While some finger injuries, such as cuts and bruises, are little more than inconvenient, others like finger amputations (or partial amputations) can cause problems for the rest of your life. If you injure your finger in an accident at work, a trip and fall, or any other accident that was caused by somebody else’s negligence, you may be eligible to make a finger injury claim for compensation for the pain and suffering you’ve endured.

If you decide that you’d like to take action, our personal injury team is here to help. We provide free legal advice during an initial telephone consultation about your case. You won’t be obliged to continue but, if your case appears to be strong enough, we could connect you with one of our personal injury solicitors. Importantly, they won’t ask you to pay for their work upfront if they agree to take your finger injury claim on as they’ll proceed on a No Win No Fee basis, which will also mean your claim will be less stressful.

To find out more about claiming compensation for a finger injury, please continue reading. Alternatively, if you’d like to start the ball rolling right away, you can call our advisors for free on 0800 6524 881.

Am I Eligible To Make A Finger Injury Compensation Claim?

It’s not always possible to claim compensation if you’ve injured your finger. Before a personal injury solicitor will accept your case, they’ll check whether:

• The defendant in your case owed you a duty of care; and
• Due to their negligence, an accident occurred; and
• Because of their negligence, you injured your finger in some way.

If you’re not sure if you were owed a duty of care, don’t worry. Many laws exist that can help establish a duty of care and your solicitor will check this before taking your claim on. For example, if you injure your finger at work, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 might apply.

Common Causes Of Finger Injury Claims

Let’s now take a look at some of the common accidents or incidents that can lead to finger injury compensation being paid. They include:.

• Vibration white finger which can occur when using vibrating machinery.
• Road traffic accidents can lead to severely fractured fingers as very often the first instinct is to raise your hands to protect yourself.
• Where your finger is injured over time because you have to conduct repetitive tasks like using a non-ergonomic keyboard.
• A simple slip and fall in a supermarket caused a broken finger.
• Finger injuries from using damaged or faulty machinery in the workplace
• Schools and nurseries, no matter how safe the environment, have recorded more than their fair share of finger injuries to children.
• Those partaking in sporting activities such as football, rugby, cricket, etc will no doubt at some point experience some kind of finger injury.
• Defective products have been known to cause injuries to hands and fingers.

Whatever has caused your finger injury, we could help you seek compensation if a third party’s negligence caused your suffering.

Common Injuries To Fingers

The fingers consist of three bones: the distal, middle and proximal phalanges. Extensor and flexor tendons pull on these bones to bend or straighten the fingers. Any injury to these bones, tendons or finger tissue can cause pain, discomfort and inconvenience. The severity of the finger injury, even down to what digit has been injured, can have a major impact upon the levels of compensation available. Some common finger injuries that can lead to compensation include:

• Finger dislocations which can be extremely painful and can lead to other side effects such as arthritis.
• Soft tissue and ligament damage is a very common type of finger injury and can be extremely painful.
• Simple lacerations can in some circumstances impact nerves, tendons, and blood vessels, although the majority of simple lacerations will heal fairly quickly.
• Broken/fractured bones in fingers can be incredibly painful and can take some time to heal.
• Crushed, trapped, and cut fingers are typically seen in accidents at work;
• Finger amputations, whether full or partial are not only physically debilitating but can have a serious psychological impact on the individual.

Some of the more long-term finger injuries including vibration white finger have led to literally years of excruciating pain for victims. While the matter of compensation has been addressed of late, for many, who have been suffering for decades, the impact on their life has been severe, to say the least.

Getting a finger injury compensation claim right is important. That’s because as well as ongoing pain, long-term injuries could impact your ability to work or conduct daily activities. We believe a solicitor who specialises in personal injury claims may improve your chances of being compensated correctly. Therefore, please get in touch if you’re thinking of claiming.

Finger Injuries At Work

There are various acts of parliament employers must adhere to which are meant to protect workers from suffering a broken finger at work, and finger injuries in general. It is also worth bearing in mind that while employers have a legal duty of care to their workers, employees also have a legal obligation to act in an appropriate manner so as not to place themselves or their colleagues in potentially dangerous situations.

Some specific points to consider with regard to preventing cut fingers, broken fingers, and loss of finger at work, for example, include:

• Appropriate ongoing training for all personnel.
• Regular maintenance of equipment.
• The provision of risk assessments.
• Detailed working practices and procedures made available to all.
• Providing the relevant safety equipment for employees.

If you have suffered a broken finger in the workplace or other finger injury and believe your employer is at fault, call our advisors today to check your eligibility to claim finger injury compensation.

How Much Compensation Do I Get For A Finger Injury?

How much compensation you could claim for finger injuries will usually be based on:

• General damages. Any pain, suffering, and loss of amenity will be considered in this part of your claim. Loss of amenity places a financial value on activities you’re not able to participate in while you’re injured. For example, if your child’s broken finger means they can’t participate in a sport they usually enjoy such as tennis or rugby, this could be factored into their claim.
• Special damages. Any costs, expenses or losses could be claimed back here. For example, you could seek damages for any lost earnings your finger injury has caused.

The final settlement amount for a finger injury will be determined largely by the severity of the injury, what effect it’s had on your life, and what your future prognosis is. As such, any figures below should only be used as a guide.

Finger Injury Compensation Amounts

Below you will see a range of potential compensation payout amounts for various finger injuries. The figures are based on compensation levels as advised by the Judicial College and are used by personal injury solicitors and insurers to calculate compensation amounts for general damages.

Broken Fingers

• Up to £36,740 compensation for severely broken fingers impacting dexterity and grip and sometimes leading to additional medical complications.
• £10,320 – £16,340 compensation for fractured fingers, tendon damage, permanent loss of grip, and some form of deformity of the ring/middle finger.
• A broken index finger which cannot only impact grip in the long term but lead to further complications such as arthritic conditions can attract compensation from £9,110 up to £12,240.
• Relatively minor finger injuries, such as a hairline fracture, scarring or tenderness, can be painful and attract settlements up to £4,750.

Loss Of Finger/Partial Loss Of Finger

• Amputation of the little finger can still impact many areas of everyday life with compensation of between £8,640 and £12,240.
• Partial loss or total loss of the index finger, impacting grip, dexterity and general movement can see compensation anywhere from £12,170 up to £18,740.
• The amputation of a ring/little finger can attract compensation in the region of £21,810.
• Amputation of the terminal phalanges of the index/middle fingers can impair grip and feeling, and lead to restricted movement and scarring. As a consequence, a settlement in the region of £24,990 could be available.

In tandem with finger injuries, we tend to see an array of general hand injuries where compensation payouts can be anywhere up to around £189,110.

To help prove the severity of your finger injuries and calculate a settlement, you might be required to attend a medical assessment as part of the finger injury claims process. This is something that’ll be conducted by an independent expert. After your meeting (usually held locally), the specialist will provide a report to explain your injuries and prognosis.

Evidence To Support A Finger Injury Claim

If you make a finger injury claim, it will (in most cases) only be successful if you provide evidence to show how the incident occurred and that your injuries were caused by it. To do so, you could use:

• Medical notes. You should seek medical advice from a minor injuries unit or a hospital if you’ve injured your finger. This can ensure you receive the correct type of treatment. Medical records could be requested later to help prove your injuries.
• Accident reports. Most businesses need to keep an accident report book. If you’ve suffered a finger injury at work and it’s been reported, your copy of the report about your incident will show when and where the accident took place.
• Photographic evidence. We would always suggest that you take pictures of the cause of your damaged finger. Ideally, this is something you’ll do before the accident scene is cleared.
• Camera footage. If your accident was caught on a dashcam or CCTV, try to obtain a copy of the footage before it is deleted.
• Financial evidence. You should keep hold of any receipts or invoices if you need to claim back any expenses or costs caused by your injuries.
• Occupational health reports. If you’re claiming for a repetitive strain injury (RSI), you could use reports from an occupational health advisor or emails you’ve sent to your manager to show that concerns had been raised about potential injuries caused by your role.
• Witness statements. If it’s not clear who was responsible for your finger injury, your solicitor might ask any witnesses to provide a statement. Therefore, remember to write down their contact details.

If you would like us to check if you’ve got a valid finger injury compensation claim, please call our injury claims advisors today.

Time Limits For Claiming Finger Injury Compensation

If you claim compensation for a finger injury, you must begin with the allowable time limits. For traumatic injuries, you’ll usually have 3-years from the date of your accident. For industrial injury or RSI claims, you’ll need to begin within 3-years of your medical diagnosis.

Importantly, if your child has suffered a finger injury, the 3-year limitation period does not apply. You can decide to claim on behalf of your child at any point before they are 18-years old. If you don’t, they can still claim but will have 3-years to do so from the date of their 18^th birthday.

Do I Need A Personal Injury Solicitor To Make A Finger Injury Claim?

We believe a personal injury solicitor can improve the chances of you a) winning your finger injury compensation claim and b) receiving the maximum compensation.

If you do decide to claim, your case will probably be dealt with by the defendant’s insurers. That means that you’ll need to convince them why their client was responsible for your injuries before they’ll pay out any compensation.

If your claim is accepted by a solicitor from our team, they will:

• Review your claim with you so that they fully understand how you’ve suffered.
• Try to secure evidence to back up your allegations.
• Arrange for a local medical assessment of your finger injuries.
• File the finger injury claim with the defendant or their insurers.
• Handle all communication on your behalf so you’re not overwhelmed by tricky legal or medical questions.
• Fight your corner if there are any objections raised over liability for your accident.
• Try to ensure you are fairly compensated for your suffering.

Even if a settlement offer is received, it won’t automatically be accepted. Before it is, your solicitor will review it with you to make sure it is a fair amount. If needed, they could go back to negotiate a higher settlement amount.

Starting The Finger Injury Compensation Claims Process

We’re ready to help right away if you’ve decided to take action for a finger injury caused by somebody else. To find out if you’re eligible to start the finger injury claims process today, please call our free advice line on 0800 6524 881. You’ll receive free advice about your options whatever you choose to do.

Remember, all finger injury claims are handled on a No Win No Fee basis if accepted.