By Jo Anderson. Last Updated 13th February 2025. In this guide, we look at post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compensation in the UK. We will take a look at the different factors that determine how much a personal injury claim for mental health damage could be worth.
We look at how compensation could be awarded and outline the eligibility criteria you need to meet to proceed with a psychological injury claim. Additionally, we look at how PTSD could result and provide examples to illustrate this.
If you have good grounds to claim PTSD compensation, you may like to have legal support. This guide concludes with the advantages of instructing a No Win No Fee solicitor to help with your claim.
Get in touch with one of the advisors from our team to discuss personal injury claims for emotional distress. The advice from our team is free. If you are eligible to claim, they can help you get started.
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Select a Section
- What Is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder And When Could I Claim?
- Examples Of How PTSD Can Occur
- How Much PTSD Compensation Could I Claim?
- How Long Do I Have To Claim For PTSD?
- Can I Claim PTSD Compensation With A No Win No Fee Solicitor?
- Useful Links and Case Studies
What Is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder And When Could I Claim?
PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, is a mental health condition that affects those who have witnessed or been the victim of a traumatic incident. PTSD can cause nightmares, anxiety, and depression, and have a significant effect on your day-to-day life.
To claim PTSD compensation, you need to be prove:
- Someone else owed a duty of care to you
- This duty of care was breached
- The breach resulted in you suffering a mental and/or physical injury.
In many different scenarios, a person will owe you a duty of care, such as:
- Road users – All those using the roads owe a duty of care towards other road users to prevent harm or damage to themselves and others. They must follow the Highway Code, and uphold the Road Traffic Act 1988 to enact their duty.
- Employers – Your employer owes you a duty. They must take reasonably practicable steps to prevent you from coming to harm while working. This is stated by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA).
- Occupiers – Occupiers (those in control of public places) owe members of the public a duty of care under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. They must take steps to make certain the reasonable safety of members of the public using their premises for its intended purposes.
If any of these parties breaches a duty of care towards you, causing you to experience PTSD as a result, you may be able to make a PTSD claim.
If you to enquire about your eligibility to claim or learn more about PTSD compensation payouts, please contact an advisor.
Examples Of How PTSD Can Occur
As we have previously stated, to have a valid post traumatic stress disorder case, you must prove that your psychological injury was caused by a relevant third party breaching the duty of care they owed you.
There are various ways that you could suffer a psychological injury, some examples could include:
- A Hairdresser fails to perform a strip test before bleaching your hair for the first time. This causes you to suffer an allergic reaction and burn injury on your scalp and you also suffer with PTSD from the incident.
- A drunk driver is driving down the wrong side of the road and crashes into you head-on. This could cause you to suffer with PTSD and physical injuries, such as a broken leg and brain damage.
- Your employer failed to maintain a piece of machinery at your job regularly. It malfunctioned, and this caused your arm to become crushed, and you suffer from PTSD.
These are just a few examples. To see if you are eligible to make a PTSD claim, contact a helpful advisor from our team. They can check your case for free and advise you on the process of making a claim, and the PTSD compensation amounts that could be relevant to your case.
How Much PTSD Compensation Could I Claim?
Your compensation can be split into two types, the first of which is general damages. All successful personal injury compensation claims includes this as it covers the pain and suffering that your injury caused.
The PTSD compensation chart below uses figures from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). These are compensation guidelines that are paired with various types and severity of injury. They can be used as a guide, however, they do not give any guarantee of the amount of compensation you will receive.
Alternatively, you can contact our team of advisors, who can ask for the details of your claim. This would allow them to evaluate the different aspects of your claim and come up with a figure that is more representative of what you could be entitled to.
The first figure does not come from the JCG.
| Severity | Ammount | Noted |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple severe injuries including financial costs and losses. | Up to £1,000,000 | A combination of severe injuries that cause the claimant significant pain, suffering and loss of amenity, and also result in financial losses such as loss of income, travel and medical expenses, for example. |
| General psychological damage (Severe) | £54,830 to £115,730 (A) | Severe - There will be marked issues with the ability to manage life and work and significant future vulnerability. |
| General psychological damage (Moderately Severe) | £19,070 to £54,830 (B) | Moderately severe - Significant problems such as those above, but with a more optimistic prognosis. |
| General psychological damage (Moderate) | £5,860 to £19,070 (C) | Moderate - Problems such as those above but where there has already been significant progress and the prognosis is good. |
| General psychological damage (Less Severe) | £1,540 to £5,860 (D) | Less severe - Calculated according to the length of disability and issues with sleep, for example. |
| Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Severe) | £59,860 to £100,670 (A) | For the most severe PTSD cases with long-term or permanent loss of life quality. |
| Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Moderately Severe) | £23,150 to £59,860 (B) | Serious PTSD from which the patient will eventually recover to an extent with the assistance of professionals. |
| Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Moderate) | £8,180 to £23,150 (C) | Short-term episodes of PTSD in which there has been a good level of recovery with only minor symptoms prevailing. |
| Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Less Severe) | £3,950 to £8,180 (D) | Minor PTSD with trivial symptoms - Virtual recovery within 1-2 years. |
You could also receive special damages for your claim, which compensate you for costs caused by your injury. These could include costs for:
- Medical treatment
- Travel to and from medical appointments
- Lost income or earnings
- Professional care
Since special damages are not always awarded, you will need to provide evidence of these financial losses with documents such as bank statements and invoices.
You can contact our advisors with any queries about what your PTSD compensation could cover. They have experience advising on such claims and could help you to proceed with a No Win No Fee solicitor.
How Long Do I Have To Claim For PTSD?
Per the Limitation Act 1980, you would typically have three years starting from the date of an accident to file a PTSD compensation claim. However, there are some exceptions that apply to this personal injury claim time limit.
For example, those who lack the mental capacity to file their own claim will have the time limit suspended. During the time it is frozen, a litigation friend could start a claim on behalf of the sufferer. If the injured party recovers this mental capacity, and no claim has been made for them, they would have three years from the date of recovery to start their own claim.
Minors will have the time limit paused until their eighteenth birthday, from which they will then have three years to start their own legal proceedings. Alternatively, while there is a pause on the time limit, a litigation friend may proceed with their claim.
Please contact our advisors to discuss how long you might have to start your personal injury claim or for more information on how to claim on someone else’s behalf.
Can I Claim PTSD Compensation With A No Win No Fee Solicitor?
Starting a post-traumatic stress disorder claim might seem daunting, but our solicitors may be able to assist. Working with a solicitor can come with many benefits, as they can help ensure that your claim is filed in full and that you are within the correct time limit.
Our solicitors work on the basis of No Win No Fee by offering their clients a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). Under such a contract, you aren’t asked to pay an upfront fee to your solicitor for them to begin work on your claim. Likewise, you don’t need to pay for their services during the process of your claim, and you won’t be expected to pay for their representation if your claim fails.
If claim succeeds, your personal injury solicitor will be due a success fee. Said fee is taken straight from your compensation as a percentage of the settlement. There is a legal cap on the fee to help ensure that the larger share stays with you.
Our team of friendly advisors are here to help if you would like to discover more about making a PTSD claim. Get in touch today for free advice and to start your free consultation, and a member of our team may be able to refer you to a solicitor. To get in touch:
- Call our team on 0800 073 8801
- Use the live chat feature
- Contact us online
Useful Links and Case Studies
- NHS Information on post-traumatic stress disorder: At the link above, there is some detailed information about post-traumatic stress disorder which has been published by the NHS. It covers the causes and treatment, outlining the symptoms of PTSD.
- MIND information and advice for PTSD sufferers: At the link above, there is a series of pages published by MIND, which offer some good advice on dealing with a person suffering from PTSD, and how they can be helped to rejoin society.
- Restaurant Accident Claim: In this guide, we take a look at restaurant accident cases.
- Pavement Accident Compensation: Take a look at the link above where we discuss pavement accident claims.
- Accident in a Public Place: In the link provided above, we take a look at public place accidents in detail.
- Compensation for Stress Caused by Work: Find out how to claim for work-related stress caused by negligence.
- Average Payout for Soft Tissue Injuries in the UK Guide: Find out here how much you could potentially claim for a soft tissue injury in the UK.
- Permanent Scar Injury Claims Guide: Information on making a claim following a permanent scar.
Other Guides You May Find Useful
- Wrongful Death Claim Or Fatal Accident Compensation
- Clinical & Medical Negligence Claims
- Accident at Work Claims
- Get help for a burnt scalp from bleach done by a hairdresser.
For more information on how a PTSD compensation chart could help you, please do not hesitate to call our advisors at any time.
