Leg injury
compensation claims

If a leg injury has set you back, we'll help you move forward

Leg injuries can be particularly debilitating, impacting not just your mobility but your ability to carry out daily activities and enjoy life to its fullest. The journey to recovery can be long, often requiring extensive rehabilitation and sometimes leaving lasting effects.

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

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.

Leg injuries are fairly common. NHS data shows that 10,000s of people are treated for injuries to the lower leg and knee every year. Many leg injuries require hospital treatment including operations and physiotherapy.

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), 477,000 workers suffered from a work-related musculoskeletal disorder in 2021/22. 7.3 million working days were lost due to work-related musculoskeletal disorders in the same period.

The most common types of leg injury are sprains and strains, 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 deserve.

Do I have a leg injury claim?

As a basic rule, you will be eligible to make an injury claim if you were injured:

• in the last 3 years,
• by someone elses actions or negligence, and
• they 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 2023 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.

Are the rules the same for children?

Yes, with the exception of the 3 year rule which does not apply to minors.

A claim can be pursued for anyone under the age of 18 by a parent, guardian or litigation friend. The injured child has up to the age of 21 to start an injury claim on their own behalf.

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 much compensation can I claim for a leg injury?

The amount of money you could claim for your leg injury will depend on:

• the severity of your leg injury, and
• any financial losses or costs you have incurred.

At the start of your claim, your solicitor will consider the many ways your injuries have affected your life. Your solicitor will take these considerations into account to calculate the correct compensation award.

General damages

General damages are awarded for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA).

Awards for general damages are set by the Judicial College and published in their guidelines for personal injury awards.

How is compensation calculated if I have multiple injuries?

Special damages

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

Average leg injury general damages compensation

The following leg injury payouts refer to the Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases, Sixteenth Edition by the Judicial College.

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

Can I claim for PTS 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 2023 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.

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.

What happened?

The process for a leg injury claim depends the circumstances of the accident. To learn more, click the icons below:

Work
accidents

Public
places

Road
accidents

Medical
negligence

Other
accidents

Injury FAQs

How long does an injury claim take?

What are my chances of winning my claim?

Will my claim go to court?

Can I claim for someone else?

How long do I have to make an injury claim?

What if a child was injured?

How we can help you with your injury claim

Your solicitor will fight for the best possible compensation settlement for you, and the highly-experienced panel of solicitors have an excellent track record of winning injury claims.

• FREE
  consultation
• Find out
  if you can claim
• No obligation
  to start a claim

Handled with the utmost professionalism... extremely kind, courteous and empathetic.

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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.