According to official Judicial Council Guidelines that are used to assess claims, examples of severe ankle injuries include:
- Transmalleolar fractures which often come with severe soft tissue injuries in the surrounding area as well.
- Bilateral ankle fractures which can lead to degeneration of the joints.
- Injuries that require an extensive periods of treatment and rehabilitation, with operations involving pins and plates being inserted.
- Any injury causing a form of residual ankle instability or disability.
- Any injury that results in significant scarring or has any affect on your employment or quality of life – perhaps due to a requirement to wear special footwear.
These sorts of injuries could result in below-knee amputations or the event of a future injury, or arthrodesis, which is an artificial joint inserted in to the foot, being required. Or, as already mentioned above, the requirement to use a splint or some kind of orthotic device or specialist footwear to help you walk properly.
Any injury to a limb like this can be devastating and severely debilitating. It’s not just about the “short term” pain and problems, which might include operations and significant periods of none-weight bearing, months or even years of rehabilitation and physiotherapy, it’s about the long term affects. What will the impact on the rest of your life be? What will the injury stop you doing? How might the injury hold you back? These are all questions we need to ask to make sure that if the injury was caused through negligence, you receive the compensation you deserve.
Compensation is generally comprised of two parts – General Damages and Special Damages. General Damages is compensation for the pain, suffering, and loss of amenity caused by the injury. In the case of severe ankle injuries, the official guidelines state the following:
- Very Severe Ankle Injuries – £35,750 – £49,800
- Severe Ankle Injuries – £22,350 – £35,750
But on top of this you are entitled to a claim for Special Damages. This can include things like:
- Lost earnings as a result of time off, including loss on the open labour market if the injury has an effect on your career. Future lost earnings can be claimed for as well.
- Medical expenses, such as splint and equipment expenses, walking aids, or anything else you might need to help you live as comfortable as possible.
- Care and assistance from friends, family, or even paid assistance if necessary can also be claimed back.
In the case of severe ankle injuries, a losses claim could be significant if you are going to suffer for the rest of your life. So you need the best injury lawyers to represent you for your claim and make sure you receive the maximum amount of compensation possible.
Our Serious Injury Claims Team can do just that – we can start with a visit to you at a time and date that is convenient for you, and we can go from there. Call our free claims helpline on 0800 634 75 75 for the help you need.
