If a leg injury has set you back, we'll help you move forward
A leg injury can have a serious impact on your mobility, making everyday tasks more difficult and affecting your ability to enjoy life. Whether you have suffered an ACL tear or a multiple fractures, recovery can be a long process, involving rehabilitation, surgery and, in some cases, lasting pain and restricted movement.
If your leg injury was caused by someone else’s negligence or actions, you can claim No Win, No Fee compensation. Your solicitor will guide you through every stage of the claims process, so you can focus on your recovery.
Essential points when making a leg injury claim
- Leg injury compensation awards vary, from around £10,110 for a femur fracture to over £310,000 for traumatic leg amputations.
- You have the right to claim if your leg injury occurred at your job, in a road accident, or in a slip, trip or fall in public.
- You can claim for leg injuries that worsened overtime, due to overuse at work, or due to medical misdiagnosis or poor treatment.
- You have up to 3 years to start a claim, from the date your accident happened, or the date you learned you were the victim of negligence.
- You're eligible to claim under a no win, no fee agreement.
- 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.
- You will also be compensated for the impact your leg injury has had on your daily life, hobbies and work prospects.
- Compensation can also cover mobility aids, ongoing care, and the cost of modifications to your home and car.
With 210,000 admissions for leg injuries each year, you are not alone
When personal injury solicitors talk about leg injuries they are referring to an injury to any part of the upper leg or thigh, lower leg or shin, knee, ankle or foot.
473,000 workers were suffering from a work-related musculoskeletal disorder in 2021/22 (hse.gov.uk).
The NHS reported 97,674 lower leg and knee injury admissions in 2022-32, and over 138,000 for thigh and hip injuries (digital.nhs.uk).
The most common types of leg injury are sprains and strains, thigh and hamstring injuries, cuts and bruises, dislocation, and ruptures to tendons or muscles. More serious injuries such as compound fractures or injuries requiring amputation are less common, but have life-changing consequences for those affected.
If you decide to make a leg 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.
For information on broken leg symptoms and treatment, see: broken leg (nhs.uk).
How much compensation can I claim for a leg injury?
The compensation you're eligible to claim for your leg injury depends on:
- the extent of your injury,
- how your injury interferes with your daily activities and job,
- any financial losses or costs you have incurred due to your injury.
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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 are for financial losses and expenses you have incurred because of your accident. In addition to paying for lost wages and business losses if self-employed, special damages can cover any care costs and medical procedures you need, such as X-rays, CT and MRI scans, 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 leg injury compensation payouts
The following leg 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).
Ankle injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) | Minor fractures, sprains, and ligament injuries with full recovery | Up to £15,250 |
| Moderate | A fracture or ligament injury with mild ongoing symptoms | £15,250 to £29,500 |
| Severe | Lengthy treatment required, and your ability to walk has been permanently affected | £34,740 to £55,540 |
| Very severe | Severe ongoing symptoms that are likely to worsen in the future | £55,540 to £77,340 |
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 |
Leg injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Amputation | Below-knee amputation of one leg | £108,700 to £150,780 |
| Simple tibia or fibula fracture | Simple fracture with full recovery | Up to £13,140 |
| Amputation | Above-knee amputation of one leg | £116,300 to £143,420 |
| Simple femur fracture | Simple femur fracture with no damage to articular surfaces | £10,110 to £15,620 |
| Amputation | Below-knee amputation of both legs | £223,550 to £299,650 |
| More serious fractures | Incomplete fracture recovery with ongoing symptoms | £19,930 to £30,800 |
| Amputation | Loss of both legs above the knee, or one leg lost above and one leg lost below the knee | £267,140 to £312,860 |
Can I claim for PTSD or other psychological trauma?
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.
Leg injuries often lead to anxiety about walking, loss of mobility, dependence on others, and impact on daily life and work. Serious injuries may lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
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 have a leg injury claim?
You have the right to claim compensation for a leg injury, if:
- you were injured within the last 3 years, and;
- another person was responsible, 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.
What if I was partly to blame?
Liability for an accident often involves fault on both sides.
In our recent 2025 Personal Injury Claimant Survey, 13.99% of respondents thought they could be partially to blame for their accident.
Even if you were partly at fault, you could still be able to claim compensation. 'Split liability' or 'contributory negligence' are terms used to describe these cases.
Read more:
Can I claim if I feel I was partly responsible for my accident?
How long after a leg injury do I have to claim compensation?
In most cases, you have 3 years from the date of your accident or injury.
If you were injured when you were under 18, a parent, guardian or adult 'litigation friend' can make a claim on your behalf. Once you turn 18, you have until your 21st birthday to start an injury claim.
Claiming leg injury compensation with a solicitor
You can make a compensation claim with the help and support of a personal injury solicitor.
Your solicitor will ask you about what happened, and they will collect evidence to prove what caused your injuries. Your solicitor will also work out how much money you can claim, based on your injuries, lost earnings and other expenses.
We can help you make a personal injury compensation claim on a No Win No Fee basis.
Who would I claim compensation from?
Your solicitor will need to prove that your leg injury was caused by the accident, and that the responsible party (the defendant) owed you a duty of care.
A duty of care is when a person, company or organisation has a legal obligation to safeguard the well-being of others.
UK laws impose a duty of care on employers, local authorities, road users, medical professionals, landlords and the owners and occupiers of other premises, to protect others from harm.
The process of making a claim will differ, depending on how your accident happened.
Assessing the severity of a leg injury
When making a claim, it can be difficult to determine the severity of a leg injury and the effect it may have on a claimant in the future.
In most cases, a claimant will be normally need a medical examination to assess the extent of an injury and recommend any further treatment. The medical examination is a routine process carried out at a local medical centre.
A medical report will then be produced to support your claim and help determine the appropriate level of compensation.
How long will a leg injury claim take?
How long it can take to secure compensation for a leg injury can vary significantly.
For instance, a simple liability accepted injury claim can settle in a month or two. If the defendant denies liability, it could take considerably longer. On average an injury claim should take 3 to 9 months.
How likely am I to win my claim?
It needs to be proven that:
- the accident or circumstances in question resulted in your injuries, and;
- the accident resulted from an act or negligence by the party being held responsible (the defendant).
If the defendant accepts liability, the likelihood of your claim succeeding is very high.
What happens if the defendant does not accept liability?
On the other hand, if liability is only partly accepted or contested, reaching a positive outcome can be more of a challenge.
Whether liability is acknowledged or not, doing everything you can to help your case is strongly recommended. Your lawyer may recommend a course of action.
These are some of the steps you can take:
- report the accident to a suitable person or authority
- record the details of the accident where possible
- gather names and addresses or contact details of witnesses
- take photographs of the scene of the accident
Even where considerable time has passed, doing what you can to help your case is worth considering.
How the cause of your leg injury affects the claims process
How you injured your leg will shape the claims process. Click the icons below for more information.
Can I make a no win, no fee leg injury claim?
Yes. With no win, no fee, you can claim leg 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?
- Calls are FREE
- Confidential consultation
- No obligation to claim
- No Win No Fee solicitors
Call 0800 376 1001
or arrange a callbackSources
Broken leg - NHS (reviewed: 27/07/2024)
Author:
Gaynor Haliday, Legal researcher
About the author
Gaynor Haliday is an experienced legal researcher and published author. She has had numerous articles published in the press and is a legal industry commentator.