By Megan Stanley. Last Updated 21st November 2022. In this guide, we will look at the process of claiming compensation for a hairline fracture. You might assume that a hairline fracture is a minor injury that won’t impact your quality of life. And while they can initially be minor, they can progress into a more serious injury.
Hairline fracture guide
You may be able to claim compensation for the suffering caused. In order to do so, you would need to prove that your injuries were caused by the negligence of someone who had a duty of care towards you.
That’s what Legal Helpline can help you with. In this guide, we will discuss the process of making this kind of claim. What’s more, if you get in touch with us, you could begin the claims process today.
To speak with one of our advisors today, telephone 0333 000 0729, fill out the online form or use our Live Chat tool. Remember, though, that you’re under no obligation to move ahead with a claim just from having a word with us.
Jump To A Section
- A Guide On How Much Could You Claim For A Hairline Fracture
- What Is A Stress Fracture Or Hairline Fracture?
- Common Causes Of Bone Fractures
- What Does A Hairline Fracture Look Like?
- How Are Breaks And Fractures Treated?
- How Could A Fracture Be Misdiagnosed?
- What Could Happen If The Injury Is Not Correctly Treated?
- What Risk Factors Are Associated With Hairline Fractures?
- Pain And Suffering Calculator
- What Other Damages Could I Be Awarded?
- How To Claim For A Hairline Fracture On A No Win No Fee Basis
- Contact Legal Helpline Today
- Other Fractured Or Broken Bone Claims
- Frequently Asked Questions About Broken Bone Claims
A Guide On How Much Could You Claim For A Hairline Fracture
In this guide, we will examine what stress or hairline fractures are and how they can occur. We’ll also look at some symptoms you could experience as a result.
We’ll also examine how an injury like this is treated. Furthermore, we will look at how a missed or misdiagnosis could affect how your injury impacts you.
You may be wondering how much compensation you could be owed for a hairline fracture. We will examine how compensation claims are valued and the different kinds of damages that could be included in your claim.
Finally, we will look at how a No Win No Fee agreement could help you if you’d like legal representation for your claim but are not sure how to fund it. To conclude, we’ll provide you with some useful external resources and answer some commonly asked questions.
If at any point you would like to know more about claiming compensation for your injuries, please speak to us today. A member of our team could connect you with a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel.
What Is A Stress Fracture Or Hairline Fracture?
A stress fracture or hairline fracture occurs when a small crack appears on the bone. It generally happens to bones in the foot or the lower leg, on bones such as the metatarsals or the fibula.
They are most commonly in association with running, jumping or sporting activities. The metatarsals in the foot are thin bones that absorb impact when you’re pushing off with your foot. This makes them more susceptible to hairline fractures.
You might experience a hairline fracture if you do not give yourself enough time to recover between activities. This is because the bone is constantly “remodelling”. It replaces older, weaker bone with new bone. But if your bone doesn’t adapt quickly enough to a new load or routine, then this could disrupt the remodelling process, and you might be left with areas of weakness.
There are some scenarios that could bring about a hairline fracture through somebody else’s actions. If this applies to you, you may have a valid case to claim compensation for your injury. Read on or get in touch to find out more.
Common Causes Of Bone Fractures
As we have already mentioned, a stress fracture can often occur as a result of the bone not getting enough time to adjust or repair to a new load. This could happen at work as a result of your employer breaching their duty of care towards you.
As part of their duty of care, your employer has a responsibility to take all reasonable steps to ensure your safety. For example, they’re required to undertake risk assessments so that hazards can be identified and removed or reduced.
When you work in a physically demanding job that requires you to be active, it’s important that you are given sufficient breaks. This will enable you to get the rest you need for your body to recover and might prevent stress fractures from occurring.
The graph below provides information on what leg injuries were most frequently reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in 2019/20. Please continue to read this guide to learn more about making one such claim yourself.
What Does A Hairline Fracture Look Like?
A hair line ankle fracture can also be known as a stress fracture. Symptoms of a hairline fracture in the ankle could vary from those of a normal ankle fracture. A hairline fracture is a small break in the bone.
A hair line ankle fracture can occur following overuse, such as long-distance running. You can also suffer a hairline fracture following a sharp increase in physical activity.
If you’re wondering ‘what does a hairline fracture look like?’. There could be some visible swelling. However, to confirm a hair line ankle fracture, you might need an X-ray.
Call our advisors to discuss claiming for a hair line ankle fracture caused by negligence.
How Are Breaks And Fractures Treated?
How your hairline fracture is treated will depend on the severity of the injury. You may initially have protective footwear such as a cast or splint on the injured area as it heals. In some cases, a hairline fracture might need surgery to aid recovery.
You will usually need to adjust your activity levels while you recover. For instance, if you usually run as a form of exercise, then you may choose to swim or cycle instead. However, you should always speak to your healthcare provider about the specifics of your circumstances.
It’s also possible that your doctor could recommend that you undergo physiotherapy to aid your recovery. For example, you may be given guidance on how to use your foot in a way that reduces the impact on the relevant bones.
Please get in touch with our specialist team for more information. Or you can read on for more information on how a fracture can be misdiagnosed.
How Could A Fracture Be Misdiagnosed?
If you suspect that you may be suffering from a hairline fracture, then you should seek medical attention for your injury. You may seek medical attention with the hopes of receiving a diagnosis. When you do, you’re entitled to a minimum standard of care. This is a healthcare professional’s duty of care.
Having your condition diagnosed will give you the best chance of receiving treatment and making a full recovery. However, sometimes your condition might not be diagnosed even when you see a healthcare professional.
For instance, your hairline fracture might be misdiagnosed as a sprain. If this occurs, then you might not get the treatment you need for your condition.
A misdiagnosis can happen if a doctor breaches their duty of care to you. This is an example of medical negligence. However, a doctor can also misdiagnose a condition while fulfilling the duty of care they owe you.
A misdiagnosis could happen as a result of:
- A diagnostic test (for example, a bone scan or X-ray) not being ordered when required
- The results of a test being interpreted incorrectly
- Your doctor failing to listen to the symptoms you are experiencing
In order to claim compensation for a misdiagnosis, you need to show that your condition is worse than it would have been if you had gotten the right treatment or that you have a new injury or condition that you wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for the negligence.
If your condition has been misdiagnosed because your doctor breached their duty of care, you may be able to claim. Speak to a member of our team today to find out more.
What Could Happen If The Injury Is Not Correctly Treated?
As well as stopping your condition from being diagnosed, medical negligence could also result in you not getting the right treatment for your condition. This could cause your condition to get worse than it otherwise would.
If a hairline fracture is not treated, this could result in the bone breaking completely. This might result in more pain and suffering as well as a prolonged recovery period.
As with misdiagnosis, receiving the incorrect treatment does not automatically justify you making a claim. In order to claim, you need to show that the doctor acted negligently when administering the incorrect treatment.
If you would like to know more about claiming compensation for medical negligence, speak to our team today. Otherwise, you can read on to find out more about the repercussions of hairline fractures.
What Risk Factors Are Associated With Hairline Fractures?
There are a number of different things that could increase your risk of sustaining a hairline fracture. For example, if you’re an athlete, then this can cause strain on the parts of the body most susceptible to these injuries.
Women are also more at risk of this kind of injury. This is because the hormonal changes that occur in menopause affect the density of the bone. This could make them easier to break. Women who have undergone early menopause, who have had a hysterectomy or who have absent periods are particularly susceptible.
If you have had a hairline fracture in the past, this could increase your chances of having another. You could also be at a greater risk of a hairline fracture if you have poor running techniques.
Even if you have a condition that makes you more likely to suffer a stress fracture, you can still claim if you have sustained this injury because of someone else’s negligence. The “Eggshell Skull” rule means that defendants must take the claimant “as they find them”. This means that the compensation awarded will not be affected by a pre-existing condition or risk factor.
Get in touch with our team today for more information on claiming for a stress fracture caused by negligence. Otherwise, you can continue reading to find out more about how much you could claim.
Pain And Suffering Calculator
If you make a successful claim for a hairline fracture, your compensation settlement would include general damages. This compensates you for the pain and suffering your injury has caused, including how it has impacted your quality of life.
When researching about how much compensation you could receive for your pain and suffering, a calculator may be recommended to you. A compensation calculator could help you with gaining a clearer understanding of how much you could be eligible for in general damages. However, it may not be able to take any financial losses you have suffered into account.
Alternatively, you can use the compensation table we have created below. Many legal professionals use a document called the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to help them when valuing claims. The JCG assigns compensation brackets to various injuries. It is for this reason that we have used the figures listed in the 16th edition of the JCG when creating this table.
However, when making a claim for a missed fracture, the compensation amount that you receive will depend on the specific factors of your case. Only use this table as a guide.
| Injury | Severity | Notes | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foot Injuries | Severe | Both feet or heels have been fractures, which causes permanent pain and a restriction on mobility. | £41,970 to £70,030 |
| Foot Injuries | Moderate | Continuous symptoms from a displaced metatarsal fracture. This is also results in permanent deformity. | £13,740 to £24,990 |
| Foot Injuries | Modest | One or more simple metatarsal fractures. This could cause aching, a permanent limp and pain. | Up to £13,740 |
| Ankle Injury | Very Severe | Extensive soft-tissue damage and a transmalleolar fracture of the ankle. This causes a deformity and may require amputation in the future. | £50,060 to £69,700 |
| Ankle Injury | Moderate | Less serious disabilities resulting from ligamentous tears or fractures. | £13,740 to £26,590 |
| Ankle Injury | Modest | A minor or undisplaced ankle fracture. Whether a full recovery is made will affect how much is awarded. | Up to £13,740 |
| Leg Injury | (b) Moderate (iv) | Multiple or complicated fractures to one leg. The impact on employment, extent of treatment and muscle wastage will affect how much is awarded. | £27,760 to £39,200 |
| Leg Injury | (c) Less Serious (i) | A fracture where an incomplete recovery is made. The person may be left with a mental implant and limp. | £17,960 to £27,760 |
| Leg Injury | (c) Less Serious (ii) | A simple fracture to the femur that causes no damage to the articular surfaces. | £9,110 to £14,080 |
| Leg Injury | (c) Less Serious (iii) | The tibia or fibula suffer a simple fracture. This causes dull aching and restricted leg movement. | Up to £11,840 |
Contact our advisors today for some free legal advice concerning your potential claim.
What Other Damages Could I Be Awarded?
As well as general damages, you could also be awarded special damages as part of your claim. These focus on your additional expenses and financial losses as a result of your hairline fracture. An example could be due to loss of earnings time off work while recovering.
You might also be able to claim for:
- Travel costs to and from medical appointments
- The cost of adaptations to your home if needed
- Medical costs, for example, prescriptions or treatment
It’s really important that you provide evidence of the costs you have incurred. Without evidence, it will be difficult for you to claim special damages.
How To Claim For A Hairline Fracture On A No Win No Fee Basis
You may choose to seek legal representation with a No Win No Fee agreement. This is an agreement that sets out what your solicitor needs to do before you pay them.
It means that you won’t need to make any upfront or ongoing payments to your solicitor and won’t be asked to pay them anything in the event that the case fails. Instead, they will deduct a legally-capped “success fee” in the event of a successful claim. The success fee has a legal cap to avoid you losing a significant percentage of your compensation payout.
If you would like to know more about hiring a solicitor on a No Win No Fee basis, get in touch with our team today. You could be connected with a solicitor from our panel to work on this basis.
Contact Legal Helpline Today
After reading this guide on making a hairline fracture compensation claim, the next step we recommend is to contact us. Legal Helpline’s panel of personal injury solicitors could handle your case. They will work to give you the best chance of achieving the compensation you deserve.
They can also make the claims process as easy and stress-free as possible for you. Note that you don’t have to pursue a claim just from talking to us. To get in touch about how to claim personal injury compensation for a hairline fracture, you can:
- Telephone our team on 0333 000 0729;
- Leave a message on our contact form;
- Or write to us by using our 24/7 Live Chat feature.
Other Fractured Or Broken Bone Claims
We hope this has proven to be an informative and educational guide on claiming compensation for hairline fractures. Yet we recognise that you may still want to know more information. As a result, we have these six extra resources for you to take a look at.
One of these is our page on calculating compensation for a bone fracture.
We also go into further depth on the subject of medical negligence claims after a misdiagnosis.
Similarly, we can explain more when it comes to hospital negligence and incorrect medical treatment.
The NHS has a page that focuses on sports injuries such as stress fractures.
They also advise on how to identify a bone fracture.
Finally, they explain why X-rays can assist in identifying the likes of hairline fracture injuries.
Frequently Asked Questions About Broken Bone Claims
Can I claim if an existing fracture was made worse?
Yes, you could make a claim due to the worsening of a pre-existing break. The worsening of the break would need to come about as the result of negligence.
Are there any penalties if I withdraw my claim?
If you withdraw a claim made with a No Win No Fee agreement, then you may have to cover the costs of anything your solicitor has paid for. For example, if you have already attended a medical assessment, you might have to cover this cost.
Do many claims go to court?
Many claims are settled out of court. Going to court can be costly and time-consuming, which both parties usually want to avoid.
Could I get an interim or early payout?
You could receive an interim payout. However, liability would already have to have been admitted, and you would need to show that the interim payout was necessary.
Thank you for reading our guide on claiming compensation for a hairline fracture.
Written by MA
Edited by FS
