What Is The Minimum Payout For Whiplash?
By Stephen Moreau. Last Updated 21st May 2025. If you have suffered an injury in a road traffic accident, you might be wondering, ‘How much compensation for whiplash can I claim?’. As every claim is calculated on a case-by-case basis, finding out the average whiplash payout may not be beneficial to you. However, this guide looks at factors considered when compensation is calculated and what settlements could include following a successful claim.
We also look at the Whiplash Reform Programme, which came into effect on the 31st of May 2021 and what types of claimants may be affected by the changes brought in to the way certain road traffic accident claims are made.
If you meet the eligibility criteria to make a claim, you may wish to have the support of a solicitor. This guide concludes with a look at how a solicitor can provide their legal services under the terms of a No Win No Fee agreement.
To find out if you are eligible to claim for whiplash or another type of neck injury, get in touch with an advisor from our team. One of our advisors can discuss what criteria you must meet in order to have valid grounds to claim.
To speak with a team member:
- Fill in our ‘claim online’ form and a member of the team can call you back.
- Connect using our live chat.
- Call 020 3870 4868
Services And Information
- What Is The Minimum Payout For Whiplash?
- What Is The Whiplash Reform Programme?
- When Could I Claim Compensation For Whiplash?
- How Long Does It Take To Settle A Whiplash Claim?
- What Is The Time Limit For An Average Whiplash Claim?
- Do I Need Evidence To Claim For A Neck Injury Such As Whiplash?
- Compensation For Whiplash – Get In Touch To Claim With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
- Other Information On The Minimum Payout For Whiplash
What Is The Minimum Payout For Whiplash?
If you are eligible to claim for a whiplash injury, then you may have questions such as “What is the average UK whiplash payout figure?” or “Is there a minimum payout for whiplash?” Compensation for a whiplash injury can be made up of two heads of damages, which are called general damages and special damages.
General damages compensate you for the pain and suffering you’ve experienced due to the injury you’re claiming for. Those valuing your claim for general damages may refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), as this document provides compensation guidelines for different injuries. In the table below, we have used a list of these figures below. However, the top entry was not taken from the JCG. These are only to be used for guidance.
Furthermore, the last two entries have been taken from the tariff found within the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021. These are fixed amounts.
| Injury | Description | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Serious Injuries Plus Special Damages | Your compensation payout could cover several serious injuries plus special damages, which may include loss of earnings. | Up to £500,000+ |
| Back Injury - Severe (i) | This bracket includes nerve root damage and spinal cord damage that is severe. | £111,150 to £196,450 |
| Neck Injury - Severe (i) | Injury of the neck associated with incomplete paraplegia or one that causes permanent spastic quadriparesis. | In the region of £181,020 |
| Neck Injury - Severe (ii) | Serious fractures or damage to discs in the cervical spine, which leads to considerable disabilities. | £80,240 to £159,770 |
| Neck Injury - Severe (iii) | Fractures or dislocations or severe damage to soft tissues and/or ruptured tendons. These might lead to chronic conditions and cause permanent and significant disabilities. | £55,500 to £68,330 |
| Neck Injury - Moderate (i) | Fractures or dislocations which cause severe symptoms immediately. A spinal fusion may be required. | £30,500 to £46,970 |
| Neck Injury - Moderate (ii) | Soft tissue injury and disc lesion of the more severe type causing several issues with mobility. | £16,770 to £30,500 |
| Neck Injury - Moderate (iii) | Injuries which may have accelerated and/or exacerbated a pre-existing condition by around 5 years. | £9,630 to £16,770 |
| One Or More Whiplash Injuries With One Or More Psychological Injuries | 18-24 months | £4,345 |
| One Or More Whiplash Injuries | 18-24 months | £4,215 |
You may also be awarded special damages as part of your compensation settlement. This compensates for the financial losses or expenses caused by your injury. Some examples may include:
- Care costs for at-home home care you have needed.
- Lost earnings due to taking time off work to recover.
- Medical expenses, such as paying for over-the-counter pain relief.
Providing evidence of these losses with documents such as payslips and receipts could help support your claim.
For more advice on how much compensation for whiplash may be awarded to you, speak to our advisors for a free claim valuation.
Claiming For Whiplash – Could I Be Awarded Special Damages?
In the previous sections, we have shared how to claim for whiplash through the government’s official online portal. We also shared how much compensation for whiplash you could receive when making a claim in line with the Whiplash Reform Programme.
The table in the previous section relates to how much compensation you could receive in general damages for a personal injury claim. However, when claiming for whiplash from a car accident, your compensation settlement could also include special damages. Special damages aim to compensate you for the financial losses you have suffered due to your injury, such as:
- A loss of earnings due to having to take time off work.
- Medical costs, such as having to pay for physiotherapy.
- Travel expenses, such as having to take taxis to your medical appointments.
You will need to provide evidence of these losses to claim them back under special damages. Evidence could include receipts, bank statements and invoices.
Contact one of our advisors today if you have any questions about claiming for whiplash. If they believe that you could be eligible for compensation, they could connect you with an experienced solicitor from our panel, who could help you with your claim.
What Is The Whiplash Reform Programme?
From 31st May 2021, the Whiplash Reform Programme will take effect across England and Wales. The reforms apply to low-value personal injury claims from road traffic accidents and include whiplash injuries.
As with all claims for road traffic accidents, if you are seeking compensation for whiplash, you will need to prove that you suffered your injuries due to another road user breaching their duty of care. The way you make your whiplash claim may have changed if you meet the following criteria:
- You are 18 or over.
- The road traffic accident that caused your injuries occurred in England or Wales.
- You were injured as a passenger or driver of a vehicle.
- The injuries you suffered are valued at £5,000 or less. This includes injuries such as whiplash and minor soft tissue injuries.
Furthermore, these injuries will be valued against the tariff in the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021. These are fixed amounts, and have provided examples of these figures in a table in a previous section in this guide. Any additional injuries you have suffered that this tariff does not cover will be valued the traditional way.
Get in touch with an advisor from our team to find out more about whiplash compensation claims. They can help you if you are unsure which avenue to take when making your personal injury claim.
When Could I Claim Compensation For Whiplash?
Now that we’ve discussed why we can’t offer an average UK whiplash payout, we’ll explain when you can make a personal injury claim. First, you must establish that you were owed a duty of care.
All road users owe each other a duty of care to navigate the roads in a way that prevents harm to themselves and others. In accordance with their duty of care, they’re required to follow the Road Traffic Act 1988, as well as the mandatory rules set out in the Highway Code.
However, a breach of duty of care alone is not enough to start a valid claim. In order to have good grounds to make a claim, you have to be able to illustrate that:
- You were owed a duty of care
- This duty of care was breached
- You were harmed as a result
This harm could include both physical and mental injuries. Later on in this guide, we’ll discuss how you can prove these points, but our team of advisors are available if you’d like to learn more about eligibility. They can evaluate your case for free and offer more information on compensation and the maximum and minimum payout for whiplash.
How Long Does It Take To Settle A Whiplash Claim?
The amount of time it takes to settle a whiplash payout claim is extremely varied. There is no general answer that applies to all cases. This is because all personal injury claims need to be assessed independently. Your experience of whiplash may be completely different from that of another claimant.
The factors that may impact the time length of the claim include:
- The severity of your injuries and whether you have fully recovered
- The financial impact associated with your suffering
- Whether you and the defending party can reach an agreement regarding liability
- Whether your claim needs to go to court
- The availability of the court schedule
- The extent of the evidence provided to prove your case
- Whether you are claiming in the traditional manner or are eligible to seek compensation through the Whiplash Reform Programme.
Essentially, more complicated cases may take longer to settle. Legal professionals need to consider the total impact of the accident and your injuries.
You can contact our advisory team at any time if you have any concerns about how long it may take to gain compensation. They can consider the details of your case and explain how the process works. There is no requirement to decide whether you are going to start a claim at this time. If you simply want to ask about the minimum payout for whiplash or the benefits of working with a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel, our advisors will be happy to help.
What Is The Time Limit For An Average Whiplash Claim?
In general, you will have 3 years to start a whiplash claim for compensation, starting from the date of your accident. This is established by the Limitation Act 1980.
However, this time limit may apply differently in cases where the injured person is:
- Below the age of 18
- Mentally incapacitated
In these scenarios, the person would be unable to make decisions for a claim themselves. Therefore, the 3-year limitation period may be frozen until the date on which they reach the age of 18 or recover their mental capacity.
There is also an alternative route to claim if a family member or loved one wishes to proceed on their behalf. They may apply to act as a litigation friend, or they could be appointed by the court to act in this role. This requires you to represent the interests of the injured person and make efforts to communicate with them regarding the case (where possible).
Should you have any queries about legal time limits or the process of acting as a litigation friend, our advisors are happy to help. All enquiries are handled free of charge, and there is no requirement to start a claim afterwards.
Do I Need Evidence To Claim For A Neck Injury Such As Whiplash?
Whiplash claims, as with all personal injury compensation claims, must be supported with evidence. This needs to prove liability and the injuries you are claiming for.
Examples of useful evidence when claiming for a car accident neck injury could include:
- Police reports. If the police attended the scene, you can submit a copy of their report.
- Photographic evidence. This can be pictures of the vehicle damage and/or your injuries (if visible).
- Video footage, such as from a dashcam or CCTV.
- Medical evidence. For example, a copy of your medical records to illustrate what treatment you required and what effect the injuries are expected to have on your life.
- Witness contact details. Anyone who saw what happened can be contacted for a statement later in the claims process.
Contact our advisors today for free advice on what evidence could be submitted to support your claim for a whiplash injury. As well as discussing evidence, they can look at the maximum and minimum payout for whiplash that you could receive.
Compensation For Whiplash – Get In Touch To Claim With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
If you are eligible to make a claim for compensation for whiplash, you may wish to instruct a solicitor to work on your claim. One of the solicitors from our panel could assist you. Typically, they provide their services under the terms of a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This is a type of No Win No Fee arrangement.
When a No Win No Fee solicitor supports your whiplash compensation claim, they generally don’t charge upfront for their services. They won’t ask you to pay any ongoing service fees either. Furthermore, you won’t be charged for their work on your case if you are not awarded compensation following an unsuccessful claim.
Your solicitor will take a success fee out of your whiplash compensation if the claim is a success. This success fee is a legally capped percentage.
To find out if you are eligible to make a claim, speak to one of the advisors from our team. If it seems like you have a strong case, they could pass you onto one of the solicitors from our panel.
To speak to an advisor:
- Fill in our ‘claim online’ form and an advisor will call you back.
- Call 020 3870 4868
- Use our live webchat feature.
Other Information On The Minimum Payout For Whiplash
For more information on whiplash injury claims, you can read the resources below:
- What To Do If A Whiplash Claim Is Refused
- This guide focuses on what to do if you are refused compensation you believe you are entitled to for a whiplash injury.
- When And How To Report A Car Accident
- Car accidents can be the cause of whiplash injuries. This guide explains when you should report being in a car accident and how to claim for it.
- A Guide To Slip And Fall Accident Claims In UK
- Slip and fall accidents are one of the ways in which a whiplash injury could occur. This guide provides more insight into what to do if you are injured by this type of accident.
- NHS Whiplash
- This page from the NHS website provides information on whiplash, including symptoms and treatment options.
- The Highway Code
- This code is essential reading for all road users. It outlines the duty of care that all road users have to one another.
- Slips and Trips- HSE
- The Health and Safety Executive has provided information and guidance on reducing the risks of slips, trips and falls in the workplace.
Thanks for reading our guide about the minimum payout for whiplash.
