Work accident compensation?

My father recently got hit by a coil spring while working on a car, before it happened he was being helped by another worker because it was a two man job, but then the boss told the other guy to go do something else, my dad protested because he needed someone to keep the spring from hitting him but the boss said no, so then it jumped off hit him and he's hurt his arm.

I don't think its broken, how much compensation could he get from that?

the normal amount of damages in a workers compensation case is the medicals and time off.

In a case where the boss was grossly negligent there may be more damages.

Your father should have refused to continue the job without help if he knew it was unsafe to do so. If by some extraordinary circumstances he has a severe enough injury that he can not work he is entitled to weekly disability payments under work comp laws which vary by state. Some states you must not be able to work for atleast 10 days to even qualify. In most cases work comp is settled for less than 2 years pay. And most work comp insurance agencies do NOT like to settle before 52 weeks. Which in most states is the max amount of time you can collect work comp disability payments.

If his arm is simply bruised and sore his chances of a settlement over $1 are next to nothing. He works at a physical job not in an office and bumps and bruises are normal for mechanics.

I think your dad has shot himself in the foot, if you'll excuse the metaphor, as he made it clear he knew it was dangerous to do on his own. Any lawyers working for the boss will make it clear that he shouldn't have carried on with a task he knew was dangerous, I'm afraid.

You question concentrates on the compensation, not liability.

Damages (compensation) in the UK are divided into general damages and special damages.
General damages are those for the injury itself. A soft-tissue injury which heals inside six months, maybe about 拢2,500. No more, possibly less.

Special damages are the losses and expenses casued by the accident - i.e. time off work which is unpaid; travel to the doctor and so on. Think of it like an expenses claim.
These are awarded on top of generals

You do not, as the answer above has said, get more damages for 'gross negligence'.
The damages awarded are for the injury; they are not based on how or why it happened.