Over the next few days here on the Camps Solicitors blog I will be looking at a few of the more common injuries our clients suffer in accidents as well as showing you the likely compensation figures the courts award in similar cases. Whilst judging compensation amounts is entirely dependent on the individual circumstances of each individual’s accident, publications such as the Judicial Studies Board Guidelines give some idea of the likely level of compensation a particular injury will attract.
In the courts, leg injuries are divided into a number of categories, depending upon the part of the leg or foot affected, and the nature of the injury (soft tissue damage, broken bones, amputations). For the most simple fractures and minor soft tissue injuries, where there has been a complete recovery, the general damages are unlikely to be more than £5000 – £6000. However it is worth pointing out that in many cases, the compensation for the actual injuries you suffer only makes up a small portion of the total award; it is the money to cover lost earnings and ongoing care costs that will form the bulk of a settlement.
Ankle and foot injuries are treated separately from leg injuries when calculating compensation in a claim. Ankle injuries generally tend to be less limiting than the loss of a leg, or a foot, modest injuries will attract up to £3,500 and it is very rare for a person who received an ankle injury in a non-fault accident to be awarded more than £15,000 compensation for their injury, although this has been known to happen.
Further up the leg, damage to the Achilles tendon can have severe repercussions for people who are used to being on their feet for a large part of the day, such as professional sportsmen and sportswomen who often have to take weeks or months off to recover. Moderate Achilles tendon injuries with no long term weakness will receive somewhere between £4,500 and £11,500, however the final amount will very much depend on the length of time take to recover.
The knee is one of the most important joints in the leg, allowing a significant degree of movement and helping to keep us balanced. An injury to the knee can have a significant impact on the victim requiring that they use walking sticks or a wheelchair. Minor knee injuries where there has been a dislocation, twisting or bruising and the victim has completely recovered usually merit compensation awards under £8,500. At the other end of the scale, where the damage has been serious enough so as to require an arthroplasty (knee replacement operation), you could be looking at compensation in the region of £44,000 to £61,000.
In any accident where you have received a leg injury through no fault of your own, getting legal advice from a qualified solicitor is a great move. At Camps Solicitors we act for hundreds of clients who have suffered leg injuries. Our solicitors look at each case on an individual basis and we can quickly spot where we can help the most.
You might be in need of physiotherapy as part of your rehabilitation – no problem as Camps can organise a course of treatments with a qualified physiotherapist at no cost to you. We may also be able to help you recover any treatment costs for private medical care.
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