Jaw Injury Compensation – Payouts and Compensation Examples

Jaw injury compensation can range from several thousand pounds to upwards of £55,570 for very severe multiple fractures. However, your payout may depend on the nature of the injury, its broader impact, and related financial losses. Suffering an injury to your jaw is not only painful; the disruption to your daily life can be significant, particularly if you cannot work or struggle to eat.

However, by making a claim, you can begin to move forward. At Legal Expert, one of our experienced personal injury solicitors can be there for you through your compensation claim, reducing stress and working hard to get the best settlement for your situation. We understand that deciding whether to claim can feel overwhelming, but our team is here to assist in any way they can.

You can see if you meet the eligibility criteria to claim personal injury compensation by contacting our advisors today. It won’t cost you anything, as our advisors provide their initial consultation for free, the first step towards getting your life back on track.

How Much Jaw Injury Compensation Can I Claim?

According to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), you can claim between £37,210 and £55,570 in jaw injury compensation for multiple, very serious fractures requiring prolonged treatment. The JCG is a document that solicitors often use when valuing a claimant’s injuries, as it pairs guideline brackets with different forms of harm.

Your pain and suffering are covered by a head of claim called general damages, which can also account for how your jaw injury affects your quality of life. You can see more figures for a broken or injured jaw below. Except for the first row, all other entries are taken from the JCG. As the JCG only provides suggestive brackets, the table doesn’t guarantee compensation.

Want to know more about how broken jaw compensation works? Please contact our advisors, who can provide more information about payouts and the jaw injury claims process.

Can Injured Jaw Payouts Compensate Special Damages?

Yes, injured jaw payouts can compensate special damages if you have proof of any financial losses you incurred as a direct result of being harmed. Provided that you have supportive evidence, such as payslips and invoices, you can claim for various costs, including:

• At-home care while you recover. This does not have to be provided by a professional carer; any hours logged as care hours by friends or family can be accounted for under special damages.
• Transportation to and from medical appointments.
• Physical or occupational therapy. This may be required to help restore movement, or if you have trouble eating.
• Private medical treatment, such as corrective jaw surgery, and prescriptions.
• Loss of earnings, both in the short and long term.
• Mouthguards, oral splints, or other specialist equipment.

Our friendly team of advisors can answer any questions you might have about special damages within jaw injury compensation.

Jaw Injury Compensation Case Study: £55,000 Settlement

Warehouse worker James was awarded £55,000 in compensation after sustaining a serious fracture to his jaw when he was struck by a pallet that fell from an overloaded shelf. His employer had not inspected the warehouse for over a year, nor had staff received any training on pallet storage.

The fracture left James struggling to eat and unable to work for several months. His mental health also suffered, as he developed anxiety due to his experience. James subsequently brought a claim against his employer with the support of a personal injury solicitor.

After his employer admitted liability, James received £35,000 in general damages for his jaw fracture and anxiety. He was also awarded special damages, amounting to £20,000 for lost earnings, as well as the cost of occupational therapy, counselling, and prescription medication.

While this is an example case study*, you may be able to pursue jaw injury compensation in your own case. Our advisors are on hand to help you take your first steps towards claiming with a free, no-obligation consultation.

Am I Eligible To Claim Jaw Injury Compensation?

You may be eligible to claim jaw injury compensation if you were hurt as the direct result of a third party’s negligent actions. To establish this eligibility, you need to meet the following requirements:

• A duty of care was owed to you: Another party, such as an employer or someone on the roads, must have owed you a duty of care. In broad terms, this means that they had a legal obligation to implement reasonable measures to ensure your health and safety. The exact steps to meet this duty of care may vary depending on the situation.
• The third party breached their duty of care: In short, this means there was a failure to act as a reasonable third party would have. For instance, your employer may have caused your jaw injury by failing to carry out regular risk assessments.
• You suffered an injury: To claim jaw injury compensation, you must prove that the breach caused you harm. For a claim of this kind, that might mean you sustained fractures or dislocations of your jaw, as well as psychological harm (e.g., anxiety or depression).

You can read more about a duty of care in specific situations in the section below. We understand that the jaw injury claims process may seem confusing, but our advisors are here to put your mind at rest and give you the information you need. You can chat with an advisor anytime using the contact options listed in this guide.

How Might A Jaw Injury Be Sustained?

A jaw injury might be sustained in a road collision, in a fall from height at work due to poor training, or from poorly maintained equipment in public places like gyms. Such injuries can also occur in medical settings and as a result of criminal injury. Read more about each in this section.

Accidents On The Road

All road users have a responsibility to travel safely and to avoid actions that may cause harm. This duty of care applies to all road users, including motorists and pedestrians, and also requires adherence to the rules and regulations in the Highway Code and the Road Traffic Act 1988.

To pursue a jaw injury compensation claim, a road user must have caused you harm by acting negligently, such as:

• A motorist drives over the speed limit, leading them to cut through a red light and collide with your vehicle. Besides a broken jaw, you are left with extensive scarring and a concussion.

Read more about jaw injury compensation for road traffic accidents in our road traffic accident guide.

Accidents At Work

Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, employers must ensure the safety of their workers by taking reasonable steps to do so. This might include providing the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) and appropriate training. Failing to meet this duty of care might result in an accident like the following:

• While working with heavy machinery, you are struck in the face by flying debris when the equipment suddenly comes apart. This leaves you with multiple jaw fractures and a broken nose. Management knew about the fault, but had not taken steps to repair or replace the machine.

You can explore the process of pursuing compensation for your jaw injury by reading our accident at work guide.

Accidents In Public

Under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957, occupiers of a public space must take practical action to ensure that visitors to the premises they control are reasonably safe. Those steps can include maintaining gym equipment and displaying warning signs about potential hazards. You might be able to claim compensation if you sustain a jaw injury in a scenario like this:

• You notice that several lights in a hotel stairwell are broken, making it hard to see each step. The hotel’s failure to adequately maintain its lighting causes you to fall, dislocating your shoulder and fracturing your jaw in several places.

Our guide to accidents in a public place provides more detail on the claims process.

Medical Negligence

All medical professionals owe a duty of care to their patients, meaning they must provide care to the minimum expected standard. They might fall below this standard if:

• A surgeon uses an improper technique during an orthognathic procedure on a patient’s jaw, resulting in damage to the temporomandibular joint. The patient is left with long-term headaches and difficulty opening their mouth.

You can get more information by reading our guide to the medical negligence claims process.

Criminal Injuries

If you suffered a jaw injury due to a violent crime, you may be able to pursue compensation through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). This government agency is responsible for awarding compensation to victims of violent crime in Great Britain, provided that certain eligibility criteria are satisfied. You can get more details about this in our criminal injury guide.

If you’re unsure which category your jaw injury falls under, contact our team of advisors. They can offer guidance and advice on any topics covered in this section.

What Is The Process For Claiming Jaw Injury Compensation?

The process for claiming jaw injury compensation includes receiving medical treatment, collecting evidence, reporting the accident, and seeking support from a solicitor within the time limit. Read about the personal injury claims process in detail here.

1. Get Treatment For Your Injuries

Even if you feel fine, it’s always a good idea to seek out medical treatment after suffering a jaw injury. You can do this by visiting an A&E department, an urgent care clinic, or making an appointment with your GP.

Not only will taking this step be beneficial for your health and recovery, but all medical visits can be used as official evidence if you later decide to claim jaw injury compensation.

2. Gather Evidence

Your health comes first, but it’s always best to gather evidence as soon as possible. This is especially vital if you intend to pursue a claim for your jaw injury. If you can, take photos and videos of your injuries and the accident scene. Additionally, you can:

• Request CCTV footage if the accident happened in a public place.
• A copy of the accident report.
• For a jaw injury sustained on the road, get the driver’s contact information, vehicle registration, and insurance number.
• Gather the contact details of any witnesses to your accident or injuries. Your solicitor can use this information to take statements.

Evidence can not only provide insight into the extent of your jaw injury, but clearly show how someone else was at fault. This can strengthen your claim and improve your chances of success.

3. Report The Accident

You can further strengthen your jaw injury compensation claim by ensuring there is a report of the accident, as this can create an official record of what happened. Depending on the situation, this might include:

• Having the incident logged in your designated workplace accident book.
• Telling your insurer about a road traffic accident. You may also need to report the incident to the police.
• Reporting your accident to whichever party is in control of a public place, such as a restaurant, a shop, or the local council.

Reporting an accident at the time it happened makes your jaw injury compensation claim stronger.

4. Note How Your Injury Impacts You

Keep a log of how your jaw injury has affected you. This can involve detailing:

• Your daily pain levels and symptoms.
• Any medical appointments attended or treatments received.
• If you have a loss of earnings or your work is or was impacted by your jaw injury.
• Any other relevant expenses, such as taxi costs.

This evidence can be used when claiming general damages (pain and suffering, emotional distress) and special damages (financial losses).

6. Reach Out To A Professional For Legal Advice

By connecting with a personal injury solicitor, you can benefit from expert support throughout the jaw injury claims process. In particular, our solicitors can help clients by:

• Valuing the jaw injury compensation claim.
• Gathering evidence.
• Answering your questions and queries
• Providing a No Win No Fee service (more on this later on).

At Legal Expert, we also offer free consultations, so you don’t need to worry about committing to a claim to get the answers you’re looking for.

7. Stay Within The Time Limit

In the majority of cases, there is a 3-year time limit for starting personal injury claims under the Limitation Act 1980. This typically begins from the time you were injured. However, for medical negligence claims, the time limit can instead take effect from the date you became aware of the negligent care. You can discover more about this in our time limit guide or by chatting with one of our advisors.

How Can Legal Expert Help Me To Claim Compensation For An Injured Jaw?

At Legal Expert, our highly experienced team of advisors and solicitors can help you to claim compensation for an injured jaw by offering a supportive environment through the process. In particular, your solicitor can:

• Communicate with all relevant parties.
• Explain all legal terminology.
• Provide regular updates on your claim.
• Assist with court proceedings where necessary. However, this isn’t something to worry about, as most claims settle out of court.
• Help you access specialist services, including physical and occupational therapists.

Questions about pursuing a jaw injury compensation claim with one of our expert solicitors? Our team is just a phone call or click away.

No Win No Fee Jaw Injury Compensation Claims

Alongside the benefits that come with our client-focused service, claiming with one of the personal injury solicitors at Legal Expert means you can do so via a No Win No Fee contract called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This contract is highly advantageous, as:

• You pay no fees for using solicitor services upfront.
• You pay nothing in service fees during the jaw injury claims process.
• You also do not pay any service fees if your claim is unsuccessful.

Our solicitors do receive a success fee when a claim has a favourable outcome. This is a percentage of the compensation, but you would keep the largest share thanks to a legal cap being in place.

Contact Our Solicitors To Get Started

It couldn’t be easier to kickstart a jaw injury claim. You can reach out to our advisors any time by:

• Calling on 0800 073 8804.
• Contacting us through our online form.
• Pressing the live chat box to start chatting.

More Information

We’ve added some more of our guides related to jaw injury claims here:

• Read our broken jaw case study.
• See how to make a broken bone claim.
• Use our guide to read about making a car accident claim.

We’ve also compiled some links containing further information relevant to this article.

• Use this NHS resource to find out more about lower jaw fractures.
• Find out when to call 999 via the NHS.
• Read about reporting road collisions via POLICE.UK.

If you have any questions about our *illustrative case study or about jaw injury compensation, please get in touch today for a free and confidential chat.