If you are wondering how to sue for a broken ankle, you could make a personal injury claim if another party was responsible for the accident that caused your injury. A successful claim could compensate you for the pain and impact of your broken ankle, as well as financial losses resulting from it.

Breaking your ankle can suddenly make everyday life much harder. You may be unable to walk without support or need time away from work while you recover. Even seemingly simple tasks, like cleaning, can become difficult when you are dealing with pain and reduced mobility.

Recovery can also vary considerably depending on the ankle fracture you suffered. Some people recover relatively quickly, while a severe ankle injury could require surgery or leave lasting problems with movement.

If somebody else caused your accident, you do not have to work out your legal options alone. Our panel of personal injury solicitors here at How To Sue can assess how your broken ankle happened and advise whether you could claim compensation. You can contact an advisor for free to discuss your circumstances and find out what you could do next.

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How To Sue For A Broken Ankle

To sue for a broken ankle, you need to establish that another party was responsible for the circumstances in which your ankle was fractured and that their failure to protect your safety caused the injury. It is not enough simply to have suffered an ankle fracture in an accident.

The key eligibility criteria for a broken ankle compensation claim are:

• Whether another party was responsible for protecting you from the risk that caused your ankle fracture. This depends on how the accident happened. For example, your employer may have been responsible for keeping a walkway free from hazards that could cause you to fall and fracture your ankle.
• Whether that party failed to take reasonable steps to prevent the accident. The circumstances should show a specific safety failure connected to your broken ankle injury. For example, a local council may have failed to address a dangerous pavement defect despite having a reasonable opportunity to do so, resulting in your foot catching and your ankle fracturing in the fall.
• Whether the accident caused the ankle injury you are claiming for. Your fractured ankle must have resulted from the incident in question. This is particularly important if you already had problems with the same ankle, as a claim would need to distinguish the harm caused or worsened by the accident.

Not every broken ankle will result in a compensation claim, but an injury caused by someone else’s actions may give you grounds to take legal action. If you want to know how to sue for a broken ankle, contact our advisors for a free initial consultation and tell us exactly how your ankle was fractured. They can assess what happened and explain whether you could pursue a broken ankle compensation claim.

Could Someone Else Be Liable For My Broken Ankle?

Someone else could be liable for your broken ankle if their actions or failure to take reasonable precautions caused the accident in which the injury occurred. Who may be responsible will depend on where the accident happened and what caused it.

Liability is not always obvious immediately after an ankle injury. If you are unsure whether your employer, another road user or the organisation responsible for a public place could be accountable, call our advisors for free guidance on where responsibility for your accident may lie.

What Types Of Ankle Fractures Could Lead To Compensation?

Different types of broken ankle injuries could lead to compensation if another party was responsible for the accident that caused them, including a lateral malleolus fracture affecting the outside of the ankle or a bimalleolar fracture affecting both sides of the ankle. The severity of the fracture can influence the treatment required, recovery period and longer-term impact of the injury.

Other ankle fractures that could form part of a compensation claim include:

• Medial malleolus fractures affect the lower end of the tibia on the inside of the ankle.
• Trimalleolar fractures involve three areas around the ankle joint and can result in a more serious ankle injury.
• Open ankle fractures involve a break associated with an open wound and may require more extensive medical treatment.

A broken ankle compensation claim can also account for complications associated with the fracture. An injured ankle may remain painful or unstable after the bone has healed. More serious ankle injuries can also cause lasting restrictions in movement that affect walking and everyday activities.

Whether your fracture healed relatively quickly or continues to affect your mobility, its full impact matters. For guidance on how to sue for a broken ankle, speak with our advisors for free and find out how the severity and lasting effects of your injury could influence your compensation claim.

What Compensation Could I Receive For A Broken Ankle?

The compensation you could receive for a broken ankle will depend on the severity and impact of your injury, such as whether you have made a complete recovery or have been left with permanent ankle instability. More serious fractures that cause lasting mobility problems may result in higher compensation than fractures that heal without ongoing symptoms.

If your broken ankle compensation claim succeeds, general damages compensate for the pain and suffering caused by your injury and any resulting loss of amenity. Loss of amenity refers to the effect the injury has on your ability to participate in your usual activities and enjoy your normal quality of life.

Your compensation payout could also account for certain financial losses caused by the injury. We explain these in more detail in the next section.

The Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) provide guideline compensation brackets that can help when general damages are valued. This is because the JCG lists compensation guidelines for different injuries, including ankle injuries.

We have used those entries in the table below. Please only refer to them for guidance. The first entry has not come from the JCG.

Injury	Guideline Compensation	Notes
Very Severe Multiple Injuries with Financial Losses	Up to £150,000+	Compensation for suffering multiple severe injuries, including a broken ankle, and for the associated financial losses such as rehabilitation fees, mobility aids such as crutches, and care costs.
Very Severe Ankle Injury	£66,140 to £92,090	A transmalleolar fracture with extensive soft tissue damage and deformity, or fractures to both ankles resulting in early joint degeneration and the need for fusion surgery.
Severe Ankle Injury	£41,370 to £66,140	Injuries requiring extensive treatment or a lengthy period in plaster, with significant lasting problems such as ankle instability.
Moderate Ankle Injury	£18,150 to £35,130	Fractures and ligament injuries resulting in less serious ongoing problems. These can include difficulty walking on uneven ground.
Modest Ankle Injury	Up to £18,150	Less serious fractures, including minor or undisplaced fractures. The award depends on factors such as the extent of recovery and whether symptoms such as aching, discomfort, reduced movement or ankle instability continue.

Could My Settlement Include Costs And Lost Income?

Yes, your broken ankle settlement could include certain costs and lost income if you can show that these financial losses resulted from your ankle injury. These are known as special damages and could cover lost earnings while you were unable to work or expenses incurred because of your reduced mobility.

Depending on how your broken ankle has affected you, special damages could include:

Evidence such as payslips, receipts and invoices can help demonstrate the financial losses caused by your broken ankle injury.

If your ankle fracture has affected more than your mobility, do not overlook the financial impact of your recovery. When considering how to sue for a broken ankle, our advisors can help you identify which costs and financial losses could potentially be included in your compensation claim.

How Do I Start A Broken Ankle Compensation Claim?

To start a broken ankle compensation claim, you should gather evidence relating to your ankle injury, check that you are within the applicable time limit and consider whether you would like a solicitor to handle the claims process for you. Taking these steps early can help establish how your ankle fracture happened and the impact it has had on you.

Which Evidence Could Strengthen My Broken Ankle Claim?

Evidence that could strengthen your broken ankle claim includes CCTV footage showing the accident in which your ankle was fractured and photographs documenting swelling, bruising or other visible effects of the injury. Evidence can help establish both how the accident occurred and the extent of the harm you suffered.

Particularly useful evidence could include:

• X-rays or scan results confirming the location and severity of your ankle fracture, alongside medical records showing treatment such as surgery, time spent in a cast and subsequent physiotherapy.
• Photographs of the specific hazard that caused your ankle to twist or buckle, such as a raised paving slab, damaged workplace flooring or liquid left on a supermarket floor.
• Records demonstrating how the fractured ankle affected your mobility and recovery, such as fit notes showing how long you were unable to work and receipts for crutches, ankle supports or travel to fracture clinic appointments.

You may need other evidence depending on how your ankle injury happened. Our dedicated guide explains more about the evidence needed for a personal injury claim.

What Is The Time Limit For Claiming After Breaking An Ankle?

The time limit for claiming after breaking an ankle is generally 3 years from the date of the accident under the Limitation Act 1980. However, exceptions can apply in certain circumstances, including claims involving children or people who lack the mental capacity to manage their own claim.

You can learn more about when the time limit starts and the circumstances that can affect it in our guide to the limitation period.

Could My Broken Ankle Claim Be Handled Under A No Win No Fee Agreement?

Yes, your broken ankle claim could be handled under a No Win No Fee agreement if a solicitor from our panel agrees to represent you under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This arrangement can allow you to pursue an ankle injury compensation claim without paying your solicitor’s service fees upfront.

Additionally, under a CFA, you would not pay your solicitor’s service fees while your broken ankle compensation claim is ongoing. You would also not pay these service fees if the claim is unsuccessful.

If compensation is secured, your solicitor will deduct a success fee from your compensation. The percentage that can be taken as a success fee is legally capped, and the terms should be explained to you before you agree to proceed.

If reduced mobility or time away from work are already taking up your attention, pursuing compensation does not need to become another burden. To find out whether a solicitor from our panel could handle the legal work involved in your broken ankle claim, contact our advisors for a free case assessment.

Get Support From How To Sue For A Broken Ankle Claim

How To Sue can connect you with a solicitor from our panel who can build your claim around the particular consequences of a broken ankle, from the initial fracture and treatment through to any lasting restriction in the ankle joint. This is important because the value and progression of an ankle injury claim can depend heavily on how well the fracture heals and whether it leaves you with ongoing mobility problems.

If a solicitor from our panel takes on your broken ankle compensation claim, they can:

• Address disputes about pre-existing ankle problems. If you had symptoms or treatment before the accident, they can consider what changed afterwards and how much additional harm the incident caused.
• Choose an appropriate orthopaedic expert. More complex ankle fractures may require specialist evidence about healing, future function and whether further treatment is likely.
• Avoid settling the claim before the prognosis is clear. Some fractures take time to reveal their longer-term effect, particularly where recovery is slower than expected.
• Respond to contributory negligence arguments. If the defendant claims that you should have noticed or avoided the hazard, your solicitor can deal with that allegation as part of the liability case.
• Present future consequences properly. Where medical evidence indicates ongoing restrictions or later treatment, your solicitor can make sure the claim reflects those anticipated effects rather than only the original broken bone.

Get In Touch With How To Sue About Your Broken Ankle

If you want to know how to sue for a broken ankle, our advisors can help you understand your options and determine whether your case could be passed to a solicitor from our panel. Get in touch with How To Sue today and take the next step towards pursuing compensation for your ankle injury.

• Call on 0800 408 7827
• Contact us online
• Use our live chat

More Information

Read more of our guides:

• Learn how to sue for a head or brain injury.
• Guidance on claiming for a broken foot injury at work.
• Advice on suing for a broken finger.

Resources:

• Information on broken ankle injuries via the NHS.
• Specified, reportable injuries to workers, such as broken ankles, via the Health and Safety Executive.
• Guidance on claiming compensation after an accident or injury via Gov.UK.

Thank you for reading our guide on how to sue for a broken ankle.