Payouts for personal injury claims are generally kept confidential and are usually only public knowledge if a judge determines the appropriate amount. In Queensland, the largest personal injury claim is around $20 million dollars for a heart-breaking and serious brain injury where the claimant required constant care and assistance for the remainder of his life.
So personal injury claim payouts (or judgement awards, if the matter goes to trial) in Queensland can range anywhere from $0 – $20 million. Where you fall on the scale depends primarily on the nature and severity of the injury, and the difference between your earning potential prior to the injury and your future reduced earning capacity post-injury.
This page publishes statistics of the average compensation sums paid on account of personal injury claims and is updated annually. Alternatively, you can read our:
- table of permanent impairment payout amounts for 2022-23 for statutory workers’ compensation claims
- article on actual results from workplace accident common law claims
- summary of actual court decisions for 2021
- summary of actual court decisions for 2022
If you are thinking about making a claim for personal injuries, consider a free claim check by one of the lawyers at Roche Legal to get an idea of what you may be owed.
Average Queensland Motor Vehicle Accident Injury Claims for 2019-20:
Historically, in Queensland, for motor vehicle accidents, there are around 7,000 CTP claims for personal injury every year and more than half of these are in Brisbane. A total of somewhere around $650,000,000 is paid out to claimants each year which suggests the average payout for a motor vehicle accident personal injury claim may be around $92,857 – $112,369. However, the calculation isn’t that simple. Considering the majority (>70%) of personal injury claims are for minor injuries, and around 15% and 8% are claims for injuries that are moderate and severe respectively, the average injury claim payouts would obviously be much higher the more severe the injury is.
| Severity | Minor | Moderate | Serious | Severe | Average |
| Average CTP Claim Payout | $62,400 | $157,200 | $368,000 | $1,053,500 | $106,600 |
Update for 2022:
| Severity | Minor | Moderate | Serious | Severe | Average |
| Average CTP Claim Payout | $82,600 | $183,000 | $358,600 | $1,061,500 | $106,600 |
Average Queensland Workplace Accident Injury Claim Payouts for 2019-20:
In Queensland, there are around 3,000 common law claims for workplace injuries each year. For workplace accidents, data published by Workcover Queensland for the 2019-20 financial year suggests that the average common law payout for damages relating to a work injury is approximately $168,836.
Source
If a common law claim is not made, compensation is paid on a lump sum basis, determined by legislation and the degree of permanent impairment as assessed by an independent specialist doctor.
Update for 2020-21:
There was a 12.3 per cent increase in common law payments made in 2020–21, indicating that the average common law claim payout is now around $189,602.
Average Queensland Public Liability Injury Claim Payouts for 2019-20:
There are no regular or readily published statistics for public liability claim payouts in Queensland. However, the principles that underpin claims for personal injuries made under public liability insurance (such as slips, trips, and falls) are generally the same as damages claims for personal injuries made under other legislation.
One could infer from published statistics about workplace injuries and motor vehicle injuries that most payouts for public liability injuries range from around $50,000 to $350,000, and higher for more severe injuries.
Are you considering making a claim for personal injuries? Contact ROCHE Legal for a free consultation.