If you’ve sustained an ankle injury at work, there’s a chance you could be entitled to claim compensation if your employer caused the accident.
In this guide, we explain everything you need to know, from the causes of these injuries, when you could make a claim, how much compensation you could receive, and how we can help you.
To access a free eligibility check, you can get in touch with us via the methods below:
- Chat with an online advisor.
- Call 0151 375 9916.
- Send a message via our ‘Contact Us‘ form
What Is An Ankle Injury At Work?
If you suffer an injury such as a strain, sprain or fracture to your ankle, and it happened while you were carrying out your work duties, this would be classed as an ankle injury at work.
As we explore below, in some cases it can be your employer’s fault that the accident happened. In other cases, it might happen through pure chance.
Can I Sue My Employer For My Ankle Injury?
You might wonder whether you can claim compensation for an ankle injury following an accident at work. In short, the answer is yes.
Employers owe their employees a duty of care to take reasonable as well as practicable steps to prevent them from becoming injured in the workplace. This duty is placed on them by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
Examples of the steps an employer could take to uphold their duty of care include:
- Conducting regular risk assessments and removing or reducing the risk of injury posed by any known hazards.
- Training staff regularly on their roles and the company’s safety procedures.
- Providing necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) where risks can’t be mitigated in any other way.
- Try to keep the workplace clear and free of trip hazards.
You might be able to begin a personal injury compensation claim following an ankle injury at work if:
- You were owed a duty of care by your employer at the time and location of your accident; and
- That duty of care was breached; and
- You suffered an ankle injury as a direct result of that breach.
Effectively, you could be compensated for various types of ankle injuries including sprains, strains and fractures, so long as the accident and injury resulted from your employer’s breach of duty.
If you believe you should be compensated following a sprained, fractured or twisted ankle injury in the workplace, why not contact us to review your claim for free?
What Are The Time Limits If I Want To Claim For Common Types Of Ankle Injuries?
The Limitation Act 1980 sets a 3-year time limit for accident at work claims. Therefore, if you suffer an ankle injury at work, you’ll have 3 years from the date of the incident to start your claim.
Although that is quite a long period of time, beginning your claim at the earliest opportunity may be a good idea. By doing so, gathering evidence to support your case could prove much easier.
However, there are some exceptions that could apply to your specific circumstances. To find out more about these and how a solicitor could potentially help you seek compensation, call our team on the number above.
What Are The Causes Of Ankle Injuries In Workplaces?
There are various ways in which you could sustain an ankle injury in the workplace. Here are some examples of incidents that might lead to an ankle injury at work:
- If you slipped and sprained your ankle because a faulty machine was leaking fluids that hadn’t been cleaned in an adequate time frame.
- If your ankle was crushed by falling items that had been stacked incorrectly in a warehouse.
- If you tripped on a cable laid across the office floor which had not been taped down.
It’s important to note that not all instances of an accident at work in which you hurt your ankle will form the basis of a compensation claim. You need to prove that your employer breached their duty of care and this led to you becoming injured.
How Can I Prove My Employer Caused My Ankle Injury?
When claiming for a workplace ankle injury, it’s important to provide as much evidence as possible. Evidence can prove that you sustained an injury as a result of your employer breaching the duty of care they owed.
For ankle injury at work claims, the following evidence may prove useful:
- Pictures that capture the cause of the incident or show a visible ankle injury.
- Witness contact details so a statement can be taken at a later date. This can help to corroborate what happened.
- Accident report forms to help confirm the location, date and time of your accident. If you’re involved in an accident at work, you must report it to your employer at the earliest opportunity. This will result in the incident being recorded in the company’s accident report book. The details of your accident may also be used in the future to prevent others from similar accidents and injuries.
- Medical records or letters relating to your diagnosis and treatment. You might also be invited to attend an independent medical specialist during the claims process. A report will follow your appointment that will give more details on the future impact of your injuries. This report can be used to help value the harm you sustained.
- Camera footage of your accident as it happened, such as from CCTV or a mobile phone.
- Financial evidence to demonstrate any losses you wish to claim back. This can include receipts, payslips and invoices.
If you have a valid claim, a solicitor from our panel could help you collate any evidence you have collected to build your case and present it fully within the relevant time limit.
Compensation Payouts For Ankle Injuries
Each accident at work claim is unique and therefore, it’s not possible to state exactly how much compensation for an ankle injury might be awarded. Our compensation calculator and the table below provide guideline compensation brackets taken from the Judicial College Guidelines (17th edition, published in 2024).
The JCG is a publication that solicitors and other legal professionals can refer to when valuing the general damages portion of your payout. This is compensation for the pain and suffering caused by your injuries.
Different factors can influence the payout you receive, including the severity of your injury and how badly it has affected your quality of life. Therefore, use these figures as a guide only.
| Injury Type | Guideline Award Bracket |
|---|---|
| Very Severe Ankle Injury | £61,090 to £85,070 |
| Severe Ankle Injury | £38,210 to £61,090 |
| Moderate Ankle Injury | £16,770 to £32,450 |
| Modest Ankle Injury | Up to £16,770 |
| Serious Achilles Tendon Injury | £30,500 to £36,720 |
| Moderate Achilles Tendon | £15,370 to £25,710 |
Can I Claim For Financial Losses Caused By My Ankle Injury?
A workplace ankle injury might also lead to compensation for any financial costs incurred as a result. This is awarded under the second head of loss, referred to as special damages.
Under this head, you could claim back the cost of:
- Private remedial surgery or treatment.
- Modifications to your home if they’ll make it easier to deal with any ongoing symptoms.
- A carer helping you at home.
- Travel.
You should provide evidence of these losses in order to claim them back. This could include receipts, payslips and invoices.
For more information on how much compensation could be awarded for an ankle injury at work, call our team on the number above.
How JF Law Can Help You
Our solicitors offer several services that could benefit you and your claim. For example, they can:
- Assist you with gathering evidence to support your claim
- Value your claim
- Send important correspondence on your behalf
- Ensure your case is brought forward fully within the time limit applicable
- Keep you updated on the progress of your case as it proceeds
They offer these services under the terms of a contract called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) which is a particular kind of No Win No Fee agreement.
Working with a solicitor under a CFA means they will not request fees for their work upfront, during the course of the claim or if the case is lost.
If you succeed with your claim and receive a compensation payout, your solicitor will take a percentage of the compensation as their success fee. This percentage is capped legally.
Our advisors are ready to help if you have any questions about making a personal injury claim for an ankle injury at work. By getting in touch, you’ll receive free guidance on the claims process and a review of the merits of your claim on a no-obligation basis.
If it’s found your case has a chance of success and is valid, an advisor could connect you with one of our solicitors who could begin working on your claim.
To learn more, you can get in touch by:
- Calling 0151 375 9916.
- Completing our ‘Contact Us‘ form
- Connecting to our live chat system.
