A trading style of Forces Compare Ltd · FCA regulated, FRN 785329Call Now: 020 8088 0665
Check Your Claim

Broken Bone Compensation Calculator

Fractures vary widely in their impact, recovery time, and compensation value. A clean simple fracture of a finger may resolve in six weeks and produce a modest claim; a complex multiple fracture requiring surgery, plates, and long-term rehabilitation can produce a much larger figure. This calculator uses the Judicial College Guidelines, which set separate brackets for fractures by body part — wrists, hands, arms, ribs, legs, ankles, and so on each have their own scale.

Select the bone (or bones) you broke and the severity of the injury — clean closed fracture, displaced or open fracture, multiple fractures, fracture with surgery, or fracture with permanent disability. The calculator identifies the relevant JC bracket and produces a low/mid/high range.

Check My Injury Claim Now

Estimate your compensation

Broken bone compensation calculator

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

How This Calculator Works

Select the body part affected and severity. The calculator pulls the relevant JC bracket — fractures of the hand use JC Chapter 7 (Hand), leg and knee fractures use Chapter 8, ankle and foot use Chapter 8 or 9, ribs and spine use Chapter 6. Where multiple bones are broken, the calculator combines the figures with the standard overlap discount. The special damages module captures lost earnings, surgical costs, physiotherapy, and any equipment.

Common Fracture Categories

Common fractures and their JC chapters:

  • Wrist (Colles’ fracture, scaphoid, distal radius) — JC Chapter 7
  • Hand and fingers — JC Chapter 7
  • Arm (humerus, forearm, elbow) — JC Chapter 7
  • Collarbone (clavicle) and shoulder — JC Chapter 7
  • Ribs — JC Chapter 6 (often complications: punctured lung, pneumothorax)
  • Spine (vertebral fractures) — JC Chapter 6
  • Pelvis and hips — JC Chapter 8
  • Leg (femur, tibia, fibula) — JC Chapter 8
  • Knee — JC Chapter 8
  • Ankle — JC Chapter 8
  • Foot and toes — JC Chapter 9

What Affects the Value of a Fracture Claim

  • Open vs closed fracture — open fractures (bone breaks through skin) are higher bracket
  • Surgical intervention — plates, screws, external fixation increase the figure
  • Healing complications — non-union (failure to heal), malunion (heals in wrong position)
  • Functional outcome — full recovery vs lasting stiffness, reduced range of motion
  • Need for further surgery — removal of metalwork, revision surgery
  • Post-traumatic arthritis — common years after major joint fractures
  • Cosmetic impact — particularly visible scarring from open fractures or surgery
  • Loss of earnings — particularly for manual workers

What This Calculator Doesn’t Capture

Some fractures have long-term complications that only emerge years after the initial healing. Scaphoid fractures notoriously develop avascular necrosis (loss of blood supply causing bone death) months or years later. Ankle and knee fractures often produce post-traumatic arthritis a decade or more after the injury. The calculator gives a figure based on current status — if your prognosis is still evolving, the realistic settlement value may shift. Specialist orthopaedic evidence on long-term prognosis is essential.

Next Steps

For straightforward fractures with full recovery, claims typically settle within 12 months. For complex fractures requiring surgery and rehabilitation, expect 18-36 months. Specialist personal injury solicitors arrange independent orthopaedic medical evidence to project long-term outcome. No win no fee Conditional Fee Agreements are standard.

Common Questions

I broke my wrist months ago and it still hurts — is that part of the claim?

Yes. Ongoing pain and stiffness after fracture healing is common, particularly for wrist and ankle fractures. This is treated within the JC bracket — persistent symptoms move the figure towards the upper end. Where pain is severe and lasting, specialist input from a consultant orthopaedic surgeon and possibly a pain management consultant strengthens the claim. Avascular necrosis (specifically a risk after scaphoid fracture) is a distinct complication that can substantially uplift the bracket.

What if my fracture needed plates and screws?

Surgical intervention typically places the case in a higher JC bracket because surgery indicates more serious underlying damage. The metalwork may need to be removed in a second operation, which is recoverable as a separate cost. There may also be lasting cosmetic and functional issues from the surgical scarring and the metalwork itself. Recovery from surgical fractures is typically longer than from conservatively-treated fractures.

My fracture healed but I can’t do my job — can I claim loss of earnings?

Yes — both for the time off during recovery and for any ongoing reduction in earning capacity. For permanent restriction (e.g., a labourer who can no longer lift, a surgeon who can no longer operate due to wrist stiffness), the claim covers the difference between previous and reasonably achievable replacement earnings over remaining working life. This can be a substantial component, often larger than the general damages bracket figure.

I broke multiple bones in one accident — how is that calculated?

Each fracture has its own JC bracket. The calculator combines them, applying a standard discount to avoid double-counting overlapping impact (pain, suffering, time off work). The combined figure is typically less than the simple sum of individual brackets but more than just the highest. Specialist solicitors negotiate the combination figure carefully because the methodology produces material differences in the final settlement.

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.

Personal Injury Compensation Calculators (all)

Wrist Injury Calculator

Ankle Injury Calculator

Knee Injury Calculator

Personal Injury Compensation Calculator (Master)

How No Win No Fee Works

Check If You Could Claim Compensation For Your Injury

If you were injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault, you may be entitled to compensation. Start a free claim check in minutes — no upfront cost. No win, no fee if your claim is accepted.

Check My Injury Claim Now

More calculators

Free tools that estimate what a claim could be worth — a starting point, not a valuation.

See all claim calculators →

Related guides

Why Choose Claims Bible?

Matched to the Right Claim Specialist

We help connect you with experienced solicitors and claim partners who deal with your specific type of claim, so you get expert support rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

Clear and Honest at Every Step

Claims Bible makes the process clear and straightforward — what your claim involves, what the partner’s fee is, and the free route you can use instead, all set out before you decide anything.

Over £11 Million Recovered by Our Partners

Our claim partners recovered more than £11 million for people we introduced to them — people who were unfairly treated, mis-sold financial products, or left out of pocket — between 2021 and 2026.

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 26 July 2026 · Part of our Personal Injury guide

No win, no fee: capped by law at 25% incl. VAT of general damages and past losses. Or instruct a solicitor directly. Fees
Check if you could claim →