All employers have a duty of care to try and keep staff safe while at work. Therefore, if an accident at work happens, which can be shown to have been caused by employer negligence, then you could be eligible to seek compensation from them. In this guide, we’re going to look at when you could claim for a broken leg. We’ll look at the types of accident that could lead to a claim, the different injuries that are possible and we’ll also use a personal injury claims calculator to work out how much compensation you might be entitled to.
If you are considering a claim for leg break, you should be aware of the personal injury claims time limit. In general, this is a 3-year period from the date of your accident. The sooner you start the claim, the more time your solicitor will have to complete all of the necessary steps and to gather all of the supporting evidence.
If you would like help making a claim, you should speak to one of our advisors today. They’ll assess your claim for free and could introduce you to a personal injury solicitor if your case is strong enough. Please, call 0333 000 0729 if you’d like to speak to an advisor for free advice today. Alternatively, please continue reading this handy guide.
Jump To A Section
- Accidents At Work Leading To A Broken Leg
- Anatomy Of The Leg
- Kinds Of Accidents In The Workplace Identified By The HSE
- 5 Ways You Could Break Your Leg At Work
- Case Study: £75,000 Payout For A Broken Leg Accident At Work
- Calculating Compensation For A Broken Leg At Work
- No Win No Fee Claims For A Broken Leg In An Accident At Work
- How Do I Claim Compensation For A Broken Leg?
- Talk To Legal Helpline To Start Your Claim
- Related Claims Guides
Accidents At Work Leading To A Broken Leg
If you suffer a broken leg following an accident at work, the NHS advice is to visit your local A&E immediately. If a fracture or break is confirmed, doctors will provide painkillers and attach a splint (or similar device) to restrict movement so that further damage is avoided.
Broken leg accident at work
When the bones are still in the correct place, a plaster cast will be used to hold the bone in place. This will be required until the bone is healed. If the bones aren’t aligned properly, the doctor will need to re-position them. This is known as reduction. Once reduction is successful, the plaster cast will be applied. In more serious cases, the leg may need to be operated on by a surgeon.
Once the plaster cast is removed, you’ll probably be provided with some exercises to carry out or physiotherapy may be arranged.
Anatomy Of The Leg Bones
The leg is made up of a number of different bones. These are the femur (the longest leg bone), the tibia and the femur. The tibia and femur make up the lower part of the leg. They are joined to the thighbone (femur) by the patella (or kneecap). A break of any of these bones can be extremely painful and require medical attention to aid recovery.
Questions that people often ask about broken leg injuries are:
- Can you walk on a broken leg?
- How long does it take to recover from a broken tibia and fibula?
- How long do you stay in hospital with a broken leg?
According to the NHS article in the previous section, the time spent in hospital and recovery times vary depending on whether surgery is required and the severity of the injury. In general, a minor fracture will take around 6-8 weeks to recover. More serious breaks can take between 3-6 months. Your doctor will advise when you could put weight back on to the foot and walk on it again.
Kinds Of Accidents In The Workplace Identified By The HSE
There are many different accidents at work which could lead to a broken leg. According to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics, the most common accidents at work (in 2018/19) are slips, trips and falls (29%), handling and lifting injuries (20%), being struck by a moving object (10%), violent acts (8%) and, finally, falls from height (8%).
It’s quite conceivable that any of these types of accident could result in a broken leg. Remember, even if the type of accident you were involved in isn’t listed here, you could still be eligible to claim. If you believe you sustained a broken leg in a workplace accident and you can show it was caused by your employer’s negligence, we could look at your case to see if it’s suitable to begin a claim.
5 Ways You Could Break Your Leg At Work
Here are some more specific examples of how an accident at work could lead to a leg injury such as a broken bone:
- Manual handling accidents.
It’s possible that if you lift heavy objects improperly, that you could fall and drop the item on your leg causing a break of fracture. If you can show that you hadn’t been trained properly on manual handling techniques, then you could make a claim against your employer. - Crush accidents.
In a similar way, your leg could be broken if you’re involved in an accident where your leg is crushed by a falling object. If the item had been stacked incorrectly or shelving was faulty, causing the object to fall, your employer could be found liable for the injuries. - Work vehicle road traffic accidents.
An example of this type of accident could be if you’re a delivery driver and you’re involved in a crash with another vehicle. In this case, the claim would probably be against the other driver rather than your employer. - Trips and falls from a height.
If you fall from height and break your leg because your employer was negligent, you could make a claim against them. This could be because they hadn’t trained you properly, didn’t provide safety equipment or safety rails or handrails were fault. - Repetitive strain injuries.
A repetitive strain injury (or RSI) is caused by repetitive use of (or impact on) a joint over a prolonged period of time. The condition can be worsened by working with vibrating tools and working in wet or cold conditions. If it can be shown that your employer failed to take steps to reduce the risks of RSI, you might be entitled to claim.
Case Study: £75,000 Payout For A Broken Leg Accident At Work
In this case study, we’re going to look at how a broken leg accident at work could lead to a compensation payment. Suppose that an employee was working in warehouse stacking items on low shelving. In this scenario, while placing the objects correctly on the lower shelves, a heavy package fell from the top shelves and crushed the leg of the employee, causing multiple fractures. The accident happened because the racking that supported the shelving had become loose.
If the employer was found to be at fault because they’d not maintained the racking properly, then they could be found liable for the injuries and made to pay compensation.
When a claim is settled, the specific injuries are taking into account and compensation is awarded accordingly. Any ongoing issues or disabilities caused by the accident will also be considered. Also, financial losses linked to the injury could be compensated for.
In this case, it’s quite conceivable for the employee to be left with ongoing pain. They’ll probably also need a fairly long period off work to recover from their injuries. It’s also possible that a disability might have an affect on the type of work they could carry out in the future. Therefore, it’s quite easy to see why a compensation payment in the region of £75,000 could be awarded.
Calculating Compensation For A Broken Leg At Work
When you claim for a broken leg, the amount of compensation you’ll receive will depend on the type of break. The severity will also be considered and the impact it’s had on you. While we can’t provide exact broken leg compensation amounts here (as every case is unique), we can provide the table below. It’s a broken leg compensation calculator which shows different injuries and how much compensation could be awarded.
| Type of Injury | Severity | Typical Compensation Range | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leg Injury | Severe | £51,460 to £85,600 | Includes injuries where multiple leg fractures have taken many years to heal causing permanent mobility problems. |
| Leg Injury | Severe | £36,790 to £51,460 | Serious comminuted or compound fractures of the leg resulting in prolonged treatment. |
| Leg Injury | Moderate | £26,050 to £36,790 | Multiple fractures, complicated fractures and severe crush injuries are included in this bracket. |
| Leg Injury | Less Serious | £16,860 to £26,050 | Fractures where the injured party is relatively well healed but may be left with a metal plate, a limp or defective gait. |
| Leg Injury | Less Serious | £8,550 to £13210 | A simple fracture of the femur with no additonal damage. |
| Leg Injury | Less Serious | Up to £11,110 | Simple fractures of the Fibula or Tibula which may result in ongoing symptoms such as modest restricted movement. |
These figures are for compensation paid for your injury. Please remember though that broken leg compensation payouts also include any financial losses. Therefore, the compensation amount could be higher.
No Win No Fee Claims For A Broken Leg In An Accident At Work
One of the main things people think about regarding personal injury claims, is the cost of hiring a solicitor. That’s why our panel of solicitors offer to work on a no win no fee basis for any broken leg accident at work claim they take on.
If your case is taken on, and you’re happy to proceed, both you and your solicitor will sign a conditional fee agreement (known as a CFA).
The CFA is the contract between you both. It’s really important because it shows that you only need to pay the solicitor’s fees if they win compensation for you. If they don’t win the claim, you don’t pay their fees.
Also, it states what level of ‘success fee’ you’ll pay should your case be settled in your favour. The success fee is calculated as a percentage of your compensation. When your case is won, the compensation is sent directly to the solicitor. They’ll then deduct their success fee and send the rest to you.
The main benefits of using no win no fee services are that you don’t have to send funds to cover the solicitor’s fees. This means your stress levels and financial risk is reduced.
How Do I Claim Compensation For A Broken Leg?
To begin your claim, you should gather as much evidence as possible. Try to use evidence that shows what happened, how you suffered and who was responsible. Then you should contact our team of advisors who’ll listen to the details of your case. They won’t pressure you and will work at a speed that suits you. They will provide you with free advice. After assessing your claim they could introduce you to one of our panel of personal injury solicitors.
The solicitors in our panel always try to act as efficiently as possible to try and ensure the claim doesn’t drag on. Also, they’ll do as much as they can to ensure you receive the right level of compensation for your injuries.
Talk To Legal Helpline To Start Your Claim
We hope that you’ve found this guide about a broken leg accident at work claim useful. If you’d like us to help you begin a claim, there are number of ways to contact us. These include:
- Calling our team of friendly advisors on 0333 000 0729. Their advice is always free.
- You can begin your claim online by completing this claim form.
- Use our live chat feature found on all pages of this website.
Our advisors could help you make a broken leg at work claim by assessing your claim for free. You could be introduced to a solicitor if your claim is deemed strong enough.
Related Claims Guides
Thanks for reading our guide about claiming compensation for a broken leg at work. For more information, please take a look at the guides below:
Accident At Work Claims – This guide provides a more information on claiming for an injury at work.
Slip, Trip Or Fall Injury Claims – Information on the types of injury that can result from a fall and when you could make a personal injury claim.
Ankle Injuries – This guide covers ankle injuries which could lead to a claim such as a fracture or a sprain.
£20,000 Payout for a Broken Toe – This case study goes in detail about what could be claimed for a broken toe injury.
Trusted External Resources
Broken Leg Guide – This guide could be useful if you’ve suffered a fractured tibia, fractured fibula or a fractured femur. It explains what treatment could be offered to resolve the issue.
The Health And Safety At Work Act 1974 – This legislation could be the basis for a claim if you’ve suffered a broken leg in an accident at work.
The Health And Safety Executive – The HSE govern workplace health and safety in the UK. Some accidents have to be reported to them by employers.
Article by Brett
