Leg Injury Compensation & Broken Leg Compensation Claims

Leg Injury Claims & Knee Injury Compensation Calculator

Use of our legs is an integral part of our day to day lives, allowing us to move around and maintain our independence. So when you injure one or both of your legs, the consequences can be debilitating.

The leg contains four bones, the Femur, found in the thigh, the Patella, more commonly known as the kneecap and then the Tibia and Fibula, which make up the lower leg. Although the Femur is the longest and strongest bone in the body it can still break if subjected to significant force.

Depending on the severity, leg injuries can affect people for the short, or long term and in extreme cases can have whole of life consequences, such as permanent disability and potentially the end of a person’s career.

Leg injuries often result in extended time off work and an inability to engage in favoured sports or hobbies. So, if you or a loved one has sustained a leg injury due to the carelessness or negligent actions of someone else, then you are entitled to claim compensation to recompense you for the pain and suffering you have endured and recoup financial expenses such as medical fees, rehabilitation costs and loss of earnings.

How compensation can help

In short, if you suffer a leg injury as a result of someone else’s negligence you are fully entitled and deserving of financial compensation. The law is designed to support those who have been injured through no fault of their own and financial compensation is designed to help restore you to the person you were prior to your accident and to recompense you for expenses incurred, such as loss of earnings due to time off work.

Obviously, no amount of money can rid a person of their injuries, but a lump sum awarded by the court can help alleviate financial pressures, pay for on-going care and treatment, fund essential adjustments to the home and transport in order to maximise a person’s independence. How you use your compensation is entirely down to you but examples of what your compensation can be used to finance include:

• Medical specialists such as physiotherapists and occupational therapists
• Psychological support to aid recovery from the effects of the accident or injury - Such as counsellors or psychologists
• Adjustments to the home or vehicle - Such as hoists, stairlifts or an adapted vehicle
• Mobility devices - Mobility scooters and wheelchairs
• Professional carers - The victim may need temporary or long-term assistance when they leave the hospital
• Specialist medical equipment - State of the art prosthetics not available on the NHS
• Transport costs - May need to use taxis for a period if unable to drive.

Any financial compensation settlement is comprised of two types of damages:

General Damages: The sum awarded in recompense for the pain and suffering endured and the loss of amenity suffered.

Special Damages: Designed to restore you back to the financial position you were in before the injury. Special damages will reimburse you for any financial losses you have incurred as a result of the injury.

Some general damages figures relating to leg and ankle injuries have been provided below, but due to the unique nature of every leg injury compensation claim, it is not possible to predict what the total value of your claim may be without assessing your individual claim in detail.

Leg Injury Compensation Claim Settlement Amounts

Common Cause of Leg Injuries

• Building Site Accidents - Twisting knee or ankle on rough terrain or a fall from scaffolding
• Road Traffic Accidents - Due to the positioning of your legs within a vehicle they are susceptible to injury in road traffic accidents, often causing some of the more severe types of a leg injury
• Sports Injury - From a broken leg sustained in a skiing accident, to a leg gouge from studs in football or rugby
• Work accidents - Could be anything from a slip on a spillage or a trip on an unprotected cable to a fall from a ladder or a work driving accident
• Farm Accidents - Poorly maintained equipment, lack of appropriate training, lack of suitable PPE and the uneven and slippery nature of the working environment could all give rise to leg injuries on farms.
• Slips, trip and falls - A slip in a shop or supermarket or shop or a trip on an even or unstable paving slip could both lead to a leg injury such as a twisted knee, a sprained ankle or even a fracture of the leg.

Types of Leg Injury and Ankle Injury

Amputations - When the leg has been so severely injured that corrective surgery is not an option, sometimes the leg(s) or part of the leg has to be amputated for the greater good of the patient. This will obviously have drastic consequences in terms of the victim’s way of life and will result in substantial compensation to cover the cost of medical expenses, future care and the future loss of earnings if it renders them unable to work.

• Dislocations - Potentially affecting any of the joints in your leg or ankle, dislocations are caused when the bones are forced out of alignment due to a trip or fall, a road traffic accident or a sporting injury. Extremely painful, dislocations cause significant pain, swelling and can cause future problems with the stability of the joint.
• Bone Fractures - The Tibia and Fibula are more commonly broken than the femur, mainly because the femur is the strongest bone in the body but also because the lower leg takes more of the force in a road traffic collision.
• Shin Splints/Stress Fractures - Shin splints are a common precursor to stress fractures amongst runners. Caused by repetitive impact with the road, shin splints cause pain and tenderness along the inside of the shin bone. If the victim does not cease exercise then these can develop into tiny fractures in the shin bone, known as shin stress fractures.
• Cuts / Lacerations - They can be superficial, healing in a matter of weeks, or they can have far more serious implications, potentially severing nerves, tendons, ligaments and muscles, causing permanent symptoms and even disablement of the limb.
• Muscle Injuries - Often associated with sports injuries, affecting the calf or the hamstring, they are caused when the muscle is stretched beyond its capabilities. If the tear is not too severe then full recovery normally takes a month or so, requiring rest and immobilisation. 
• Sprains - A common leg injury affecting the ligaments, often in the ankles and knees. Normally associated with a trip or stumble, where the victims turn their ankle or knee,
• Strains - A common leg injury affecting the tendons and muscles. Commonly associated with putting the muscles and tendons under excessive load, causing injury to the ankle, knee and leg.
• Bruising - Everyone will have suffered multiple bruises to their legs over the years and will be aware of the pain, swelling and discolouration of the affected area but fortunately they heal pretty quickly and normally have no lasting effect.

How to make a Leg Injury Claim or Ankle Injury Compensation Claim

If you have suffered a leg injury or ankle injury due to the actions or negligence of someone else, Sheldon Davidson Solicitors' team of Personal Injury Lawyers in Manchester will manage every aspect of your leg injury compensation claim, maximising your chances of a successful claim and ensuring you are awarded the maximum amount of compensation that you and your family deserve.

Sheldon Davidson Solicitors are leg injury claim specialists with expertise in settling all manner of leg injury compensation claims, as well as ankle injury claims.

We have a long-standing track record of obtaining practical financial support for our clients, as well as arranging high-level medical care to aid their recovery. To find out more about pursuing your leg injury compensation claim, contact our team or fill in our online claim form.