Minor Personal Injury Claims Explained

By Stephen Anderson. Last Updated 11th August 2023. In this guide, we’ll explain the minor personal injury claims process. We’ll look at what kind of injuries you could claim for and the circumstances that could entitle you to claim.

You might sustain minor injuries as a result of a workplace accident, car accident, or an incident in a public place. We’ll examine the duty of care you’re owed in these situations and how it can be breached.

If you’d like more information after reading this guide, you could speak to us today. Our advisors can offer you free legal advice with no obligation now. To find out more, continue reading our article below, or contact us by:

  • Calling us on 0800 408 7825
  • Talking to us via live chat, which you can find at the bottom of your screen
  • Contacting us directly through this website
Minor personal injury claims guide

Minor personal injury claims guide

Select A Section

  1. Claiming Compensation For A Minor Injury
  2. Examples Of Accidents That Could Cause A Minor Injury
  3. Time Limit For Minor Injury Claims
  4. How Long Could A Minor Injury Claim Take?
  5. How To Prove A Minor Personal Injury Claim
  6. Compensation Payouts In Minor Injury Claims
  7. Make a Minor Injury Claim With No Win No Fee Solicitors
  8. Learn More About Minor Injury Claims

Claiming Compensation For A Minor Injury

In order to claim compensation for minor injuries, you need to show that the incident happened because of a breach of duty of care. There are a number of different scenarios in which you’re owed a duty of care: 

It’s important to note that an injury alone will not entitle you to claim. You need to demonstrate that it happened as a result of a breach of duty of care. If the person who owed you a duty of care did all they could to stop an accident from happening but it did anyway, you may not be entitled to compensation.

If you’d like free legal advice about the minor injuries claims process better, speak to an advisor from our team today. You could be connected with a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel. 

Examples Of Accidents That Could Cause A Minor Injury

Minor injuries are those that are regarded as less severe. They usually won’t result in any long-term effects on your health and quality of life. Minor injuries can theoretically happen anywhere in the body. 

Despite the fact that minor injuries will be unlikely to affect you in the long term, you could be entitled to claim for them anyway. You can do so as long as the injuries have impacted your quality of life.

As mentioned, minor personal injuries can happen in a variety of settings. Because of this, the ways in which you may suffer a minor personal injury claim can be different as well. These can include:

If you believe you may be eligible for a minor personal injury claim or need more advice surrounding personal injury law, our advisors are on hand 24 hours a day to help. They can even connect you to a solicitor from our panel.

Time Limit For Minor Injury Claims

If you have strong grounds to make a claim for a minor accident that has caused injuries, then you should be aware that there is a time limit for starting this process. The Limitation Act 1980 sets out that there’s a three-year time limit for starting a personal injury claim. This time limit usually starts from the date of the accident.

The time limit can work differently under certain circumstances. For instance, if a child suffers a minor injury, then the time limit will not start until their 18th birthday. It’s possible that a claim could be made on the child’s behalf by a court-appointed litigation friend before this day comes. However, if this does not happen, then the injured party will have three years to start their own claim once they turn 18.

If the injured party lacks the mental capacity to claim for a personal injury settlement, then the time limit is suspended indefinitely. A litigation friend could claim on behalf of the injured party. However, if this doesn’t happen, and the injured party later recovers their mental capacity, then the three-year time limit will begin from the day of recovery.

If you have any questions on making a personal injury claim for minor injuries and the eligibility requirements, please get in touch with our team of advisors today for free.

How Long Could A Minor Injury Claim Take?

It is impossible to define how long it could take you to make a minor personal injury claim. Many injuries will be different with their own details to consider. Compensation needs to be decided on a case-by-case basis. Because of this, there is no firm answer on how long a claim can take.

However, in a very general sense, uncomplicated claims where liability is admitted can be settled within a matter of months. Where liability is in dispute or your injuries are severe, the claims process could take much longer. This should not be taken as a firm guide, however. Your own case could be very different. 

To get more information in relation to your own minor personal injury claim, speak to one of our advisors today. They can offer you more detailed advice relating to your specific circumstances. 

How To Prove A Minor Personal Injury Claim

Evidence is essential in any claim, and this includes a minor personal injury claim. Here are a few steps you may wish to take in regards to collecting evidence to support your claim. 

After you sustain any kind of injury, seeking medical attention should always be the first thing you do. Not only is this key for your own health, but it is also good for your claim to seek a doctor as soon as possible, as it acts as evidence.

Next, consider speaking to a qualified solicitor. You do not have to do this in relation to your claim — you can start a claim by yourself. However, claiming may be easier with the assistance of a professional. 

You should also gather evidence to support your claim. This can include CCTV or dashcam footage, contact details for eyewitnesses, or photographs of the circumstances that caused the accident.

If you want to find out more about making a minor personal injury claim, or about how our advisors can help you, get in touch with them today.

Compensation Payouts In Minor Injury Claims

Compensation can be made up of two heads of claim. General damages refer to compensation for physical, emotional, or mental injury. The second head of claim is called special damages

General damages are valued with the help of the Judicial College Guidelines. These are guideline compensation brackets based on previous settlements. 

As part of your claim, you’ll be invited to a medical assessment. Here, an independent expert will assess your injuries and confirm that they’re consistent with your accident. The report from this assessment will be used to value your claim.

Below, we’ve included a table based on figures from the Judicial College Guidelines. Please be aware that these are not guaranteed amounts.

Injury Nature of incident Possible compensation
Minor Head Injury If any brain damage occurs, it will be minor. £2,070 to £11,980
Minor Neck Injuries (i) Recovery takes place between 12 to 24 months. £4,080 – £7,410
Minor Shoulder Injuries (i) Can involve soft tissue injury with a considerable degree of pain. However, full recovery is highly likely in 24 months. If not a full recovery, it will almost be complete. £4,080 – £7,410
Moderate or Minor Elbow Injury Simple fractures or tennis elbow injuries would fall into this category. Up to £11,820
Modest Ankle Injuries Usually refers to minor sprains or fractures as well as injuries to ligaments. Up to £12,900
Minor injuries (a) Where a complete recovery has been made within a week A few hundred pounds to £650
Minor injuries (b) Where a complete recovery has been made within 28 days £650 to £1,290
Minor injuries (c) Where a complete recovery has been made within three months £1,290 to £2,300
Whiplash Injuries with Psychological Injuries 2(1)(b) This tariff is for a whiplash injury that lasts more than 18 months but not longer than 24 months. £4,345
Whiplash Injuries 2(1)(a) A whiplash injury that lasts more than 18 months but not longer than 24 months. £4,215

Special damages relate to financial losses incurred as a result of your accident. You can claim for home adaptations necessitated by your injury. You could also claim back lost wages for the time you’ve taken off work or the cost of medical treatment.

To get an accurate figure of what you could receive for your minor personal injury claim, speak to one of our advisors. They could connect you with a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel who can represent you on a No Win No Fee basis. 

Make a Minor Injury Claim With No Win No Fee Solicitors

Those seeking a personal injury settlement for a minor injury could look to get support from a solicitor. If you contact our advisors about your claim, and they determine you have a strong and valid case, they may connect you with a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel.

A solicitor from our panel could support a valid minor injury claim under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). With such an agreement in place, you won’t have to pay upfront or ongoing fees to the solicitor helping you. You also won’t need to pay your solicitor for their service if your claim goes ahead but is unsuccessful.

If your claim is successful, then the solicitor who helped with your minor injury claim can take what’s known as a success fee. This is normally a legally capped percentage from the compensation awarded to you.

For more advice on making a personal injury claim with a No Win No Fee solicitor, you can contact our advisors for free. To reach them, you can:

  • Call us on 0800 408 7825
  • Talk to us via live chat, which you can find at the bottom of your screen
  • Contacting us directly through this website

Learn More About Minor Injury Claims

Below, you can find more information on making a minor injury claim:

Thank you for reading this article on minor injury claims.