Ankle Injury
Compensation Claims

Key points when you claim for an ankle injury

• You can claim if your injury took place on the job, during a road accident, in a public area, or as a result of medical negligence.
• Compensation awards vary, from around £8,060 for a twisted ankle to up to £77,340 for a severe ankle injury that is likely to worsen in future.
• You must start your claim within 3 years from when the injury occurred.
• You can make a no win, no fee claim.
• Your compensation is based on how serious your injury is, along with your financial losses and expenses. Check our compensation calculator to see how much you could claim.
• Your compensation award will also cover the cost of mobility aids and home modifications if you need them.

If an ankle injury has set you back, we'll help you move forward

Ankle injuries can impair your ability to walk and perform daily functions, affecting your work and personal life. Whether from a fall, sports, or a direct blow, compensation can help with the care and financial support you need to recover.

If you have been affected by an ankle injury, we can help. If your injuries were caused by someone else's actions or negligence, you may be entitled to claim compensation.

You can make a No Win, No Fee compensation claim with the help and support of a personal injury solicitor.

With over 17,000 NHS admissions for ankle and foot injuries each year, you are not alone

Ankle injuries are among the most common musculoskeletal injuries. Each year, approximately 2 million ankle strains, sprains, breaks, and fractures are treated in the UK.

The most frequent of these, accounting for about 1 million cases, are ankle sprains, with three-quarters being lateral ankle sprains and inversion sprains. These often involve damage to the Anterior Talofibular Ligament (ATFL), causing pain and difficulty in bearing weight on the ankle. Teenagers and females are slightly more prone to sprains.

Additionally, broken and fractured tibia, fibula, and talus bones contribute to around 50,000 moderate to severe ankle injuries annually. While less severe stress fractures and ligament injuries typically recover fully, more serious fractures and ligament tears can result in reduced ankle flexibility and function.

17,274 ankle and foot injury patients were admitted to hospital in 2022-23, according to an analysis of NHS reports (digital.nhs.uk).

If you need information on ankle injury symptoms and treatment, visit: ankle injury (nhs.uk).

Typical ankle injuries

Slips, trips and falls can occur in any environment and are are the most common cause of ankle injury.

Inversion sprains are particularly common with sports people when the foot is twisted inwards, stretching the outer ligaments. Eversion sprains where the foot is twisted outwards are less common but can lead to more serious injury.

Other ankle injuries include Achilles Tendonitis, Plantar Fasciitis, dislocations, bruising, cuts, and lacerations.

Claiming compensation

The short-term financial impact of ankle injuries can be significant, despite the minor long-term health consequences of sprains and strains. Serious ankle injuries can affect your life and ability to work for months.

If you're considering making an ankle injury claim, a personal injury solicitor can guide you through the claims process. They will support you from the beginning until the successful resolution of your claim, ensuring you receive the compensation you need to move forward.

How much compensation can I claim for an ankle injury?

Compensation for your ankle injury is dependent on:

• the severity of your injury,
• how your injury disrupts your life and work,
• the costs or financial losses you?ve experienced due to your injury.

General damages are awarded for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA). Awards for general damages are set by the Judicial College (judiciary.uk) and published in their guidelines for personal injury awards.

Special damages is compensation for quantifiable financial losses you've incurred as a result of your ankle injury. Compensation can include loss of earnings (including future anticipated earnings loss), retraining costs, career trajectory impact, and any additional expenses directly related to your injury.

These damages will also cover any medical or treatment bills, such as pain medication, physiotherapy and ankle brace.

Read more:

A complete list of recoverable losses in a personal injury claim

How is compensation calculated if I have multiple injuries?

Average ankle injury compensation payouts

The following ankle injury payouts refer to the Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases, 17th Edition by the Judicial College (oup.com).

These tables are used by solicitors or by the courts as a starting point when calculating your compensation.

Please note: these average figures represent general damages only, and do not include any element of special damages (e.g. lost wages).

Achilles tendon injury

Ankle injury

Can I claim compensation for a psychological injury?

If you have suffered psychological harm in addition to a physical injury or illness, you are not alone.

According to our 2025 Personal Injury Claimant Survey shows that 29.03% of potential claimants sustained a psychological injury, 70.97% of which related to a physical injury.

Ankle injuries can lead to basiphobia (post-fall syndrome), or more general anxiety about walking or running, impacting your daily activities and mobility.

Although psychiatric injuries are less obvious than physical injuries and illness, mental health conditions can be no less debilitating.

Our compensation calculator can estimate your compensation for psychological injuries. Or you can call us on 0800 376 1001 to speak to a specialist advisor.

Do I qualify for ankle injury compensation?

You are entitled to make a claim for an ankle injury, if:

• you were injured in the last 3 years, and;
• another party was to blame, and;
• that party owed you a legal duty of care.

Find out online if you can claim with our injury claim calculator. Alternatively, you can speak to a claims advisor on 0800 376 1001 and find out if you have a claim in minutes.

Claiming when you're partially at fault

Personal injury claims often involve circumstances where there is some degree of blame on each side.

We found that, in our 2025 Personal Injury Claimant Survey, 13.99% of respondents were unsure as to which party was legally liable for their injuries.

Even if you partly caused the accident or your injuries (refered to as 'contributory negligence'), you may still be entitled to make a claim. These claims can often be settled on the basis of a split liability agreement.

Read more:

Can I claim if I feel I was partly responsible for my accident?

How long do I have to start an ankle injury claim?

For most injury claims, you have up to 3 years from the date of your injury to start the claims process.

The 3 year limitation period does not apply to minors (under 18s). A parent, guardian or litigation friend can start a claim on a child's behalf up to their 18th birthday and the child has until their 21st birthday to claim for themselves.

What if I need ankle surgery?

Surgical repair of the ankle ligaments may be needed you are in constant ankle pain or suffer recurrent ankle sprains.

This kind of severe ankle injury may take three months or longer to heal and may require extensive physical therapy.

Your settlement award will consider factors such as the length of time off work needed to recover, and the impact of any on-going symptoms.

Compensation awards can be much higher if you have suffered permanent damage to your ankle, leading to pain and loss of movement.

Ankle injury claim case study

In 2014 solicitors secured compensation of £75,000 for a 70-year old man after he suffered a fractured right ankle after falling from a ladder at work three years earlier.

Injury details

The claimant was employed as a carpenter. He suffered an accident when he was working at a railway station on an upper floor. There was no staircase and the claimant had to climb a ladder to get to the floor above. The lower floor consisted of plywood planks and the ladder was rested against concrete.

As he climbed down the, ladder another worker moved a plank of plywood flooring. The ladder fell down the hole left by the removed plank.

The man fell 7ft. His right foot went into the hole and was twisted. He felt immediate severe pain in his foot and ankle.

He was taken to A&E where his leg was x-rayed, and a soft tissue injury diagnosed. His lower leg was plastered and he was told not to put weight on it for two weeks.

After two weeks the plaster was removed, and an aircast rigid walking boot used. Two weeks later the claimant was still in considerable pain. He suffered extremely restricted mobility.

Further X-rays and a CT scan were carried out. A diagnosis of a previously undetected non-union medial malleolar fracture was given.

Surgery was necessary to fix the fracture. The leg and ankle were placed in plaster for six months. The claimant was not able to weight bear for the full six months and used crutches to walk.

Physiotherapy was unsuccessful. Further surgery was needed to remove the plate and screws in the ankle.

The claimant suffered long term symptoms. His sleep was disturbed due to foot pain. He was unable to drive for long distances and his social life was restricted.

Walking was painful and he suffered a slight limp. Uneven ground was particularly difficult. Walking up or down stairs was a struggle causing pain.

The symptoms were thought to be permanent.

The claimant did not work following the accident. He had been a self-employed carpenter. MRI scans showed no other cause of the ongoing problems and all pain and disability was attributed to the accident.

He would be able to work in some capacity until the age of 72 but not in a physically demanding job or one involving driving. He could not return to his role as a carpenter.

Allegation

It was alleged the employer was negligent insofar as they breached their duty to provide a safe working environment.

The claimant was injured because of the employer's negligence.

Injuries suffered would leave permanent symptoms and restrict the claimant's ability to work.

No underlying health issues contributed to the injuries or ongoing symptoms, which were all attributable to the accident.

Conclusion and settlement

Liability was admitted and the matter concluded without progressing to Court.

Compensation of £75,000 was accepted by way of an out of Court settlement.

£10,000 of the damages was attributed to "pain, suffering and loss of amenity."

Past and future loss of earnings was awarded in the sum of £62,500.

£2,500 was accepted in respect of travel costs, care, miscellaneous expenses and prescription costs.

What affects the process when claiming for ankle injury?

The way you injured your ankle will affect your claim. Click the icons below for more details.

Work accidents Public places Road accidents Medical negligence Other accidents

Sources

Author:
Chris Salmon, Director

About the author

Chris Salmon is a co-founder and Director of Quittance Injury Claims. Chris has played key roles in the shaping and scaling of a number of legal services brands and is a regular commentator in the legal press.