Leg injury compensation claims

How do I start a claim for leg injury compensation?

The first step in making a leg injury compensation claim is to contact us on . If you'd prefer us to call you back, you can fill in our secure online form. All of our advisors go through an intensive training programme so they'll be able to give you the best advice possible.

We understand how difficult it can be to talk about an accident. That's why during your call with us we'll do everything we can to make sure you feel comfortable.

We'll ask for some details about your injury and accident. If there's anything you can't remember or don't feel happy talking about at this stage, don't worry. You can let us know at any time when you feel comfortable doing so.

We let you know whether we think you're eligible to make a leg injury compensation claim during your call with us. If you're happy to proceed and give us your permission, we'll then transfer you to one of our expert solicitors, usually on the same call.

Your solicitor will make sure that you're completely comfortable and fully informed about the claims process before starting your claim. They'll answer any questions you have about making a claim with them and your no win no fee agreement. Once things are underway legally, they'll be your point of contact throughout your leg injury claim.

At National Accident Helpline, our aim is to help people like you to get back to normality after suffering from all types of leg injury. We take the stress out of making a claim, so that you can focus on your recovery.

What are the common types of leg injury?

There are many different types of leg injury. One thing most leg injuries have in common is they stop you from being able to carry on with your everyday life.

Below are some of the types of leg injury we've helped people to claim for:

Strain, sprain and soft tissue leg injury

A sprain is when the ligaments (the tissue that connects two bones together) are stretched or torn. Sprains often happen in the ankle, but they can also occur in the knee if you suddenly hit or twist it.

A strain is when the muscle or tendon is stretched or torn. Strains often happen in the hamstring muscle in the back of your thigh.

Strains and sprains are both very painful and can leave you unable to walk properly or drive for up to 6 weeks after the injury. In some cases, it could take several months to make a recovery and you may require surgery.

Fractured or broken bones

Suffering from a broken leg, foot or damaged knee can be very painful. It can stop you being able to drive or go to work. You'll usually need to have your leg in a cast and you might have to walk on crutches.

It can sometimes take up to 6 months or longer to make a full recovery after breaking a leg, and you might even need surgery.

Read more about our work with broken bone claims.

Leg injury causing paralysis

Limb paralysis is usually caused by localised nerve damage or injury to the spinal cord. Paralysis can happen with serious injuries caused in a road accident, a crush or impact injury at work or in a bad slip, trip or or fall from height. It can also be caused during surgical complications which may have been caused by medical negligence.  

The main types of medical paralysis affecting limbs and legs are:

• Monoplegia: paralysis that affects just one arm or leg.
• Diplegia: this affects the same area on both sides of the body, for instance both legs.
• Hemiplegia: affects one side of your body, including the limbs.
• Quadriplegia or tetraplegia: is when four or three limbs are paralysed, sometimes along with certain organs.
• Paraplegia: paralysis that affects the body from the waist down, including the legs.

Leg injury caused by burns

Jobs involving flame, hot or corrosive fluids and materials carry a risk to all parts of the body, including leg injury. Improper handling caused by poor training, inadequate personal protective equipment or poor work processes can result in burn injuries of all types.

Burn injuries are categorised by severity from first degree at the minor end to sixth degree burns at the most serious. Burns of the latter type are catastrophic and usually fatal. 

Your legs account for around 18% of your total skin area. Leg injury caused by fire, scalding or chemicals can be very difficult to treat and take time to heal, especially if you need skin-grafts to recover.

Leg amputation claims

If you've had to undergo an amputation because of your leg injury, we're truly sorry. We know how difficult it can be to adjust after a life-changing injury. Psychological and physical recovery is often long and difficult, especially when you're also likely to be adjusting to life with a prosthetic leg and foot. 

You may have had to adapt your home, travel and daily routines because of your amputation. This costs a lot, and we know you've probably had to pay for these adjustments. You may not have been unable to return to work, do your normal job or have taken a long time off to recover. 

That can mean lost income and opportunity - not just now, but in the future too. It can also have a major effect on family members who may be caring for you. Compensation can help you pay for the equipment and support you need to get your independence back.

What are the common causes of leg injury?

No matter what the cause of your leg injury, if it happened in the last three years and wasn't your fault we may be able to help you.

Below are some examples of accidents that can cause leg injuries. Click on any of the titles to read more about each type of accident:

Slips, trips and falls

These types of accidents in public happen all the time and can easily result in hip, knee, ankle and other types of leg injury in varying degrees of severity. 

If a landlord, council, shop, supermarket, restaurant or other business has not maintained public areas and you've suffered a leg injury as a result, then it's highly likely they will be liable for your accident. As a result you may be able to claim for leg injury compensation.

Leg injury types can range from minor strains to soft tissue sprains as well as more serious fractures and breaks. A bad fall from height - down a badly-lit public stairwell for instance - can break the thigh bone (femur) or injure either the head or spine and cause limb paralysis. A broken thigh can cause serious medical complications and can be life-threatening due to internal blood loss if not treated rapidly. 

Accidents at work

Your employer has a duty of care to take all reasonable and mandatory steps to keep you safe from harm at work. Without proper personal protective equipment (PPE), training or processes, a leg injury can easily happen in a physical workplace where there's a danger of slips, trip and falls, burns or impact and crush injuries. 

These include workplaces like factories, production lines, construction sites, warehouses and similar environments where you might be working around fixed or mobile machinery and chemicals.

If your leg injury was caused by your employer's negligence then you may be able to make a no win no fee leg injury compensation claim. Call us for free, confidential advice on . 

Road accidents

Limb and leg injury is a common consequence of accidents on the road, particularly for vulnerable road users like motorbikers, cyclists and pedestrians. From bruising and cuts to penetrating wounds, fractures, breaks and crush damage, road traffic accident injuries can cause life-changing leg injury.

We don't think it's right that you're left to suffer after being hurt in what may have been a seriously traumatic incident on the road. If you've been injured in this way in an accident caused by another road user's negligence, then we may be able to help you make a leg injury compensation claim.

Sports injuries

Many physical sports activities naturally mean the chance of injury. From martial arts and motorsport to football, rugby, and hockey, contact sports all carry with them the associated risk of being hurt. So do non-contact but potentially dangerous outdoor pursuits like mountain-climbing.

But sports injuries aren't always down to the associated risk of taking part. Things like faulty equipment, poor instruction or training, insufficient lighting or badly-maintained facilities can result in you suffering a leg injury of pretty much any type.

If you've suffered a leg injury taking part in a sport and it was down to someone else's negligence, then contact us free on . You'll talk to one of our friendly, legally-trained advisors and they'll be able to let you know if you have grounds to make a leg injury compensation claim.

Medical negligence

Medical negligence is where a medical professional causes you harm by a negligent act (or failure to act) while they're treating you. It also applies where procedural or treatment error makes an existing condition worse.

Examples of medical negligence causing leg injury could include things like botched surgery that leaves you with infection, nerve or other soft tissue damage. 

It can also include things like poorly-pinned bones to mend a complex break or fracture that results in avoidable infection - or that needs a second procedure to fix the damage caused by the first. 

It also covers negligent non-surgical treatments. For example where negligent practices by a physiotherapist cause a soft tissue leg injury or makes an existing leg condition worse. 

We know how life-limiting a leg injury can be. It can affect your work life, your home life and being able to do all those things you took for granted. If you think your leg injury may have been caused by negligent treatment by a medical or health professional of any type, then come and talk to us. We may be able to help you make a leg injury compensation claim.

If you don't feel ready to talk to us yet, you can try our online claims checker which tells you whether you could claim based on your answers to some simple questions.

What should I do if I injure my leg?

First of all, seek medical help so you can get the treatment you need. Depending on the severity of your leg injury, either book yourself in to see your GP or head straight to A&E. 

Get to your nearest hospital if it's a serious soft tissue injury like a torn Achilles tendon, fracture, break or any kind of deep, penetrating wound involving blood loss.

If your leg injury occurred at work, then here's a handy reminder of what to do:

• Get help from a nominated first aider, they'll be able to judge the severity and if you need immediate medical help.
• Make sure you report the incident and injury to management as soon as you or a colleague can. This is so they can record all the details of exactly what happened in the firm's accident book.
• If you're a member of a trades union, make sure you also let your rep know.
• Your employer must report injuries above a certain severity threshold to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). They automatically investigate certain work injuries for potential breaches of legally-binding safety directives.
• If your leg injury is severe enough for the HSE to investigate, it won't hold things up if you decide to make a leg injury compensation claim in the meantime.

After you've received treatment for your leg injury, keep a recovery diary to record how you're healing. Take photos of your injury too. Should you want to make a leg injury compensation claim, photographic evidence will be really useful for your solicitor when they begin building your claim.

Who's responsible for my leg injury?

Owners of public places such as councils, shops, pubs, restaurants and other similar businesses have a responsibility to keep you safe. Legally, this is called their duty of care. If they've failed to follow the proper safety regulations and you've been injured, then they've broken the law and you may be able to make a claim.

This also applies to employers, who have a duty of care to make sure you can do your job safely. This includes providing you with the correct training and safety equipment. If they don't comply with general health and safety regulations such as The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and you've been injured, then it's likely you could make a claim.

No matter what the cause, if you've suffered a leg injury in the last three years and it wasn't your fault, then there's a good chance we'll be able to help you get the compensation you deserve. You can find out if we think you have a leg injury claim by giving us a call on .

What counts as a serious leg injury?

Unfortunately, a leg injury can sometimes be severe which can lead to a long recovery time. It can also have potentially life changing consequences for both you and your family.

We know that at the time of an accident all injuries can seem serious, shocking and upsetting. During your recovery it's a common thing to wonder how serious your leg injury has been.

It's likely you have suffered a serious or life changing leg injury if you've experienced any of the below:

• Ongoing or frequent medical treatment.
• A lot of time off work.
• Prolonged or permanent time unable to take part in sports or hobbies.
• Any care or support provided by family or friends, even if given freely.

Receiving compensation can help to take some of the stress out of your situation so that you can focus on your recovery without having to worry about the financial impact. 

It can also support you as you deal with the life altering consequences of suffering a serious injury such as a broken bone, severe burn or amputation.

When you feel ready to talk about what happened, you can call our friendly advisors on  for free advice. They'll be able to let you know whether they think you're eligible to claim for leg injury compensation and can answer any questions you may have.

The help and advice we offer is completely free and confidential, and there's no obligation to make a claim. So if you'd just like someone to talk to about your accident, we're ready to listen.

What are the time limits if I'm claiming for common types of leg injury?

To qualify for making any no win no fee leg injury compensation claim, you must have been injured within the last three years. The accident must also have been wholly or partially someone else's fault.

• If you were 18 or over when the injury occurred, you have three years to make a personal injury claim from the accident date. 
• If you were under 18 at the time and no claim was made, you have three years from your 18th until your 21st birthday to claim.
• You can make a leg injury compensation claim for a child under 18 on their behalf at any time up to their 18th birthday. 
• This is called being a ‘litigation friend' and is usually a parent, guardian or other officially-responsible adult.

There are exceptions to the three-year limitation, for instance if the claimant has experienced such severe injury they can't make the claim themselves or if they lack the psychological capability to do so.

If you've got any questions about making a no win no fee compensation claim, contact us for free and impartial advice on . We'll listen to what you've been through and let you know if we think you could make a no win no fee claim. 

Alternatively, you can try our eligibility verifierwhich asks some simple questions about your experience and will let you know whether we think you may be able to make a leg injury compensation claim.

It's important to add that we'll never rush or pressure you. We're here to give you impartial and free no win no fee compensation advice so you can decide what to do next. 

How much compensation do you get for a leg injury compensation claim?

No two accidents are the same and so the leg injury compensation amount usually varies. For instance, a broken leg claim amount will differ from one involving soft tissue injury that heals faster. We look at each case on an individual basis so we can decide the best way to help you and who's the most suitable solicitor for your claim.

Because of this, we can't tell you exactly how much you may receive in an average payout for a broken femur for example, but you can get an estimate by using our leg injury compensation calculator.

We'll work hard to make sure you get the full amount of compensation you're owed. Your solicitor will include every physical and financial impact caused by your injury into consideration when putting together your leg injury compensation claim.

For example, they'll include:

• Any medical treatment, medications costs, adaptations made to your home.
• Any care you've received, even if given for free by a family member.
• Lost earnings due to time off work.
• The effect your injury has had on your social life and hobbies.
• The wider effects on your family.

Your leg injury claim compensation can't take away what you've been through, but it really can help you get as much of your independence back as possible.

How do I pay my solicitor when claiming for common types of leg injury?

A no win no fee arrangement is often known as a conditional fee agreement. It's the contract between you and your no win no fee leg injury injury lawyer.

No Win No Fee means if you don't win your no win no fee claim, you pay anything to anyone. Importantly, it means you get fair access to justice if you've been hurt in an accident that wasn't your fault.

If you win your claim, your solicitor will typically make the following deductions from the compensation you are awarded:

• A ‘success fee' for winning the claim.
• The other side will usually be required to make a payment towards your legal costs and expenses but any shortfall may also be deducted from your compensation.
• The cost of the premium for any legal protection insurance you may have needed to ensure your claim is risk-free.

You keep the rest and this will always be the majority of the compensation you're awarded. The deductions we list above will only be made when your compensation is paid.

There are no upfront costs and no hidden charges. Your solicitor will explain all this in detail at the start so you know what to expect if your claim succeeds.

At the start of your leg injury compensation claim, your no win no fee solicitor may need to take out a special legal protection insurance policy for you. It pays the costs if your claim were to fail and ensures claiming is risk free. Insurance must always be in place just in case that happens. 

They'll do this if you don't have an existing legal protection policy that has appropriate cover. It's a simple thing to check and your no win no fee leg injury solicitor will do so when they start work on your claim.

Is National Accident Helpline a claims management company?

No, we aren't. National Accident Helpline is an independent personal injury advice brand owned by legal practice National Accident Law. We are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), the independent professional ethics and standards regulator that licences all solicitors across England and Wales. Our SRA registration number is 655606.

Claims management companies are overseen by a different regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). CMCs do not have their own law practices. We advise on personal injury claims as part of National Accident Law. We also work with a national network of specialist law firms who we choose carefully and check closely to make sure you receive an outstanding customer experience.