If you have injured yourself in hospital you could be entitled to claim compensation. This could be whilst you were visiting a friend, family member or loved one or attending an appointment.
A hospital can be a busy place, but they still owe visitors and patients a duty of care to keep them reasonably safe. This guide will delve further into this duty of care, and explore the criteria to make a personal injury claim for a leg injury in a hospital.
We will consider what evidence you will need to support leg injury compensation claims, how injuries might be caused in a hospital and how your compensation could be calculated. We will also discuss how to work with a solicitor on your case on a No Win No Fee basis before offering some further resources that might be useful to you.
Contact Us
We hope our guide will answer any questions you might have about claiming for a leg injury in hospital, but if it doesn’t, our team are here to help. When you get in touch, one of our friendly advisors will evaluate your claim for free, and could potentially connect you with a solicitor from our panel.
Get started today by:
- Calling us on 0330 0433679
- Filling in an online claim form
Browse Our Guide
- Can You Claim For A Leg Injury In Hospital?
- What Evidence Could Help You Claim For A Leg Injury In Hospital?
- How Could An Injured Leg Be Caused By Negligence?
- How Much Leg Injury Compensation Could You Receive?
- Claim Compensation For A Leg Injury On A No Win No Fee Basis
- More Resources About Making Public Liability Claims
Can You Claim For A Leg Injury In Hospital?
You may be able to claim leg injury compensation from a hospital if you can show that negligence occurred. An occupier, or the person in control of a public place, owes any visitor a duty of care to keep them reasonably safe as set out in The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957.
To be eligible to make a personal injury claim against a hospital you need to prove that negligence occurred. This means that:
- You were owed a duty of care by the by the hospital
- They breached this duty
- You suffered an injury as a result of this breach
So, if you have suffered a leg injury at the fault of a hospital, you might be able to claim. If you think this might apply to you, you can contact our team for some free advice on how best to progress your claim.
What Evidence Could Help You Claim For A Leg Injury In Hospital?
To prove your claim for personal injury, you will require evidence. This can come in many forms and includes things that prove a breach of duty occurred and also things that prove your injuries and out of pocket expenses. Some examples of the types of evidence you might need include:
- CCTV footage of your accident
- Photographs of the scene or your injuries
- The details of any witnesses
- An accident book report
- Medical records and scans such as X-Rays or MRIs
- Wage slips
There are many other types of evidence that could be used in a claim for a leg injury in a hospital, and the above are just examples. Get in touch today to find out if a solicitor from our panel could help you prove your claim.
How Could An Injured Leg Be Caused By Negligence?
As we have mentioned, an occupier has a duty to keep you reasonably safe when on the premises. Whilst this will vary in specific situations, here are some examples to illustrate what might amount to a breach of this duty:
- You slip and fall on a wet floor because there is no ‘warning’ or ‘wet floor’ sign.
- A lift or automatic door malfunctions, causing your leg to become crushed
- You trip over a box that was left at the top of a stairwell, causing you to fall and break your leg
These are just a few examples of how you could suffer a leg injury in hospital. Keep reading to learn more about personal injury compensation claims, or get in touch with our team today to get started.
How Much Leg Injury Compensation Could You Receive?
Any potential compensation you could be awarded could be made up of damages for your injuries and also for your out-of-pocket expenses.
General damages is compensation for injuries that reflect your pain, suffering, and the wider impact on your life. When calculating general damages, the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), which gives guideline compensation brackets for certain types of injuries, can be used to help.
Here is a table with some of the guideline brackets for leg injuries from the JCG. Please note that these are just examples and that every specific injury is different:
| Injury | Compensation Guideline | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Severe Injuries + Special Damages | Up to £500,000+ | A combination of severe injuries with financial losses, including lost earnings and the cost of private medical treatment |
| Below knee amputation of both legs | £245,900 to £329,620 | Factors include phantom pains, success of surgery and psychological problems. |
| Amputation below the knee of a leg | £119,570 to £162,290 | Problems with the stump, phantom pains and the success of prosthesis are all factors. |
| Severe Leg Injury (i) | £117,460 to £165,860 | The most serious of leg injuries not requiring amputation. Poorly healed fractures and shortening of the leg. |
| Leg injury - Very Serious (ii) | £66,920 to £109,290 | Permanent problems with mobility, extensive treatment and deformity. |
| Serious Leg Injury (iii) | £47,840 to £66,920 | Serious fractures resulting in instability and the prospect of arthritis. |
| Leg Injury - Moderate (iv) | £33,880 to £47,840 | Some impact on employment, degenerative change and risk of future surgery. |
| Leg - Less Serious (i) | £21,920 to £33,880 | A fracture with incomplete recovery including a metal implant, permanent limp and impaired mobility. |
| Less Serious Leg injury (ii) | £11,120 to £17,180 | A simple fracture to the femur with no damage to articular surface. |
| Leg Injury - Less Serious (iii) | Up to £14,450 | Simple fractures of the tibia or fibula or soft tissue injuries. |
Be aware that the top entry in this table has not been taken from the JCG.
Can You Claim For Loss of Earnings In A Leg Injury Claim?
The damages for your out-of-pocket expenses are called special damages, and can include loss of earnings. You will have to provide evidence that shows your losses, for example, your wage slips. Some other out-of-pocket expenses that could be included in a leg injury compensation claim could be the cost of:
- Prescriptions
- Childcare
- Travel to work or to appointments
- Mobility aids, like crutches or a wheelchair
- Home care and help, like housekeeping
To discuss what you could claim for as part of your public liability claim, please contact one of our advisors today.
Claim Compensation For A Leg Injury On A No Win No Fee Basis
Our panel of expert personal injury solicitors operate on a No Win No Fee basis, by providing their services under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This type of agreement offers various benefits, including:
- Not having to pay upfront for the work your solicitor does
- Not having to pay for ongoing work
- Nothing to pay for your personal injury solicitors’ services if the claim fails
If the claim is successful, your solicitor will be due a success fee. This fee is a limited percentage of your compensation, and it will be agreed upon before your case starts. There is a statutory maximum amount that the success fee can be.
Our panel of solicitors have years of experience in personal injury law, and can help you through every step of your claim. They can help with everything from gathering evidence to explaining legal terms, and will do their best to ensure you are fully compensation for the harm caused.
Contact Us
If you’re ready to get started, get in touch with our friendly team today. They can provide a free, no-strings consultation during which they’ll tell you whether or not you could have a valid claim. If you do, they may connect you with an expert solicitor from our panel.
Get started by:
- Visiting our website
- Calling us on 0330 0433679
More Resources About Making Public Liability Claims
We hope that you now have a better understanding of how the claims process works and what steps are involved. There are some further resources available here:
- What is the time limit for making personal injury claims?
- If you have further questions they may be answered in our personal injury FAQ page.
- Consider our guide on how to make a claim if you slip on a wet floor.
External Resources:
- Learn about fall prevention by visiting the Royal Society For The Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).
- Consider the government’s guidance on receiving statutory sick pay (SSP).
- Read the NHS’s guide to first aid.
Thank you for reading our guide on how to claim for a leg injury in a hospital.
