Solicitors for Broken Bones and Fracture Claims

There is no figure that can be applied to a fracture by name. Two people with the same break can receive very different awards depending on how the bone healed, whether a joint was involved, whether further surgery is needed, and what the injury has cost in lost earnings and other losses. Any reliable figure has to come from the medical evidence in your own case, which is why we do not publish figures.

That is a recognised situation and it affects the claim significantly. Where a bone heals in a poor position, or does not unite at all, further surgery may be needed and there may be a permanent effect on function. The medical evidence should address what further treatment is required and what the long term position is likely to be.

Yes, where a further operation is needed to remove plates, screws or other fixation, the additional surgery and the recovery period form part of the claim. That includes the time off work, the additional pain and discomfort, and any scarring left by the second operation.

A straightforward fracture that heals within a few months may settle within six to twelve months. Where the fracture is more serious, requires further surgery, or involves a joint, it usually takes longer, because the claim cannot be valued properly until the outcome is reasonably clear. An updated medical report is often obtained once the healing has progressed.

Yes, although less is usually needed than for a soft tissue injury, because the fracture is documented in the hospital records. A medical expert will review the records and examine you, and will give a view on how the fracture has healed and what the prognosis is. That view determines the value of the injury element.

Yes, and fractures caused by falls at work are among the most common workplace claims. Employers are required to assess risks, provide safe equipment and supervise work properly. Where they have not, and a fall follows, there is often a strong claim. We will look at what the employer did and what they should have done.

That does not prevent a claim. Where a pre-existing condition is made worse by an accident, compensation can be claimed for the additional harm caused. The medical expert will usually be asked to separate the underlying condition from the deterioration caused by the accident, and the claim reflects only the latter.

For most claims in England and Wales the limit is three years from the accident. There are exceptions: for a child, the three years runs from their eighteenth birthday, and where someone lacks the mental capacity to bring a claim the limit does not run in the ordinary way. Anyone close to a deadline should take advice immediately.