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Brain Injury Compensation Calculator

Brain injury claims are at the catastrophic end of personal injury work. Settlements routinely run into millions of pounds because the lasting impact often includes loss of independence, need for lifetime care, specialist accommodation, and substantial loss of future earning capacity. This calculator uses the Judicial College Guidelines Chapter 3 (Brain) for general damages, but for moderate and severe brain injuries the special damages component — lifetime care, accommodation, equipment, case management — usually dwarfs the general damages.

In this guide

Brain injury cases involve a level of complexity well beyond standard personal injury work. Settlements are often structured as Periodical Payments (PPOs) — guaranteed annual payments for life — rather than single lump sums, and a Court of Protection deputy is appointed where the claimant lacks mental capacity. This calculator gives a starting figure; the actual settlement depends on detailed expert evidence on prognosis, care needs, accommodation requirements, and earning capacity.

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Head and brain injury compensation calculator

Based on the Judicial College Guidelines, 18th edition (2026).

How This Calculator Works

Select the severity of brain injury based on cognitive impact, physical impact, and need for support. The calculator identifies the JC bracket and provides general damages figures. The special damages module captures the major heads of loss: lifetime care needs (hours per day of support), accommodation requirements (any need for adapted housing or specialist environment), equipment costs, case management, therapy needs, and future loss of earnings. The calculator combines these to give a total claim value, but actual brain injury settlements often exceed calculator estimates because of the complexity of forecasting lifetime needs.

JC Guidelines Brain Injury Brackets

Chapter 3 of the JC Guidelines covers brain injuries by severity:

  • Less severe — substantial recovery, residual symptoms managing daily life
  • Moderate (lower) — concentration and memory affected, work limited
  • Moderate (upper) — moderate intellectual deficit, change of personality, employment limited
  • Moderately severe — significant disability, substantial dependence, partial insight retained
  • Very severe — vegetative state or minimal awareness, full-time nursing care

General damages alone (the JC figure) for the most severe brain injuries can exceed £400,000, but this is typically less than 10 per cent of the total claim value once lifetime care and accommodation are included.

The Major Heads of Loss in Brain Injury Claims

Brain injury settlements have a distinctive structure where special damages dominate:

  • Lifetime care — typically 16-24 hours per day for severe cases, costed at £15-25/hour for paid carers
  • Accommodation — specialist adapted housing or extensions to existing property, often £200,000-£500,000
  • Case management — professional coordination of care, therapy, and support services
  • Therapy — neurorehabilitation, occupational therapy, speech and language, psychology
  • Equipment — wheelchairs, hoists, communication aids, environmental controls
  • Loss of earnings — full earnings projected to retirement, often £500,000-£1,500,000
  • Court of Protection deputy fees — for managing the claimant’s finances
  • Education and training — for younger claimants, costs of specialist education

Periodical Payments — How Severe Brain Injury Settlements Work

Severe brain injury settlements are typically not single lump sums. Under the Damages Act 1996, the court can order a Periodical Payment Order (PPO) — a guaranteed annual income for life, index-linked, designed to fund lifetime care and accommodation. PPOs eliminate the risk that the lump sum runs out if the claimant lives longer than expected. Most severe brain injury settlements are structured as a lump sum for general damages and past losses, with a PPO for future care and earnings.

What This Calculator Doesn’t Capture

Brain injury claims involve forecasts of lifetime need that no calculator can fully model. The actual settlement depends on: expert evidence from neurorehabilitation consultants, neuropsychologists, occupational therapists, care experts, and accommodation experts; the claimant’s life expectancy as assessed by the experts; the discount rate applied to future losses (currently a negative rate of -0.25 per cent, set by the Lord Chancellor); and the choice between lump sum and PPO. Specialist solicitors with catastrophic injury experience are essential.

Next Steps

Brain injury cases should only be handled by firms with specific catastrophic injury experience. The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) maintains a serious injury accreditation scheme; the Headway charity also signposts specialist solicitors. Interim payments are routinely available during the claim to fund care and rehabilitation. Cases typically take 3-7 years to settle because the long-term prognosis must be established. No win no fee Conditional Fee Agreements are standard.

Common Questions

Why are brain injury settlements so much larger than other personal injury cases?

Three reasons. First, the general damages figures in the JC Guidelines are higher for severe brain injury than almost any other category. Second, the special damages — particularly lifetime care and accommodation — are often the largest single component, running into millions. Third, loss of earnings is calculated over the claimant’s full remaining working life, which can be 30-40 years for younger claimants. The combination produces settlements that routinely exceed £5 million for severely injured young claimants.

What is a Court of Protection deputy?

Where the claimant lacks mental capacity to manage their own finances, the Court of Protection appoints a deputy (usually a specialist solicitor) to manage the compensation on their behalf. The deputy is regulated by the court, has to account for spending, and protects the claimant’s funds. Deputy costs are recoverable as part of the compensation claim — typically £25,000-£50,000 over a lifetime.

How long do brain injury claims take?

Typically 3-7 years from instruction. The reasons are complex: prognosis takes time to stabilise (often 2-3 years for the picture to be clear), expert evidence is extensive, accommodation needs require detailed planning, and the case is often too important to settle prematurely. During this period, interim payments fund care, rehabilitation, and accommodation. Specialist firms manage this process so the claimant’s needs are met throughout.

Does the family of someone with severe brain injury get compensation?

Family members who provide care receive compensation for that care — paid at commercial rates for the hours provided, even though they wouldn’t actually charge the injured family member. This is sometimes called “gratuitous care” and can run into tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds where family members have given up work to care. There may also be claims for travel, accommodation during hospital admissions, and time off work during the acute phase.

What are the Judicial College Guidelines?

The Judicial College Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases (currently 18th edition, published April 2026) are the reference work used by judges, solicitors, and insurers across England and Wales to value personal injury claims. They set out compensation brackets for every category of injury and are updated every two to three years.

How accurate is this calculator?

The calculator gives a directional estimate based on published guidelines. Actual settlements vary based on the specific facts of each case, the strength of evidence, the prognosis at the point of settlement, contributory negligence findings, and the negotiating position of the insurer. Treat the figure as a starting point — a specialist solicitor will give you a more precise figure after reviewing your evidence.

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Gavin Cooper

Gavin Cooper

Claims Expert, Claims Bible

Gavin writes and reviews Claims Bible's guidance on compensation claims. Claims Bible is a trading style of Forces Compare Ltd, authorised and regulated by the FCA for claims management activities (FRN 785329).

Updated 24 July 2026 · Part of our Personal Injury guide

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