Personal injury advice from
Thompsons Solicitors
Ankle Injury Claims
If you have suffered an ankle injury in an accident that was not your fault, you may be in a position to make a personal injury claim.
Contact The Legal Line on 0800 0328511, or by completing an injury claim enquiry form online, for cost free accident claim advice from our specialist personal injury lawyers. You keep 100% of your compensation. We will not charge you a penny in legal fees.
Types of Ankle Injury
Causes of Ankle Injuries
Ankle Injury Treatment
Making an Ankle Injury Claim
Ankle Injury Compensation
Injury Claim Solicitors
Successful Ankle Injury Compensation Claims
Types of Ankle Injury
There are various types of ankle injury, some are less serious and may heal within weeks or even days, however others are more severe and can result in long term problems or permanent disability.
Examples of ankle injuries include:
• Sprained Ankle
• Fractured Ankle
• Dislocated Ankle
• Ankle Ligament Injury
• Ankle Tendon Injury
• Ankle Cartilage Injury
• Ankle Bruising
• Ankle Wounds
• Crush Injuries to the Ankle
An uncomplicated ankle fracture will usually take in the region of 6-8 weeks to heal and during this time the sufferer may not be able to work, drive or continue their regular activities as normal. Sprains and other soft tissue damage can range from stiffness and discomfort for a week or two to more serious injuries requiring months of physiotherapy and more severe and complicated injuries can result in permanent pain and/or disability. If there is a particularly serious injury an amputation may even be necessary.
It is therefore important that people affected by ankle injuries caused by negligence are able to receive any compensation that they are entitled to, as this can help to provide financial support during their recovery or cover the costs of ongoing care or equipment that is needed for the future.
Causes of Ankle Injuries
Ankle injuries can occur under a range of different circumstances. Falls due to potholes and other defects in public pavements often cause damage to the ankle, as they can cause it to twist over sharply. This is common to most types of slips, trips and falls.
Many accidents at work, such as falls from ladders and accidents involving machinery, also result in injury to the ankles. It is very common for sports accidents to cause ankle injuries and head-on collisions in road accidents are another major way in which damage to the lower limbs can occur.
Injuries to the ankle can occur in almost any type of accident however and your lawyer will be able to advise you on your particular case.
Ankle Injury Treatment
If you are unlucky enough to suffer an ankle injury, you should ensure that you receive the treatment that you need. For minor injuries, the general advice is to follow the ‘RICE’ procedure until the symptoms subside. This stands for rest, ice, elevation and compression and it refers to keeping the weight off the injured ankle, applying cold compresses, elevating the limb and using a supportive bandage.
It may be that your injury requires treatment from a doctor however, so it is always important to be properly examined as soon as possible after you suffer an ankle injury. In some cases an operation may be necessary, a plaster cast might need to be used to immobilise the injured ankle or physiotherapy could be required to regain normal use of the joint.
Making an Ankle Injury Claim
If you suffer an ankle injury, your first step should be to seek medical attention. This will determine the nature of your injury, ensure that you receive appropriate treatment and will be recorded on your medical records if you later decide to make a compensation claim.
It is important to collect as much information as possible if you are involved in an accident, including details of any witnesses and photographs where possible. You should also remember to keep receipts for any injury related expenses, as it is possible they can be reclaimed.
As with any injury claim, specialist legal advice from an experienced and qualified solicitor is invaluable. In every case, medical evidence will be required, and it is necessary to show that the person you are making a claim against owed you a duty of care, that they breached that duty of care (were negligent), and that the injury you sustained was a reasonably foreseeable consequence of that negligence. For example if the cause of your injury was that your employer did not provide sufficient training or have adequate health and safety measures in place, another driver acted irresponsibly and caused a car accident, or the owner of a property open to the public did not keep it maintained to a safe standard, this could give rise to a claim.
Ankle Injury Compensation
There are two elements to a compensation award for an ankle injury. The first, general damages, is for the pain and suffering you have gone through and what is known as loss of amenity (i.e. an inability to do things after the accident that you were able to do before, such as wash your car, look after your garden, etc). The award for loss of amenity can be for a short period after an accident or for ever if that is what the medical evidence supports.
The second element of a compensation award is for your losses and expenses and is known as special damages. It is important to keep receipts for any expenditure you have related to your ankle injury, so that these can be reclaimed. The aim is to put you back in a position financially as if the accident had never occurred. Often, a main component of an award of special damages is for loss of earnings, if the injured person was unable to attend work because of their injury.
In serious cases, where a person may no longer be able to continue their employment, this can be taken into account. Costs for care, equipment, transport and housing modifications can also be factored into the calculations. If the person is still able to work but not in the same role as before, particularly if they held a public service role such as a doctor or police officer, an extra amount may be awarded for loss of ‘congenial employment’. A court can also make a financial award to recognise that an injured worker's prospects on the open labour market may be limited.
Injury Claim Solicitors
The Legal Line’s specialist personal injury lawyers have extensive experience in recovering compensation for the victims of ankle injuries and can provide specific injury claim advice on your case.
A specialist lawyer will take care of your compensation claim and the service is provided on a cost free basis. You will receive 100% of any compensation awarded to you and you will not be asked to take out unnecessary loans. From your initial enquiry right through to the conclusion of your claim, your case will be handled in a sympathetic, efficient and professional manner.
Our injury solicitors are committed to ensuring that each client receives the maximum compensation possible in the shortest time.
Successful Ankle Injury Compensation Claims
Our solicitors have successfully recovered compensation for many clients affected by ankle injuries. Details of some of these injury claims can be found below, or in our personal injury news and client stories sections:
Compensation for Hospital Employee Injured in Slipping Accident at Work
Employee Suffers Personal Injury Due to Dangerous Workplace
Train Driver Suffers Personal Injury in Fall at Work
Delivery Driver Injured at Work Makes Ankle Injury Claim
Pedestrian Awarded Compensation for Fractured Ankle Caused by Fall
Lack of Suitable Lighting Causes Accident in Hotel
Uneven Paving Slab Causes Employee’s Injury at Work
Teacher Awarded Compensation for Ankle Injury at Work
• Our client was descending a flight of steps at a train station when he slipped, as the steps were in a poor state of repair and had insufficient anti-slip features in place. There were also no warning signs that the steps presented a risk. He fell from the top to the bottom and suffered a fractured wrist and badly fractured lower leg as a result. It was necessary for the claimant to undergo operations to treat his injuries and he was unable to attend work for more than a year. Our client was also left with ongoing problems with his ankle, with the possibility of requiring further surgery in the future.
He felt that his slipping accident and subsequent personal injury could have been prevented if the steps were maintained to a safe standard, so he appointed our specialist personal injury lawyers to assist him in making a compensation claim. Evidence was provided to show the hazardous nature of the steps, which were renovated after the incident. Despite this, the defendants initially refused to negotiate a settlement of damages, so the matter was pursued to trial.
The case was successful and compensation of over £40,000 was secured on our client’s behalf. This took into account the pain and suffering he endured and also the costs he incurred for treatment, medication, care and travel.
• Whilst browsing the aisles of a large DIY store, our client slipped and fell due to a large pool of water on the floor. There were no warning signs in place to alert customers to the hazard, so our client felt that the health and safety measures in place were insufficient and this led to her accident.
She suffered a personal injury to her foot and ankle, for which she required hospital treatment and had to wear a plaster cast. She later underwent extensive physiotherapy and, during her recovery, required help with most aspects of her day-to-day routine. Our client still has ongoing pain and weakness in her foot, which limits her activities.
Our specialist lawyers assisted her in making a successful compensation claim for this accident in a public place, and recovered £11,000 damages on her behalf.
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