How Much Compensation For A Broken Leg Claim?

By Danielle Coleman. Last Updated 29th May 2024. In this guide, we will explore the process of making a broken leg claim. If you sustained your injury in an accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be eligible to seek compensation. However, if you’re unsure whether the claim you hold is valid, this guide could help you understand whether you’re able to put forward a personal injury claim.

Additionally, this guide aims to help you understand what your compensation settlement may comprise. As each case is assessed on its own unique factors, it’s difficult to provide a definite average amount that you could be awarded. However, we can provide guidance on how compensation is calculated and what you may be able to claim for. 

For an accurate estimation of what your claim could be worth, you can speak to our team of advisors today for a free valuation. They could also put you in touch with a solicitor from our panel if they think you have a valid claim. 

Although we have aimed to provide the information you need, please don’t hesitate to contact us if you require any further clarification. You can get in touch by:

  • Using the live chat feature below
  • Calling us on the number at the top of this page
  • Making a claim online

A broken foot in plaster propped up.

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Can I Get Compensation By Making A Broken Leg Claim?

To make a successful broken leg claim, you must be able to prove that someone else acted negligently. In order to do so, your claim must show that:

  • A third party owed you a  duty of care
  • They breached the duty of care they owed you
  • You experienced physical or psychological harm as a result. 

There are various scenarios in which you may have been owed a duty of care. For example, in the workplace, in public places and on the roads. The duty you’re owed will vary depending on the specific place. However, generally, all reasonable steps must be taken to prevent you from sustaining harm.

If there is a failure to do so and you sustain an injury, such as a broken leg, as a result, you could seek compensation for the pain and suffering you have experienced. You could also seek reimbursement for any financial losses incurred as a result of the injury.

For more information on whether you’re eligible to seek compensation, please get in touch on the number at the top of the page.

Frequency Of Broken Leg Injuries

There are various ways broken leg injuries could happen, including because of slips, trips or falls at work.

As per the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) employers reported 16,698 slips, trips and falls on the same level during 2020/21. In addition, employers reported 4.143 falls from height during the same period.

Additionally, broken leg injuries could occur following a road traffic accident.

Around 23,140 people were seriously injured and 95,320 were slightly injured in reported road accidents during the year ending June 2021. These figures are provided by the Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain, provisional estimates: Year Ending June 2021. 

Accidents That Cause Broken Legs

In the sections below, we have provided examples of accidents that could be caused by someone else’s negligence and result in you sustaining a broken leg.

In A Public Place

The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 (OLA) states that the person in control of public places has a duty of care to prevent members of the public from sustaining harm. The duty they are required to uphold includes taking reasonable steps to reduce or remove the risk of hazards. 

However, there are instances where they might fail to uphold the duty of care you’re owed resulting in you sustaining harm in an accident in a public place. For example:

  • Slipping on a spill in a supermarket that hasn’t been properly signposted with a wet floor sign
  • Tripping on a loose pavement slab that hasn’t been maintained in a reasonable amount of time

To discuss your potential broken leg claim following a public place accident, get in touch with our team on the number above.

On The Road

All road users owe a duty of care to one another, including cyclists, pedestrians and drivers. The rules and guidelines each road user should follow are outlined in the Highway Code. However, there may be instances where a road user neglects to uphold their duty of care and causes a road traffic accident.

For example, a driver may have operated their vehicle whilst under the influence of both drugs and alcohol. As a result, they may have hit you whilst you were cycling causing you to sustain damage to your leg as well as other minor injuries. 

In this instance, you may be eligible to make a broken leg claim to seek compensation.

At Work

Employers should uphold the responsibility they have to prevent their employees from sustaining a personal injury at work as stipulated in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. As part of their duty of care, they should do everything they reasonably can to reduce or remove the risk a hazard poses in the workplace.

For example, they should carry out regular risk assessments on the machinery you use to ensure it’s safe and fit for purpose. A failure to do so could result in you experiencing a crushed leg injury due to faulty machinery.

Alternatively, you may have sustained a minor broken leg after using a defective ladder that caused you to fall from a height because your employer failed to check it was safe to use. 

If you have experienced an accident at work and would like to discuss your potential claim, please call the number above.

How Do I Claim Compensation For A Broken Leg?

It is crucial that you provide evidence to support your broken leg claim, such as:

  • CCTV footage of your accident 
  • Dashcam footage
  • Photographs of the accident
  • Photographs of your injury
  • Witness contact details

Additionally, it’s important that you seek medical attention for your injuries. This can ensure that you receive the correct treatment and diagnosis for the harm you sustained. It can also produce medical evidence in the form of hospital or doctor records that provide details on the nature of your injuries.

Furthermore, you may be asked to attend an independent medical assessment as part of the claims process. This can produce a more in-depth report on the full extent and current state of your injuries. The report can be used to help when valuing how much compensation you should be awarded for the pain and suffering you experienced.

If you feel you could benefit from hiring a solicitor to help you gather relevant evidence needed for a personal injury claim, you can speak with an advisor from our team. They can assess your case to determine whether you’re eligible to have a solicitor from our panel take your case on a No Win No Fee basis. For more information, call the number above.

Leg Injury Compensation – Claim Time Limits

If making a claim for broken leg compensation payouts, claimants must start within the personal injury claims time limit. The Limitation Act 1980 sets this as being generally three years from the date of the accident. However, there are certain circumstances that may suspend the time limit. These include:

  • Claimants who suffered a leg injury before their 18th birthday cannot claim leg injury compensation until after turning 18. However, a litigation friend can start a claim for leg injury compensation on their behalf at any point before their 18th Should a claim not be started on their behalf, the claimant will have three years from the date of their 18th birthday to start a claim.
  • Should someone suffer a leg injury and lack the mental capacity to claim, then the time limit is suspended indefinitely. A litigation friend could start a leg injury compensation claim at any point on their behalf. However, if the injured party regains their capacity, they will have three years to start a leg injury compensation claim.

Call our advisors to learn more about time limits when claiming broken leg compensation payouts in the UK.

Broken Leg Claim Compensation Payouts In The UK

If you successfully claim compensation for a broken leg, your award can contain up to two heads. The first, general damages, is awarded to every successful claimant.

This head of broken leg compensation covers the pain and suffering you undergo as a result of your injuries. It also covers loss of amenity, which means loss of enjoyment. For example, if you played rugby as a hobby but could no longer play due to your leg injury, this could be covered in your claim.

When this head of your broken leg claim is calculated, the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) can be used to help. The JCG contains a list of guideline compensation amounts for a number of different leg injuries.

Below, you can see some examples of these guidelines, but please be aware that these are not guaranteed amounts. The first entry in this table has not been taken from the JCG.

JCG Compensation Brackets

InjuryCompensation BracketDetails
Multiple Serious Injuries And Special DamagesUp to
£500,000+		Multiple serious leg injuries and financial losses, like the cost of prosthetics
Leg Injuries: Amputations (a) (i)£293,850 to £344,150
Where both legs have been lost.
Leg Injuries: Amputations (a) (ii)£245,900 to £329,620Where both legs have been amputated below the knee.
Leg Injuries: Amputations (a) (iii)£127,930 to £167,760Where one leg has been amputated above the knee.
Severe Leg Injuries (b) (i)£117,460 to £165,860This bracket includes the most serious leg injuries that fall short of amputation but are still severe enough to receive a similar level of damages.
Severe Leg Injuries (b) (ii)£66,920 to £109,290Very serious leg injuries such as those that cause permanent mobility issues.
Severe Leg Injuries (b) (iii)£47,840 to £54,830Serious leg injuries such as a compound fracture or joint or ligament damage.
Severe Leg Injuries (b) (iv)£33,880 to £47,840Moderate leg injuries such as complicated fractures or severe crush injuries.
Less Serious Leg Injuries (c) (i)£21,920 to £33,880Cases where fractures haven't completely healed or soft tissue injuries that are serious in nature.
Less Serious Leg Injuries (c) (ii)£11,120 to £17,180

Injuries in this bracket might include a simple femur fracture that doesn't involve damage to the articular surfaces.

Can I Claim For Lost Earnings?

Yes, if your broken leg caused you financial losses, you can potentially claim them back under special damages. This second head of claim covers the financial losses caused by your injuries, such as the cost of:

  • Mobility aids, like crutches or a wheelchair.
  • Prosthetics.
  • Prescriptions.
  • Counselling.
  • Lost earnings.
  • Childcare.
  • Help with housekeeping.

Evidence of these financial losses will need to be presented in order to receive special damages. This could include invoices, receipts and payslips.

To learn more about what you could claim for after suffering a leg injury, get in touch with one of our advisors today.

How Can I Work With A No Win No Fee Solicitor?

A No Win No Fee arrangement such as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) offers a number of financial benefits when hiring legal representation. As per the agreement, there are no upfront or ongoing costs needed to access the services your solicitor offers. 

If your claim is successful, a legally capped success fee will be taken from your compensation. The fee is outlined in the CFA and your solicitor will discuss how it works and what it covers before they start working on your case. However, if your claim fails, no success fee will be paid to your solicitor. 

The solicitors on our panel all operate on a No Win No Fee basis and one of them could begin working on your broken leg claim. An advisor can assess whether your claim is valid before assigning a solicitor to your case. For more information, you can use the details in the section below to get in touch.

Ask Us About A Broken Leg Claim

Although we have aimed to cover the information you need in our guide, we understand if you still have questions. If so, our team is available to provide information regarding your potential broken leg claim.

You can get in touch by:

  • Calling the number at the top of this page
  • Making a claim online
  • Speaking to an advisor using the live chat feature at the bottom of the page.

Additional Personal Injury Claim Resources

The following external resources could be beneficial:

For further reading, take a look at some more of our guides:

We hope this guide has helped you understand how much compensation you could receive for a broken leg claim. However, if you need any additional information, please get in touch on the number above.