Last Updated 28th August 2025. Loss of limb compensation in the UK can cover pain, suffering, and psychological harm as well as any financial losses associated with a person’s injuries. That financial impact can range from lost earnings to home adaptations and private medical treatments. Compensation can be awarded if it can be shown that a third party was liable for your injuries, like in an accident on the road or at work. You will need to provide supporting evidence and file your claim within 3 years of the accident; one of our expert No Win No Fee solicitors could help you get started.
Suffering an amputation can drastically alter your life. You may be unable to participate in hobbies that you used to, and your working life may have also been affected. If the negligent actions of another caused your injury, you may be eligible to seek loss of limb compensation.
Our guide will detail what sort of compensation you could receive and what areas of harm it can cover. We also explore when you may have an eligible personal injury compensation claim and how long you have to begin proceedings. Finally, we discuss how one of our expert solicitors could handle the claim through a type of No Win No Fee contract.
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How Much Loss of Limb Compensation Could I Receive?
You may be wondering how much compensation for losing a leg, an arm or a finger might apply in a successful amputation compensation claim. If your loss of limb compensation claim is a success, you could receive an award that is made up of two categories or ‘heads’ of loss.
The main one is general damages, which compensates for the pain and suffering caused by the amputation injury itself, as well as the negative overall impact on the person’s life.
To calculate a value for general damages, those involved may use medical reports and compare them with documents such as the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This publication lists guideline bracket ranges for a cross-section of injuries based on how severe they are.
Compensation Guidelines
Below, you will see a bullet point list that we have compiled using entries for amputation injuries. These are purely suggested brackets that should be used as a guide only, and the first line does not originate from the JCG:
- Multiple Severe Injuries and Special Damages, such as an impact on earning ability, medical expenses and care costs – up to £5,000,000+
- Loss of both arms – £293,850 to £366,100.
- Loss of 1 arm – Not less than £167,380.
- Loss of both legs – £293,850 to £344,150.
- Below-knee amputation of both legs – £245,900 to £329,620.
- Above-knee amputation of 1 leg – £127,920 to £167,760.
- Below-knee amputation of 1 leg – £119,570 to £162,290
- Amputation of both feet – £206,730 to £245,900.
- Amputation of 1 foot – £102,470 to £133,810.
- Total or effective loss of 1 hand – £117,360 to £133,810.
What Else Can My Amputation Compensation Cover?
A second head of loss may apply, called special damages. This compensates the person for the financial harm that their amputation injury has caused them. Some examples of financial losses you could suffer and potentially claim compensation for include:
Loss of Earnings
After suffering an amputation, you may have had to take time off from work to recover or be unable to work at all. Any lost earnings you have experienced or may experience in the future due to your injury could be compensated. Your payslips could help prove these losses of earnings.
Medical Expenses and Rehabilitation
This includes the cost of rehabilitation and prosthetics or anything you need beyond what is freely available. These costs could be proven with bank statements, for example.
Care Costs
This could be professional care or any care you have received at home from a friend or family member. This could include help with tasks such as cleaning and cooking. Invoices for this care could be used as evidence in your claim.
Adaptations To Your Life
You may have required adaptation to your home and vehicle to help cope with your injuries. For example, if you suffered a leg amputation, you may have needed adjustments made to your car for a hand-control pedal. Receipts of these purchases could help support your claim.
Continue reading this guide to learn when you may have a valid personal injury claim. You can also contact our advisors to discuss your case.
Can I Claim Loss of Limb Compensation?
You could be eligible to claim loss of limb compensation if you meet certain criteria:
- You must have been owed a duty of care at the time and place of your accident.
- This duty must have been breached.
- This breach leads to your amputation injury.
A duty of care is where someone has a responsibility for your safety. Some examples of accidents that could occur if this duty is breached include:
Accidents At Work
Under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HASAWA), employers must take practicable and reasonable steps to prevent employees from being harmed. This duty of care means that hazards and risks should be controlled as much as possible. An example of when you may be able to make an accident at work claim is:
- Management failed to maintain essential machinery on a production line regularly. As a result, an employee lost their arm in a workplace accident due to the machinery malfunctioning.
Accidents In A Public Place
Those in charge of areas open to the public owe them a duty of care as outlined in the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. They must take steps to implement measures that keep the public reasonably safe while lawfully using their facilities. An example of when you may be able to make a public liability claim is:
- Automatic doors leading into a supermarket were faulty and closed early, crushing your fingers, which later required a partial finger amputation.
Road Traffic Accidents
Motorists, pedestrians and cyclists all owe each other a duty of care to avoid causing harm and damage while using the roads. To comply fully, they must adhere to the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the obligations detailed in the Highway Code. An example of when you can make a road traffic accident claim is:
- A drink driver causes a serious crash on the motorway, causing you to suffer a leg amputation after your leg was trapped in your vehicle.
To see whether you may have a valid claim for loss of limb compensation, you can contact our advisors.
What Types Of Injuries May Require An Amputation?
Various types of injuries may require an amputation and could lead to a loss of limb compensation claim. Some examples include:
- Crush injuries, such as a crush injury to the leg following a car crash.
- Severe fractures, such as a severe arm fracture.
- Severe burn injuries that have damaged tissue and blood vessels.
- Deep laceration injuries that cannot be repaired and are at risk of severe infection.
An amputation you receive due to an injury is known as a surgical amputation. However, you could also make an amputation compensation claim following a traumatic amputation. This is when a limb is traumatically amputated in an accident. For example:
- A piece of machinery at your factory job has not been regularly maintained. This causes it to malfunction, and your hand needs to be amputated.
A traumatic amputation can cause severe psychological distress and prevent you from working as you used to or participating in your usual hobbies. A loss of limb payment following a successful personal injury claim could help you feel a sense of justice and help recover any related financial losses you experienced.
To discuss your particular case to see whether you may have an eligible compensation claim, you can contact one of the friendly advisors on our team.
How Long Do I Have To Make An Amputation Claim?
When starting a personal injury claim, including those for loss of limb compensation, you only have a certain amount of time to begin proceedings. Per the Limitation Act 1980, you will have a 3-year limitation period to begin your personal injury claim.
To see whether you have enough time to begin your own claim, you can contact our advisory team.
Can I Make An Amputation Compensation Claim On Someone Else’s Behalf?
In certain circumstances, a claimant will be unable to make their own claim. These include:
- Claimants under 18 cannot start a claim themselves until their 18th birthday.
- Claimants lacking the mental capacity cannot make their own claim, unless they were to regain this capacity. The 3-year time limit would run from the recovery date.
In both of these cases, you could apply to be a litigation friend and make a claim on the claimant’s behalf. As their litigation friend, you will be expected to act in their best interests.
Please connect with the team for further information about starting a claim for someone else and the applicable time limits for personal injury claims.
Could I Receive Interim Payments As Part Of My Amputation Claim?
You may be eligible to receive interim payments during the course of your claim for any necessary expenses you need to pay, such as medical expenses or care. These are usually only awarded if your claim looks likely to be successful.
Additionally, any interim payments you receive will be accounted for, and these amounts will be taken from your final compensation settlement.
To learn more about how compensation is awarded in personal injury claims, you can contact our advisors.
Claim For Loss of Limb Compensation On A No Win No Fee Basis
Claiming loss of limb compensation can be a long and stressful undertaking. It is often the case that the more severe an injury, the longer the claims process will be. That’s why our dedicated solicitors will support you throughout the claim, from start to finish, completing tasks such as:
- Helping to gather evidence.
- Determining a potential loss of limb payment figure.
- Ensuring all deadlines and court instructions are met.
- Keeping you informed of any developments throughout the claims process.
Our solicitors can offer their services on a strictly No Win No Fee basis with a particular type of contract called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). The CFA gives claimants a number of advantages, including:
- No service fee to pay for the solicitor to begin work on your case.
- There will also be no solicitor fees for this work during the claim itself.
- Finally, if the claim does not succeed, you will not have to pay any solicitor fees.
If, however, the claim does succeed, a success fee will be paid to the solicitor from your compensation. As The Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013 caps the success fee at a maximum of 25%, you know from the very beginning that the majority of any payout will be yours to keep.
If this sounds of interest to you and you’d like to learn more, talk to our advisory team. You can:
- Call 0800 073 8804
- Use our live chat
- Fill out the contact us form
More Resources About Personal Injury Claims
In addition to limb amputation claims, there are some other guides below that might help:
- This guide looks at serious leg amputation claims.
- Advice on claiming for a crush injury.
- Guidance on claiming for an amputation.
External resources:
- Read about amputations from the NHS.
- See if you could claim statutory sick pay from Gov.UK.
Thank you for reading our guide on claiming loss of limb compensation.
