The Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), now in their 18th edition, are the standard reference for valuing general damages, pain, suffering, and loss of amenity, in personal injury cases in England and Wales. They set indicative brackets by injury type and severity, informed by reported case law and updated approximately every two years.
The JCG provides bracket ranges for every injury type, from a minor head injury (£2,920 to £16,870) to tetraplegia (£428,850 to £533,720) in the 18th edition. Courts, solicitors, and insurers use these bands as the primary anchor for valuation. They are advisory but highly persuasive. Whiplash claims ≤24 months are now governed by the statutory tariff, not the JCG.
Structure of the Guidelines
The JCG organises injuries by body part and type: head injuries, psychiatric damage, injuries to the senses, injuries to internal organs, orthopaedic injuries (neck, back, shoulder, arm, wrist, hand, pelvis, leg, knee, ankle, foot), scarring, and chronic pain. Each category is divided into severity bands, typically “minor,” “moderate,” “moderately severe,” and “severe.”
Within each band, the JCG provides a bracket (for example £36,680 to £51,230 for the upper moderate back band) and a narrative description of the types of injuries that fall within that bracket. The narrative references specific features: recovery prospects, treatment required, impact on daily life, and prognosis.
Key injury bands (18th edition, selected)
The 18th edition was published on 9 April 2026. It lifted every bracket by 8.26%, the rise in the Retail Prices Index to August 2025. The figures below come from the 18th edition tables.
| Injury | Severity | JCG band |
|---|---|---|
| Back | Minor | up to £16,520 |
| Back | Moderate | £16,520 to £51,230 |
| Back | Severe | £51,230 to £212,670 |
| Head or brain | Minor | £2,920 to £16,870 |
| Brain | Less severe | £20,240 to £56,890 |
| Brain | Moderate | £56,890 to £289,420 |
| Brain | Very severe | £372,570 to £533,720 |
| Ankle | Moderate | £18,150 to £35,130 |
| CRPS | Moderate | £37,030 to £69,360 |
| CRPS | Severe | £69,360 to £110,990 |
| Leg, below knee amputation | One leg | £129,440 to £175,690 |
| Tetraplegia | Full range | £428,850 to £533,720 |
| Paraplegia | Full range | £289,420 to £375,540 |
Neck, knee and shoulder brackets rose by the same 8.26%. For those, read the exact bracket from the 18th edition itself before you rely on a figure.
Interaction with the Whiplash Reform tariff
Since May 2021, whiplash injuries from road traffic accidents lasting 24 months or less are valued under a fixed statutory tariff introduced by the Civil Liability Act 2018, not the JCG. For injuries on or after 31 May 2025 the tariff runs from £275 (symptoms up to 3 months) to £4,830 (18 to 24 months), or up to £4,975 with a minor psychological injury. Injuries before that date keep the 2021 figures of £240 to £4,215. The full table is in our whiplash tariff guide.
For whiplash injuries exceeding 24 months, and for all non-whiplash soft-tissue injuries (even from road traffic accidents), the JCG bands continue to apply. The tariff also does not apply to injuries involving fractures, disc herniation, or other “non-whiplash” diagnoses.
How courts apply the Guidelines
The typical process is:
- Identify the primary injury and any secondary injuries
- Match each injury to the relevant JCG category and severity band
- Place the injury within the bracket based on case-specific features
- If multiple injuries exist, make an appropriate uplift (but avoid double-counting)
- Compare with comparable reported awards to ensure consistency
Limitations
- The JCG applies only in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different frameworks.
- The Guidelines are advisory, the court retains discretion to depart from them.
- Bands can become outdated between editions (current edition: the 18th, April 2026). Courts may still adjust for inflation in the gap before the next edition.
- Complex multi-injury cases require careful assessment to avoid under- or over-compensation.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Judicial College Guidelines?
Are the JCG legally binding?
How often are the JCG updated?
Do the JCG apply to whiplash claims?
How are the JCG different from the US multiplier method?
Sources
- Judicial College Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases, 18th edition (Oxford University Press, April 2026)
- Civil Liability Act 2018, Whiplash Reform provisions
- The Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021
- The Whiplash Injury (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/615)
- Ministry of Justice, Official Injury Claim portal guidance