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How To Make Leg Injury Compensation Claims

By Lewis Cobain. Last Updated 24th September 2024. Suffering a leg injury can be painful and worrying, as well as having a large impact on your life. It is highly likely that a leg injury will negatively affect your mobility, which can impact your day-to-day enjoyment of life and even your ability to earn a living. If someone else’s negligent actions caused your injury, then you could be entitled to claim leg injury compensation.

The aim of this guide is to provide you with the information you need about how to claim compensation. We cover the types of accidents that can lead to a leg injury claim and provide some examples to help you think about your own case.

We will tell you how a leg injury compensation amount is calculated and how one of our expert personal injury solicitors could help you with your claim on a No Win No Fee basis.

As you read the guide, you can contact us at any time to discuss any aspect of making a leg injury compensation claim. There is no obligation to proceed any further, and we can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Get in touch with us by:

Select a section:

Can I Make A Leg Injury Compensation Claim?

There are various situations in daily life that could result in a broken leg. However, in order to have a valid leg injury claim, you must satisfy certain criteria. In the following sections, we look at scenarios that could result in a leg injury as well as when you could have good grounds to seek compensation in each one.

Accident At Work

While you are in the workplace or carrying out work duties off-site, your employer must take reasonably practicable steps to ensure your health, safety and welfare. This is the duty of care owed to you by your employer. It is set out in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA). Should your employer fail to meet their legal obligations under HASAWA and other relevant health and safety laws, and you sustain an injury in the workplace, you could have good grounds to make an accident at work claim.

For example, your employer should ensure that walkways are free of clutter. If trailing wires aren’t covered and you sustain a leg injury in a trip and fall accident, you could be eligible to claim compensation.

Public Liability Accident

If you are in a public space and using it for its intended purpose, the individual or organisation in charge of the premises, otherwise called an ‘occupier’, must ensure your reasonable safety. This is the duty of care occupiers of public places owe to visitors of those spaces as set out by the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. If this duty is breached and you suffer a leg injury, you could be eligible to make a public liability claim.

For example, if you sit on a faulty bench in a public park and the bench collapses, causing you to suffer a leg and hip injury due to lack of maintenance, you could be eligible to claim compensation.

Road Traffic Accident

While using the roads, the users, including vehicle drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorbike riders, must navigate in a way that prevents causing injury and damage to themselves as well as others on the roads. This is the duty of care that anyone using the roads owes to everyone else. As part of upholding this duty, road users must comply with the Road Traffic Act 1988 as well as any relevant rules and regulations found in the Highway Code. If a road user were to breach their duty of care and this causes you an injury, you could be eligible to make a road traffic accident claim.

For example, a speeding driver could hit the car you are a passenger in causing you to sustain a fractured leg.

As with all personal injury claims, in order to have a valid leg injury claim, you must meet specific criteria. This means that you need to prove that:

  • You were owed a duty of care at the time and place the leg injury occurred (as discussed above).
  • The liable party breached this duty.
  • You suffered a leg injury as a result of the breach.

Additionally, you must adhere to the relevant time limits when starting your claim. We will discuss this in the next section.

A nurse inspects a man's leg and ankle cast.

Is There A Time Limit To Make A Leg Injury Claim?

The limitation period for leg injury claims is typically three years. This means you’ll need to take action within three years from the date you injured your leg. If you don’t begin your claim within the time limit outlined in the Limitation Act 1980, your claim might be statute-barred.

If a minor suffers leg injuries, the three-year time limit is suspended until their 18th birthday. A litigation friend may act on their behalf. For example, a parent, guardian or family member. However, their interests should not conflict with the claimant’s, and they must be able to make fair and competent decisions about the case.

Additionally, a litigation friend can act on behalf of someone who lacks the mental capacity to begin a claim by themselves. There is no time limit for claimants who fall under this category, unless they were to ever regain the required mental capacity.

Our advisors are available 24/7 and can confirm what the limitation period is for your leg injury claim. Following a free consultation, they could also connect you with one of our expert personal injury solicitors.

What To Do If You Suffer A Leg Injury

People are rarely prepared for an accident. Indeed, the very nature of an accidental injury can make it almost impossible to prepare. However, several points are worth considering.

If you have been involved in an accident, then seeking medical attention is the most critical concern. Once you have attended to your injury, however, you may want to consider legal action. If this is the case, you can keep the following points in mind before filing your leg injury claims:

  • Take Photos and Videos: It is essential to take photos of the accident scene and the injury sustained – especially the areas where there are apparent bruises or markings to document them properly. This evidence can form part of your claim for leg injury compensation. Images and videos of the accident scene and your injuries can demonstrate potential negligence and the severity of your injury, respectively.
  • Get Contact Details from Witnesses: A good compensation case can rely heavily on witness testimonies. If there are people who witnessed you injure your leg, taking their contact details can make it easier to retrieve their stories at a later date. This can help you corroborate your version of events.
  • Keep Any Medical Records: During the leg injury claims process, the severity of your injury will be discussed. A doctor’s notes or x-rays can determine this. If you have any such records, ensure that you have them kept in a safe place.
  • Find Legal Representation: As we will see below, cases such as this can become incredibly complicated. As a result, you may wish to seek legal representation. We will discuss your options in greater detail later in this guide.

To find out what more you can do to give yourself the best chance of recovering leg injury compensation, get in touch with our personal injury claims team. If you’d like more details on the leg injury claims process, please read on.

What Are The Causes Of Leg Injuries?

Leg injuries can happen for a number of reasons. If you’ve suffered an injury to your leg, you could potentially claim. However, in order to receive compensation for a leg injury, the accident that caused it must have been caused by a breach of duty of care.

Some examples of when you might be able to claim for a leg injury include:

  • If a driver is not following the Highway Code and drives carelessly, they could hit you, resulting in a leg amputation.
  • If you suffer a broken leg after tripping on a cracked pavement that should have been maintained by your local council.
  • If you are in work and your employer fails to deal with a known trip hazard, such as poorly organised or cluttered walkways, you might trip or fall and suffer a strain or sprain.

If you have suffered leg injuries due to a breach of duty of care, get in touch to find out if our expert solicitors could help you claim personal injury compensation.

Broken Leg Injury Statistics

As we have previously addressed within an early section of this leg injury compensation guide, a leg injury could be caused in various ways, such as a car crash or an accident at work. For that reason, we have taken the time to reflect on some of the latest statistics.

Firstly, looking at accidents at work:

  • In 2020/21, there was a total of 15,159 fractures in the workplace reported under RIDDOR. There were also 4,368 lacerations and open wounds as well as 14,784 sprains and strains. Any of these injuries could have resulted in medical attention being required.
  • In total, in this time period, there were 51,211 reported non-fatal injuries in the workplace. While we don’t know how many of these resulted in a leg injury compensation amount, we do know that if your workplace injury was caused by employer negligence, you may be able to claim.

A bar chart about leg injuries

Let’s look at car accident statistics. In the latest statistics provided by the Department for Transport, outlining road traffic accident statistics in Great Britain for the year ending June 2021 state that:

  • There were 1,390 fatalities on the road
  • 23,140 people were seriously injured
  • 95,320 were slightly injured.

If you’ve suffered a leg injury at work, in a road traffic accident or in a slip, trip or fall accident in a public place, you could be entitled to leg injury compensation. Get in touch with our team to discuss or find out more about leg injury claims, please keep reading.

How Much Compensation Could I Claim For A Leg Injury?

In order to explain how leg injury compensation is calculated, there are two heads of loss we need to discuss:

  • The physical and psychological impacts of the leg injury will be compensated under general damages.
  • Any financial losses stemming from your injuries can be reimbursed under special damages.

When calculating a possible compensation figure for your leg injury claim, those assigned this task can use your medical evidence alongside the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This publication contains guideline compensation figures for various injuries, we have used some relevant JCG figures below.

Leg Injury Compensation Amounts

Please take note that the figures given are for guidance only. The top entry was not taken from the JCG:

  • Multiple Very Severe Injuries with Additional Special Damages – Up to £1,000,000+
  • Amputation of Both Legs – either above the knee on both legs or one below and one above- £293,850 to £344,150
  • Above-Knee Amputation of One Leg – factors such as phantom pains will affect the amount awarded – £127,930 to £167,760
  • Below-Knee Amputation of One Leg – the level of amputation is one of the factors that will affect the amount awarded – £119,570 to £162,290
  • Severe Leg Injuries that are the Most Serious Short of Amputation – such as extensive degloving of the leg –£117,460 to £165,860
  • A Severe Leg Injury That is Very Serious – causing permanent mobility issues – £66,920 to £109,290
  • A Severe Leg Injury That is Serious – such as serious compound or comminuted fractures – £47,840 to £66,920
  • A Severe Leg Injury That is Moderate – this covers severe crush injuries, multiple fractures or complicated fractures – £33,880 to £47,840
  • Less Serious Leg Injuries – fractures that make an incomplete recovery – £21,920 to £33,880

Can I Claim For Financial Losses Caused By My Leg Injury?

Costs incurred as a result of your injuries can be reimbursed under special damages. Examples include:

  • Lost income.
  • Medical Bills
  • Therapy and counselling.
  • Domestic Care.
  • Adaptations to your home.

Remember to keep hold of your payslips, receipts and other documents that show you incurred financial losses.

This section aims to provide general guidance on how a leg injury compensation amount could be calculated. For a more detailed explanation or a free assessment of your eligibility to claim, contact our advisors today.

Can I Claim Leg Injury Compensation On A No Win No Fee Basis?

One of the problems preventing many people from pursuing a leg injury compensation claim is the ability to finance the process. The reality is that a compensation claim can be time-consuming and expensive, usually due to the legal fees involved. Our law firm can offer an alternative, however.

We have a ‘No Win No Fee’ arrangement. People who have a strong case but are restricted in terms of paying the legal fees involved can come to us for help. It is a straightforward process that we have designed to help those struggling in the aftermath of a difficult injury. If you have lost money due to an accident, this can be a huge help.

How does the ‘No Win No Fee’ arrangement actually work? This arrangement is also known as a ‘Conditional Fee Agreement’, or CFA. It means that there is no upfront cost attached to our legal services. Instead, we take the fees from the final leg injury compensation amount.

This reduces the financial burden on those attempting to make a claim and prevents the possibility of a monetary loss when you are trying to cover your costs. This arrangement for leg injury claims is one of the many reasons why you should give us a call today.

How Legal Expert Can Help You Make A Leg Injury Claim

Hiring the right personal injury solicitors can make a huge difference when seeking compensation. Our team of legal experts have the experience and the mindset needed to win your case. As well as our ‘No Win No Fee’ agreement, there are plenty of other reasons why we are the best choice.

Our history of success in the legal field forms a fantastic platform for your claim. If you are considering a claim for leg injury compensation, we can provide fantastic free consultation sessions in which we examine every last detail of your case.

We are methodical, exacting, professional, and thorough. If winning compensation is vital to you, hiring our solicitors puts you in the best possible position to do so.

We will treat all leg injury claims with the expertise and attention they deserve. Whether it’s a lower leg claim following an accident at work injury, a broken femur claim following a sports injury, or a damaged patella claim following a slip and fall at the supermarket, our team are ready to help.

We’ll work hard to make sure your case is put forward correctly. In addition, we will endeavour to win you every expense and every cost that the injury has incurred. We’ll provide you with the assistance needed to help you recover your health, reputation, and finances. This is why you should turn to us when you need legal assistance.

We strive to offer outstanding customer service. This means helping you arrange for local medical appointments, provide over-the-phone consultation sessions, and working hard to proceed with a claim in a manner that suits you.

Winning leg injury compensation is essential. This is why you need the best help. If you would like to hire the right law firm, we are the obvious choice.

A No Win No Fee solicitor recovers leg injury compensation for his client

Call For Free Advice And To Start A Claim

Thank you for reading our guide on leg injury claims. As you have seen, working your way through a leg injury’s compensation process can be difficult. If you find yourself suffering in the aftermath of an accident that wasn’t your fault, then we are here to assist you.

Our free consultancy session can be the perfect introduction to the benefits of hiring our team, so why not call today?

If you want to contact us, there are two options. You can either go to our website and fill out a contact form, or you can call us on 0800 073 8804. Whichever option suits you best, we look forward to hearing from you soon.

Helpful Links

NHS Broken Leg Guide

A broken leg or fracture can be extremely painful and may be bruised and swollen. A lot of the time, patients can not walk. 

NHS Sports Injuries

Leg injuries that are sports injury-related can really affect walking and many parts of the leg, including the muscles, bones, joint tissues (tendons and ligaments).

Slip Trip or Fall Compensation Amounts

If you have suffered from a leg injury after a slip trip or fall, we could get you the compensation you deserve. Contact us today.

Medical Negligence Compensation Claims

Have you suffered from a leg injury due to medical negligence? This could have happened whilst at the hospital or even a misdiagnosis or error from your doctor.

Cycle Accident Claims

Head here to check out our guide on cycle accident claims.

Skiing Accident Claim

If you’ve broken your leg in a skiing accident, this guide could help.

Bolton Car Accident Claims Solicitors

This guide will explore how to choose the best solicitor for your road traffic accident claim.

Claiming Compensation For An Injury After A Car Accident

Visit this guide for more information on how to claim compensation for an injury sustained in a road traffic accident.

Other Useful Compensation Guides

Thank you for reading our guide to leg injury compensation claims. We hope you have learned a lot about making leg injury claims. To see what leg injury compensation amount you could receive by claiming, contact our team for free and professional legal advice today.