Last Updated 12th June 2025. Should you suffer a broken leg through no fault of your own, you may seek legal advice about filing a compensation claim. But it pays to know what to expect. Therefore, this guide provides an example case study for a £200,000 payout for a leg fracture. We’ll also be covering care claims, general damages and special damages, free compensation calculations and No Win No Fee agreements.
In the meantime, please speak to our expert team for guidance on making a claim for your broken leg. Our panel of personal injury lawyers could handle your case from that point on.
You can call 0800 408 7826, use our Live Chat or complete our contact form. Our advisors are accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
You can head to a particular section via the headings below.
Choose A Section
- Could You Claim For A Broken Leg
- Types Of Financial Losses From Leg Fractures
- Can I Add A Care Claim To My Broken Leg Compensation?
- How Solicitors Calculate Compensation Amounts
- A Case Study: £200,000 For A Broken Leg Injury
- Get A Free Compensation Estimate On Tibia And Fibula Breaks
- No Win No Fee Claim Specialists For Broken Legs
- Specialists Personal Injury Solicitors With A High Success Rate
- Call Us For Support
- Additional Resources
Could You Claim For A Broken Leg?
You could be eligible to claim for a broken leg if you meet the criteria below:
- A party must have owed a duty of care to you
- They breached their duty
- This caused you to break a bone in your leg
A duty of care refers to the responsibility of a party to enact health and safety laws that aim to protect people’s well-being. There are several scenarios where this may apply.
The first type of broken leg injury claims we will cover relates to accidents at work. Your employer is required to take reasonable steps to help ensure your safety. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 outlines this. This includes requirements for your employer to take appropriate measures depending on the type of work you are doing. For example, if you work on a construction site, your employer should provide you with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This could include a helmet.
You are also owed a duty when visiting a public space. The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 requires the occupier to take the necessary steps to ensure the reasonable safety of all visitors. The occupier here refers to the person who is in charge of the space. For example, if there is a patch of wet floor in a cafe, then the manager should ensure that a wet floor sign is put up to warn people of the risk.
Furthermore, all individuals using the roads owe a duty of care to one another to use the roads safely. They must follow the Highway Code and the Road Traffic Act 1988. This applies to drivers, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians. For example, a driver would be breaching their duty of care if they drove on the road while above the legal alcohol limit.
What Is A Tibia And Fibula Fracture?
The front of the shin is made up of 2 bones; the fibula and the tibia. A fracture refers to a break in the bone. There are several types of fractures that may occur:
- Stress fracture- there is a small crack in the bone or multiple small cracks
- Hairline fracture- a break in the bone that causes some damage to the tissue around it
- Displaced fracture- 2 sections of the bone have separated
- Comminuted fracture- the bone has been shattered into multiple parts
- Compound or open fracture- the bone has pierced the skin and may be exposed
You can speak with our team at any point to find out if you could start one of these broken leg injury claims. You do not need to know whether you meet the eligibility criteria, as our advisors can assess this for you for free.
Types Of Financial Losses From Leg Fractures
Financial losses for your broken leg may seem obvious initially. After all, medical expenses are a given for such an injury. But you should also analyse the medium and long-term financial impact.
Consider lost earnings, both now and in the future. Think about any plans that can no longer take place, such as holidays or even weddings. And ponder any lifestyle changes that may become permanent due to your accident.
All of these could combine to form your special damages claim. For further details, please speak to us by calling the number at the top of the page.
Can I Add A Care Claim To My Broken Leg Compensation?
A care claim could allow you to demand compensation for various things relating to your care following the accident, such as:
- Extra support from relatives or friends
- Nursing
- General professional services, including cleaning and gardening
However, it couldn’t cater for any previous care you received for your leg. You can use our Live Chat and speak to our team for free, no-strings-attached advice.
How Solicitors Calculate Compensation Amounts
When you undergo an independent medical examination, the resulting medical report could shape a solicitor’s compensation calculation. A full medical check diagnoses the injury, with recovery time included. And it also establishes the link between the accident and your subsequent condition. This is an important and necessary part of the process.
Compensation is then identifiable by general damages and special damages.
General Damages
In a successful compensation claim for a broken leg, the claimant will receive general damages. This part of the compensation covers the suffering and pain that you have experienced due to your broken leg. This includes both your physical and psychological experience of the injury.
You may not have recovered from your injury at this stage and could suffer long-term impact if it does not heal cleanly. When assessing compensation, legal professionals will consider the future impact as well as the present effects of your injury.
Additionally, this head of claim may include a loss of amenity. This refers to the diminishing of your ability to partake in activities as you did prior to your injuries. For example, you may have regularly played football and enjoyed hiking, but the injury to your leg prevents you from doing so.
The assessment of personal injury compensation will always be tailored to your specific experience. You may read about broken leg compensation payouts, such as the case we discuss in this guide. However, you must consider that no 2 claims are exactly the same and must be individually reviewed.
Special Damages
Special damages cover the financial fallout of your injury. Lost earnings, medical expenses, transportation costs and physiotherapy can make up special damages. Nursing care costs could also be a factor if you don’t file a separate care claim. Want to know more? Call the number above to chat about general damages and special damages.
A Case Study: £200,000 For A Broken Leg Injury
Jonathan Cane, 32, works as an RE teacher in a secondary school in Portsmouth. He lives with his partner Lucas, and they often travel together on European excursions during the various half-term breaks. They have a pet dog named Rover. Jonathan also enjoys playing football on a weekend for an 11-a-side team.
Just before the students were set to return from the Christmas break, Jonathan was called into the school. This was to put preparations in place for the coming months leading up to GCSE examinations. While he was there, however, disaster struck.
Jonathan was using a staircase from the headmaster’s office down to the main corridor. But a faulty handrail caused Jonathan to lose his balance. He twisted his right ankle and fell down the stairs. Upon landing, Jonathan was in intense pain and realised his right leg was bent in an unusual direction.
An ambulance was quickly called, and Jonathan was rushed to the hospital. He was diagnosed with a severe leg fracture. The impact of the fall on the sharp-edged stairs had removed several layers of skin from his right leg.
Jonathan was told that a six-month recovery window would be required. Even after that, regular X-rays and similar checks would be needed. The injury left Jonathan devastated. Firstly, he felt the accident could have been avoided if the handrail had been in a good state of repair. Secondly, he could potentially take a major financial hit while he recovered. Thirdly, he was also dismayed that his GCSE students would complete their studies without him. In addition, he wondered if he could ever play football again. Even if he did, would his abilities be impacted by the injury?
Because Lucas works as a retail manager, he tried to care for Jonathan, but this could only extend so far. Therefore, a professional nurse was brought in for the duration of his rehabilitation. Physiotherapy began around three months after the accident, and it continued until Jonathan had fully healed. Jonathan and Lucas paid for professional cleaning and gardening services. They also paid for a professional dog-walker to look after Rover while Lucas was in work. In addition, the couple were dismayed that a number of planned European visits had to be cancelled.
After seeking legal advice, Jonathan filed a compensation claim. He received £200,000 as an out-of-court settlement. This included £175,000 in general damages and £25,000 in special damages.
| Type Of General Damages | Includes: | How Much? |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Leg Fracture | Costs relating to a severe leg fracture which included degloving of the injured leg | £125,000 |
| Moderately Severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder | The mental toll of his accident, which includes the potential end of his amateur football career | £50,000 |
| Type Of Special Damages | Includes: | How Much? |
|---|---|---|
| Current Loss | Lost earnings from being unable to work for the remainder of his rehabilitation | £15,000 |
| Professional Care | Regular professional nursing care costs | £2,500 |
| Additional Care | Other professional care costs including cleaning, gardening and dog-walking | £2,500 |
| Physiotherapy | Professional recuperation treatment | £1,500 |
| Medical Expenses | Costs of medical care relating to the accident | £300 |
| Transportation Expenses | Costs of public transport to and from the hospital | £200 |
| Additional Costs | Added costs relating to the impact on the sufferer's life | £3,000 |
The case of Mr Cane is purely an example. It is based on our past experiences of handling and valuing claims and serves to illustrate how accidents can happen and how they are valued.
Get A Free Compensation Estimate On Tibia And Fibula Breaks
Personal injury claims calculators can prove relatively popular with regards to determining potential compensation amounts. However, we find that they have many limitations. That’s because they provide set figures for similar scenarios and they don’t factor in a victim’s particular circumstances. And that’s exactly what we focus on.
We want to know about your accident, your injury and your current condition. This allows us to make a far more accurate estimation of your potential payout. Best of all, it’s free, even if you choose not to pursue your claim. So, talk to our team today about calculating compensation amounts.
No Win No Fee Claim Specialists For Broken Legs
Making a No Win No Fee claim is ideal for anyone who has suffered a broken leg. If you work with one of our No Win No Fee solicitors, the benefits include:
- No need to pay for legal fees up-front
- And no need for legal fees before or during the case
- If the claim fails, you won’t need to pay any of your lawyers fees.
- And if the claim does succeed, your solicitor takes a small amount of your compensation award to cover their costs (called a success fee and capped by law)
That all means you pay nothing to your solicitor unless your case succeeds. This means minimal stress and maximum savings. So, to benefit from our No Win No Fee service, get in touch today by phone or you can use our 24/7 Live Chat.
Specialists Personal Injury Solicitors With A High Success Rate
Here, there are numerous factors to consider. A successful track record, examples of positive reviews and particular specialities are amongst those. Locality, however, should not be one. After all, our nationwide service looks after claimants all over the UK.
What’s more, our panel of personal injury lawyers works with clients who have suffered all manner of injuries. Therefore, your broken leg would certainly be familiar territory for them. Plus, we take on cases that are likely to succeed.
Why not talk to our expert team today? Our personal injury lawyers could then handle your situation.
Call Us For Support
So, you now know a lot about broken leg claims. Now, we want to hear from you. To proceed with your claim or to receive our free legal advice and support, please get in touch by:
- Telephoning 0800 408 7826
- Using our Live Chat option
- Completing our online form
Remember that we are accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And as noted, there is no obligation to proceed with your case.
Additional Resources
Thank you for reading our guide on making a compensation claim for a broken leg. You can find out further details at the links below.
Click here to understand how to identify a broken leg.
For more information on the NHS’ variety of services, you can click here.
Click here to check out our guide on rib fractures.
Click here to check out our guide on broken tooth injuries.
Guide by AR
Edited by BI