Fractured femur compensation
In this guide, we discuss step-by-step what’s needed to make a successful personal injury claim. This can be against your employer, the council, a private company or another road user.
We look at the two main types of compensation you could claim and how to correctly establish liability for your injuries. We examine an illustrative case study, which is intended purely as an example to demonstrate how the process could work for you. Finally, we show you how to find a suitable personal injury lawyer for your case.
Our panel of personal injury solicitors successfully handles cases no matter where you are in the country. They can help you claim compensation for broken legs, including injuries such as a fractured femur.
If at any point through the guide you have a question, our team is on hand 24/7 to take your call, or you can drop us a line. If your injury was the result of an accident at work, in a public place or as the result of a road traffic accident that wasn’t your fault, contact our friendly team today on 0800 408 7825 for no-obligation personal injury legal advice on fractured femur compensation.
Select a Section
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- A Guide To Fractured Femur Settlement Claims
- What Is A Fractured Femur?
- What Could I Lose From A Femur Fracture?
- Types Of Femur Fracture Accidents
- Who Can Receive Care Claims?
- Calculating Fractured Femur Compensation Amounts
- Case Study: £40,000 Fractured Femur Injury Settlement
- Free Estimates For Compensation Claims
- Fractured Femur No Win No Fee Agreements
- High-Quality Personal Injury Solicitors Are Available
- Speak With Specialists
- More Help
A Guide To Fractured Femur Settlement Claims
In this guide, we explain the difference between the heads of compensation and what you will need to support your claim. We look at how to establish who had the duty of care to reasonably prevent your accident and injuries. We also discuss how to find personal injury lawyers for your fractured femur case, regardless of where you live.
Our example case study breaks down what you can include as part of your claim. We also provide relevant links to further reading to help you with your decision on whether to launch a claim. A fractured femur could be a serious injury. If it happened as a result of someone else’s negligence at work, in public or in a road traffic accident (RTA) you could be owed compensation.
If you have any questions, our team of advisors are here for you 24/7 with free legal advice. They can put you in touch with personal injury lawyers, but you’re under no obligation to proceed with these services. Contact us today using the number at the top of this page to discuss what you may be entitled to in fractured femur compensation.
What Is A Fractured Femur?
The femur (thighbone) is the longest bone in the body and, like all other bones, is susceptible to fractures and hairline cracks. Various factors such as age and lifestyle habits can make the bone more brittle. But when a strong enough force impacts or crushes the healthiest of bones, it can result in fractures. If your femur was broken because of the negligence of someone else, there are three questions to answer:
- Did anyone have the duty of care for your safety in the environment where you were injured?
- Did they breach that responsibility through something they did or did not do?
- Were your injuries a consequence of that?
Whether you endured a broken femur in a road traffic accident, at work or on other premises, there are laws and rules that aim to protect your health, wellbeing and safety from preventable accidents. But remember not all accidents are avoidable.
Duty of Care and Fractured Femur Compensation
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 outlines the responsibility of your employer when it comes to your wellbeing. They must ensure, as far as is practical, your workplace is safe and fit for purpose. You can read in detail about reportable accidents in the workplace and the procedures for reporting them correctly.
For those in control of land, premises or property including public places that are operated by the council or private companies, the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 sets out the necessity to protect visitors’ health and safety as much as is reasonably possible. So, if you were shopping, at the cinema, in a library or walking along the pavement when you had an accident through no fault of your own, a third party could be liable under this law.
The Highway Code requires that all road users show a duty of care to each other. These rules call for road users to demonstrate an at-least standard level of diligence and skill, regardless of age and experience. It also requires that each road user should anticipate that others may not show that level of care or expertise whilst driving.
If you endured your injury at work, on the road or elsewhere due to negligence, call our advisors and have your case assessed for free. Read on or talk to our advisors to learn more about fractured femur compensation.
What Could I Lose From A Femur Fracture?
The NHS website goes into detail as to treatment and recovery from a broken leg, with a significant consequence of the injury being difficulty standing, walking or placing any weight on the leg until it has healed. This could necessitate respite in the hospital with at least a couple of months of recovery, if not longer. It could involve the need for a wheelchair and a leg cast, or the insertion of pins and metal plates before you could move with any degree of normality again.
During this period, you could need the help of a professional carer, particularly if family members cannot help. With a fractured femur, you might need someone to help you shop, clean and cook. You could recover this financial loss. If your family or friends provide care for you while you recover, you may be able to reclaim their time as compensation.
You may suffer other financial losses such as unpaid leave from work, prescription costs or lost deposits. Providing your financial losses are a consequence of your injuries and you can prove them (through bills, for example), you could claim these back in a successful case. They would be incorporated under the special damages head of your fractured femur compensation claim.
Types Of Femur Fracture Accidents
There are several scenarios in which a broken femur could happen. A few examples are:
- A heavy blow during a collision in an RTA.
- A fall from any height.
- The thigh bone being crushed under anything heavy.
- A physical assault.
- Slipping or tripping on wet or poorly repaired surfaces.
Government statistics show that there were 693,000 workplace injuries in 2019/20. The Health and Safety Executive provides a statistical breakdown of workplace accidents in 2019/20.
Freephone our advisors to discuss your situation.
Who Can Receive Care Claims?
Victims of accidents in the workplace, in public and on the roads may rely on the help of family and friends during their recovery. This is known as gracious care. You could reclaim the time they’ve spent caring for you through compensation as part of your claim.
Not everyone has this option, however, and you could be forced to seek professional care during your rehabilitation. These costs can be high. With a serious fracture to the femur, you could need help to cook, clean or wash.
If you have hired professional help in the aftermath of your accident, it is important to retain all receipts and invoices as proof. These can then be included in your claim as part of your compensation. Without them, it can be difficult to prove your financial loss.
Calculating Fractured Femur Compensation Amounts
An independent medical assessment is a crucial part of your compensation claim for a fractured femur or leg break. A medical professional would determine whether your injury was a result of, or was worsened by, the accident. Your injury should not be solely the result of a long-standing or previous medical condition or trauma. A medical assessment can also provide you with a long-term prognosis.
When calculating potential compensation amounts for a fractured femur injury you endured, you could look at two different heads of compensation:
- General damages – These are awarded for physical and psychological suffering. The Judicial College Guidelines is a regularly updated publication that may be used by solicitors to value injuries. A simply fractured femur could win a potential award of £8,550 to £13,210.
- Special damages – These incorporate the various financial losses a leg fracture can create. Loss of earnings, personal care costs, travel expenses to and from hospital or doctor’s appointments, and any future losses can be accounted for under this compensation. Rehabilitation, physiotherapy, counselling and modifications to your home (for example, utensils or access) could also be included.
Combining both types of damages gives you an opportunity to be compensated for your injury and recover many of those out of pocket expenses that were a result of an injury suffered due to the negligence of others. You can contact our team for free legal clarity on fractured femur compensation by using the number at the top of this page.
Case Study: £40,000 Fractured Femur Injury Settlement
Diane had shopped at the same retailer for groceries, clothes and homeware for years and had never seen or experienced any problems before. However, on this day she was unlucky. The escalators that led from the ground floor to the first were not moving. Customers were climbing them, so Diane did too. She didn’t realise that a customer had dropped food on one step and notified an employee. That employee, instead of staying with the hazard and warning customers of it, had gone to a cleaning station. Diane slipped on the food and fell down the stairs. This caused multiple fractures in her femur bone.
Unable to stand or walk unaided for weeks, she was forced to temporarily stop working. She had to hire the services of a professional to care for her children while she recovered. Friends and family tried to help her too but the costs still began to mount. She felt justified in seeking a compensation claim against the retail company for negligence.
Using her medical assessment, the retailer’s accident logbook, CCTV footage, proof of her financial loss and the help of a personal injury lawyer, she made her claim. The case was settled in her favour and the retailer admitted liability. She was awarded £40,000 in fractured femur compensation. You can see the breakdown in the following table:
| General damages | Special damages |
|---|---|
| Multiple fractures in femur: £31,200 | Diane’s loss of earnings £5,200 |
| Professional and family childcare: £2,000 | |
| Painkillers, and private physiotherapy after NHS sessions were finished: £500 | |
| Travel to hospital and doctor’s appointments: £100 | |
| Carer costs £1,000 |
Diane’s case is merely an example based on our experiences of dealing with personal injury cases. We designed it to help explain the personal injury claim process.
Free Estimates For Compensation Claims
It’s worth remembering each case is different and circumstances can vary. Though they can be useful, we recommend not basing your own claim expectations on personal injury claims calculators. They can miss the nuances of your case, such as particular financial losses. If you’d like a more accurate estimation of what your claim could be worth, get in touch with our advisors. They’re available 24/7 and offer free legal advice as well as no-charge estimations.
They can also put you in touch with personal injury lawyers. After discussing your fractured femur compensation with a No Win No Fee lawyer, you may be entitled to even more than you thought possible. However, there’s no obligation for you to proceed with these services.
Fractured Femur No Win No Fee Agreements
At Public Interest Lawyers we know that many claimants who want to use a solicitor for their case do not have the funds to pay for one upfront. That’s why the solicitors on our panel all offer No Win No Fee services. These types of agreements have many benefits including;
- You won’t have to pay solicitor fees to pay upfront.
- There are no solicitor fees to pay while the claim is ongoing.
- The solicitor’s small success fee is capped by law.
- You only pay the solicitor fees if you win your case.
- You don’t have to pay solicitor fees if your case loses.
If you choose to use personal injury solicitors to help you claim, you could also have access to useful advice about retaining evidence and proof of expenses. It can be helpful to discuss your case to overcome any apprehension you might have about claiming for fractured femur compensation. Our advisors can offer you free, no-obligation, legal advice.
High-Quality Personal Injury Solicitors Are Available
The proximity of a personal injury lawyer is no longer crucial thanks to the internet. However, internet searches can produce a bewildering volume of law firms.
So, it’s important to consider the following in your search:
- How much do they settle claims for?
- Is client communication clear and consistent?
- Are they a successful company?
- Are their reviews positive and reliable?
You can speak to our advisors through our live support. They are available 24/7 to discuss whether you could claim compensation for a fractured femur or multiple fractures. Whether you were injured at work, in a public place or as the victim of an RTA through no fault of your own, our advisors could help.
Speak With Specialists
We hope that it’s been informative and helpful in your decision on whether to approach making your claim.
To get in touch:
- Call our friendly team on 0800 408 7825 to discuss your case today.
- Talk to our live support team online.
- Write to us through our contact page.
More Help
Accidents in a Public Park: Read our guide if you were injured in a public park and it wasn’t your fault.
Cycling Accidents: Cyclists are one of the more vulnerable road users. Find out what to do if you’re injured through no fault of your own.
Shopping Accidents: To find out more about shopping accidents, read our guide.
The HSE gives background information on the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
The HSE’s site gives information for employers and employees about staying safe at work.
Read about your rights as an employee in the Employment Rights Act 1996.
Thank you for reading our guide to fractured femur compensation.
Article by EA
Publisher UI