The subject of inflation is seemingly never far from the news these days and the same is true in the claims arena. The publication of the latest 18th edition of the JC guidelines today emphasises that point.
The broad headline is that the brackets in the main have been increased by 8.26%, although as in previous years certain brackets have been increased by different percentages.
This has been, and remains, a continuing debate and is recognised once more in the introduction to the latest edition.
It is acknowledged that alternative inflationary indices may be appropriate. However, the editorial team maintain that it is not for them to prescribe a different inflationary index, with that being a matter for the courts. The editorial team also recognise that it may be difficult to find a case in which the issue can be litigated to a conclusion. They do stress the importance that the issue of an appropriate index is resolved, particularly with the Government’s stated intention to replace RPI by the end of this decade.
In the catastrophic and large loss injury space, based on the 18th edition the most serious injuries now have brackets at the top end in excess of £500,000.
| JCG 18th edition | Percentage uplift | 18th ed Lower | 18th ed Upper | 17th ed Lower | 17th ed Upper |
| 2A - Tetraplegia | 8.26% | £428,850 | £533,720 | £396,140 | £493,000 |
| 2B - Paraplegia | 8.26% | £289,420 | £375,540 | £267,340 | £346,890 |
| 3A(a) - Brain damage v. severe | 8.26% | £372,570 | £533,720 | £344,150 | £493,000 |
| 3A(b) - Brain damage mod severe | 8.26% | £289,420 | £372,570 | £267,340 | £344,150 |
| 7J (a) (iv) – Below-knee amputation of one leg | 8.26% | £129,440 | £175,690 | £119,570 | £162,290 |
There are other changes contained within the 18th edition such as updates to the category of sexual and/or physical abuse in Chapter 4 and the introduction of a new section on miscarriage in Chapter 6, but the most significant revision in catastrophic and large loss injury cases is perhaps to the epilepsy section in Chapter 3.
Updated medical terminology has been introduced, replacing outdated terms such as ‘grand mal’ and ‘petit mal’ with current classifications of generalised motor (tonic-clonic) and focal seizures. The previous structure, which separated the two categories of epilepsy, has been replaced with a single, broader bracket of £72,440 - £198,320, reflecting the fact that the factors influencing the level of award are likely to be similar. A separate category for 'other epileptic conditions' has been retained.
As the introduction to the latest edition makes clear, the guidelines are not binding upon the courts, being of persuasive authority at most. Nevertheless, it is accepted that they are widely used and relied upon by practitioners and the judiciary.
It is also to be remembered that the guidelines are based on RPI as at August 2025 and so the figures would need to be further uplifted by the relevant RPI between August 2025 and the relevant settlement date.
Please contact us for further insight on this and claims inflation issues generally.
Ken Young - Head of Complex & CAT PI
Mark Whalley - Partner
Natalie Larnder - Head of Market Affairs
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