Tennis elbow
compensation claims

If a tennis elbow injury has set you back, we'll help you move forward

Tennis elbow is a strain or overuse injury affecting the elbow's tendons, causing pain and tenderness outside the elbow. The condition is usually treated with rest, ice, anti-inflammatory drugs, and physical therapy, with surgery for severe cases.

If you have been affected by tennis elbow, we can help. If your injuries were caused by someone else's actions or negligence, you may be entitled to claim compensation.

You can make a No Win, No Fee compensation claim with the help and support of a personal injury solicitor.

With 65,000 admissions for elbow and forearm injuries each year, you are not alone

Tennis elbow is a type of tendonitis characterised by an inflammation of the tendons on the outer part of the elbow. The condition can cause significant pain and discomfort.

According to an analysis of NHS data, there were 64,429 hospital admissions in England in 2021-22 for elbow and forearm injuries (digital.nhs.uk).

Many elbow injury compensation claims are work-related. Using the arms to repeat the same task over and over, when typing for example, can stress the tendons and lead to Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). Tendons can also be damaged through strenuous overuse of the elbow, for example, if the elbow is overloaded or twisted during lifting and carrying activities.

If you decide to make a tennis elbow injury claim, your personal injury solicitor will take you through every step of the claims process. Your solicitor will be with you until you win your claim and get the compensation you need to move forward.

If you are looking for information on tennis elbow symptoms and treatment, see: tennis elbow (nhs.uk).

Read more:

Overuse injury compensation claims

Am I entitled to make a tennis elbow injury claim?

If you've been injured or diagnosed with an illness in the last three years and it wasn't your fault, you will be able to claim compensation.

Use our injury claim calculator to find out if you can claim. Or you can call 0800 376 1001 to speak to a specialist advisor. Find out in minutes if you have a claim.

What if I was partially at fault?

Personal injury claims where both the defendant and claimant share some responsibility are relatively common.

In our recent 2024 Personal Injury Claimant Survey, 13.99% of respondents thought they could be partially to blame for their accident.

Even if your actions or negligence played a role in the accident, you could still be eligible for compensation. Cases with shared fault (contributory negligence) frequently settle through a split liability agreement.

Read more:

Can I claim if I feel I was partly responsible for my accident?

How much compensation can I claim for tennis elbow?

The amount of money you could claim for your injury will depend on:

• the seriousness of your injury, and
• any financial losses or costs you have incurred.

At the start of your claim, your solicitor will consider the many ways your injuries have affected your life. Your solicitor will take these considerations into account to calculate the correct compensation award.

General damages

General damages are awarded for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA).

Awards for general damages are set by the Judicial College (judiciary.uk) and published in their guidelines for personal injury awards.

How is compensation calculated if I have multiple injuries?

Special damages

Special damages are awarded to compensate you for any costs or losses you've incurred or might incur as a result of your accident. These costs might include loss of earnings (including future anticipated earnings loss), retraining costs, career trajectory impact, or any other out of pocket expenses.

Special damages may also be awarded for medical treatments or procedures that you might need to treat your tennis elbow injury, including anti-inflammatory medication and corticosteroid injections.

Read more:

A complete list of recoverable losses in a personal injury claim

Average tennis elbow injury general damages compensation

The following tennis elbow injury payouts refer to the Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases, Sixteenth Edition by the Judicial College (oup.com).

These tables are used by solicitors or by the courts as a starting point when calculating your compensation.

Please note: these average figures represent general damages only, and do not include any element of special damages (e.g. lost wages).

Can I claim compensation for a psychological injury?

If you have experienced psychological issues in addition to physical symptoms, you are not alone.

Our 2024 Personal Injury Claimant Survey found that 29.03% of claimants reported a psychological injury, with 70.97% of these relating to a physical injury.

Tennis elbow injuries often lead to worries about arm strength and an anxiety about returning to previous activity levels.

Psychiatric harm is less obvious than physical injury, but the consequences can be just as difficult to deal with.

Our compensation calculator can estimate your compensation for psychological injuries. Or you can call us on 0800 376 1001 to speak to a specialist advisor.

What is tennis elbow?

The arm consists of three bones known as the humerus, ulna and radius. These bones meet at the elbow joint. Bicep and tricep muscles permit these bones to bend and straighten and are attached to the bones by ligaments. Tennis elbow occurs when the ligaments on the outside of the elbow become inflamed.

Inflammation of the tendons can lead to a variety of symptoms that make using the elbow more difficult. According to the NHS, common symptoms described by people affected by tennis elbow include:

• Tenderness on the outside of the elbow
• Pain in the forearm and in the back of the hand
• Pain and stiffness when bending or extending the arm
• Pain when making a pincer movement with the fingers, for example, when holding a pen
• Difficulty twisting the forearm, for example, opening a jar.

The majority of people diagnosed with tennis elbow will make a full recovery within one year. Occasionally, an episode of tennis elbow can last for two years or more and cause significant physical discomfort (nhs.uk).

Who is at risk of getting tennis elbow?

Various factors have the potential to cause tennis elbow. These include repetitive work, excessive or sustained force, uncomfortable working postures, and carrying out tasks for long periods without rest breaks.

Office workers are the most likely to be affected by tennis elbow due to their repetitive use of computer keyboards.

Workers in the construction, manufacturing and healthcare sectors also have high incidences of overuse injuries and musculoskeletal disorders, including tennis elbow, according to the Health and Safety Executive.

For more help and support relating to workplace overuse disorders, see: Musculoskeletal disorders (hse.org.uk).

How did your injury happen?

Claiming compensation for a tennis elbow injury is dependent on how your injury occurred. Click the icons below for more detail:

Work accidents Public places Road accidents Medical negligence Other accidents

Citations

Author:
Gaynor Haliday, Legal researcher

About the author

Gaynor Haliday is an experienced legal researcher and published author. She has had numerous articles published in the press and is a legal industry commentator.