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.
Call 020 7485 8811 today.
“Osbornes fields a specialist personal injury team with standout expertise in catastrophic trauma, regularly securing multimillion-pound settlements in spinal, brain, and amputation cases. “
“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 leave a lasting impact on work and daily life. Whether your injury happened at work, in a slip or fall, in a road accident or a cycling collision, if someone else was at fault you may be entitled to compensation.
Table of Contents
The foot injuries we see most often in claims
Foot injury claims usually fall into one of four clinical categories, and the type of injury you have affects both how it is evidenced and what your claim is worth.
Fractures of the metatarsals, tarsals or calcaneus. The five metatarsal bones across the mid-foot are the most commonly broken, typically from heavy items dropped at work, crush incidents in warehouses, or cycling collisions. Calcaneus (heel bone) fractures usually point to a fall from height and frequently sit alongside spinal compression injuries. Lisfranc injuries (mid-foot dislocation-fracture) are easily missed on early X-rays and often need orthopaedic specialist review.
Soft-tissue and tendon injuries. Achilles tendon ruptures usually happen during sport or when stepping unexpectedly into an uneven surface and can take 12 months to recover with proper rehabilitation. Plantar fascia tears, peroneal tendon injuries and severe sprains can leave persistent symptoms that affect standing and walking long after the initial injury.
Crush and degloving injuries. Heavy machinery, forklifts in warehouse and loading environments, or a vehicle running over a pedestrian’s foot can cause severe crush injuries with skin loss. These often need multiple operations, can leave permanent loss of function, and in the worst cases lead to partial amputation.
Nerve damage and complex regional pain syndrome. Compression or laceration of the tibial or peroneal nerve can leave permanent numbness, weakness or chronic neuropathic pain. CRPS is a recognised complication of foot trauma and significantly raises the value of a claim because of its long-term effect on mobility and work.
Who is responsible for your foot injury
To bring a successful claim you need to show that someone else owed you a duty of care, that they breached it, and that the breach caused your injury. In foot injury cases the most common defendants are:
- Your employer if the injury happened because of unsafe equipment, missing safety guards on machinery, missing PPE (steel-toed boots), inadequate training or poorly maintained walkways.
- An occupier or property owner for hazards in public places such as broken paving slabs, unmarked wet floors, poorly lit stairs or unrepaired flooring under the Occupiers’ Liability Act.
- Another road user if you were a pedestrian, cyclist, motorcyclist or vehicle occupant injured by negligent driving.
- A healthcare provider if a foot injury was misdiagnosed (missed Lisfranc, missed scaphoid-equivalent navicular fracture) or surgically mishandled, which can give rise to a clinical negligence claim alongside the personal injury claim.
Even if you think you were partly to blame, you may still be entitled to compensation under the principle of contributory negligence. Speak to us before assuming you have no case.
Am I eligible to make a foot injury claim?
In general, you can make a foot injury claim if:
- The accident happened in the last three years (or you only recently became aware your foot problem was caused by an earlier incident)
- Someone else’s negligence caused or contributed to your injury
- You suffered an actual injury (not just a near-miss)
For workplace injuries the three-year clock often runs from the date of knowledge rather than the date of the accident, which matters for slow-developing nerve and tendon problems. For children injured before 18, the time limit doesn’t start until their 18th birthday.
What to do after a foot injury
- Get a proper diagnosis. Foot injuries are routinely under-treated in A&E. Push for X-rays of the whole foot and, where there is mid-foot pain or swelling, an MRI to rule out Lisfranc or stress fracture. A consultant orthopaedic letter that names the injury (for example “third metatarsal shaft fracture”, “Lisfranc ligament rupture”, “Achilles tendon rupture”) is the foundation of every well-evidenced claim.
- Report it. Workplace accidents must go in the accident book the same day. Public-place incidents should be reported to the occupier (shop, council, premises manager) and the report logged.
- Preserve evidence. Photograph the injury, the location, the hazard, and the footwear you were wearing. Get witness contact details and ask if there is CCTV (which is often deleted within 30 days).
- Keep a recovery diary. Pain levels, missed work, missed activities, and the practical things you cannot do for yourself. Insurers will challenge anything that isn’t documented.
- Keep receipts. Private physiotherapy, orthotics, taxis to appointments, lost overtime, and care provided by family members all sit on the special damages side of a claim.
How much can I claim for a foot injury?
Your settlement has two components. General damages compensate for pain, suffering and loss of amenity. Special damages cover financial losses (lost earnings, private medical costs, care, future treatment) and almost always outweigh general damages once the injury is moderate or worse.
The Judicial College Guidelines (17th edition, April 2024) place foot injuries in these bands:
- Modest foot injuries with full recovery: under £16,770
- Moderate foot injuries (displaced fractures, permanent limp, continuing symptoms): £16,770 to £30,500
- Serious foot injuries (continuing pain, risk of osteoarthritis, prolonged treatment): £30,500 to £47,840
- Severe foot injuries (permanent and severely disabling): £51,220 to £85,460
- Very severe foot injuries (unusually severe, near-amputation in functional terms): £102,470 to £133,810
- Amputation of one foot: £102,470 to £133,810
- Amputation of both feet: £206,730 to £245,900
Current 18th edition figures (April 2026) are approximately 8% higher, and your final valuation will reflect inflation to the date of assessment. Toe injuries sit in a separate, generally lower band. Speak to us about your specific circumstances for an accurate valuation.
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, she 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?
Our team of experienced personal injury solicitors have been successfully representing clients for over 50 years. We have particular expertise in serious injury claims, where compensation figures can run into hundreds of thousands or millions of pounds. We are proud members of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.
How most foot injuries happen
Closely related injuries
★★★★★“Following a cycling accident in which I sustained a serious foot injury but for which the driver admitted liability, I contacted Osbornes. Osbornes was able to give me the reassurance I needed to commit to the cost of private surgery within the fortnight window I had to make the decision. Twenty months later, thanks to that decision, an excellent surgeon and extensive physiotherapy I am fully recovered with a settlement that covered the nature of my injury and the costs incurred. Sophie Davies‘ guidance and her experienced and supportive handling of issues that arose made the whole experience predictable and stress free.”
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Rob Aylott is adept at handling sensitive and complex catastrophic injury claims.
Sam Collard, head of cycling, specialises in severe injury and fatal accident cases.
Rob Aylott leads on amputation disputes, often working with major trauma units.
Department head Sophie Davies handles severe injury and fatality matters with a focus on early rehabilitation.
Osbornes fields a specialist personal injury team with standout expertise in catastrophic trauma, regularly securing multimillion-pound settlements in spinal, brain, and amputation cases.
Excellent firm with a good insight into and prosecution of catastrophic PI work handled by an experienced team.
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’.
