If you injure your foot, you are likely to end up with considerable issues walking around. Your mobility is restricted, meaning your independence is compromised and your quality of life can be seriously reduced. Just imagine trying to get upstairs to use the bathroom or go to bed when you can’t actually walk right – Sounds painful; all of them stairs. Imagine trying to prepare a meal whilst hopping around the kitchen, complete with steak knife in one hand and your sirloin sizzling in the oil on the gas hob – sounds rather dangerous, doesn’t it?
Normally people who end up with a foot injury that causes any difficulty walking will require some form of care and assistance from a householder, friend or relative. So there is that to take in to account, on top of the fact that commuting to work may be made somewhat difficult if you can’t drive with the injury to the foot.
The point I’m getting at is that it’s difficult to comprehend the sorts of troubles you might face with what may seem like such a trivial injury until you end up suffering it yourself; which is why we are able to win claims for compensation for victims who have suffered from injuries that cause enough pain, suffering, and loss of amenity to their lives.
You can twist your ankle or break any part of the complex system of bone and tendons that make up your foot and ankle simply by slipping on a wet floor, or tripping over a hazard at work, or stumbling in a pothole in the street. In instances where the accident was not your fault and the blame lies with a company or another person, you are entitled to make a claim for compensation.
What Can You Claim For?
Well, firstly, you are entitled to a sum that covers the pain and suffering you have had to endure for the injury itself. This is usually dependant on the length and severity of the suffering you personally have to go through. We normally calculate this by sending you to see a medical expert who will examine you and prepare a report to confirm the extent of the pain and suffering endured. Your individually circumstances are of course taken in to account – e.g. a person who is active and fit, regularly using the gym and cycling to work, is impacted more than a person who spends most of their free time in front of the TV with a takeout and their feet up (to use a clichéd and rather broad example!)
Lost earnings from being unable to work is also taken in to account – as well as travel expenses if you have to use taxis or the bus service to get to work because walking or cycling is made difficult due to the injury. You should always keep receipts and tickets for that sort of thing as evidence to allow us to include it in your claim. Travel expenses to and from medical appointments or for physio and treatment is also included.
I touched earlier on the need for care and assistance. For example, a householder assisting with chores, meal preparation, shopping, etc – all tasks which are made difficult through being unable to walk properly (or at all) for lengthy periods of time. As I said early, you don’t want to be risking your safety by cooking on one leg! We can include a claim for care and assistance in which we can recover a sum as an hourly rate for the carer’s time in helping you. Even if you haven’t actually paid your spouse, son, friend, relative, or whatever they are for the help, the carers claim is still included. Make sure you keep a note of what help you have had, when, for how long, and how often. We can then recover a sum for the carer for the claim.
Medical Care
Normally an injury that puts you off your feet for a period of time requires physiotherapy or some form of rehabilitation to help you get back to the way you were prior to the accident. We can actually include private physio of medical help that can be recovered as part of the claim. The other side has a duty to help you get back to normal as quickly and efficiently as possible. If this means paying for private care, then so be it.
For advice on whether you have a claim for compensation get in touch using our free claims helpline on 0800 634 75 75 today.