Leg Injury Claims
Claim Compensation for a Leg Injury
If you have suffered a leg injury in the last three years, and it wasn't your fault, our lawyers may be able to help you claim compensation.
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.”
Leg injuries are some of the most debilitating personal injuries we handle. Walking, standing, working and the basics of daily life all depend on the leg, so even a moderate injury can change months of life and earnings. In the worst cases (severe fractures, amputations, nerve damage) the consequences are permanent, and the compensation reflects that.
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Our personal injury team handle serious leg injury cases regularly and know what evidence is needed to value and settle a claim properly.
The four leg injury types we see most often
Leg injury claims usually fall into four clinical categories, and the type of injury you have affects both how it is evidenced and what your claim is worth.
Tibia and fibula fractures. The tibia is the most commonly broken long bone in the body. Open (compound) fractures, where the bone breaks through the skin, carry a high risk of infection and often need external fixation. Tibial plateau fractures (a break at the top of the shin bone, just below the knee) are usually high-energy injuries from road traffic accidents or falls from height and can cause permanent knee dysfunction. Fibula-only fractures recover faster but if combined with ankle injury (a Maisonneuve fracture) need specialist orthopaedic input.
Femoral fractures. The femur is the strongest bone in the body, so a broken femur almost always indicates a high-energy mechanism: motorbike crashes, pedestrian collisions and severe falls. Treatment typically involves an intramedullary nail and weeks of non-weight-bearing recovery. Hip-end femoral neck fractures behave differently and overlap with hip injury claims.
Soft-tissue and ligament injuries. Hamstring tears, calf muscle ruptures, severe ankle sprains and ligament damage often happen in sports incidents or workplace slips. Many are dismissed as minor at A&E and only properly diagnosed weeks later via MRI. Compartment syndrome (rising pressure in a muscle compartment after trauma or surgery) is a recognised emergency complication that can cause permanent muscle and nerve damage if not decompressed quickly.
Nerve damage, leg paralysis and amputation. The most serious leg injuries. Sciatic, peroneal and tibial nerve damage can leave permanent weakness, foot drop or chronic neuropathic pain. Spinal cord involvement can cause partial or full leg paralysis. Traumatic or surgical amputation of part or all of the leg is the most severe category, with compensation reflecting the lifelong impact on mobility, employment and the need for prostheses and home adaptation.
Where most leg injuries come from
The most common settings for the leg injury claims we handle are:
- Accidents at work. Construction sites, farms, factories, scaffolding and warehouses, where falls from height, machinery, and heavy loads create the highest workplace leg-injury risk.
- Road traffic accidents. Around four in ten front-seated car occupants in serious collisions suffer some form of leg injury. Cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians are at significantly higher risk because their legs are unprotected.
- Sports injuries. The NHS treats around two million sports injuries in A&E each year, a large share involving the leg. A claim is possible if the injury was caused by poorly maintained pitches or equipment, reckless conduct beyond the rules of the sport, or coaching negligence.
- Clinical negligence. Surgical errors, missed fractures, plaster casts applied too tightly causing compartment syndrome, and undiagnosed deep vein thrombosis are common patterns we see in clinical negligence claims involving the leg.
Will I be entitled to compensation?
You can usually make a claim if:
- The accident happened in the last three years (or the date you became aware your leg condition was caused by an earlier event)
- Someone else’s negligence caused or contributed to your injury
- You suffered an actual injury, not just a near-miss
If you were partly at fault, you may still be entitled to compensation under contributory negligence (you get a reduced settlement reflecting your share of responsibility). For children injured before 18, the time limit doesn’t start running until their 18th birthday.
Putting a value on your leg injury claim
Your settlement has two components. General damages compensate for pain, suffering and loss of amenity. Special damages cover lost wages, future loss of earnings, medical and rehabilitation costs, equipment (wheelchairs, prosthetics, mobility aids), home and car adaptations, and care from family or professionals. Special damages usually exceed general damages once an injury is moderate or worse.
The Judicial College Guidelines (17th edition, April 2024) place leg injuries in these bands:
- Simple femur fracture with no articular surface or leg-length impact: £8,640 to £11,050
- Less serious leg fractures (incomplete recovery, minor cosmetic issues): £11,120 to £33,880
- More serious leg fractures (multiple or complicated, longer recovery): £21,920 to £33,880
- Moderate leg injuries (severe crush injuries, complicated fractures with continuing symptoms): £22,880 to £47,840
- Serious leg injuries (long-term mobility problems, soft-tissue damage with arthritic complications): £47,840 to £66,920
- Very serious leg injuries (permanent mobility problems requiring crutches or aids): £66,920 to £109,290
- Severe leg injuries (short of amputation but with severe permanent disability): £117,460 to £165,860
- Amputation of one leg below the knee: £117,360 to £159,770
- Amputation of both legs below the knee: £201,490 to £270,100
- Amputation of one leg above the knee: £133,810 to £159,770
- Amputation of both legs at hip level: £293,850 to £344,150
Current 18th edition figures (April 2026) are approximately 8% higher, and your final valuation will reflect inflation to the date of assessment. Psychological injury sitting alongside the leg injury (PTSD, depression, phantom limb syndrome, fear of falling) is compensated separately as part of the claim.
The three-year clock
There is a three-year time limit on leg injury claims, running from the date of the accident or the date you knew the injury was linked to a negligent act. For children, the clock starts at their 18th birthday and runs until they turn 21. For people without mental capacity, the time limit may not run at all. Start the process early: medical records and CCTV are often destroyed within weeks, and witness recollections fade.
Working with our team on a leg injury claim
Osbornes Law has handled serious injury claims for over 50 years. We are members of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and take most leg injury cases on a no win, no fee basis, so you don’t pay legal costs unless your claim succeeds. Complex, high-value cases (amputations, multi-fracture road accidents, missed fracture clinical negligence) are where our team has the deepest experience.
Closely related injuries
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’.
