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Finger Injury Claims & Compensation Amounts

By Ian Morris | Updated September 7th, 2023

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Injuries to the fingers and hand are known to cause serious loss of independence and dexterity, often leading you unable to work or enjoy regular pastimes.

Claiming finger injury compensation can help to ease some of your problems, making up for lost income and giving access to private rehabilitation therapies to speed your recovery. Here we look at when you can make a claim and how much compensation you can expect for a finger injury.

Can I claim finger injury compensation?

To claim compensation your finger injury you need to prove that someone else is at fault , rather than yourself. Shops, councils and and employers all have a responsibility to ensure people’s safety. If they fail to do so you might be eligible to claim finger injury compensation.

Most claims arise from finger injuries at work, and commonly as a result of repetitive strains like vibration white finger. We also see such claims from road accidents and slips, trips or falls. Injuries range from minor cuts and sprains to the loss of fingertips and whole fingers, with compensation awarded for:

Soft tissue and ligament damage
Finger dislocation
Cuts and lacerations
Breaks and fractures
Burns and scarring
Finger amputation

Whatever the severity, and however your finger injury was caused, these are the main criteria you need to check to see if you can claim:

Was the injury someone else’s fault?
Did it happen in the last three years?
Have you, or will you, seek medical treatment?

If you can answer yes to some or all of the above, you may well be able to pursue a claim for personal injury compensation on a No Win No Fee basis.

We have expert solicitors available to represent you through your claim and we’ll ensure that your compensation settlement will appropriately reflect your suffering and expenses.

How much compensation will I get for a finger injury?

In claims for finger injury compensation, UK courts have issued rulings that recognise some fingers as being more important than others when considering full use of the hand and fine motor tasks.

The thumb, index and middle finger are considered the most important fingers, with injuries to these more dominant fingers achieving a higher compensation settlement than a lesser finger with a similar level of injury.

The amount of compensation will depend on the severity of the injury and its long term implications. For example:

A non-complex fracture to any finger is likely to obtain an average compensation settlement of between £2,000 and £3,500.
Little finger amputation settlements are around £5,000-£10,000.
The loss of an index or middle finger which seriously impacts on the use of and dexterity of the hand and reduces hand use will reach a far higher settlement valuation and would usually be settled at a minimum of £50,000 to over £80,000.

Various issues will decide on an appropriate value for a claim, with the type of finger and how the injury impacts on the claimant being an important factor. If a claimant can demonstrate that their finger injury will prevent them from being able to further a specific career path, or prevent them from continuing with previously enjoyed pastimes, a claim will be settled at a higher rate than for someone who is unable to provide such proof.

Having instructed a medical expert to review the finger injury and provide a detailed report, a solicitor will be able to advise on the appropriate tariff range.

The final compensation settlement provided in a finger injury claim will also take in to account special damages, ie. loss of income, personal care costs, incurred expenses and other costs caused by the injury. Our solicitors will claim for the following on your behalf:

The pain and distress caused by the injuries
Out of pocket expenses (special damages), including damage to personal items such wedding rings
Lost income if you are unable to work
The impact on your day to day living
Post accident care or rehabilitation therapies

Compensation amounts for finger injuries

The following figures are a guide to how much compensation you might expect for the finger injury itself, your final settlement could be a lot more when other costs are taken into account.

Finger injury claim values

Severity of injury	Compensation amount
Amputation of index and middle and/or ring fingers	£58k - £85k
Serious finger injury which reduces the hand to about 50% capacity, along with disfigurement	£27k - £58k
Severe fractures to fingers	Up to £34k
Total loss of index finger	Around £18k
Partial loss of index finger	£11k - £18k
Fracture of index finger	£9k - £11k
Serious injury to ring or middle fingers, with permanent consequences	£14k - £15k
Loss of the terminal phalanx of the ring or middle fingers	£4k - £7k
Amputation of little finger	£8k - £11k
Loss of part of the little finger	£4k - £6k
Amputation of ring and little fingers	Around £20k
Amputation of the terminal phalanges of the index and middle fingers	Around £23k

Vibration White Finger claim values

Severity of injury	Compensation amount
Most serious - persisting bilateral symptoms in a younger person	£30k - £36k
Serious VWF injury with impact on work and domestic activity	£16k - £30k
Moderate, with some changes in working practice	£8k - £16k
Minor, with occasional symptoms in only a few fingers	£3k - £8k

Thumb injury claim values

Severity of injury	Compensation amount
Loss of thumb	£33k - £51k
Very serious (left virtually useless)	£18k - £33k
Serious (impaired grip and dexterity)	£12k - £16k
Moderate (impairment of sensation and function, cosmetic deformity)	£9k - £12k
Severe dislocation	£4k - £6k
Minor injuries (recovery within six months)	Up to £4k

Claiming for finger injuries at work

The most common reason for making a finger injury claim is an accident at work. UK employers face legal obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act with regards to minimising the risk of injury in the workplace. If you have suffered a finger injury doing your job you may well have a valid work injury claim.

In addition to work accidents, many UK workers report painful symptoms in muscles, tendons and nerves of the fingers as a result of repetitive strains, such as vibration white finger and carpal tunnel syndrome, which can also be claimed for.

With specific regard to finger injuries, which are often caused in manual workplaces such as factories, manufacturing and construction, employers would be expected to ensure workers aren’t using faulty equipment and that all machinery is fit for purpose with adequate and well-serviced safety mechanisms. Employers must also ensure that all staff working in an area of finger injury risk must be properly trained to use any machinery and provided with appropriate personal protective equipment, and that all roles are risk assessed.

Our expert staff will be able to help you to identify whether your employer has failed to fulfil their statutory duties. If so, negligence is likely and your claim will succeed. If you’ve been injured at work, claiming compensation is one of a few other rights you have.

Injuries sustained at work should be recorded in the employer’s accident book. If they don’t have an accident book, or won’t let you have access to it, there are things you can do. If this is the case, look for a witness and get their details. If you can’t do that, take photos or send a letter by recorded delivery (keeping a copy for yourself with proof of postage) reporting the incident to the management.

Claiming for finger injuries in public places

Outside of the workplace, the majority of claims involve fingers being crushed in doors, cut by glass or injured when hands break a fall after a slip or trip.

The maintenance of public spaces, paths and roads fall under the responsibility of your local council. They are required to inspect and identify hazards that should be removed or fixed, such as cracked surfaces, damaged railings or missing lighting. If the council has left an area in a dangerous condition for too long, they can be held liable for your injuries.

To prove liability, claimants must show that the council had known about the hazard before the accident. Also, that the council had reasonable time to inspect that area and should have repaired the hazard and removed the risk of injury.

In these cases, your injury should be reported to the local authority, with a full description of what happened along with the location.

In claims where finger injuries are sustained from slipping on a shop floor or in a supermarket, for example, success will depend on if the management has been negligent in its duties to protect customers. In general, walkways should be kept clear and at the entrance to a shop, restaurant or other public venue, there should be a mat to enable people to wipe excess rain water from their feet. If there is a spillage, wet floor or other slipping risk a hazard warning sign should be erected.

To provide proof of your injury, it should be recorded in an accident book within the premises. The injured party should contribute to the statement and only sign it when they are happy with what is written.

How do I make a successful claim?

Your first port of call is medical treatment for your injuries. If you haven’t had medical treatment, it is possible that your injuries will not be seen as sufficiently serious to warrant a claim. If you have been suffering in silence and haven’t seen the GP, you still can, and it will provide evidence for your claim.

A solid claim will usually need the accident to be reported and recorded, and have evidence and/or witnesses to back it up. Ideally, the incident should be recorded with the company or authority responsible for the area in which the accident happened.

If possible, you should take photographs of the cause of the accident with clear measurements of any hazards. Witness statements are also admissible as evidence, so try to collect the names and contact details of anyone who saw your accident and is willing to back up your claim.

Don’t worry if this all seems a bit complicated – if you are in any doubt about what to do and need some clear, honest advice, contact us. At Direct2Compensation starting your claim for finger injury compensation is easy. You can call our friendly and helpful staff on 01225 430285 or get your claim started online today. We’ll review your finger injury claim and let you know if you have a case. We take pride in making sure that you feel understood and look forward to helping you.

179 questions have been answered on this subject - ask us your question

Comments & Questions

Read on for questions and advice about claiming, plus finger injury claim examples...

Hello I drive an hgv class c cement lorry and have recently injured myself offloading concrete from the back of the vehicle.
I was trying to set the shoots up into a narrow doorway . Watching not to damage the walls i broke and crushed a finger. I’m off work and getting treatment but the full extent of the damage is unclear . Would i be able to claim for damages and lost of earnings or is it just my own fault?

We need to speak with you further about this matter in order to ascertain whether or not you can make a claim against your employer for the injuries you suffered in the incident you describe whilst at work. We understand your rights and the obligations that your employer had in minimising the risk of the nature of the injuries you have sustained and can help you to find out whether or not you can recover your losses and pursue a claim for compensation.

I have severed the tendons in my right ring finger at work and had to have an opp , I’m now off for 3-6 months on sick pay which is £79 , I’m a car mechanic and was being put under a lot of strain to get everything done on my own , have I got a claim ?

Given the severity of your injury and the loss of income, you have every right to attempt to pursue a claim against your employers insurance for both the injury and loss of income. We would be only too happy to help you in this process.

Hiya, I tore the ligaments in my thumb, they treated it as a brake for weeks then finally realised there was no brake on x ray and my ligament had fully snapped he performed an operation and all was well. I ended up going back and for over a year he didnt know what was wrong and was just basically experimenting putting un necessary injections in etc then after he had ‘tried everything’ basically told me I was lying about the pain. I got referred to a different hospital and within 5 minutes she knew what had happened and said I needed another operation on my thumb to remove a mass on my stitching that was sitting on my nerve as my body rejected the stitch he put in. I then had to get a second operation, do I have a claim?

Whether or not you have a claim will depend on why and how you came to injure your thumb and the ligaments around it. Although the medical treatment issue you raise could be considered, it is unlikely that there has been clinical negligence, so the only realistic route is to make a claim for the cause of the injury – but you can only make such a claim if the injury was caused through negligence – whether it be an accident at work or due to a fall.

Please reply to elaborate on the cause of the injury and we can then advise you further regarding a potential claim for personal injury compensation.

Hello, I’ve been off work for a year due to a work accident caused by my employer, which they admitted too.
They have paid me for the last year, but have now furloughed me, and after that they are saying I would have to take holiday to still be paid.
I feel like they are trying to rush me even though my injuries haven’t healed. I’ve had one finger amputation and 2 fingers still recovering and could still be unfit to work for months.
Could you give me some advice please? Thank you
Chris

You have clearly sustained serious injuries with permanent consequences and it is therefore understandable that you don’t feel ready to return to work and feel vulnerable. The fact that your employer has paid you for a year is unusual and should be seen as a good indication that they are a good employer. However, even if liable for your injuries, the employer isn’t obliged to pay you whilst you are off sick and it may be that they are now at the stage where their own policy for paying injured or unwell employees doesn’t allow them to pay you if you cannot work. However, you would be able to recover any loss of income through any claim for personal injury compensation.

It would be wise to have a meeting with your employers and express your concerns about not being fit or ready to work and perhaps see if you can agree some sort of phased return, perhaps on light duties or in a role that would enable you to return to work without requiring you to risk your recovery etc. You may find the employer is keen to work with you in that regard.

If you don’t already have a Solicitor acting on a claim for personal injury compensation, please call us on 01225430285 as we have specialist Solicitors that would jump at the chance to represent you in this matter.

Hi, I crushed my finger in a fire door at work 8 weeks ago which resulted in me having to have surgery on a nail bed laceration and a distal phalanx fracture so was off work for 5 weeks. I’m back at work now but after a follow up with fracture clinic yesterday ive been informed that the nerves are damaged at the tip of my finger so I’ve been referred to a hand therapist to help me cope with the loss of feeling and weakness in my hand as its likely to be permanent damage. My colleagues have advised me to put a claim in because over a month before I had the accident the door was reported as faulty which to this day still has not been repaired.

You really have every right to make a claim. The employer was already on notice of a fault with the door BEFORE your accident and they failed to do anything about it. This is important as it indicates negligence on their part and as such, I would anticipate you would succeed with a claim.

As you will appreciate, injuries to the hands and fingers can cause complex ongoing problems and given the severity of your injury, you need to consider your long term future and how the injury may impact on your life. This would all be accounted for in a claim for personal injury compensation.

We would like to help you make a claim on our No Win No Fee basis with our specialist Solicitors.

Not sure if I’m at the right place but I climbed over a fence at school which had no sign stating it was sharp at the top. I tore my hand/finger and had 20+ stitches, and had general anaesthetic operation, not sure if I can claim on this but just wondering.

It is not likely to be the case that you could succeed with such a claim. The question of ‘why were you climbing the fence’ and ‘why didn’t you use the gate’ would be asked and you would probably be held liable for your own misfortune.

Hi, My son used to work in the kitchen of our local bowling alley. He was emptying the dishwasher in work and grabbed two plates together to dry. It seemed one of the plates had cracked and the cracked plate cut the inside of his middle finger on his left hand, he is left handed. This resulted with his manager taking him to A+E and his finger in a terrible state was sutured with about 6 stitches or more. He now has a numb finger where he has suffered nerve damage and is unable to bend his finger. It was approx 5 years ago and do wonder whether he would be entitled to make a claim as it is affecting his work, now he is a barber. I wonder if you would be kind enough to advise us. Many thanks.

If your Son is under the age of 21 years, he would be within the limitation period for such a claim. UK law requires that any person wishing to make a claim for personal injury compensation must do so within 3 years of the date of their accident or for those under the age of 18 at the time of injury, before their 21st birthday.

I have got trigger finger. I have worked in the pottery industry all my life until last year and now been diagnosed with trigger finger. I have only worked at two pot banks during my career. Could I make a claim for compensation?

As long as your diagnosis of the condition was made within the past 3 years, you have the right to make a claim for compensation.

Trigger finger is an injury caused by repetitive use or movement and is commonly associated with manufacturing work. Our team are ready to help you understand the process of making a claim and will answer any questions you may have before submitting your claim to our specialist Solicitors for detailed consideration.

I suffered a cut to my finger today whilst at work. The cut was caused by a glass jar that was smashed whilst loading stock onto the shelves. Everything was logged and cctv was recovered, I have been A & E and had butterfly stitches. I have been told to avoid bending the top of my middle finger for 10 days whilst the wound heals. Do I have a case?

There is a possible claim for compensation as a result of your injury. We would need to consider whether the employer could have prevented the injury – perhaps by providing safety gloves?

I cut myself at work with a Sawzall I did have to go home for the rest of the day because I got sick and the next day. I can move my finger decent. My concern is my finger and thumb feel like they are asleep all the time. And while holding a glass sometimes I will just drop it. It’s like my hand just quits working. And then not all the time but sometimes my thumb area will get a deep pain in it and I have to yank on it and pop it for it to quit. It didn’t hurt when it happened it’s now five months after the incident that I’m starting to see all these things I told my boss about them and he told me not to worry about it his wife was a nurse and the feeling will come back all that it is is a little after shock. And no I didn’t go to the hospital when it happened we just glued it.

The situation you describe highlights why it is so important that the details of any accident in the workplace are properly reported and recorded in an accident book and that appropriate medical attention is sought for the injuries sustained.

An accident book entry and appropriate medical records provides a specialist Solicitor acting for a claimant with helpful evidence to be used to support their efforts in attempting to succeed with a claim for personal injury compensation.

In your case, if the accident was not officially recorded and reported in the employers accident book, how can you demonstrate that the accident happened at work. Further, the lack of medical records makes it harder for you to prove that the injury sustained at the time, is related to the problem that you have now. In other words, a defendant insurer and their legal representative will find many avenues to make it difficult for you to succeed with a claim against them.

I was injured on the 17th of May 2019. I cut my palm open and the start of my right middle finger and the skin from the front.
I did this by climbing over a fence in school. I did speak with the leader of the school and he asked me a few questions such as: was there a ‘do not climb sign’ which there wasn’t and there still isn’t.

I am only 16 but i want something doing about it. The fence that I climbed over had little spikes at the top and that’s what I got caught on.

There are a few issues to address in response to your comment.

Firstly, as you are 16 years of age, you will not be able to pursue a claim without having parental or legal guardian support. Any person under the age of 18 can only pursue a claim if they are supported by a parent or guardian who will act on their behalf as a litigation friend – a role that enables them to make a claim for a child.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, it would appear that you have climbed over a fence that is designed to prevent access. Fences with spikes are commonly used for security purposes and one would not expect a sign to be erected to warn against climbing.

In this matter, my initial view is that you have been the author of your own misfortune and it is unlikely that you would succeed with a claim against the school.

Hey, I work as cleaner for flats in central London. Recently I have had many issues with my employer and work. They have consistently paid me late for no valid reason. They do not provide me with staff toilet facilities. Only the flats I work in. Moreover, they do not even provide a first aid kit. Recently I cut my finger deep while working. I had to use a tenants toilet to clean up, go to buy a plaster and band aid. No concern was shown towards me and was told to continue even though the pain was very agonising. These standards are a recurring theme here, so would i be able to make a claim?

The issues with late payment is something you should discuss with your Union, the HR department of your employer or an employment law Solicitor as are the issues with the lack of first aid kits and staff toilets.

With regards to the laceration to your finger, you may be able to claim against the employer for that but only if the cut can be attributed to employer negligence and if the injury is sufficiently serious.

I lost the tip of my finger on a machine at work. I placed my finger into the machine while it was still running and it got mangled. I was operating the machine alone which is normal.

If you were operating the machine having had specific training from your employer and with the appropriate safety equipment and guidance it is unlikely that you could succeed with a claim.

However, if you were not trained or if there was a fault with the machine or the way that your employer had shown you to use the item, you could claim compensation.

I fractured my finger placing grills at my worksite. I had no experience and nobody had shown me how to do it. It isn’t even in my department because i’m supposed to be with the pour crew. The employer did send me to the doctor and everything. I’m going to almost 2 months and my index finger hasn’t got better – I cant fully close my hand because my index finger is still swollen. Is there anything i can do? I can’t operate well with my job duties because of my finger.

UK law obliges all employers to ensure that staff can work safely and that the risk of injury in the workplace is minimised. With this in mind, an employer needs to ensure that staff are adequately trained in order that they can work safely and it would seem that in your case, this has not been the case.

Injuries to the fingers, particularly the index fingers can be very problematic and hinder day-to-day activities and dexterity, therefore claiming compensation for the pain and discomfort of such an injury along with hopeful access to specialist rehabilitation therapies provided during the claims process is a just and sensible move to make.

I am a genuine claimant yet solicitors will not take my case to court as no one is claiming liability. I am left with my index Finger severed off from door at doctors surgery, my whole life has changed, lost job and my home, where do I go from here?

If a Solicitor has been unable to take a claim to court, it is not because they question your honesty, it is clearly because they do not believe that they have sufficient evidence to succeed before a judge. Having insufficient evidence does not mean that you are dishonest, it simply means that there is nothing available to prove that the defendant has been negligent.

Hi i injured my finger cleaning a toilet bowl in work, there was a large crack on it and resulted in me having to get 5 paper stitches on my finger and take off work for a week! Can i make a claim?

Given that your injury was caused by a dangerous hazard in the workplace, it is likely that you could make a claim for compensation against the employers insurance cover. Any person injured in a workplace accident where the injury can be attributed to negligence is likely to succeed with a claim for compensation under UK law. In this case, the fact that the toilet bowl was broken is something that may well see the employer having to admit a safety breach and therefore pay compensation.

I’m working in a butcher I’m a assistant blockman on the 21st of December 2016 I cut my fingers and my tendons was repaired so my question is can I claim?

Under UK law, you would have a valid claim for compensation if the cause of your injuries can be attributed to employer negligence. In your case, if your employer has not provided you with adequate training in the safe use of the knives required for your work or any of the equipment provided was not fit for purpose, you would have a valid claim for compensation.

Okay i got injured on the job back in September of 2018 and was discharged from Banner Occupational in November 2018 and my claim was denied the day i was discharged I told the doctor i was still in pain and nothing has helped pain relievers, physical therapy, ice pack and heating pads they all have failed but they discharged me anyway. I been working in pain ever since i September i can’t bend my finger without pain and i found out if i don’t wear the finger splint i got from the store my finger hurts all the time but when i wear the splint I’m pain free and i ended up back in urgent care just recently for this injury and they want me to reopen the case and sent me to a Orthopedic Hand Surgeon well I talked to Human Resources at my work and they told me i had to tell the Ortho that it’s a personal injury. Which is a lie.
What would you do?

It is always important to make sure that you act with total honesty and do not mislead any parties or act dishonestly when claiming compensation.

I work in retail and part of this is moving cages of stock off a truck. One of the cages was too heavy and buckled the wheels under the weight of the stock, trapping my finger between it and another cage, ripping out my nail in the process. I wasn’t given formal training or spoken to about/provided any safety equipment, such as gloves. I’m only seventeen and don’t get paid very much, but I had to miss out on 8 hours worth of wage when I’m only working 12 hours this week. From talking with my boss he is unsure if it will even be compensated through company health insurance as I didn’t have to stay overnight in hospital. Is there a claim here?

My initial view is that you do have a valid claim against the employer’s insurance cover in this matter. If the cages of stock were over-loaded or dangerously heavy, then the employer is likely to be liable when you sustain injury as a result. Further, the employer has failed to provide training or safety gloves for your use and as such, I believe you have good prospects of succeeding with a claim.

We would be very happy to help you pursue a claim for compensation here. The loss of a finger nail is painful, unpleasant to look at and will affect the use of the finger for a while. As such, there are no problems with regards to the value of the claim either.

It is worth pointing out that as you are 17 years of age, you will require a parent of legal guardian to sign the Solicitors paperwork – unless you will turn 18 very soon?

If my garden gate slammed shut in the wind and breaks 4 of my fingers have i got a claim?

You would not have a claim in the scenario you describe – except if you rent the property and the gate latch/lock is broken, or if fitted, disrepaired and therefore you could not prevent the gate from slamming in the wind. You’d also have had to make a report of the disrepair or missing lock to the landlord to put them on notice of the possible risk to health.