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WAL
★ Wales · fracture

Fracture settlements
in Wales.

By 9 min read

A goalkeeper who bent her wrist back saving a shot went to Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor; the court found the doctor had not competently tested for a scaphoid injury, and she received the agreed £39,000. A racing stable rider in Tonyrefail who fractured and dislocated her elbow in a fall from a cantering horse lost her claim on liability; the judge found some dishonest exaggeration, but not enough to be fundamental dishonesty.

Facts that decide a fracture claim in Wales

Missed wrist fracturesA doctor must properly carry out the clinical tests for a scaphoid injury; failing to do so was negligent.Arkless v Betsi Cadwaladr [2016] EWHC 330 (QB)
Fundamental dishonestyA claim found fundamentally dishonest must be dismissed in full unless that causes substantial injustice.Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015, s 57
Time limitThree years from the injury, or from your date of knowledge if later; Wales follows the same Limitation Act as England.Limitation Act 1980, s 11(4)
★ band · UK federal frame
£9,110 to £14,080
Femur fracture (uncomplicated)
JCG 16th ed.

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

★ WAL · reported fracture outcomes

What Wales courts have awarded.

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

  • Arkless v Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board
    High Court (QB) · 2016
    £39,000 agreed damages

    On 23 April 2009 the claimant, playing in goal, had her left hand bent backwards by a hard shot and fell onto it. The next day, with a swollen, bruised wrist and pins and needles, she went to Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor. The court could not conclude the doctor had properly and competently carried out the tests for a scaphoid injury, so liability was established and judgment entered for £39,000.

  • Boyd v Hughes
    High Court (KB) · 2025
    Claim failed

    On 23 June 2020 Hazel Boyd, an experienced work rider at a racehorse yard near Tonyrefail, was cantering a horse called Foxy on the gallops when he moved sharply right and she fell, suffering a dislocation and articular fracture of her right elbow. She sued under negligence and the Animals Act 1971. Her claim failed; the judge found dishonest embellishment of her disability but held it did not go to the heart of the claim.

★ WAL · fracture · in practice

What changes the number here.

What actually moves a fracture settlement in Wales.

  1. 1

    If a wrist injury is still painful, ask for a follow up x ray; scaphoid fractures often hide at first.

  2. 2

    Tell every examining expert the same account of what you can do.

  3. 3

    Record a horse’s history of shying or bucking before any claim against its keeper.

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

Limitation Act 1980, s.11

★ WAL · fault rule
Common-law contributory reduction

Same as England, contributory-negligence reduction without bar.

★ WAL · caps

What caps recovery.

Statutory caps that may bear on a fracture settlement in Wales.

★ fracture severity tiers · UK frame

How the band stratifies.

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

Severity tierBandBasis
Wrist fracture (full recovery)£3,820 to £10,080JCG 16th ed.
Femur fracture (uncomplicated)£9,110 to £14,080JCG 16th ed.
★ fracture · same region & fault regime

Compare to like jurisdictions.

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

JurisdictionFault ruleLimitationFracture page
Wales · you are hereCommon-law contributory reduction3 years from date of injury or knowledge—
EnglandCommon-law contributory reduction3 years from date of injury or knowledgeENG · fracture →
ScotlandCommon-law contributory reduction3 years from date of injury or knowledge (called "prescription" in Scots law)SCO · fracture →
Northern IrelandCommon-law contributory reduction3 years from date of injury or knowledgeNI · fracture →
★ WAL · fracture · 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 WAL
Wales overview

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

★ federal frame
Fracture in United Kingdom

Fracture band structure and severity tiers at the UK level.

★ all 15 countries
Fracture · everywhere

Cross-jurisdiction comparison of fracture bands.

★ editorial note

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