Broken ankle compensation
By Stephen Anderson. Last Updated 9th August 2023. This online guide is intended to discuss how a fractured ankle caused through an accident that could have been avoided could reach a compensation payout of £70,000.
The guide will focus on both general damages and special damages, what evidence you would need to launch a claim for broken ankle compensation and how a personal injury solicitor could ensure you get the right level of compensation.
We provide all the relevant links and information for you throughout this article to help you make a decision on whether your accident which lead to your fractured ankle would entitle you to make a compensation claim. If at any time you have a question, just contact us on 0800 408 7825 and speak to our friendly team.
If you’ve been injured as a result of someone else’s carelessness, let us take the apprehension and confusion out of launching a public injury claim today.
Select a Section
- A Calculation Guide To Broken Ankle Compensation
- What Is A Broken Ankle?
- Time Limit For Claiming Compensation For A Broken Ankle
- What Evidence Can Support A Broken Ankle Claim?
- Common Ankle Break Accidents
- Additional Care Claims For Ankle Fracture Injuries
- What Makes Up Ankle Injury Settlement Amounts in the UK?
- Case Study: £70,000 Payouts Broken Ankle
- Free Specialist Estimates
- Ankle Injury Settlement Amounts In The UK
- Claiming Broken Ankle Compensation With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
- Additional Materials
A Calculation Guide To Broken Ankle Compensation
This guide aims to show you how you could claim when seeking personal injury compensation for an accident that has caused you to suffer a broken ankle. We’ll discuss exactly what a personal injury claim is, when another party may have breached a duty of care they owe you, how to determine blame and how a No Win No Fee solicitor could help with your claim. This guide also includes an example case study that illustrates the process of a broken ankle claim and how a claim is valued.
We discuss the evidence you will need, how to properly record out of pocket expenses and how to find the best personal injury lawyers to represent you. We will also provide you with further reading and essential links throughout this article to access the best possible legal advice when seeking compensation for a broken ankle.
Successfully covering cases all around the country, our panel of No Win No Fee personal injury solicitors have the experience and knowledge to be able to ensure your claim is filed correctly. In this guide, we discuss step by step what’s needed to make a successful personal injury claim against those who failed to keep you resealable safe through a breach in the duty of care.
What Is A Broken Ankle?
A broken ankle is the type of injury that makes itself immediately known by making walking very painful. It’s a fairly common injury that can be caused by numerous different things such as tripping, twisting or slipping, but occasionally a broken ankle is the result of something far more serious, such as a crushed foot. To read in detail about the symptoms and possible causation of a broken ankle, the NHS website is a good place to start.
If you suffered a broken ankle in the workplace, on the roads in a road traffic accident (RTA) or perhaps while out shopping or in the park, it’s important to consider three when evaluating if you have a valid compensation claim.
- Did anyone have a duty of care?
- Did they breach that responsibility through something they did or did not do?
- Were your injuries a consequence of that?
The three main areas covered by the law that guard your safety are as follows, and can be read in detail by clicking on the highlighted links. Any questions and our friendly team are on hand to explain.
- The Health and Safety At Work etc Act 1974 clearly outlines the responsibility of your employer to ensure, as far as is practical, your workplace is safe and fit for purpose. You can also refer to this link about ‘reportable accidents’ in the workplace and the procedures for reporting them correctly.
- In public places that are operated by the council or private companies, there is The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 which can also include accidents in parks and open spaces. Anywhere that is open and accessible to the public has a responsibility to be as safe as possible, so if you were out shopping, at the cinema, in a library or walking along the pavement, all these areas (and more) are included under this law.
- The Highway Code ensures that all road users show a duty of care to each other and anyone who uses the road, including cyclists and pedestrians. This law expects everyone to demonstrate the same level of diligence, regardless of age and experience and also requires that every road user should anticipate that others may not show that level of care or expertise whilst driving.
Time Limit For Claiming Compensation For A Broken Ankle
In addition to proving that your ankle injury was caused by a breach of a duty of care owed to you, your claim must be started within the relevant time limit. Under the Limitation Act 1980, you generally have three years from the date of the accident that caused your injury to start your claim for broken ankle compensation.
However, for certain types of claims, there are exceptions to this time limit. These include:
- Those who lack the mental capacity to make their own claim. In this instance, the limitation period is suspended indefinitely. During this time, a litigation friend could be appointed by the court to make a claim on their behalf. However, if they regain this capacity, they will have three years to start the claiming process from the recovery date if a litigation friend hasn’t already done so.
- Those under the age of 18. The time limit is paused until they turn 18. While the time limit is paused, a litigation friend could make a claim for them. From their 18th birthday, they will have 3 years to start a claim if one has not been made on their behalf.
To discuss ankle injury compensation amounts, get in touch with our advisors using the details at the top of the page. They can assess your case and tell you whether you are within the time limit to start a claim.
What Evidence Can Support A Broken Ankle Claim?
When claiming compensation for a broken ankle injury, you’ll need to provide evidence that shows your injuries were directly caused by a relevant third party breaching their duty of care.
Evidence that could help support a broken ankle claim include:
- The contact information of any witnesses to your accident who can provide a statement at a later date.
- Medical evidence, i.e. a copy of your medical records stating your injury.
- Photographs of your injury and the scene of the accident.
- Any CCTV footage of the accident happening.
- Proof of any financial losses you have suffered due to your injury, i.e. a wage slip could prove a loss of earnings.
Get in touch with our advisors at any time for free advice on collecting evidence for your broken ankle claim. They may also be able to connect you with one of the solicitors on our panel, provided you have a valid case.
Common Ankle Break Accidents
As mentioned above, ankle fractures are a relatively common injury, particularly affecting people in physical roles, but any unfortunate misstep or trip can result in you twisting or falling badly on the joint and breaking it. When considering injury claims, there are specific scenarios of causation to look out for:
- Tripping or slipping in something unattended on a surface
- Untreated ice or bad weather conditions
- Cables or objects obstructing walkways
- Unclearly marked surfaces of differing height, stairs, kerbs etc
- Collision with heavy objects that can trap or crush the ankle
- Faulty escalators or overly thick rugs
- Reckless driving
There are some useful government websites that give more information on recognising and avoiding potential hazards. Over 581,000 people suffered an injury in the workplace in 2018/19.
Additional Care Claims For Ankle Fracture Injuries
Depending on different circumstances and injury severity a broken ankle can take on average, 6 – 8 weeks to recover fully. This means two months during which you will have to attempt all the basic domestic tasks required while possibly on crutches and wearing a ‘leg boot’ or cast. Relying on family and friends and their help, which is known as ‘gracious care’ could mean that they are compensated for their time.
If you need the services of a paid carer, these costs can be prohibitively high. The NHS estimates that a conservative estimate is between £650 – £1,600 per week for such services. If you require professional help during your recuperation, a No Win No Fee lawyer will stress to you the importance of retaining all invoices and receipts for these costs, as without them it can very difficult to get your defendant to reimburse you as part of your damages.
What Makes Up Ankle Injury Settlement Amounts in the UK?
If you’re wanting to know more about the broken ankle compensation you could get from a successful claim, it’s important to know what you could receive compensation for. General damages compensation relates to the psychological and physical damage caused by the injury.
As part of the claims process, you may need to attend an independent medical assessment. A medical professional will assess your injuries to determine the nature and severity of them. This can involve providing you with a prognosis and detailing the full extent of your injuries. A No Win No Fee personal injury solicitor from our panel can organise for this assessment to take place as locally to you as possible.
When calculating how much your injury is worth, a solicitor may use guidelines from the Judicial College which is for England and Wales.
The second head of claim that could contribute to your compensation for a broken ankle is special damages. This relates to the losses that you’ve suffered financially because of the injury. For example, you could claim for travel expenses, loss of earnings and care costs. If your injury is permanent or long-term, you may also be able to claim for future loss of earnings.
It’s important to remember that you would need evidence for special damages. Potential evidence for the financial losses suffered includes invoices, receipts, bank statements and payslips.
To learn more about how you could receive broken ankle compensation, please contact us for free legal advice using the above details.
Case Study: £70,000 Payouts Broken Ankle
Danny one early morning in October was travelling to work. His daily commute took around 45 minutes. Danny worked as a store manager in a local supermarket.
As the lights changed to green Danny moved off from the crossroad junction however a driver failed to stop at the red lights facing and plough head-on into Danny’s car. Danny was trapped inside his car as his foot was jammed due to the front of the car taking the majority of the impact. Emergency services and firefighters freed him. He was taken straight to the hospital. It was confirmed through x-rays that Danny had suffered a severe fracture to the ankle and extensive soft tissue damage.
This accident drastically impacted Danny’s life and he was unable to work at his job as the store manager for several months after the accident.
After making the decision to consult with a No Win No Fee solicitor, Danny discovered that the driver has acted negligently. The third-party insurance admitted liability and Danny was awarded £70,000 in general damage and special damages.
This is merely an example case study to demonstrate the kind of cases our panel of solicitors conducts for people all over the country. It has been provided to illustrate how claims are valued.
Free Specialist Estimates
A breakdown of Danny’s damages looks something like this:
| General damages | Special damages |
|---|---|
| Severe ankle injury £46,500 | Danny’s loss of earnings for 4 months totalled – £ 14,000 |
| Costs of a professional carer – house keeper – Gardener £6,000 | |
| Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy costs – £2,000 | |
| Travel, prescription costs and adaptations at home – £2,000 |
Ankle Injury Settlement Amounts In The UK
As we have previously stated, following a successful personal injury claim, your compensation settlement could include both general and special damages. An ankle injury compensation calculator may be able to help you gain a clearer idea of how much you could be entitled to in general damages. It works by asking you various questions about your injury and the accident you were involved in.
Alternatively, you could refer to the table we have created below, using the figures listed in the 16th edition of the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This is a document used by many legal experts to help them value claims. This is because the JCG assigns compensation brackets to different injuries at various severities.
We cannot provide you with the average payout for an ankle injury. When claiming for an ankle injury, the settlement amounts in the UK will vary from case to case. This is because how much compensation you could receive will be affected by the factors of your specific claim. Therefore, you should only use this table as a guide.
| Injury Type | Severity | Compensation Bracket |
|---|---|---|
| Ankle | Very Severe | £50,060 to £69,700 |
| Ankle | Severe | £31,310 to £50,060 |
| Ankle | Moderate | £13,740 to £26,590 |
| Ankle | Modest | Up to £13,740 |
| Achilles Tendon | Most Serious | In the region of £38,430 |
| Achilles Tendon | Serious | £24,990 to £30,090 |
| Achilles Tendon | Moderate | £12,590 to £21,070 |
| Achilles Tendon | Minor | £7,270 to £12,590 |
| Foot | Moderate | £13,740 to £24,990 |
| Foot | Modest | Up to £13,740 |
Do not hesitate to contact one of our advisors today to discuss your personal injury claim. If our advisors believe that you may be eligible for compensation, they could connect you with a solicitor from our panel who could help you with your claim. However, there is no obligation to start a claim after discussing your case with us.
Claiming Broken Ankle Compensation With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
If you have valid grounds to claim compensation for a broken ankle, then you could seek support from a solicitor. If you contact our advisors for help, they may connect you with one of the No Win No Fee solicitors on our panel.
A No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel may offer to support your broken ankle compensation claim under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). If a solicitor supports you under this type of agreement, you won’t have to pay upfront or ongoing fees for their services. Also, you don’t need to pay your solicitor for their work if your claim is unsuccessful.
If your claim is a success, then the No Win No Fee solicitor who supported your claim can take a legally capped percentage from the compensation awarded to you. This is known as a success fee.
For more advice on claiming a broken ankle compensation payout with a solicitor from our panel, please get in touch with our advisors for free. You can contact them by:
- Calling our team on 0800 408 7825
- Messaging us through our 24/7 live chat service
- Using our online call back form
Additional Materials
Our guide on accidents in public parks.
Our guide on public hot spot accidents.
HSE workplace statistics.
Article by EA
Publisher EC.
If you still have any questions about seeking compensation for a broken ankle, or you seek support for a valid claim you can make, then please get in touch with us today. You can contact Public Interest Lawyers online or on the phone by using the contact details found within this guide.