Green Book Northern Ireland: personal injury award brackets
Last updated · By Mustafa Bilgic · Figures from the Green Book, sixth edition (Judicial Studies Board for Northern Ireland, 2024)
Northern Ireland has its own guideline figures. When the first edition was published, its committee explained that the level of damages in Northern Ireland is significantly higher than in England and Wales, largely because damages were assessed by juries until 1987. The Green Book groups injuries by part of the body and by severity and gives a bracket for each. This page puts every bracket into a searchable finder, shows the most used brackets in tables, and explains what changed in the sixth edition.
Green Book bracket finder
All 220 brackets in the sixth edition
| Injury | Bracket |
|---|
The Green Book gives no formula for adding injuries together: the judge values their overall effect.
Neck and whiplash injury brackets
The minor neck brackets depend on how quickly a full recovery is made: up to £5,000 within six months, up to £7,500 within 6 to 12 months, and up to £17,500 within about 12 to 24 months. The £15,000 to £40,000 bracket for relatively minor injuries with a complete recovery within a few years also applies to moderate whiplash injuries where the period of recovery is fairly protracted.
| Injury | Bracket |
|---|---|
| Most severe neck injury (incomplete paraplegia or similar) | £180,000 to £475,000 |
| Neck injury of considerable severity, short of the most severe | £100,000 to £250,000 |
| Severe soft tissue damage or ruptured tendons, permanent disability | £50,000 to £162,500 |
| Fractures or dislocation with severe symptoms or spinal fusion | £62,500 to £112,500 |
| Severe whiplash or wrenching injury with disc lesion | £37,500 to £75,000 |
| Relatively minor neck injury or moderate whiplash, recovery within a few years | £15,000 to £40,000 |
| Minor neck injury: full recovery in about 12 to 24 months | Up to £17,500 |
| Minor neck injury: full recovery in 6 to 12 months | Up to £7,500 |
| Minor neck injury: full recovery within 6 months | Up to £5,000 |
Back injury brackets
Minor back injuries are also banded by recovery time, from up to £5,000 for a full recovery within six months to £15,000 to £37,500 where recovery without surgery takes about two to five years.
| Injury | Bracket |
|---|---|
| Most severe back injuries short of paralysis | £185,000 to £375,000 |
| Back injury with special features | £87,500 to £175,000 |
| Serious back injury: disc lesions or vertebral fractures | £75,000 to £137,500 |
| Back injury with permanent residual disability, less severe | £43,500 to £75,000 |
| Moderate back injuries | £20,000 to £60,000 |
| Minor back injury: recovery without surgery in about 2 to 5 years | £15,000 to £37,500 |
| Minor back injury: full recovery in 6 to 24 months | Up to £22,500 |
| Minor back injury: full recovery within 6 months | Up to £5,000 |
| Fracture of sternum | Up to £25,000 |
Head and brain injury brackets
| Injury | Bracket |
|---|---|
| Very severe brain damage (vegetative state, 24-hour care) | £500,000 to £850,000 |
| Moderately severe brain damage (conscious, total dependency) | £310,000 to £685,000 |
| Moderate brain damage: moderate to severe intellectual deficit, personality change | £300,000 to £575,000 |
| Moderate brain damage: modest to moderate intellectual deficit, work greatly reduced | £160,000 to £345,000 |
| Moderate brain damage: concentration and memory affected, work reduced | £55,000 to £220,000 |
| Minor brain damage (good recovery, some persisting defects) | £50,000 to £110,000 |
| Other head injuries (not brain damage) | £4,500 to £47,000 |
| Established epilepsy | £120,000 to £240,000 |
Psychiatric damage and PTSD brackets
Minor psychiatric damage, which includes adjustment disorders, is split by how long a virtually full recovery takes: up to £10,000 within 12 months and up to £20,000 within 12 to 24 months.
| Injury | Bracket |
|---|---|
| Severe psychiatric damage | £100,000 to £250,000 |
| Moderately severe psychiatric damage | £60,000 to £150,000 |
| Moderate psychiatric damage | £15,000 to £60,000 |
| Minor psychiatric damage: virtually full recovery within 12 months | Up to £10,000 |
| Minor psychiatric damage: virtually full recovery within 12 to 24 months | Up to £20,000 |
| Severe PTSD | £100,000 to £250,000 |
| Moderately severe PTSD | £60,000 to £150,000 |
| Moderate PTSD | £15,000 to £60,000 |
| Minor PTSD | Up to £20,000 |
Sight, hearing and tinnitus brackets
The sixth edition separates hearing loss and tinnitus into their own categories, because the two can be mutually exclusive. Where both are present, the introduction says appropriate allowance should be made for the doubling up.
| Injury | Bracket |
|---|---|
| Total blindness | £350,000 to £600,000 |
| Complete loss of sight in one eye | £90,000 to £165,000 |
| Minor eye injuries | Up to £23,500 |
| Total deafness | £250,000 to £350,000 |
| Total loss of hearing in one ear | £50,000 to £100,000 |
| Severe hearing loss | £60,000 to £200,000 |
| Moderate hearing loss | £20,000 to £60,000 |
| Mild hearing loss | Up to £20,000 |
| Severe tinnitus | £40,000 to £90,000 |
| Moderate tinnitus | £20,000 to £40,000 |
| Mild tinnitus | Up to £20,000 |
Shoulder, arm, wrist and hand brackets
| Injury | Bracket |
|---|---|
| Severe shoulder injury | £35,000 to £100,000 |
| Moderate shoulder injury | £17,500 to £40,000 |
| Minor shoulder injury: simple collarbone fracture, good recovery | Up to £17,500 |
| Minor shoulder injury: soft tissue, almost full recovery within a year | Up to £15,000 |
| Severely disabling elbow injury | £50,000 to £110,000 |
| Moderate or minor elbow injury | Up to £25,000 |
| Wrist: complete loss of function | £50,000 to £110,000 |
| Wrist: complete or largely complete recovery | Up to £22,500 |
| Uncomplicated Colles' fracture | Up to £12,500 |
| Very minor wrist fractures or soft tissue injuries | Up to £10,000 |
| Total or effective loss of one hand | £100,000 to £200,000 |
| Moderate hand injury | £22,500 to £90,000 |
| Minor hand injuries | Up to £22,500 |
| Total loss of thumb | £55,000 to £90,000 |
Leg, knee, ankle and foot brackets
| Injury | Bracket |
|---|---|
| Most serious leg injuries short of amputation | £125,000 to £300,000 |
| Moderate leg injuries | £60,000 to £150,000 |
| Less serious leg injuries | £35,000 to £90,000 |
| Simple fracture of femur, joint surfaces undamaged | £17,500 to £30,000 |
| Simple fracture of tibia or fibula | Up to £20,000 |
| Severe knee injury: joint disruption, arthroplasty or arthrodesis | £100,000 to £150,000 |
| Moderate knee injury: torn cartilage or meniscus, dislocation | £30,000 to £50,000 |
| Minor knee injury | Up to £30,000 |
| Severe ankle injury | £60,000 to £125,000 |
| Moderate ankle injury | £30,000 to £75,000 |
| Modest ankle injuries | Up to £30,000 |
| Severe foot injury | £100,000 to £175,000 |
| Modest foot injury | Up to £30,000 |
Facial injuries, teeth and scarring
| Injury | Bracket |
|---|---|
| Nose fracture: serious, several operations, permanent damage | £30,000 to £50,000 |
| Nose fracture: displaced, full recovery after surgery | Up to £20,000 |
| Nose fracture: simple undisplaced, full recovery | Up to £12,500 |
| Cheekbone fracture: simple, some reconstructive surgery | Up to £22,500 |
| Jaw fracture: simple, complete recovery | Up to £22,500 |
| Teeth: loss of or serious damage to one front tooth | Up to £15,000 |
| Teeth: loss of or damage to back teeth (per tooth) | Up to £4,500 |
| Very severe facial scarring | £125,000 to £350,000 |
| Some facial scarring, not of great significance | Up to £45,000 |
| Trivial facial scarring | Up to £9,000 |
Chapter 9, on scarring to other parts of the body, gives no separate figures. It says the principles and brackets are broadly the same as for facial disfigurement, and awards tend to be lower where the scarring is not to the face or is not usually visible.
The most serious injuries
| Injury | Bracket |
|---|---|
| Quadriplegia | £590,000 to £870,000 |
| Paraplegia | £475,000 to £720,000 |
| Very severe brain damage (vegetative state, 24-hour care) | £500,000 to £850,000 |
| Total blindness and deafness | £500,000 to £750,000 |
| Loss of both arms | £425,000 to £750,000 |
| Total effective loss of both hands | £300,000 to £500,000 |
| Total loss of both legs | £400,000 to £600,000 |
What changed in the sixth edition
- Inflation. The committee adjusted the figures by reference to the Retail Price Index up to the date of publication, and made no forecast of future inflation.
- Hearing. Deafness and tinnitus now have separate categories.
- No gender distinction. Brackets for the reproductive system and facial disfigurement no longer differ by gender.
- Fingers. Very specific finger categories were merged into slightly broader ones.
- Free and online. The edition is published by the Judicial Studies Board as an online printable version, and practitioners and the public may access it free of charge.
How the Green Book is used
The Green Book is a guide, not a rule book. Lord Justice Horner's introduction says the Guidelines are provided to assist in determining levels of damages and are not a rigid framework to be applied mechanistically. The original introduction warns that the book must not be treated as a ready-reckoner and that its figures are best used as a check on a tentative valuation. It also notes that the headings do not reflect the frequent situation where injuries are multiple and overlapping, so the overall figure for several injuries is a matter for the judge. Financial losses, such as lost earnings and care costs, are claimed separately from these general damages; see general vs special damages.
Sources and methodology
Every bracket was read from the official PDF and checked against its text; the labels are shortened summaries of the official descriptions.
- Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases in Northern Ireland, sixth edition, Judicial Studies Board for Northern Ireland, published 8 April 2024 on judiciaryni.uk (PDF).
- Introductions to the sixth edition (Lord Justice Horner, 13 March 2024) and to the first edition (Lord Justice MacDermott, 25 October 1996), in the same document.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Green Book in Northern Ireland?
It is the Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases in Northern Ireland, published by the Judicial Studies Board for Northern Ireland. The sixth edition was published on 8 April 2024.
Is the Green Book free to read?
Yes. The sixth edition is published online by the Judicial Studies Board, and its introduction says both practitioners and the public may access it free of charge.
How much is a whiplash or minor neck injury worth in Northern Ireland?
Under the sixth edition, a minor neck injury with a full recovery within six months is worth up to £5,000, within 6 to 12 months up to £7,500, and within about 12 to 24 months up to £17,500. Moderate whiplash with a fairly protracted recovery can fall in the £15,000 to £40,000 bracket.
Why are Northern Ireland awards higher than in England and Wales?
The first edition explained that the level of damages in Northern Ireland is significantly higher than in England and Wales, and that this is in large measure because damages were assessed by juries until 1987.
What changed in the sixth edition of the Green Book?
Figures were adjusted by the Retail Price Index up to publication, deafness and tinnitus were separated, gender distinctions were removed from the reproductive system and facial disfigurement brackets, and finger injury categories were simplified.