Scarring Compensation Amounts
Scarring compensation is one of the most variable categories in UK personal injury law. The same scar can attract very different amounts depending on its location, visibility, the age of the claimant, the psychological impact, and the specific circumstances of the case. The Judicial College Guidelines (18th edition) provide separate brackets for facial scarring, body scarring, and burns. Within each bracket, individual cases land at very different points depending on the specific facts.
This guide explains the JC brackets for scarring, what affects valuation, and the special damages typically claimed alongside.
Facial Scarring — Female Claimants
The Judicial College Guidelines historically distinguished between facial scarring in male and female claimants, with higher figures for female claimants. The 16th edition has reduced but not eliminated this distinction. The female-claimant facial scarring brackets:
Very Severe — typically £33,000 to £107,000
Cases involving very disfiguring scars where the cosmetic effect is severe and the psychological reaction is significant. Typical features:
- Major facial scarring affecting key features (eyes, mouth, cheeks)
- Multiple scars or extensive scarring
- Inability to disguise the scarring with hair or makeup
- Significant ongoing psychological impact — depression, anxiety, social withdrawal
- Need for ongoing cosmetic surgery to manage the appearance
Less Severe — typically £22,000 to £62,000
Cases where the disfigurement is substantial and the psychological reaction is significant, but less severe than the upper bracket.
Significant — typically £10,000 to £33,000
Cases where some cosmetic disfigurement remains after plastic surgery, and the psychological impact is moderate.
Less Significant — typically £4,200 to £14,000
Cases where the worst psychological consequences have either not arisen or have been substantially mitigated.
Trivial — typically up to £4,200
A single visible scar from one wound or multiple very small scars, with no significant psychological impact.
Facial Scarring — Male Claimants
The male-claimant facial scarring brackets are similar in structure but with somewhat lower figures at the upper end:
- Very severe — typically £30,000 to £67,000
- Less severe — typically £18,000 to £49,000
- Significant — typically £10,000 to £33,000
- Less significant — typically £4,000 to £14,000
- Trivial — typically up to £4,200
The gender distinction is increasingly contested — younger judges are pushing the awards closer to equality, and recent cases have closed much of the gap. The medical and psychological evidence increasingly drives valuation rather than the gender of the claimant.
Body Scarring
Body scarring is valued under a separate, generally lower set of brackets:
Severe Body Scarring — typically £8,500 to £25,000+
Multiple noticeable scars, extensive abdominal or chest scarring, or scarring affecting the neck or hands where it remains visible despite clothing.
Significant Body Scarring — typically £2,500 to £8,500
A single noticeable scar, or several small scars in less visible locations.
Less Significant Body Scarring — typically up to £2,500
Modest scarring that has settled well, particularly where covered by clothing.
Body scarring values are usually lower because the scarring is less visible — but valuations move higher where the scarring is in particularly visible areas (neck, hands, forearms, ankles) or where it affects function as well as appearance.
Burn Scarring
Burns are valued under their own brackets that take account of both the area burnt and the depth of damage:
Burns Covering 40 Per Cent or More of the Body — typically £107,000+
Major burns with extensive scarring, prolonged hospital treatment, multiple skin graft procedures, and severe psychological impact.
Significant Burns Affecting Major Body Areas — typically £30,000 to £85,000
Substantial burns requiring skin grafts and producing significant permanent scarring.
Less Severe Burns — typically £5,000 to £30,000
Burns requiring some treatment with moderate scarring outcomes.
Minor Burns With Full Recovery — typically up to £5,000
Burns that healed without significant permanent scarring.
Burns claims are particularly fact-sensitive — the same burn percentage produces very different outcomes depending on location, depth, treatment response, and skin tone (which affects healing patterns).
Factors That Move a Case Up or Down the Bracket
- Age of the claimant — younger claimants attract higher figures because of the longer projected period of disfigurement
- Location of the scar — face, neck, hands attract higher figures than abdomen, back, legs
- Visibility under typical clothing — scars that cannot be disguised attract higher figures
- Psychological impact — depression, anxiety, social withdrawal, body dysmorphic features all add to valuation
- Reflectiveness and texture — raised hypertrophic scars and keloid scars are more visible and attract higher figures
- Effectiveness of plastic surgery — successful revision reduces the eventual valuation modestly; unsuccessful revision can add to it
- Impact on occupation — particularly for jobs involving customer-facing work, modelling, performance, or media
- Impact on relationships and intimate life
Special Damages in Scarring Claims
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Private plastic surgery to reduce scarring is fully recoverable where NHS waiting times are excessive or where private treatment is more advanced. Costs vary enormously — from £2,000 for simple scar revision through to £30,000+ for multi-stage reconstructive work. Multiple procedures are often needed; all are recoverable.
Camouflage Make-up
Specialist camouflage make-up is available on the NHS for visible scarring, but private treatment and lifetime supply costs can also be claimed.
Psychological Treatment
CBT, counselling, and (in severe cases) psychiatric treatment for depression, anxiety, or body dysmorphic disorder are all recoverable. Where the psychological injury is severe, the claim may be substantial separately from the scarring itself.
Skin Care Products
Specialist scar gels, silicone sheets, sunblock (scars burn more easily and discolour with sun exposure), and other ongoing products are recoverable.
Lost Earnings
Where the scarring affects employment — particularly customer-facing roles, modelling, presenting — lost earnings can be substantial. Loss of opportunity (inability to pursue a career that was previously open) can also be claimed.
Common Scarring Claim Scenarios
- Road traffic accidents — particularly motorcyclists thrown from the bike, dashboard injuries, and broken glass
- Workplace accidents — particularly burns from chemicals, machinery cuts, and metal projectiles
- Dog bite injuries — facial scarring in children is a common pattern
- Assault and crime — particularly knife wounds, glass bottle injuries, and acid attacks. See our criminal injuries (CICA) claims guide
- Surgical complications — keloid scarring after surgery, particularly visible incisions
- Burns from defective products — particularly hot drink containers and electrical products
- Glass injuries — including window glass in supermarkets and falls onto glass surfaces
Photographic Evidence — Critical for Scarring Claims
Scarring valuations rely heavily on photographic evidence:
- Pre-injury photos (showing how the claimant looked before)
- Acute injury photos (taken shortly after the accident)
- Healing-stage photos (showing the recovery trajectory)
- Post-healing photos (showing the final scarring)
Photographs should be taken in good lighting, multiple angles, and to a consistent scale. Many claimants under-photograph their scars at key stages — a habit that weakens the eventual case. Where possible, professional medico-legal photography is arranged by the solicitor.
Common Questions About Scarring Compensation
I have a 5cm scar on my forearm. What is it worth?
It depends on the visibility, location, and psychological impact. A 5cm forearm scar in a less visible position with minimal psychological impact typically falls in the Less Significant Body Scarring bracket — up to £2,500. The same scar on an exposed forearm in a young claimant with significant impact on dress choices and self-image may move into Significant (£2,500 to £8,500). Photographs and medical assessment drive the valuation.
I have a facial scar but it has healed quite well. Does that affect the value?
Yes — typically downward. Cosmetically well-healed facial scarring usually falls in the Less Significant (£4,200 to £14,000) or Significant (£10,000 to £33,000) brackets. Where revision surgery has substantially improved the appearance, the valuation reflects the eventual outcome, not the worst point of healing.
I am embarrassed about my scar and have stopped going out socially. How does that affect the claim?
Substantially. Psychological impact is a major factor in scarring valuation, and significant social withdrawal moves cases up the bracket. The medical and psychological evidence is essential — a psychiatric or psychological report documenting the impact will significantly affect the eventual figure. Many scarring claimants are surprised that the “embarrassment” they consider personal turns out to be a recognised, well-documented, and substantially compensated psychiatric consequence.
Can I claim for both physical scarring and the psychological impact?
Yes — typically these are valued together rather than as separate awards. The scarring brackets themselves explicitly account for psychological reaction. Where the psychological injury is particularly severe (full PTSD, major depression, body dysmorphic disorder), the case may move up the bracket substantially or attract additional valuation under the PTSD brackets.
I am a man with facial scarring. Is my claim worth less than a woman’s?
Historically yes, but the gap is closing. Recent UK case law has reduced the gender distinction substantially, and the underlying psychological impact is increasingly the driving factor regardless of gender. For severe facial scarring with significant psychological impact, male and female claimants now receive broadly similar awards. For moderate cases the differential remains but is narrower than in earlier years.
How long does a scarring claim take?
Most scarring claims take 12 to 24 months. The case cannot usually settle until the scarring has stabilised — typically 12 to 18 months after the injury. Where revision surgery is planned, the case may run for 2 to 3 years to await the outcome. Cases involving children may be left open longer because of growth-related changes to scarring appearance. See our how long does a claim take guide.
Related Guides
Compensation by Injury Type | UK Payout Amounts
Head Injury Compensation Amounts
Cosmetic Surgery Negligence Claims
Criminal Injuries Compensation (CICA) Claims
How Much Compensation for Personal Injury?
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