Femur Fracture Compensation Claims in the UK
Have you suffered a femur fracture that wasn’t your fault? Suffering an injury due to someone else’s negligence can result in you feeling frustrated and angry. If you’ve experienced this, you may be able to make a personal injury claim with a personal injury lawyer.
Femur fracture
Before beginning this guide, you may have questions such as:
- How long does it take to walk after a fractured femur?
- How long do you stay in the hospital with a broken femur?
- Around how long does it take to recover from a broken femur?
We want you to finish reading this guide with as much information as possible, so we’ll be answering these questions and more. This guide will explore if you could be eligible to make a personal injury claim to receive compensation for your broken femur. Injuries can severely impact your day-to-day life, so compensation aims to help you get your life back on track.
Get In Touch With Our Team
If you have any questions about claiming compensation for your femur bone fracture, our team of advisers would be happy to help. They can have a chat with you about your situation to see if you have a valid claim.
If after reviewing your case they can see that your claim is valid, they can connect you with our expert panel of personal injury solicitors to begin working on your personal injury claim.
If you’d like to chat with an adviser, you can get in touch with them by:
- Calling them on 020 3870 4868 to receive free 24/7 legal advice.
- Filling out our online claims form to receive a response at your earliest convenience.
- Chatting with one of our advisers via our live chat pop-up box for an immediate response.
Services And Information
- Everything You Need To Know About Femur Fracture Compensation Claims
- What Is A Femur Fracture?
- Anatomy And Function Of The Femur Bone
- Types And Symptoms Of Femur Fractures
- Causes Of Broken Femur Injuries
- Femur Fracture Compensation Claim Calculator
- Correctly Diagnosing And Treating Femur Fractures
- Could A Fracture Go Undetected?
- Why Are Bone Fracture Injuries Missed?
- Time Limits To Claim For A Fractured Femur
- I Suffered A Femur Fracture, What Should I Do?
- Claim Femur Fracture Compensation On A No Win No Fee Basis
- Related Claims Guides
- Femur Fracture Compensation Claim FAQs
Everything You Need To Know About Femur Fracture Compensation Claims
To begin with, this guide will explain what a femur fracture is, answering questions such as ‘is a broken femur serious?’ Next, the article will explore the anatomy and function of the femur bone, as well as the symptoms of femur fractures. There will then be a section looking at the causes of femur fractures.
Furthermore, the guide will include a personal injury claims calculator table to assess how much some injuries may be worth in compensation. There will also be a section talking about fractured femur diagnosis and whether a fracture could go undetected.
Moreover, the article will look at why bone fractures are missed and what the personal injury claims time limit is. After this, there will be a section offering advice about what you can do after suffering a femur fracture.
Additionally, No Win No Fee agreements will be discussed and there will be an explanation about what this agreement means. Next, there’ll be some additional guides to ensure you leave this guide with as much knowledge as possible about making a personal injury claim.
Finally, the guide will have a section with some frequently asked questions to ensure we’ve answered any queries you may have.
What Is A Femur Fracture?
The femur bone also called the thigh bone is located at the top part of your leg. The head of the femur is what makes up the hip joint. This particular bone is very strong and it takes a lot of pressure in order for it to fracture. However, once fractured it can cause severe pain and discomfort. We could not find any particular statistics to do with fractured femurs. But what we have included is the number of accidents at work that affected the lower limbs.
The below graph portrays statistics from RIDDOR showing the number of non-fatal injuries to employees in Great Britain by the site of injury in 2019/20.
As you can see, the least injuries are on one or more toes, with 835 reported injuries. On the other hand, most injuries are sustained to the rest of the lower limb, with 7,603 reported workplace injuries.
Anatomy And Function Of The Femur Bone
The femur, also known as the thigh bone, is the upper bone of the leg. It’s the longest, strongest, and heaviest bone in the body. The main purpose of the femur is to bear weight and allow the leg to move and function.
Because the femur is so strong, it takes significant impact and force to break it. The long, straight part of the femur is known as the femoral shaft. If there is a fracture along this part of the bone, it’s referred to as a femoral shaft fracture. This type of femur fracture usually requires surgery.
The femur works proximally with the pelvis to form the hip joint. It also works with the patella and tibia to form the knee joint. The femur also includes the intertrochanteric crest and the intertrochanteric line:
- Intertrochanteric crest: Ridge on the femur located on the posterior aspect between the femoral shaft and neck.
- Intertrochanteric line: Ridge on the femur that sits on the anterior part of the femoral neck and shaft.
Types And Symptoms Of Femur Fractures
There are multiple femur fractures that can occur:
- Distal femur fracture: This type of fracture occurs just above the knee joint.
- Spiral fracture femur: This fracture happens when a long bone twists due to impact or force and is torn in half.
- Proximal femur fracture: The proximal end is the femur head, which joins with the acetabulum socket to form the hip joint. A proximal femur fracture occurs in the hip region, usually in people who have osteoporosis (a condition that weakens the bones).
Obviously, there are other different types of fractures that could happen to the femur bone. If you suspect that you have fractured your femur bone getting medical treatment should be a top priority.
Common symptoms of a broken femur are:
- Being unable to walk or stand
- Swelling and pain of the thigh, with possible bruising
- Deformity of the thigh
- Finding it difficult to move the leg
- In a severe femur fracture, the bone may be visibly poking out of the leg
Causes Of Broken Femur Injuries
Below we are going to discuss ways that a femur fracture could take place;
- A femur fracture could happen at work due to falling from a height or being in a car accident, as these are high impact accidents. Due to the dangerous nature of these accidents, a victim may suffer other serious injuries too. These include head, spine, back, and neck injuries.
- Those who are elderly tend to suffer a broken femur due to their bones being more fragile. Due to this, they can sustain a broken femur injury simply from falling whilst standing. Their weakened bone quality means that small accidents can cause a femur fracture.
While you are at work you are owed a duty of care by your employer. This duty of care comes from the Health and Safety At Work etc Act 1974 which states that employers as far as is reasonably practical should look after the health and well being of their workforce. Then when you are out and about the Occupiers Liability Act 1957 applies a duty of care to those who operate public spaces to ensure they are safe for public use. The Highway Code asks that all road users show each other a duty of care so as not to cause accidents on the road.
To be eligible to make a personal injury claim for a fractured femur you must be able to demonstrate that the duty of care a third party owed you was breached. If through negligence you suffer a femur fracture call our team for further advice on what your next steps could be.
Femur Fracture Compensation Claim Calculator
Some articles will include a personal injury claims calculator, however, femur fractures tend to be unique to the injured person. Therefore, a claims calculator may not give an accurate or helpful figure.
Therefore, we’ve instead provided a personal injury claims calculator table below to assess how much compensation some injuries could be awarded. This table is purely for example purposes and figures may alter. The figures in the table have come from a publication known as the Judicial College Guidelines JCG. This publication is often used by legal professionals to hone in on a value for injuries.
| Injury: | Severity: | Notes: | Compensation: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental Anguish | Severe | A fear of impending death. | £4,380 |
| Injuries to the Pelvis or Hips | Severe | The fracture of arthritic femur or femur which needs a hip replacement. High risk of further surgery. | £36,770 to £49,270 |
| Injuries to the Pelvis or Hips | Moderate | Significant pelvis or hip injury without huge risk of permanent disability and low chance of future risk. | £24,950 to £36,770 |
| Knee Injuries | Severe | Disruption of the joint, development or osteoarthritis, ligamentous damage, and lengthy treatment. | £65,440 to £90,290 |
| Knee Injuries | Moderate | Dislocation, torn cartilage, or meniscus resulting in minor instability, wasting, and weakness. | £13,920 to £24,580 |
| Leg Injuries | Very Serious | Crutches needed, for the rest of the injured person’s life. Multiple fractures which have taken years to heal and needed extensive treatment. | £51,460 to £85,600 |
| Leg Injuries | Moderate | Complicated, multiple fractures or severe crushing injuries, usually to a single leg. | £26,050 to £36,790 |
| Leg injuries | Simple fracture | Simple fracture of the femur | £8,550 to £13,210 |
General damages, as shown above, compensate for the injury itself and the mental and psychological impact it’s had on your life. The awarded bracket is based on the severity of the injury and the length of treatment.
Special damages provide compensation for the financial impact the injury has had on you. For example, if you had to pay out of pocket for your prescription medication. It is important you keep evidence of any financial losses you would like to claim for.
Correctly Diagnosing And Treating Femur Fractures
The first step towards correctly treating and recovering from your femur fracture is to see a doctor. The doctor will usually take these steps before implementing a diagnosis:
- Check your symptoms and physically examine you. They will look for signs of a fracture, for example, swelling, tenderness, and pain. Furthermore, they will check to see if your thigh looks deformed or if the bone is visible. They’ll also ask about your medical history and check how you sustained the injury.
- If needed, the next step will be an X-Ray. However, sometimes the X-Ray fails and another scan is performed, such as an MRI or CT scan. These scans produce clearer, more detailed images of the bone.
Very often when the femur is fractured surgery will be needed to realign the bones together so they heal correctly. Of course, this will depend on the type of fracture you have suffered.
Could A Fracture Go Undetected?
If a medical professional misdiagnosis you despite the signs of a femur fracture being obvious, this may be classed as medical negligence. This can lead to a longer recovery time, as well as complicating the treatment you receive. Some consequences of a broken bone misdiagnosis are:
- Surgery: If a broken bone is left untreated for a long period of time, surgery may have to be carried out. This is because the broken bones have had time to heal in the wrong place and wrong way, so surgery may be needed to move them back to their original place.
- Longer treatment: Treatment is likely to be lengthened if an injury is misdiagnosed. This is because the injury may have begun to heal in the wrong place or could have worsened. A broken bone that is left untreated is likely to become worse, resulting in the need for longer and more invasive treatment.
If you’ve been a victim of clinical negligence, you can get in touch with our friendly team of advisers today to discuss your situation. They can offer you free legal advice about your situation.
Why Are Bone Fracture Injuries Missed?
There are numerous ways that a bone fracture injury could be missed, such as:
- X-Ray problems: If an X-Ray is clouded, unclear, or taken at the wrong angle, a broken bone may be missed. If the X-Ray is unclear, the medical practitioner should take it again at a better angle. Or an alternative would be to use different diagnostic tests such as a CT scan or MRI scan.
- Negligent physical examinations: Sometimes, a medical practitioner may rush a physical examination and not notice key signs that the bone is broken. NHS Resolution states that in order to make a claim against the NHS, you must prove causation. This means you must prove that the misdiagnosis worsened your injury. You must also establish that the doctor was negligent in the first place.
If you’d like your case assessed for free to see if you have a valid medical negligence case, you can have a chat with our friendly team of advisers today. They can discuss your case and connect you with our panel of solicitors if you have a valid claim.
Time Limits To Claim For A Fractured Femur
The general personal injury claims time limit is three years. That’s three years from the specific date you sustained the injury or three years from when you learned the injury was due to someone else’s negligence. However, there are some exceptions to the three-year rule:
- Lack of mental capacity: If you’re mentally incapacitated, the three-year medical negligence claims time limit begins from when your recovery commences. If you’d like to pursue the claim sooner, someone you trust can become a litigation friend. Being a litigation friend means you can sue on behalf of someone else.
- Child accident claim: If you’re under 18, the three-year time limit starts on your 18th birthday. On the other hand, a friend/family member can act as a litigation friend to pursue the claim for you before you turn 18.
If you’d like to have a chat about how long you have left to claim, you can contact our team of advisers today to have a chat about your personal situation.
I Suffered A Femur Fracture, What Should I Do?
If you’ve suffered a femur bone fracture, the first thing you should do is seek medical advice. Seeking medical attention straight away will ensure you get the correct medical treatment as soon as possible, which will speed up your recovery.
Furthermore, your medical record will have an explanation of how you suffered the injury, which you can use as evidence in your personal injury claim. You should provide as much evidence as possible to prove that the accident wasn’t your fault. Examples of this evidence could be CCTV footage, photos of your injuries, or witness statements/details.
Additionally, you should gather financial evidence to prove that your injuries affected you financially. Examples of this evidence could be bus tickets to prove you paid out of pocket to travel to and from medical appointments, or payslips to prove you suffered a loss of earnings.
Finally, it’s recommended you contact a personal injury solicitor if you’d like to make a personal injury claim. Some people choose to make a claim alone, but it can prove complicated and difficult.
Specialist solicitors are experienced in helping claimants receive the right money from an injury claim. You can contact our team of advisers today to learn about No Win No Fee agreements.
Claim Femur Fracture Compensation On A No Win No Fee Basis
A No Win No Fee agreement is a contract between you and your lawyer stating that you don’t have to pay your solicitor’s fees if your case fails.
If your case loses, you’re not obligated to pay any of your lawyer’s fees. If your case succeeds, your lawyer will deduct a small, capped percentage from your compensation. This is to pay your solicitor for working hard on helping your case succeed. The percentage will be discussed with you beforehand.
There’s little to lose, so why wait to discuss making a personal injury claim? You can get in touch with our friendly team of advisers by:
- Ringing them on 020 3870 4868. An adviser is always available to offer free legal advice.
- Writing about your situation in our online claims form. One of our advisers will write back to you whenever you’re ready.
- Having a chat with our team of advisers through our live chat pop-up box for an instant reply.
Related Claims Guides
How To Make Food Allergy Claims – Find out How To Claim Compensation For A Food Allergic Reaction? – Have you suffered an allergic reaction due to someone else’s negligence? Our guide explains how you can make a personal injury claim.
Agency Worker Injury Claims Guide For Compensation – If you work for an agency and have suffered a workplace injury that wasn’t your fault, our article explores how you can claim compensation.
Faulty Traffic Light Accident And Injury Claims – Have you suffered a road traffic accident due to faulty traffic lights? Our guide discusses how you can file a personal injury claim.
How Do I Know If I’ve Broken A Bone? – If you suspect you may have a broken bone injury, this NHS article explains the signs, treatment, and recovery process.
Osteoarthritis – This NHS guide includes information about Osteoarthritis (a condition that weakens the bones).
Broken Ankle – If you’ve suffered a broken ankle injury, this NHS guide includes the signs, treatment, and recovery of an ankle fracture.
Femur Fracture Compensation Claim FAQs
What evidence do I need to claim compensation?
The more evidence you provide within your personal injury claim, the better. Examples of evidence could be CCTV footage of the accident, witness details so they can be called upon if a statement is needed, and photos of your injuries. These can all help prove the accident wasn’t your fault.
Furthermore, you can provide evidence of your financial loss too. This could be bus tickets to prove that you paid your own money to travel to and from medical appointments.
Will I have to travel to meet my solicitor?
It is entirely up to you. You can work with our panel of personal injury solicitors via video calls, emails, phone calls.
Could my claim go to court?
It’s unlikely for claims to go to court, as lawyers try to prevent it. The only reason your claim could go to court is if the defendant doesn’t admit (partial) liability or you are not happy with the amount of compensation awarded.
When could I get an interim payment?
This would depend on if you have a lengthy case and whether the defendant has admitted liability.
Thank you for reading our guide on femur fracture compensation.
Writer HL
Checked by EI.
