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★ Northern Ireland · whiplash

Whiplash settlements
in Northern Ireland.

By 9 min read

Northern Ireland has no whiplash tariff; judges value soft tissue injuries case by case using the Green Book guidelines. A driver whose car was hit side on at traffic lights in Lurgan was awarded £72,500 in general damages, covering physical and psychiatric injury, plus £67,500 for lost earnings. A nurse knocked down on a crossing in the grounds of Altnagelvin Hospital received £81,155.72.

Facts that decide a whiplash claim in Northern Ireland

Psychiatric injury countsDamages for psychiatric injury are assessed alongside the physical injuries; Carlin received £20,000, at the lower end of the moderate range.Carlin v Waldron [2025] NIKB 12
Your own faultA claim “shall not be defeated” by your own fault, but damages are reduced to the extent the court thinks just and equitable.Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (NI) 1948, s 2(1)
Time limitAn injury action must be brought within three years from the date the cause of action accrued, or from your date of knowledge if later.Limitation (Northern Ireland) Order 1989, art 7(4)
★ band · UK federal frame
£8,640 to £24,990
Neck, moderate
JCG 16th ed.

The UK band is the starting point. Northern Ireland's fault rule and any applicable cap then adjust the figure.

★ NI · reported whiplash outcomes

What Northern Ireland courts have awarded.

Real Northern Ireland decisions and verdicts, each linked to the court record or official report.

  • Finegan v McDonald
    High Court (KB), Northern Ireland · 2025
    £72,500 general damages; £67,500 lost earnings

    On 27 January 2019 the plaintiff, born in 1956, was driving through a light controlled junction at Millenium Way and Union Street in Lurgan when the defendant drove across his path and hit the side of his car. The airbag went off and the car filled with smoke. He claimed soft tissue injuries to his right wrist, knee and leg, and psychiatric injury. The judge awarded £72,500 and £67,500.

  • Carlin v Waldron
    High Court (KB), Northern Ireland · 2025
    £81,155.72 in total

    On 5 February 2022 the plaintiff, an orthopaedic nurse aged 28, was more than half way across a pedestrian crossing in the grounds of Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry when a car failed to stop in time and knocked her down. Liability was not disputed. She had ongoing low back pain. The judge awarded £20,000 for psychiatric injury among other items, £81,155.72 in total.

★ NI · whiplash · in practice

What changes the number here.

What actually moves a whiplash settlement in Northern Ireland.

  1. 1

    Tell your GP about anxiety or low mood after a crash; it is compensated separately.

  2. 2

    Keep payslips and overtime records; Carlin recovered lost overtime too.

  3. 3

    Expect the insurer to test your account against your medical records.

★ NI · statute of limitations
3 years from date of injury or knowledge

Limitation (Northern Ireland) Order 1989

★ NI · fault rule
Common-law contributory reduction

Common-law contributory-negligence reduction under the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Northern Ireland) Act 1948.

★ whiplash severity tiers · UK frame

How the band stratifies.

The Judicial College Guidelines (18th ed.) stratifies whiplash into the tiers below. Northern Ireland courts apply the same tier structure, adjusted for state-specific factors.

Severity tierBandBasis
Whiplash (≤3 months)£275Whiplash tariff, injuries from 31 May 2025
Whiplash (≤24 months)£4,830Whiplash tariff, injuries from 31 May 2025
Neck, minor (full recovery in 1 to 2 years)£2,300 to £4,350JCG 16th ed., outside tariff scope
Neck, moderate£8,640 to £24,990JCG 16th ed.
★ whiplash · same region & fault regime

Compare to like jurisdictions.

How Northern Ireland's fault rule and limitation period compare to jurisdictions in the same UK region and to those running the same fault rule for whiplash claims.

JurisdictionFault ruleLimitationWhiplash page
Northern Ireland · you are hereCommon-law contributory reduction3 years from date of injury or knowledge—
EnglandCommon-law contributory reduction3 years from date of injury or knowledgeENG · whiplash →
WalesCommon-law contributory reduction3 years from date of injury or knowledgeWAL · whiplash →
ScotlandCommon-law contributory reduction3 years from date of injury or knowledge (called "prescription" in Scots law)SCO · whiplash →
★ NI · whiplash · frequently asked

Common questions.

Each answer is independently coherent and references the relevant statute or authority document.

Sources

Checked 2026-09-30. Every figure on this page comes from one of these documents.

★ all of NI
Northern Ireland overview

Fault rule, statute, caps, and key facts for Northern Ireland as a whole.

★ federal frame
Whiplash in United Kingdom

Whiplash band structure and severity tiers at the UK level.

★ all 15 countries
Whiplash · everywhere

Cross-jurisdiction comparison of whiplash bands.

★ editorial note

Figures on this page are starting points: the UK band adjusted for Northern Ireland's statutory framework. They are not quotes for any specific case. For representation, consult a solicitor practising in Northern Ireland. See /methodology, /sources, and /disclaimer.