Hurt on your bike? Know what your claim covers.
Most riders are never told everything a claim can include. Here is how the courts value an injury, and the costs that often get left out.
How an injury is valued
Courts value the injury itself, known as general damages, using the Judicial College Guidelines. They give a bracket for each type of injury, and where you land inside it depends on how long it lasts, whether anything is permanent, your age, and what it has done to your work, your riding and your sleep.
These are guideline brackets, not averages, and not a promise. Injuries are not simply added together, and money for your losses, such as lost pay and a damaged bike, comes on top. The figures are from the 18th edition, published in April 2026.
One thing is specific to riders. The fixed whiplash tariff that applies to people in cars does not apply to motorcyclists or pillion passengers. A neck, back or shoulder injury on a bike is valued from the Guidelines, which is why the brackets below are the ones to look at.
Guideline brackets by injury
Each line is a bracket for pain, suffering and loss of amenity only. Your own figure depends on your medical evidence.
Grazes, bruising and sprains
Road rash and soft tissue injuries that clear up. Worth recording properly, because insurers value them by how long they last.
- Full recovery within 28 daysBruising, grazes, minor sprains£950 to £1,880
- Full recovery within three monthsBruising, grazes, minor sprains£1,880 to £3,240
Broken bones
Where an injury is a fracture, the bracket moves a lot with how well it healed and whether anything is permanent.
- CollarboneFracture of the clavicle, depending on healing and any lasting effects£6,800 to £16,170
- Wrist, very minorFull or near full recovery within 12 months£4,670 to £6,270
- Wrist, longer recoveryRecovery takes over 12 months but is complete or largely complete£8,030 to £13,670
- Wrist, lasting disabilitySome permanent pain and stiffness£16,640 to £32,370
- Forearm, simple fractureA straightforward break of the forearm£8,730 to £25,370
- Forearm, significant disabilityLess severe, with substantial recovery expected£25,370 to £51,750
- Leg, simple thigh bone fractureNo damage to the joint surface£12,040 to £18,600
- Leg, incomplete recoveryOr a serious soft tissue injury£23,730 to £36,680
- Leg, complicated or multiple fracturesOr severe crushing£36,680 to £51,790
- Ankle, modestMinor or undisplaced fractures and sprainsUp to £18,150
- Ankle, moderateFractures or ligament tears£18,150 to £35,130
- Knee, moderateDislocation or torn cartilage with minor instability£19,610 to £34,600
Neck, back and shoulder
Soft tissue injuries that last. For riders these are valued here, not under the car whiplash tariff.
- Neck, recovery within 3 monthsMinorUp to £3,240
- Neck, recovery within 3 months to a yearMinor£3,240 to £5,750
- Neck, recovery within 1 to 2 yearsMinor£5,750 to £10,420
- Neck, soft tissue with a disc injuryModerate, recovery over 2 to 5 years£18,150 to £33,020
- Neck, protracted recoveryModerate, with an acceleration or exacerbation of existing problems£10,420 to £18,150
- Back, recovery within 3 monthsMinorUp to £3,240
- Back, recovery within 3 months to a yearMinor£3,240 to £5,750
- Back, recovery within 1 to 2 yearsMinor, without surgery£5,750 to £10,420
- Back, recovery within 2 to 5 yearsMinor, without surgery£10,420 to £16,520
- Back, lasting backacheModerate, with persistent symptoms£16,520 to £36,680
- Back, fracture or prolapsed disc needing surgeryModerate, some residual disability£36,680 to £51,230
- Shoulder, recovery within 3 monthsMinor soft tissue injuryUp to £3,240
- Shoulder, recovery within a yearMinor soft tissue injury£3,240 to £5,750
- Shoulder, recovery within 2 yearsMinor soft tissue injury£5,750 to £10,420
- Shoulder, frozen shoulder or similarPersisting about two years£10,420 to £16,870
- Shoulder, dislocationOr rotator cuff injury with symptoms after surgery£16,870 to £25,370
Head injuries
A knock to the head can be more than it first seems, including concussion symptoms that last.
- Minor head injuryIncluding post-concussion symptoms, virtually full recovery within two years£2,920 to £16,870
- Less severe brain injuryGood recovery and able to work, with residual symptoms£20,240 to £56,890
The effect on your mind
Anxiety and trauma after a crash are a recognised injury and are valued separately from the physical one. Many people never mention them.
- Psychological injury, less severeMinor problems over a relatively short period£2,040 to £7,740
- Psychological injury, moderateMarked improvement, good prognosis£7,740 to £25,190
- Post-traumatic stress, less severeFull recovery within one to two years£5,220 to £10,810
- Post-traumatic stress, moderateLargely recovered, no major ongoing effects£10,810 to £30,580
Scarring
Permanent marks count, including from surgery, and are often left out of a first conversation.
- A single noticeable scarOr several superficial scars, with a minor cosmetic deficit£3,130 to £10,350
- Several noticeable scarsOr a single disfiguring scar on a limb, the back or the chest£10,350 to £30,030
- Facial scarring, less significantMinor disfigurement with some psychological reaction£5,220 to £18,150
Source: Judicial College Guidelines, 18th edition, published April 2026. These are guideline brackets for pain, suffering and loss of amenity only. They are not averages and not a promise, and losses such as lost earnings and damaged property are claimed on top.
What riders often miss
Compensation is more than the injury. These are the items people leave out because no one mentioned them, and each one needs evidence.
- Helmet, leathers, boots, gloves
- Protective gear that took the impact can be claimed, and a helmet that has been in a crash should be replaced. Keep it, and keep the receipts or take a like for like quote.
- The bike itself
- Repair cost, or its value if it is written off, plus recovery and storage charges.
- Getting around while you have no bike
- A replacement bike or other transport, and loss of use where the bike was your way to work.
- Lost earnings
- Pay you lost while off work, including self employed income, and loss of future earnings if the injury changes what you can do.
- Treatment and recovery
- Physiotherapy, private treatment, medication, and the cost of getting to appointments.
- Help from family
- Care and help from the people around you can be part of a claim, with limits where the carer was the person at fault.
- Anxiety after the crash
- Nervousness riding or travelling, and post-traumatic stress, are recognised injuries valued separately from the physical one.
- Scarring
- Permanent marks count, including from surgery.
- Symptoms that carry on
- How long an injury lasts changes its value, so it matters not to settle before the picture is clear.
Before you accept an offer
Insurers sometimes make an early offer. A first offer can arrive before the full effect of an injury is known, and once you settle you generally cannot reopen the claim. It is worth having any offer checked against every item above before you say yes.
If you were a passenger
A pillion passenger can claim whoever was at fault, including when the rider you were travelling with caused the crash.
- Who pays
- Usually the insurer of the rider or driver at fault. Passengers have little control over the bike, so these claims are often more straightforward than rider claims.
- Helmets
- A helmet is a legal requirement for a pillion. Not wearing one, or other recommended gear, can lead to a reduction in compensation where it made a difference to the injury.
- Uninsured or untraced riders and drivers
- A claim may still be possible through the Motor Insurers' Bureau. It has its own exclusions, so it is worth getting advice if you knew the rider was uninsured.
- No whiplash tariff
- Pillion passengers are outside the fixed tariff, so the brackets above apply.
If your child was a passenger
A child can claim for an injury, and the rules exist to protect them. A parent or guardian brings the claim for them.
- A litigation friend
- A child under 18 cannot bring a claim alone. A litigation friend, usually a parent, acts for them and must act in the child's best interests.
- A court checks any settlement
- A settlement for a child is not valid until a court approves it, and the judge will refuse one that is too low.
- Where the money goes
- Compensation is usually held for the child, in the Court Funds Office, until they turn 18. The court can release part of it earlier for their benefit.
- Time limits
- There is no deadline before the child's 18th birthday, then three years from that date, so up to age 21. Claiming while the evidence is fresh is still usually easier.
- Same guidelines, age taken into account
- A child is valued using the same Guidelines, and a lasting injury to a young person can be worth more because of the years it will affect.
Time limits
Most personal injury claims must start within three years of the accident, or three years from when you first connected the injury to it. If you are not sure whether you are still in time, ask us. We will tell you quickly.
How our fee works
We explain the funding options for your claim, which may include a conditional fee arrangement, in full before you decide to go ahead. For road traffic accident claims, a fee of 35% of the compensation, including VAT, applies while the claim is worth under £5,000. Above that, the arrangement becomes a conditional fee agreement with a fee capped at 25% including VAT. You will always be told the exact terms, and any cancellation fee that applies outside the 14 day cooling-off period, before you sign anything.
Compensation for the injury and for your losses is yours to keep, less that fee. Nothing on this page is a quote or a promise of any particular amount.
Questions people ask
The insurer says I was filtering, so it is my fault. Is it?
Filtering is legal in the UK when done safely. An insurer who says otherwise is taking a position, not stating the law. Get advice before accepting any reduction.
What if the driver was uninsured or left the scene?
A claim may still be possible through the Motor Insurers' Bureau, which exists to compensate people injured by uninsured and untraced drivers.
Does not wearing full gear affect my claim?
A helmet is a legal requirement. Other protective clothing is not, but its absence can be raised. It only reduces compensation where there is evidence it made a difference to the injury.
Can I use the Official Injury Claim service?
No. The service for lower value road claims does not cover motorcyclists or pillion passengers, or children, so these claims are brought outside it.
Do I have to decide today?
No. Tell us what happened and we will give you a straight view. There is no pressure either way.
Not sure what your claim should include?
Tell us what happened. It takes under two minutes, and we will go through what could be part of it.
See what your claim could include
These pages contain general information only. Nothing in these pages constitutes legal advice. You should consult a suitably qualified legal professional on your claim. Last updated 26 October 2026.