General damages explained
Last updated · By Mustafa Bilgic
Compensation for the injury, not the bills
When people picture "compensation", they usually picture general damages: the sum for the injury and what it has done to your life. It covers the things that have no receipt — the pain of the injury and its treatment, the anxiety and distress, and the loss of the ability to do things you enjoyed. Lawyers call this pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA).
It is deliberately distinct from special damages, which reimburse your financial losses (lost earnings, treatment costs, care). General damages answer a harder question — what is the human cost of the injury worth — and so they are assessed, not added up.
The three elements of PSLA
- Pain — the physical hurt of the injury, surgery and recovery.
- Suffering — the mental and emotional impact: distress, anxiety, loss of confidence.
- Loss of amenity — the loss of enjoyment of life: hobbies, sport, work, relationships, independence.
How general damages are valued
In England & Wales the starting point is always the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) — bracket figures for every injury and severity. A medical report sets the diagnosis, severity and prognosis, and the figure is placed within the bracket according to:
- how severe the injury is at its worst;
- how long symptoms last, and whether full recovery is expected;
- whether surgery or prolonged treatment was needed;
- the effect on work and daily life; and
- any permanent consequences, such as scarring or disability.
There is no formula — comparable decided cases guide the figure. For how this works in practice, see pain and suffering compensation.
| Injury | Minor (£) | Moderate (£) | Severe (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whiplash / neck | 275 – 4,830* | 4,800 – 13,700 | 25,000 – 55,000 |
| Back | 2,500 – 12,500 | 12,500 – 38,800 | 38,800 – 160,000 |
| Wrist / hand | 3,800 – 12,800 | 12,800 – 29,400 | 29,400 – 79,000 |
| Head / brain | 2,690 – 14,400 | 45,000 – 219,000 | 219,000 – 493,000 |
* UK whiplash up to 2 years uses the statutory tariff. Indicative figures only, rounded.
The whiplash exception
General damages in the US
The US has no JCG-style table. General (pain-and-suffering) damages are negotiated and vary by state, commonly estimated with a multiplier of medical bills or a per-diem figure. For how the two heads combine into a total — and how any contributory negligence reduces it — see how compensation is calculated. The free calculator estimates general damages from your injury and severity.
What general damages do not cover
It helps to be clear about the boundary. General damages compensate for the injury and its effects on your life — pain, suffering and loss of amenity. They do not cover your money losses: wages, treatment bills, care, travel and future financial losses are all special damages, claimed and proven separately. Nor are general damages "punishment" of the defendant — English personal-injury law is compensatory, aiming to restore you rather than to punish, so awards reflect the harm, not the wrongdoer's conduct.
Interest on general damages
Because a claim can take a long time to resolve, the law allows interest to be added to compensation. General damages typically carry interest at a modest rate from the date proceedings are served, while past financial losses attract interest over the period you were out of pocket. Interest is not a separate windfall — it simply recognises that you have waited for money you were owed. For the full build-up of an award, including how any contributory negligence reduces it, see how compensation is calculated.
Why two "identical" injuries get different general damages
It is worth restating, because it surprises people: two claimants with what looks like the same injury can receive very different general damages, and that is the system working as intended. The bracket is wide precisely so that the figure can track the real-world impact — how long the symptoms lasted, whether surgery was needed, whether there is permanent scarring or stiffness, and how much the injury changed the person's working life and hobbies. A keen amateur footballer who loses the use of a knee may recover more than someone with the same scan whose lifestyle is unaffected, because loss of amenity is part of what general damages compensate.
Frequently asked questions
What are general damages?
General damages compensate for the injury itself and its effect on your life — pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA). They are the non-financial part of a claim, valued in England & Wales from the Judicial College Guidelines, with a medical report placing your injury within the relevant bracket. They are separate from special damages, which cover your financial losses.
How are general damages calculated?
From injury brackets — the Judicial College Guidelines in England & Wales — which give a low-to-high range for each injury and severity. A medical report sets the diagnosis, severity and prognosis, and the figure is placed within the bracket based on how serious the injury is, how long it lasts, whether surgery was needed, and its effect on your life. Comparable cases guide the figure.
Are general damages the same as pain and suffering?
Yes — "pain and suffering" is the everyday name for general damages, covering pain, suffering and loss of amenity. They compensate for the injury itself, separately from special damages, which reimburse measurable financial losses such as lost earnings, treatment and care.