Being involved in a car accident is stressful enough. Working out what you are entitled to should not add to that. Our free Car Accident Compensation Calculator gives you an instant estimate based on your injury type and severity, plus guidance on what else you can include in your claim.
Claim Details
Whiplash claims lasting longer than 24 months exit the fixed tariff scheme entirely.
£
Loss of earnings, car hire costs, physio bills, excess on your insurance policy, etc.
Valuation Bracket
General Damages (Injury Valuation)£240 - £260
Total Expected Settlement:
£240 - £260Based on the statutory Whiplash Reforms 2021 fixed tariff. Soft tissue injuries lasting less than 24 months are legally capped at these amounts in England & Wales.
Essential Claim Facts
Small Claims Track Change
If your whiplash injury is worth less than £5,000, it falls into the Small Claims Track. You can no longer recover your lawyer's fees from the other side. You must use the government's Official Injury Claim (OIC) portal.
No Win, No Fee Deductions
Because lawyers can't recover their base fees on small claims anymore, most will deduct up to 25% from your final compensation amount to cover their costs.
Understanding the 2021 UK Whiplash Reforms
In May 2021, the UK government radically overhauled how road traffic accident (RTA) compensation is calculated and processed in England and Wales. If you have been in a car crash recently and suffered "soft tissue damage" (commonly known as whiplash), the rules are drastically different than they were a decade ago.
The End of Massive Whiplash Payouts
Previously, a minor whiplash injury that lasted a few weeks could command thousands of pounds in compensation, driving up the cost of car insurance premiums nationwide. To combat this "compensation culture," the government introduced a strict, fixed tariff.
If your whiplash injury heals within 24 months, your compensation is capped by law. For example, an injury lasting up to 3 months is now worth approximately £240. Under the old system, that same injury might have been valued at over £2,000.
The Official Injury Claim (OIC) Portal
Along with fixed pricing, the government increased the Small Claims Track limit for road traffic injuries from £1,000 to £5,000.
If your injury is worth less than £5,000, you can no longer force the at-fault driver's insurance to pay your solicitor's legal fees. To ensure normal people could still claim without needing to hire a lawyer, the government launched the free Official Injury Claim (OIC) portal. You can go online, submit your medical report, and process the claim entirely by yourself.
What about broken bones and serious injuries?
If you sustained a non-whiplash injury (such as a broken arm, a shattered knee, or severe psychological trauma outlasting 24 months), the new Whiplash Reforms do not apply to that injury. Those injuries are still valued using the traditional Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) and can command tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds depending on severity and long-term disability.
For these complex "multi-track" claims, you should always instruct a specialized personal injury solicitor.
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Important: This calculator gives a guide estimate only. Actual compensation varies based on individual circumstances. Always speak to a solicitor for advice specific to your case.
How to Use This Calculator
Select the part of your body injured
Choose the injury type and severity
Add any financial losses, lost earnings, medical costs, travel
Click Calculate
You will see an estimated compensation range for your injury based on current Judicial College Guidelines, plus an estimate of any special damages you may be able to add on top.
What Can You Claim For?
A car accident claim in the UK has two parts.
General damages cover the physical and psychological impact of your injury, the pain, suffering and loss of amenity caused by what happened to you.
Special damages cover actual financial losses you have suffered as a direct result of the accident.
Both are added together to form your total compensation figure.
General Damages
General damages are calculated using the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), a document used by courts and solicitors across England and Wales to ensure fair and consistent compensation awards.
The amount depends on the type of injury, how severe it is and how long it affects you. Here is a summary of key compensation ranges from the current JCG:
Injury
Severity
Range
Head / Brain
Severe
£344,150 – £493,000
Head / Brain
Moderate
£52,550 – £267,340
Head / Brain
Minor
£2,690 – £15,580
Neck
Severe
£55,500 – £181,020
Neck
Moderate
£9,630 – £46,970
Back
Severe
£47,320 – £196,450
Back
Moderate
£15,260 – £47,320
Back
Minor
£2,990 – £15,260
Shoulder
Severe
£23,430 – £58,610
Arm (amputation)
Severe
£117,360 – £366,100
Leg
Severe
£66,920 – £344,150
Leg
Minor
Up to £14,450
Knee
Severe
£31,960 – £117,410
Ankle
Severe
£61,090 – £85,070
PTSD
Severe
£73,050 – £122,850
PTSD
Minor
£4,820 – £9,980
Source: Judicial College Guidelines, updated June 2026.
Whiplash Claims
Whiplash claims are treated differently to other injuries. Since the Whiplash Reform Programme came into force in May 2021, whiplash injuries from road accidents are awarded fixed tariff amounts rather than individually assessed sums.
The fixed tariff amounts for whiplash injuries sustained in road traffic accidents are:
Injury Duration
Tariff Amount
Up to 3 months
£240
3 to 6 months
£495
6 to 9 months
£840
9 to 12 months
£1,320
12 to 15 months
£2,040
15 to 18 months
£3,005
18 to 24 months
£4,215
These figures apply to soft tissue whiplash-type injuries only. If your whiplash is accompanied by a psychological injury, additional compensation may apply on top of the tariff amount.
Whiplash claims for accidents after May 2021 must be submitted through the Official Injury Claim (OIC) portal at officialinjuryclaim.service.gov.uk. You can submit a claim yourself or use a solicitor.
Special Damages
Special damages cover real financial losses caused by the accident. These are separate from your injury compensation and are claimed on top.
Common special damages include:
Lost earnings: including past and future income if your injury affects your ability to work
Medical costs: prescriptions, physiotherapy, rehabilitation, private treatment
Travel expenses: to and from medical appointments, including parking
Vehicle repair or replacement: if your car was damaged
Insurance excess: the amount you paid towards your own claim
Care costs: if someone had to help you at home during recovery
Adaptations to your home: if your injury required changes to your living space
Keep every receipt and record every expense from the moment the accident happens. Even relatively small costs add up and are fully claimable.
What If You Were Partly at Fault?
You can still claim even if you were partly responsible for the accident. This is called contributory negligence.
If a court or insurer finds you were partly to blame, your compensation is reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to you.
Example: If your total claim is worth £10,000 and you are found 25% responsible, you receive £7,500.
Being a passenger in a car driven by an at-fault driver does not prevent you from claiming. Passengers almost always have a full claim regardless of who caused the accident.
What If the Driver Was Uninsured?
If the driver who hit you was uninsured or fled the scene, you can still make a claim through the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB).
The MIB is a UK body funded by all insurers that compensates victims of uninsured and untraced drivers. You do not need to know the driver's insurance details to make a claim, but you must report the accident to the police first.
Claims against uninsured drivers are made through mib.org.uk. The process takes longer than a standard claim but the same types of compensation, general and special damages, apply.
How Long Do You Have to Make a Claim?
In most cases, you have three years from the date of the accident to start a personal injury claim. This is set by the Limitation Act 1980.
There are exceptions. For children, the three-year clock starts from their 18th birthday, so a child injured in an accident has until age 21 to claim. For cases involving MIB and uninsured drivers, different timescales may apply.
Do not leave it late. Evidence becomes harder to gather over time and solicitors need adequate time to build your case properly.
Do You Need a Solicitor?
For simple whiplash claims below a certain value, you can use the OIC portal without a solicitor. For more serious injuries, it is strongly advisable to use one.
Most personal injury solicitors work on a no win no fee basis, also called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This means you pay nothing upfront and only pay a fee if your claim succeeds. The fee is deducted from your compensation as a percentage.
Before signing with a solicitor, check what their success fee percentage is and confirm what deductions will be made from your final award.
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References
Judicial College. Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases, 17th edition, updated June 2026. judiciary.uk
Ministry of Justice. Whiplash Reform Programme, Official Injury Claim Portal. gov.uk
Motor Insurers' Bureau. Claims for Uninsured and Untraced Drivers. mib.org.uk
Bott and Co Solicitors. Car Accident Compensation Amounts Updated June 2026. bottonline.co.uk
