Whiplash claim values
in Hong Kong.

• No statutory cap on PSLA
  All personal injury
  Court of Appeal bands

  Hong Kong courts apply published quanta bands without statutory cap.

1. 1
   Pre-action letter

   Letter of claim with supporting medical reports.

2. 2
   ECO claim (workplace)

   Workplace injuries handled under the Employees' Compensation Ordinance through the Labour Department.

3. 3
   Common-law claim

   Filed in the District Court (≤HK$3,000,000) or Court of First Instance (above).

4. 4
   Listing for trial

   Cases listed in the Personal Injuries List for accelerated case management.

5. 5
   Trial

   Bench trial; appellate review through the Court of Appeal and Court of Final Appeal.

A driver hit by a car running a red light at Granville Road and Chatham Road South in 2017 claimed over HK$5 million; the District Court awarded HK$100,000 for pain and suffering and HK$273,000 in total. A taxi driver hurt on the Fanling Highway in 2019, with neck and back injuries and 524 days of sick leave, received HK$150,000 for pain and suffering and HK$600,820 in all.

• Chan Yiu Man v Ha Ching Man Maria
  District Court · 2024
  HK$273,000

  On 4 March 2017 the plaintiff moved off on a green light at the junction of Granville Road and Chatham Road South in Tsim Sha Tsui and was hit by a car driven through a red light. He felt pain from his neck to his foot. Liability was entered by consent. He claimed over HK$5 million; the court awarded HK$100,000 for PSLA, HK$132,000 pre-trial lost earnings, HK$9,000 special damages and HK$32,000 for the car.

• Hong Wai Chun v Hui Ka Tung
  District Court · 2025
  HK$600,820

  At about 7.11pm on 6 November 2019 the plaintiff was driving a taxi on the Fanling Highway when it was involved in an accident with a truck. He said he injured his neck and back; imaging showed no fractures, and a back sprain was diagnosed. He had 524 days of sick leave. The court awarded HK$150,000 for PSLA, HK$429,383 pre-trial lost earnings and HK$21,437 special damages.

• How much is a whiplash claim worth in Hong Kong?

  The band table on this page shows whiplash values in Hong Kong by severity. The most severe matching band is HK$80,000 to HK$200,000, a MyClaimWorth estimate. The exact figure within the band depends on severity, prognosis, recovery time, the medical paper trail, and any percentage of fault attributed to the claimant under Hong Kong's comparative-fault rule.
• What is the statute of limitations for whiplash claims in Hong Kong?

  3 years from date of injury or knowledge. Source: Limitation Ordinance (Cap. 347). Discoverability rule applies.
• Does fault allocation reduce a whiplash settlement in Hong Kong?

  Law Amendment and Reform (Consolidation) Ordinance (Cap. 23). No bar threshold. Reductions are calculated as a percentage of the total damages award before any cap is applied.
• Are there caps on whiplash damages in Hong Kong?

  Yes — Hong Kong applies the following caps that bear on whiplash claims: No statutory cap on PSLA. See the caps section on this page for the figures and the conditions under which each applies.
• How long does a Hong Kong whiplash case take to resolve?

  Soft-tissue presentations commonly resolve within 6 to 12 months from medical stability. Complex cases with surgery or contested liability routinely take 18 to 36 months. Cases that proceed to trial commonly take 2 to 5 years. The procedural pathway on this page sets out the typical milestones in Hong Kong.
• Is settlement preferable to trial for a whiplash claim in Hong Kong?

  For most Hong Kong whiplash claimants, yes. The vast majority of personal-injury cases settle before trial. Settlement provides certainty, removes appeal risk, and resolves faster. Trial is appropriate where liability is genuinely contested or where the defendant's insurer is unrealistic about quantum given the published authority.