Foot Injury Claims
How to make an Foot Injury Claim
You can make a no win, no fee Foot Injury Compensation Claim with the help of our expert personal injury solicitors.
“Fielding a first class, very well resourced team of litigators, the personal injury department at Osbornes is rated for its diverse workload of complex, high-value injury claims.”
“Osbornes is a well-regarded personal injury practice well equipped to advise on high-value and high-profile claims.”
Thousands of people in the UK suffer serious foot injuries each year that have a lasting impact on their daily lives. One moment you’re walking normally, and the next, you’re facing months of recovery. Whether your injury happened at work, when you slipped or fell, in a car or cycling accident, you may be wondering whether you can claim compensation.
If someone else’s negligence caused your injury, you could be entitled to compensation. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about foot injury claims – from understanding your rights to maximising your settlement.
Table of Contents
Common types of foot injury that can lead to claims
Here are the most common foot injuries that other people have claimed compensation for:
- Fractures and broken bones – you might experience these from falls, heavy objects dropping on your feet, or workplace accidents. Even a simple broken toe can prevent you from working for weeks, affecting your income and mobility.
- Soft tissue injuries – sprains, strains, and torn muscles often occur when you slip on wet floors or uneven surfaces. These injuries can cause chronic pain and limit your ability to stand or walk for extended periods.
- Ligament and tendon damage – severe twisting injuries can tear your Achilles tendon or other crucial connective tissues. You may face months of physio and permanent limited movement.
- Crush injuries – heavy industrial machinery or falling debris can cause devastating crush injuries, potentially requiring multiple surgeries and lengthy recovery periods.
- Nerve damage – compression or severing of foot nerves can result in permanent numbness, tingling, or chronic pain, significantly impacting your quality of life.
- Burns – workplace chemical spills or hot surface contact can cause severe burns requiring extensive treatment and possible skin grafts.
Each injury type can substantially impact your daily activities and earning capacity.
What are the common causes of foot injuries?
When your foot injury results from someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. Understanding liability means proving that another party breached their “duty of care” – essentially, they failed to act as a reasonable person would in similar circumstances.
Workplace Accidents
Your employer must provide a safe working environment. If you suffer a foot injury due to unsafe conditions, inadequate training, or faulty equipment, they may be liable. For example, if you’re injured by a falling object because proper safety barriers weren’t installed.
Public Place Incidents
Property owners must maintain safe premises for visitors. This includes fixing broken paths, cleaning up spills promptly, and ensuring adequate lighting. If you slip on a wet floor in a shop without warning signs, the owner could be responsible.
Road Traffic Accidents
Drivers, motorcyclists and cyclists a have a duty to follow traffic rules and drive safely. If another driver runs a red light and hits a pedestrian, causing foot injuries, they’re likely liable for your damages.
Medical Negligence
Healthcare professionals must meet accepted standards of care. If a surgeon operates on the wrong foot or fails to diagnose a serious condition, resulting in complications, this could constitute medical negligence.
To prove negligence, you’ll need to show the other party had a duty of care, breached that duty, and directly caused your injury.
Am I eligible to make a foot injury claim?
In general, you can make a claim if:
- You were involved in an accident in the last three years
- The accident was caused by someone else’s negligence
- You suffered a foot injury as a result
We realise that responsibility for an accident is not always clear-cut. For example, if you failed to lift heavy items at work the way you were taught to, and this led to you dropping something on your foot, then your actions may blur the lines of responsibility.
However, even if you think you were partly at fault, you may still be eligible to make a claim.
What to do after a foot injury to prove a successful claim
If you’ve suffered a foot injury in an accident, taking the right steps immediately can protect both your health and your legal rights. Here’s what you need to do:
- Seek medical attention Get medical treatment right away, even if your injury seems minor. A proper diagnosis creates an essential medical record and ensures you receive appropriate care.
- Report the accident Notify the relevant authorities or your employer immediately. This creates an official record of when and how your injury occurred.
- Gather evidence Document everything at the scene if possible. Take photographs of your injury, the accident location, and any hazards. Collect contact details from witnesses and note if there’s CCTV footage available.
- Start an injury diary Begin recording your daily pain levels, mobility issues, and how the injury affects your work and personal life. This ongoing documentation proves invaluable for your claim.
- Keep all documentation Maintain copies of medical reports, accident forms, correspondence, and receipts for any expenses related to your injury. Remember, insurance companies often start with low offers. Your detailed documentation proves the true impact of your injury, giving you the ammunition needed to fight for maximum compensation.
“Time is crucial when pursuing compensation. Under the Limitation Act 1980, you typically have three years from the date of your accident or when you first knew about your injury to make a claim.”
Don’t delay in taking these steps. The sooner you act, the stronger your position will be for securing the compensation you deserve for your foot injury.
How much can I claim for a foot injury?
How your compensation is calculated
Your settlement consists of two main components. General damages compensate you for pain, suffering, and loss of amenity – the physical and emotional impact of your injury. These amounts follow established legal guidelines based on injury severity.
Special damages cover your financial losses, including medical expenses, lost earnings, travel costs for treatment, and ongoing care needs. You’ll need receipts and documentation to support these claims.
Factors affecting the value of your claim
Several elements influence your final compensation amount. The severity of your injury and its long-term impact on your quality of life are primary considerations. Your age, occupation, and activity level before the accident also matter significantly.
Recovery time, ongoing treatment requirements, and any permanent disability or scarring affect the calculation. If your injury prevents you from returning to work or pursuing hobbies, this can increase your claim value.
Remember, each case is unique. Speaking to a specialist personal injury solicitor ensures you receive fair compensation for your specific circumstances.
For minor foot injuries, such as simple fractures or soft tissue damage with full recovery, the compensation typically falls between £6,000 and £22,000. Moderate foot injuries, which may involve more complex fractures, longer recovery times, or ongoing discomfort, can result in payouts ranging from £22,000 to £35,000.
Severe foot injuries, where there is permanent pain, limited mobility, or the need for surgery, can attract compensation between £35,000 and £90,000. In more serious cases involving toe amputations, settlements usually range from £27,000 to £50,000. For the most extreme injuries, such as full foot amputations, compensation can reach anywhere from £73,000 to £175,000, reflecting the life-altering nature of the injury and its impact on mobility, employment, and quality of life.
Real-life client story
Our client fractured her big and second toes after a 20kg weight plate fell on her foot from an unsafe squat rack at a gym. Despite early treatment and partial recovery, our client was left with long-term stiffness in her big toe, affecting daily activities and sports. The case settled for £10,050 following negotiations. Read more here.
Why choose Osbornes Law?
At Osbornes Law, our team of experienced and dedicated personal injury solicitors have been successfully representing clients for over 50 years. Our specialist knowledge and expertise in handling foot injury claims means we can provide you with the best possible legal advice and representation.
We have particular expertise in serious injury claims, where compensation figures can run into hundreds of thousands or millions of pounds. We are also proud members of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, which represents personal injury solicitors, barristers, academics and students.
What other types of injuries can I claim for?
We have helped clients claim compensation for a wide range of injuries including:
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Osbornes fields a solid team of high quality practitioners, active in a range of catastrophic injury claims.
Osbornes prepares cases well; the whole team is good and lawyers there know their stuff.
They deal with people compassionately and take on the right amount of detail. The firm has some really brilliant key solicitors.
The personal injury team is responsive and its level of service towards clients and other professionals is exceptional and high quality
The team offers specialist expertise in cycling-related injury claims and regularly acts for foreign nationals.
It has considerable experience in cases arising from motor accidents and accidents at work
Osbornes is a well-regarded personal injury practice well equipped to advise on high-value and high-profile claims.
Their team includes bright, hard-working solicitors dedicated to achieving successful outcomes for their clients from partner level to paralegal. Their client care is exceptional.
They are a team who are highly respected in the PI sector.
This is an excellent PI team doing a broad range of PI work.
Osbornes’ ‘highly respected‘ personal injury team is experienced in a range of complex, high-value claims, with notable strength in acting for European clients for whom English is not a first language.
Osbornes’ ‘highly respected‘ personal injury team is experienced in a range of complex, high-value claims
Osbornes’ ‘highly respected‘ personal injury team is experienced in a range of complex, high-value claims.
"Osbornes always provides work of excellent quality and the advice is sound."
"The firm has the ability to handle the most sophisticated and complex matters."
"Osbornes is always client-focused and works tirelessly to obtain the best outcomes."
'The team deals with multi-million pound, often multifaceted claims, involving such factors as severe brain, psychiatric, gynaecological and spinal injury, major trauma, amputation and fatality.'
"They are a boutique firm with highly experienced partners who are well-respected in the industry."
"The team at Osbornes deals with catastrophic injury claims with the same professionalism as the largest firms, but provides a much more client-focused experience."
"A really first-rate team, well capable of dealing with the most serious and complex injuries."
"This team has carved out an exceptional reputation in catastrophic injury work."
"Osbornes has impressed me with their personal touch for clients whilst offering a first-class handling of catastrophic injury claims. The partners all have vast experience and are highly respected in their field."
"This is a really excellent personal injury team that can be regarded as one of the major players in the London claimant personal injury market."
"Osbornes have managed to recruit a team of outstanding catastrophic injury lawyers who are at the top of the game."
"They punch well above their weight. The quality of service they provide equals that of any of the larger top-name firms in this area"
Ben Posford is fiercely bright, with an unrivalled passion for his clients’ cases. His encyclopaedic knowledge of all things PI is second to none. His foresight and commercial nous have propelled Osbornes into the highest echelons of the market where they rightly belong.
The firm has an excellent and innovative line in cases involving non-English speaking claimants, managed by recruiting paralegals with multi-language skills – an impressive route for expansion of the caseload.
Great expanding team with expertise and respect in the sector. Led by a commercially savvy and business minded team.
A really excellent group of PI solicitors, notable for their individual quality.’
A niche firm that punches well above its weight in the catastrophic injury sector, borne out by the quality of work they obtain.
This combination of experience and diligence reaps massive rewards for clients, Osbornes being well known in the industry as a fantastic firm.
The Osbornes personal injury team now comprises some of the most technically adept and hard hitting lawyers in the business.
Ben Posford is one of London’s best catastrophic injury lawyers, in my view. He is a real brain injury specialist.
Excellent coverage of personal injury, and traumatic brain injury. There is a real specialism in claimants who do not speak English as a first language.
The group is noted for its expertise in matters relating to cycling injuries, and is the official legal partner of the London Cycling Campaign charity.
To complement its strong reputation for high-value and complex personal injury work, the firm continues to develop its 'excellent and innovative line in cases involving non-English speaking claimants'
"Osbornes comprises some of the most technically adept and hard hitting lawyers in the business"
"A small but high-powered team, dealing with cases of significant value and complexity."
"An excellent firm which achieves fantastic outcomes for clients."
"Osbornes Law have captured the magic of keeping the customer service levels of a smaller firm whilst having all the expertise and power of the biggest firms."
"A superb boutique catastrophic injury firm."
"Really good at dealing with people who have suffered a serious injury."
"Affable and charming with very good client-handling skills."
"superb firm with consummate professionals and a human touch."
Osbornes now has a team of highly experienced personal injury lawyers; particularly strong on high-value quantum cases, workplace accidents and claims involving foreign workers injured in the UK.
The team provides fantastic strength-in-depth for personal injury claims. It is also particularly well placed to service clients from Eastern Europe with specialist native language speakers. From the smallest case to a multimillion-pound spinal injury case, Osbornes has the right staff to manage every claim.
Ben Posford remains pre-eminent in his field with expert understanding of litigating cases of the upmost severity. His experience builds on Stuart Kightley’s running of the firm with recent partner additions of Rob Aylott making a fantastic addition.
A firm going from strength-to strength-which retains its client care whilst being able to offer a full personal injury service.
Beneath Ben Posford’s calm and reassuring presence, which clients love, lies a formidable tactical and legal brain. His experience tells and he gets it right at every stage of the process from arranging the best possible rehabilitation, to ensuring, so far as possible, a polite relationship with those acting for the defendant in order to ensure best and early resolution of the claim.
"Clients say he is very impressive, in terms of both his experience and his management of the personal injury team."
"They have an expanding profile in personal injury and clinical negligence and offer a superb, broad service in accidents abroad, enabled by their recruitment of bilingual legal executives who can guide non-English speakers through complex litigation."
"Solid personal injury practice well equipped to advise on high-value and high-profile claims arising from fatalities and severe head and spinal injuries."
"Offers specialist expertise in cycling-related injury claims."
"Offers specialist expertise in cauda equina syndrome cases."
"An exceptional outfit. They take on difficult cases, fight hard and win."
"Stuart Kightley is an incredibly empathetic solicitor who is very knowledgeable about traumatic brain injury."
"They are an outstanding firm to work with. They are consistently impressive in their work."
"Osbornes often handles claims valued at over £1m, particularly relating to severe brain and spinal cord injuries and niche areas such as cauda equina syndrome and cycling accidents."
"The hard-working, thorough and committed Robert Aylott, who brings significant heavyweight personal injury experience."
"Key team members include the energetic and personable Stuart Kightley who is head of the personal injury department."
"Osbornes has a growing influence and impressive work load and is gaining a reputation for handling complex catastrophic work."
"Catastrophic injury cases head Ben Posford is an excellent practical litigator who offers exceptional service."
"Stuart is also very experienced in advising on fatal accidents and workplace accidents."
Thank you for the hard work and patience and for being so patient with my constant questions.
"I have found Osbornes to be thorough, clear and understanding from the initial call. They do exactly what they say they will and with passion! I would recommend them to anyone".
Very good efficient service. Would not hesitate to use again.
I will use Osbornes for any future needs.
I don't think I could have asked for anything more. One of the best dealings I've had with the legal profession.
Sam was excellent and very professional in dealing with our claim.
Head of the personal injury department, Stuart Kightley is a first-rate practitioner, wholly focused on getting his client the best outcome in a pragmatic, sensible and consensual manner.
As a real specialist in spinal cord injuries, Ben Posford is always looking at new angles on how to maximise his cases.
Ben Posford is one of the best catastrophic injury lawyers around.
They provide exceptional service, great knowledge and understanding of the law, excellent client care and tactical nous
Stuart Kightley is praised for his expertise in catastrophic and fatal claims. Clients say he is very impressive, in terms of both his experience and his management of the personal injury team.
My claim was dealt with efficiently and professionally. Communication was excellent, and timely. Shrewd and sound advice was provided at every stage of the claim from beginning through to completion. On the basis of my personal experience I would strongly recommend Osbornes.
I just wish to thank you for your hard work and successful outcome. I am pleased with the result and would recommend you and your firm to anyone in the future.
Ben Posford … is ‘tactically astute’ and ‘one of the best personal injury solicitors around’.
Ben Posford ‘knows how to maximise the value of the claim for his clients’.
