Key points when claiming for a knee injury
- Knee injury compensation can vary from around £16,000 for a short-term knee injury to over £100,000 for a painful, disabling damage to the knee.
- Employers owe a duty of care to protect their staff from the risk of RSI and other injuries caused by poor ergonomics and unsafe work practices.
- You can claim for knee injuries that developed gradually over time, or got worse due to misdiagnosis or inadequate treatment.
- Whether you were injury by negligence at work, on the road, or in a public area, you can claim compensation.
- You must start your claim within 3 years of the date of your injury, or the date you learned of the link with someone else's negligence.
- Your compensation amount will be influenced by the extent of your injury and your financial losses and expenses. Discover how much you could claim with our compensation calculator.
- Compensation will reflect the long recovery time, surgical treatment, mobility needs and ongoing pain caused by knee injuries, and will also recognise the impact on your daily life and enjoyment of sport and other hobbies.
- Your claim can proceed on a no win, no fee basis.
If a knee injury has affected your life, we're here to support you
Knee injuries can seriously limit your mobility, affecting everything from daily tasks to your ability to work. This can lead to not only physical pain but also significant financial pressure and personal stress.
If your knee injury was caused by someone else’s negligence or actions, you can claim compensation. A successful claim can cover the cost of medical treatment, surgery, rehabilitation, and any related expenses or loss of earnings. Your solicitor will guide you through the claims process, to ensure you are fully compensated and can access the best healthcare and recovery options available.
With the help of a personal injury solicitor, you can make a No Win, No Fee claim, ensuring you get the support you need.
With around 80,000 knee and leg injury admissions every year, you are not alone
There were 97,674 knee and lower leg injuries that required hospital admission in 2022-23, according to the NHS (digital.nhs.uk).
Cruciate ligament damage, a serious injury caused by unnatural twisting of the knee, accounts for around 40% of all sporting accident injuries.
Significant damage to the bones and ligaments of the knee are also quite common in road traffic accidents, accidents at work and slip, trip and falls.
If you decide to make a knee injury claim, your personal injury solicitor will take you through every step of the claims process. Your solicitor will be with you until you win your claim and get the compensation you need to move forward.
If you need information on knee pain symptoms and treatment, visit: knee pain (nhs.uk).
How much compensation can I claim for a knee injury?
The compensation you can claim for your knee injury depends on several factors:
- how serious the injury is,
- the way your injury affects your day-to-day life and work,
- any expenses or financial setbacks caused by your injury.
Knee injury
compensation calculator
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Updated November 2024
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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 knee injury. Compensation can include loss of earnings, and any additional expenses directly related to your injury.
These damages will also cover any medical or treatment bills, such as arthroscopic surgery, knee replacement surgery, hyaluronic acid injections and physiotherapy.
Read more:
A complete list of recoverable losses in a personal injury claim
How is compensation calculated if I have multiple injuries?
Average knee injury general damages compensation table
The following knee 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).
Knee injury
Severity | Example | Amount |
---|---|---|
Minor (relatively) | E.g. dislocation, torn cartilage or meniscus, that could cause future symptoms or weakness, or that exacerbated an existing injury | Up to £15,250 |
Moderate | More serious knee injuries with a greater risk of future symptoms, pain and weakness | £16,460 to £29,050 |
Serious | E.g. a leg fracture that extends to the knee joint, or injuries that cause constant pain and restricted movement, and/or a risk of osteoarthritis or future knee surgery | £29,050 to £48,210 |
Severe | Severe symptoms, including ongoing pain, disability and which are likely to worsen and require future surgery (arthroplasty or arthrodesis) | £57,830 to £77,360 |
Very severe | Very severe knee injury with joint disruption, osteoarthritis, ligament damage and significant pain, and/or requiring extensive surgery | £77,360 to £106,740 |
Claiming compensation for psychological injuries
Psychiatric harm is less obvious than physical injury, but the consequences can be just as difficult to deal with.
According to our 2024 Personal Injury Claimant Survey shows that 29.03% of potential claimants sustained a psychological injury, 70.97% of which related to a physical injury.
Knee injuries can result in anxiety about loss of mobility or ability to engage in physical activities, and depression from chronic pain.
A specialist solicitor will consider psychological harm when calculating your compensation. Psychiatric injuries are recognised in the official guidelines for compensation, and the cost of treatment and other mental health support should be included in your compensation award or settlement.
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 knee injury compensation?
You can start a claim for a knee injury, if:
- you became ill in the last 3 years, and;
- another person was at fault, and;
- that person owed you a 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.
Can I claim if I feel I was partly to blame?
Identifying who is legally responsible for a claimant's injuries is not always obvious.
In our 2024 Personal Injury Claimant Survey, 13.99% of respondents felt they were at least partly responsible for their accident or 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 claim knee injury compensation?
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 types of knee injury can I claim compensation for?
You can seek compensation for any knee injury that causes you pain and suffering, including:
- Damage to your kneecap (patella)
- Dislocation
- Breaks and fractures
- Damage to your knee cartilage (meniscus and gristle)
- Tears to knee ligaments
- Muscle injuries, such as sprains and strains to the quadriceps, hamstrings and calf muscles
- Bursitis
While some knee injuries recover with minimal medical intervention, you may require hospital treatment, including surgery and physiotherapy.
Can I claim for long-term and ongoing knee injury symptoms?
Yes. Some patients require several months of rehabilitation before they can resume normal activities. Others may experience long-term mobility problems. Your solicitor will ensure your total compensation reflects any ongoing need for care and treatment.
Identifying the type of injury and how it has impacted your life is critical to the success of a knee injury compensation claim. Your compensation settlement award will depend on the seriousness of your injury and how it will affect you in the future.
A simple medical examination will probably be necessary to establish the extent of your knee injury and to prescribe any further treatment. Your solicitor will arrange a medical examination at a local medical centre.
Can I claim for an overuse knee injury?
Yes. If you have been diagnosed with bursitis or a similar knee condition caused by your working conditions, you may be able to claim compensation.
Employers must take reasonable steps to protect the health and safety of their staff. These steps include regular training, safety assessments and job rotation to reduce the risk of overuse injuries. Where appropriate, your employer should also provide PPE like knee pads or mats.
If your employer has not taken steps to protect your health, and you developed a knee condition, you will have three years from the date you learned of your injury (or were diagnosed) to start a claim.
Read more:
Work-related illness compensation claims
Bursitis injury compensation claims
How we have helped others
Quittance's solicitors have assisted people who have suffered knee injuries as a result of:
- car and motorcycle accidents
- cycling accidents (25% of cycle accident claims result in some form of leg injury)
- slip, trip and fall accidents
- a fall from height
- an accident at work
- manual handling accidents
- sporting accidents
- repetitive work practices that cause or aggravate bursitis
- medical negligence.
Knee injury claim case study
Compensation of £10,385 was awarded in 2014 to a 70 year-old woman who sustained injuries to her knee in a road traffic accident.
The claimant was stationary in her car when another vehicle collided with the rear of her car, causing injury to her left knee and neck.
Unable to walk for 2 months, her knee injury was diagnosed as a severe strain.
After 4 months, her knee pain was continuous and severe. Her movements were restricted and she needed to use a walking stick.
Surgery was recommended to repair a meniscus tear, diagnosed following an MRI scan.
The claimant also suffered neck pain. This was continuous for two months following the accident with restricted neck movement.
Treatment for the neck pain included hydrotherapy and strong painkillers.
Allegation
It was maintained that the defendant was negligent insofar as he was driving at speed and without due care and attention.
The accident caused injuries to the claimant's knee and neck.
The neck injuries should resolve within nine months of the accident.
Surgery was necessary to repair the knee injury. This was expected to resolve within two years of the accident date.
The claimant was unable to do her hobby of gardening or heavy domestic chores. She was also unable to attend the gym which she had done five times per week prior to the accident.
Conclusion and settlement
Liability was admitted and the matter did not proceed to court.
Compensation was accepted of £10,385 by way of an out of court settlement.
£9,000 of the damages was attributed to "pain, suffering and loss of amenity."
In addition £1,385 was awarded for treatment, expenses incurred and interest.
How the cause of your knee injury impacts the claims process
How you injured your knee will affect your claim. Click the icons below for details.
Can I make a no win, no fee knee injury claim?
Yes. With no win, no fee, you can claim knee injury compensation without financial risk. If your claim isn't successful, you pay nothing. If you win, you only pay a pre-agreed percentage of your compensation.
Get expert advice now
Interested in talking to an injury specialist about your claim?
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Call 0800 376 1001
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or arrange a callbackSources
Knee pain - NHS (reviewed: 31/07/2024)
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.