim succeeds. This is called a success fee.
For more advice on claiming nerve damage compensation with a No Win No Fee solicitor, please get in touch with our advisors for free. You can reach them by:
- Calling 0800 073 8801
- Using our online contact form.
- Messaging us on our 24/7 live chat.
Learn More About Nerve Damage Injury Compensation Claims
Below, you can find links to more useful resources on claiming nerve damage compensation.
- The nervous system – This breaks down how the nervous system works and provide information that may be of interest.
- Car Accident Claims – Accident claims can take many forms. To find out more about car accidents, and claiming if you aren’t to blame, then read our guide.
- Shoulder injury Guide – Take a look at our guide to learn more about shoulder injury compensation claims.
- Hernia Accident Claims – Please take a look at our guide to learn more about hernia accident compensation claims.
- Child Injury Claims – If your loved one has been injured due to the fault of someone else, then please take a look at our guide to learn more.
- This guide explains everything you need to know about making a burn injury claim
Thank you for reading our nerve injury compensation claims guide. Now you’ll have insight into claiming for a nerve damage injury. Plus, you’ll know why knowing the average payout for nerve damage in the UK would not necessarily give you an idea of how much you could receive.
