PTSD Compensation Amounts
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a recognised psychiatric injury under UK personal injury law, and a claim for PTSD can succeed alongside or independently of physical injuries. The Judicial College Guidelines (18th edition) set out specific brackets for PTSD that reflect both the severity of symptoms and the long-term impact on the claimant’s life. For many road accidents, workplace incidents, and assaults, the psychological injury is at least as significant as the physical injury — and sometimes more so.
In this guide
- What Is PTSD?
- The Four PTSD Severity Categories
- PTSD Versus Adjustment Disorder and General Anxiety
- Common Accident Types Where PTSD Claims Arise
- Evidence Needed for a PTSD Claim
- Treatment That Often Supports the Claim
- Special Damages Alongside PTSD
- Secondary Victims — Family Witnesses to a Trauma
- Common Questions About PTSD Compensation
- Related Guides
- Our Partner's Fees Explained
- Check If You Could Claim Compensation For Your Injury
This guide explains the PTSD brackets, what affects valuation, what evidence is needed, and how PTSD claims fit alongside other heads of loss.
What Is PTSD?
PTSD is a specific psychiatric diagnosis recognised in the ICD-11 (the World Health Organisation’s diagnostic manual) and DSM-5 (the American Psychiatric Association’s equivalent). The diagnosis requires:
- Exposure to an actual or threatened traumatic event involving death, serious injury, or sexual violence
- Persistent involuntary re-experiencing of the event (flashbacks, intrusive memories, nightmares)
- Persistent avoidance of reminders of the event (places, people, activities, thoughts)
- Hyperarousal — heightened sense of threat, sleep disturbance, irritability, concentration problems
- Symptoms lasting more than one month
- Significant impact on daily functioning
PTSD is diagnosed by a consultant psychiatrist or clinical psychologist. A GP’s mention of “anxiety after the accident” is not the same as a PTSD diagnosis — proper specialist assessment is essential for any meaningful claim.
The Four PTSD Severity Categories
The Judicial College Guidelines divide PTSD claims into four severity categories:
Severe PTSD — typically £73,000 to £125,000
Permanent effects with very serious impact:
- Permanent inability to function at pre-trauma level
- Severe disruption to relationships and family life
- Inability to work or to function in any structured way
- Risk of self-harm or completed suicide
- All aspects of life badly affected
These cases typically also involve ongoing psychiatric treatment, often for life, and significant special damages for lost earnings and care needs.
Moderately Severe PTSD — typically £29,000 to £73,000
Significant disability for the foreseeable future, but with some prospect of recovery with treatment:
- Effects on the ability to work and on relationships
- Need for prolonged specialist treatment
- Reasonable prognosis with appropriate intervention
- Significant ongoing symptoms despite treatment
Moderate PTSD — typically £9,500 to £29,000
Largely recovered with treatment, though some ongoing symptoms remain:
- Recovery substantially complete (without surgery) within 1 to 5 years
- Continuing symptoms not grossly disabling
- Some ongoing impact but not preventing return to work
- Treatment usually successful in reducing symptoms substantially
Less Severe PTSD — typically £4,800 to £9,500
Virtually full recovery within 2 years, with only minor symptoms persisting:
- No long-term disability
- Treatment effective and short-term
- Some minor lasting effects (perhaps occasional driving anxiety after a road accident)
- Return to normal life within a defined recovery period
PTSD Versus Adjustment Disorder and General Anxiety
Not every psychological consequence of an accident is PTSD. The medical-legal distinction matters because:
- Adjustment disorder — typically a shorter-term emotional reaction to a stressful event. JC brackets are lower than PTSD
- General anxiety and depression — common after serious accidents, also valued separately under the JC Guidelines
- Phobic disorders — for example specific driving phobia after a road accident
- Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) — recognised in ICD-11 but not yet given a separate JC bracket. Typically valued at the upper end of moderately severe or in severe
The medical expert’s diagnosis is decisive. Defendants will sometimes argue the claimant has adjustment disorder rather than PTSD (a lower bracket) — countering this requires clear specialist evidence of the diagnostic criteria.
Common Accident Types Where PTSD Claims Arise
PTSD is most commonly diagnosed after:
- Serious road traffic accidents — particularly involving fatalities, motorcyclists, pedestrians, or witnessed deaths
- Fatal accidents witnessed by family members — see our fatal accident compensation claims guide
- Workplace accidents — particularly construction accidents, machinery incidents, and falls from height
- Assaults and violent crime — see our criminal injuries (CICA) claims guide
- Medical traumas — birth injuries, surgical incidents, sepsis survivors
- Industrial disease diagnoses — particularly mesothelioma and other terminal cancers
- Train, plane, and major transport accidents
- Children who witness serious accidents involving parents — see our children’s personal injury claims guide
Evidence Needed for a PTSD Claim
A successful PTSD claim usually requires:
- GP records showing the symptom pattern from soon after the trauma
- A diagnosis from a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist (rather than just the GP)
- A specialist psychiatric report for the legal case
- Records of any treatment — counselling, CBT, EMDR, medication
- A symptom diary kept by the claimant
- Family or partner statements describing changes in the claimant since the trauma
- Employment records showing reduced performance or time off
- Records of avoidance behaviours (giving up driving, leaving social situations)
The diagnosis must be made by a qualified specialist, not the claimant’s GP. Defendants routinely challenge PTSD claims based on inadequate diagnostic evidence — a specialist solicitor will instruct an independent psychiatrist early. See our evidence guide for the wider picture.
Treatment That Often Supports the Claim
Evidence of engagement with treatment strengthens both the claim and the recovery. NICE-recommended treatments include:
- Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) — the most evidence-based talking therapy for PTSD
- Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) — particularly effective for single-event traumas
- Medication — typically SSRIs or other antidepressants
- Group therapy — particularly for shared trauma contexts
The cost of private specialist treatment is recoverable as part of special damages, particularly where NHS waiting times are long. Defendants are often willing to fund early rehabilitation through the Rehabilitation Code (see our personal injury pre-action protocol guide).
Special Damages Alongside PTSD
Beyond general damages, PTSD claims often include substantial special damages:
Lost Earnings
PTSD frequently affects ability to work. Time off, reduced hours, retraining for less stressful work, or complete inability to work all support lost earnings claims. For severe cases this can dwarf the general damages figure.
Treatment Costs
Private CBT, EMDR, psychiatry, and medication costs are all recoverable where the NHS cannot provide them promptly.
Care and Assistance
For severe PTSD where the claimant struggles to function independently, family support time is recoverable at non-commercial rates.
Impact on Daily Life
Specific costs related to the trauma — for example, gym memberships abandoned, hobbies given up, holidays cancelled, replacement of damaged property — can be included.
Secondary Victims — Family Witnesses to a Trauma
In some circumstances family members who witnessed an accident (rather than being directly involved) can claim for resulting PTSD. The rules — developed by the House of Lords in Alcock v Chief Constable of South Yorkshire (1991) — require:
- A close tie of love and affection to the primary victim
- Direct perception of the accident or its immediate aftermath (not just hearing about it later)
- Recognised psychiatric injury (not just grief)
- Reasonable foreseeability of the injury
These “secondary victim” claims are technically demanding and not all cases succeed. A specialist solicitor will assess whether the legal tests are met.
Common Questions About PTSD Compensation
How is PTSD diagnosed for a claim?
By a consultant psychiatrist or clinical psychologist using ICD-11 or DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. The medical-legal report assesses the trauma, the symptom pattern, the duration, and the impact on functioning. A GP’s mention of “low mood” or “anxiety” is not enough — proper specialist assessment is essential. Your solicitor will instruct the right expert.
I think I have PTSD but I have not seen a specialist. Will the claim succeed?
The claim cannot be properly valued without specialist diagnosis. Your solicitor will arrange the independent specialist assessment as part of the claim. NHS waiting lists are often long, but the medico-legal route can be quicker — and is the necessary route for a personal injury claim in any event. Do not delay raising the question because of NHS waiting times.
Can I claim for PTSD if I had no physical injury?
Yes. PTSD is a recognised psychiatric injury claimable independently of physical injury. For pure psychiatric claims (no physical injury) the legal tests on causation and foreseeability are slightly stricter, but the cases regularly succeed. The most common pure-PTSD scenarios are witnessing fatal accidents, surviving major transport incidents without physical injury, and being held up at gunpoint or assaulted without significant physical harm.
I had mental health problems before the accident. Does that defeat the PTSD claim?
No, but it affects valuation. The “eggshell skull” principle applies — defendants take their victims as they find them, and a pre-existing vulnerability does not defeat the claim. The medical expert will distinguish between the PTSD specifically caused by the accident and any pre-existing condition, and the claim is valued on the basis of the additional harm caused.
How long does a PTSD claim take to settle?
For moderate cases that respond to treatment, 12 to 24 months is typical. For severe or chronic cases where the prognosis remains uncertain, 2 to 4 years is more common. The medical position needs to stabilise before final settlement — early settlement often undervalues PTSD because the long-term position is unclear in the first months. See our how long does a claim take guide.
Will I have to relive the trauma in court?
Almost certainly not. Around 95 per cent of personal injury claims settle without going to court — see our will my claim go to court? guide. For PTSD claimants specifically, courts are sympathetic to vulnerable witness arrangements (screens, video links, breaks) if a hearing is needed. Many PTSD claimants describe the legal process as less traumatic than they expected.
Related Guides
Compensation by Injury Type | UK Payout Amounts
Brain Injury Compensation Amounts
Criminal Injuries Compensation (CICA) Claims
Fatal Accident & Wrongful Death Compensation Claims
Serious & Life-Changing Injury Claims
How Much Compensation for Personal Injury?
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