Claiming Knee Injury Compensation In The UK

If you have sustained a knee injury as a result of someone breaching the duty of care they owed you, this guide could help. On this page, you will find the information you need to make a personal injury claim for knee injury compensation in the UK.

We will look at what a knee injury is, and the ways in which someone else’s negligence could lead you to make a personal injury claim following an accident that caused you harm.

Knee injury compensation in the UK

A guide on claiming knee injury compensation in the UK

Claims are all based on their own set of circumstances which means your compensation will depend on certain factors unique to your case. However, this guide will explore what your settlement may comprise and the evidence you’ll need to support your case.

For more information, please get in touch on the details below:

  • Telephone: 0800 408 7825
  • Contact form: Fill out the online form with your query.
  • Live chat: Chat with an advisor below.

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What Is A Knee Injury?

There are various types of knee injuries including fractures, lacerations or soft tissue injuries. The injuries may range in severity depending on the type of accident that caused it.

For example, you may have experienced a fractured kneecap in a road traffic accident that required surgery and a long recovery.

Alternatively, you may have experienced a sprained knee in a slip, trip or fall accident that you fully recovered from after a period of time.

Other knee injuries might include:

  • A fractured knee or broken knee
  • Damage to the knee joint
  • Soft tissue injuries such as a sprain, strain or tear to the ligament in the knee
  • Lacerations, grazes and burns to the skin around the knee.

If you have experienced a similar injury, call our team about claiming knee injury compensation in the UK.

Causes Of Knee Injuries

There are various ways someone could sustain a knee injury due to someone else breaching their duty of care. For example:

  • Public place accident: You may have experienced a slip, trip or fall accident after tripping over an unmaintained pavement. As a result, you may have torn a ligament in your knee.
  • Road traffic accident: You may have been a passenger in a car accident that was caused by the driver failing to adhere to the speed limits. As a result, you may have shattered your kneecap from the force of hitting the dashboard in the crash.
  • Accident at work: Your employer may have failed to act on findings from a risk assessment that showed a ladder was faulty. As a result, you may have fallen from the defective ladder causing you to dislocate your knee.
  • Medical negligence: You may have visited the hospital for a surgical procedure on your knee. However, you may have developed an infection in the affected knee due to your surgeon leaving a surgical instrument in your body. As a result, you may have sustained further harm due to receiving the incorrect care.

How Do Knee Injury Claims Work?

There are a number of steps you could take to build a strong claim for knee injury compensation in the UK. For example:

  • Gather relevant evidence: There are various pieces of evidence that could be used to determine whether someone acted negligently, such as photographs, CCTV or dashcam footage and witness contact details.
  • Obtain medical evidence: When you sustain an injury, you should ensure you seek proper medical treatment to prevent you from experiencing any long term complications. Any records of the medical treatment or diagnosis you receive could be used as evidence to support your claim.
  • Attend an additional medical appointment: You may be required to attend an independent assessment that can produce a report detailing the current state of your condition. It can highlight how severely you have been injured and how badly it’s impacted your quality of life.
  • Seek legal advice: You may wish to hire a solicitor who has experience handling claims similar to your own. In doing so, they could help you gather relevant evidence and take steps to get the compensation you deserve.

Is There A Time Limit On Personal Injury Claims?

The Limitation Act 1980 stipulates that claims for knee injury compensation in the UK must be made three years from:

  • The date of the accident or incident that caused you harm
  • The date you became aware that negligence caused or contributed to the accident in which you were caused harm

However, there are certain exceptions that may apply in different cases. For example, if you’re under the age of 18, the three years won’t start until your 18th birthday. Additionally, before you turn 18 someone could apply to act as a litigation friend and claim on your behalf, such as a parent or guardian.

If no one claims on your behalf before you turn 18, you will have until your 21st birthday to put forward the claim yourself.

Additionally, the three years are frozen for anyone who lacks the mental capacity to claim on their own behalf. During this time, a litigation friend could make the claim for them. If the person recovers, they will have three years from the date of recovery to pursue the claim themselves.

If you call and speak to our team, they can advise on whether any exceptions may apply to your case.

Am I Eligible To Claim Knee Injury Compensation In The UK?

In order to put forward a valid claim, you must be able to demonstrate that negligence occurred. In order to do this, your claim must meet the following criteria:

  • Someone owed you a duty of care
  • The duty of care you were owed was breached
  • You experienced harm as a result

There are various people who might owe you a duty of care, such as:

The duty of care you’re owed will vary depending on the situation. However, generally, reasonable steps must be taken to prevent you from sustaining harm.

Additionally, medical professionals have a duty to provide you with the minimum standard of care to prevent you from sustaining avoidable harm.

For more information on whether you’re eligible to claim knee injury compensation in the UK, call our team.

Calculating Knee Injury Compensation In The UK

We understand that you might be wondering what the average payout is for knee injury compensation in the UK? However, it’s difficult to give a definitive figure as each claim is valued on a case by case basis.

Despite this, your claim may be made up of general and special damages. Under general damages, you could seek compensation for your physical and psychological injuries.

Your injuries may be valued using medical evidence to determine:

  • How severe your injuries are
  • The extent to which your injuries have impacted your quality of life
  • The long term implications of your injuries

Additionally, the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) may also be used to help value your claim. The JCG is a publication that sets out different compensation brackets for injuries and is used in England and Wales.

In the table below, we have used figures from the JCG.

Medical Condition Severity Possible Compensation
Knee Injury (a) Severe: (i) A serious knee injury causing disruption to the joint as well as other symptoms. £65,440 to £90,290
Knee Injury (a) Severe: (ii) A fractured leg that extends into the knee joint which causes constant and permanent pain. £48,920 to £65,440
Knee Injury (b) Moderate: (i) Injuries might include a dislocation or injuries that accelerate symptoms of a pre-existing condition. £13,920 to £24,580
Knee Injury (b) Moderate: (ii) Injuries may result in continuous aching and discomfort. Up to £12,900

Claiming Special Damages

When seeking knee injury compensation in the UK your claim may comprise special damages. These allow you to seek compensation for past and future financial losses such as:

  • Loss of earnings
  • Care costs
  • Cost of any private medical care, if it wasn’t available on the NHS

However, it’s important that you provide evidence in support of your claim, such as payslips to prove any lost income.

Talk To A No Win No Fee Solicitor

You may be able to make a claim for knee injury compensation in the UK with a No Win No Fee solicitor. Under this agreement, you won’t pay a success fee to your solicitor if your claim fails.

Additionally, there are no upfront costs required for your solicitor to start working on your case. There are also no ongoing costs to pay while your claim proceeds.

If your claim is successful, you will need to pay a success fee from your compensation to your solicitor. However, the fee is subject to a legal cap and is something your solicitor will make you aware of beforehand.

Our panel of solicitors could take your claim on this basis. If you’d like to find out more, get in touch with our team. They can assess whether your claim is valid and has a chance of success. If it does, they could appoint a solicitor from our panel to begin working on your case.

Alternatively, if you’re not yet ready to claim, they can provide advice on the next steps you may wish to take. For more information, get in touch on the following:

  • Telephone: 0800 408 7825
  • Contact form: Fill out the online form with your query.
  • Live chat: Chat with an advisor below.

Related Advice

We have included links to some of our other guides below.

We have also included some external resources that you may find beneficial.

We hope this guide on claiming knee injury compensation in the UK has helped. However, we understand that you may require additional information. If so, please don’t hesitate to call our team on the number above.

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