Broken Neck Of Femur Fracture Compensation Claims In The UK
By Megan Newton. Last Updated 16th November 2022. A neck of femur fracture is located near the top of the thigh bone. It is the part before the femoral head. The femoral head is the ball section for the hip joint. It is an injury that could have a significant effect on your mobility, and if you are elderly or already suffering from an illness it could pose a serious threat to your health. You could claim neck of femur fracture compensation if you suffered it through a breach in the duty of care that was owed to you by a party responsible for your safety.
Broken neck of femur fracture compensation claims
On this page, you will find information that can help you decide whether you have a valid personal injury claim. It has information about the different situations in which could suffer a neck of femur fracture, and what the effects could be. It isn’t just personal injuries that could make you eligible to make a compensation claim. The standard of medical treatment can also have a big impact on your injury. Medical negligence could lead to a misdiagnosis, which could lead to an injury being untreated or being aggravated. This could make you eligible for compensation claims as well.
If there is more information that you need to help make your mind up, you can get it from our team of advisors. They can provide you with information about whether or not you are eligible to make a compensation claim as well. You can reach them using the contact information below.
Get In Touch With Our Team
- Call 020 3870 4868
- Message our start a claim page
- Message our website chat feature
Services And Information
- Everything You Need To Know About Neck Of Femur Fracture Compensation Claims
- What Is A Neck Of Femur Fracture?
- Anatomy Of The Femoral Neck
- Broken Neck Of Femur Symptoms
- How Could You Break Your Femur?
- Pelvis Fracture – Personal Injury Compensation Guidelines
- How Are Fractures Diagnosed?
- What Is A Missed Neck Of Femur Fracture?
- Why Bone Fractures Could Be Misdiagnosed
- How Long After Breaking A Bone Could You Start A Claim?
- What Should You Do If You Broke Your Femur Bone In An Accident?
- No Win No Fee Neck Of Femur Fracture Compensation Claims
- Related Fracture Claim Guides
- Neck Of Femur Fracture Compensation Claim FAQs
Everything You Need To Know About Neck Of Femur Fracture Compensation Claims
If you suffer an injury in an accident that was not your fault, you could be eligible to claim compensation. This is because there are times when you would be under a duty of care by another party. When you are under a duty of care the party with the duty has to take responsibility for ensuring your safety in as much as reasonably possible. It is fair to say that you also have a huge responsibility for your own safety so it is vital that you continue to go about your day in a responsible manner.
Lots of different places and scenarios can present this kind of duty of care. Your employer has a duty of care over you while you are at work for example. Another example could be when you are in a public place on the property of a business or a public authority.
If a person or a business has not upheld a duty of care and you suffered an injury as a result they could be liable to a personal injury claim. This means that they could pay you compensation if you make a successful claim. Our website has this page and many others like it to provide you with information and advice about how making a claim works. On this page, for example, you can find information about how your compensation will be calculated, how you can start to gather evidence to support the claim, and how solicitors can be funded through a Conditional Fee Agreements CFA. Please read through some of the links on this page and call our team if you want more information and advice.
What Is A Neck Of Femur Fracture?
A neck of femur fracture is where the top of the thigh bones breaks. It is one of the most common types of Hip fracture. The femoral neck is the portion of the femur at the top of the thigh bone that has the femoral head attached to it that forms the ball for the hip joint.
A femoral neck fracture is when this part of the femur fractures. The femur and the pelvis are some of the bodies sturdier and thicker bones. They are also located in an area that is surrounded by relatively thick layers of muscle. Despite this level of protection, the femur bones can be broken.
A femoral fracture can be caused by an accident where significant force is inflicted on the hip area. It can cause the victim to be unable to walk, at least unassisted, as it usually puts the affected leg out of action. Nevertheless, if a patient is lucky, the process of fully recovering from a femur fracture could last just a few months. But in more serious circumstances the recovery could take much longer and some patients can suffer from permanent effects from a femur fracture. In older people, hip fractures can be life-threatening due to the danger of more severe fractures and infections. The NHS website has a guide to hip fractures that could come in handy.
Anatomy Of The Femoral Neck
The femoral neck is located near the hip joint. It looks quite like your actual neck and the femoral head sits on top of it. The hip is something known as a ball and socket joint, meaning that it is made up of a ball-shaped bone that fits into a socket that allows it to move. The upper part of the leg is made up of the femur bone, at the top of the femur you have the femoral neck and then the femoral head that meets the pelvis at the joint also known as the acetabulum.
The femoral neck carries blood vessels into the femoral head. The supply of blood can be stopped or disrupted if the femoral neck is broken, causing the onset of permanent damage as a result of avascular necrosis.
Broken Neck Of Femur Symptoms
The first sign of a broken femoral neck could simply be the pain of the injury and the sensation you could feel of the bone snapping. Subsequently, you could be able to feel the sensation of the broken edges of the femoral neck scratching each other as you attempt to move your leg. In addition to the sensation, you could even hear the sound of the hip breaking on impact.
You will probably feel tenderness around the area where the bone is broken. And pain when attempting to move the leg. That is if you are able to move the leg at all. Fracture of the femoral neck and hip fractures, in general, can prevent the leg from being able to move. Even if some movement is possible in the leg it would be more than likely that you will not be able to put any weight on the leg.
Other outward signs of a fractured pelvis besides the swelling can include bruising. Because an injury in the pelvis or the hips can impact the legs, the leg may appear shorter than normal. Or bent at an unusual angle. See this NHS page for more information on the signs of broken bones.
How Could You Break Your Femur?
The neck of femur could be broken by an accident where the hips are impacted with significant force. This could be an accident where the impact hits the body on the hips directly. Or it could be an accident or injury where the force impacts the feet and is transferred up the bones causing the femur to break at one of its relatively weak points. There is an enhanced risk of suffering an injury to the femur in older people, people suffering from pre-existing injuries, and people suffering from bone weakening illnesses such as Osteoporosis.
Some of the circumstances that a femur fracture could occur in include:
- Injuries in the workplace
- Injuries in car accidents
- Slips, trips, and falls. Which could be caused by ice, or by loose wires.
- Gym accidents
Pelvis Fracture – Personal Injury Compensation Guidelines
If you have suffered a pelvic fracture due to third-party negligence, you might be eligible for compensation. For a successful pelvis injury claim, the amount you could receive will depend on the specific factors of your case, however, your settlement could include general and special damages.
Any physical or mental injuries you have suffered could be compensated with general damages.
Using the figures listed in the 16th edition of the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) we have created the following table. The JCG provides compensation brackets for different injuries and is used by many legal professionals when valuing claims. Please only use this table as a guide.
| Injury | Notes | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Injuries to the Pelvis and Hips – Severe (i) | The pelvis has suffered extensive fractures which may also involve the dislocation of the lower back joint and a ruptured bladder. | £78,400 to £130,930 |
| Injuries to the Pelvis and Hips – Severe (ii) | A fracture or dislocation of the pelvis that results in impotence. | £61,910 to £78,400 |
| Injuries to the Pelvis and Hips – Severe (iii) | Could include fractures of the hip that may require a hip replacement or surgery in the future. | £39,170 to £52,500 |
| Injuries to the Pelvis and Hips – Moderate (i) | A significant pelvis injury but does not cause a major disability. | £26,590 to £39,170 |
| Injuries to the Pelvis and Hips – Moderate (ii) | Could involve cases where hip[ replacement surgery has been carried out and has been successful. | £12,590 to £26,590 |
| Injuries to the Pelvis and Hips – Lesser (i) | Could include fractures that have completely recovered in 2 years. | £3,950 to £12,590 |
| Injuries to the Pelvis and Hips – Lesser (ii) | Minor soft tissue injuries that recover completely. | Up to £3,950 |
| Leg Injury – Moderate (iv) | Complicated or multiple fractures. How much is awarded will be affected by factors such as the extent of treatment, need for future surgery and effect on employment. | £27,760 to £39,200 |
| Leg Injury – Less Serious (i) | An incomplete recovery is made from a fracture, and the person may be left with a limp or gait. | £17,960 to £27,760 |
| Leg Injury – Less Serious (ii) | A simple femur fracture that causes no damage to the articular surface. | £9,100 to £14,080 |
Any financial losses that you have accrued due to your injury, such as medical or travel expenses, could be compensated with special damages. Providing evidence of these losses could help support your claim. Evidence could include invoices, receipts, or bank statements.
Contact an advisor today for more information on the personal injury compensation guidelines or for some legal advice concerning your claim.
How Are Fractures Diagnosed?
Fractures are diagnosed by a doctor by examining the patient for the signs of physical symptoms of a fracture detailed in the previous section on the effects of a fracture. Namely;
- Deformity
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Pain
- Loss of ability to move or support weight on the leg.
The doctor will also ask questions about the cause of your injury, how the accident occurred. If they have suspicions that there might be a fracture in the bone, they will refer you to the relevant specialist to carry out one of the following.
- X-ray
- CT Scans
- MRI scans
These will be used to image the affected section and ascertain the location and extent of the fracture.
What Is A Missed Neck Of Femur Fracture?
A fracture could be missed. This could happen for different reasons as you will see as you reach the next section of this guide. When discussing a missed fracture or a misdiagnosed fracture what is meat is that although the patient is suffering from a fractured bone the injury is either missed entirely or diagnosed as another injury.
Fractures share a lot of symptoms with other injuries such as soft tissue injuries, strains and sprains. So it is vital that the medical practitioner looking after a patient is thorough within their examination as to provide the correct diagnosis. It is also vital that the patient informs the treating doctor of all their symptoms. Anything missed can mean the injury is not diagnosed correctly.
Why Bone Fractures Could Be Misdiagnosed
There are a number of reasons why a bone fracture could be missed or misdiagnosed. The circumstances surrounding a misdiagnosis could include things like.
- Misreading an x-ray or CT scan.
- Failing to refer for a scan
- Failing to properly conduct an examination of a patient
- Not referring the patient to a relevant specialist if the diagnosis was beyond their level of expertise.
- The patient being vague about what happened
Doctors and practitioners are expected to meet certain standards when they are treating patients. When they accept you as a patient they immediately owe you a duty of care. Medical professionals should do all they can to ensure the patient is treated with a minimum standard of care so they do not suffer any avoidable harm.
A diagnosis is crucial to the treatment and recovery of a patient. Without a diagnosis, a patient could be given the wrong treatment. Or they could end up not being treated at all. These could both lead to a bone fracture not only failing to heal properly but to being aggravated. A patient that has been misdiagnosed could suffer an unnecessary amount of pain and suffering and could end up with permanent effects of a fracture. In the case of a femoral neck fracture, this could mean disability.
If a doctor was negligent in their treating of a patient and this led to misdiagnosis then if the patient went on to suffer preventable harm this could be classed as medical negligence. Therefore the patient could be eligible for making a medical negligence claim.
How Long After Breaking A Bone Could You Start A Claim?
Starting a claim must be done within a certain time limit. This time limit is set at three years from the diagnosis of the broken bone, or from the day of the accident. You should start proceedings for making a claim as soon as you can in order to make sure that you make a claim before the time limit expires.
If you wish to claim compensation on behalf of a child, then you could begin this claim at any time until the child is eighteen. If you are under the age of 21 and you were under 18 when the accident or misdiagnosis occurred you could still be entitled to start a compensation claim. Compensation claims can also be made outside of a time limit in cases where the victim was incapable of making a claim on their own behalf for medical reasons as well.
What Should You Do If You Broke Your Femur Bone In An Accident?
Why not call our team of advisors for free advice. They can provide you with a consultation that comes with no obligation to begin a claim. You can contact our team through one of the following.
- Call 020 3870 4868
- Message our start a claim page
- Message our website chat feature
You may be able to put together the basis of the evidence of your claim. Provided that you don’t need medical assistance there and then you could do the following.
- Ask bystanders if they could provide contact information as a solicitor may contact them at a later date for a statement.
- Ask that the accident be recorded in the nearest accident book
- Look for CCTV cameras that might have caught the accident.
- Write down your memories of the event in detail
- Take pictures of the scene and the cause of the accident.
No Win No Fee Neck Of Femur Fracture Compensation Claims
If you want to have a solicitor support your case but you are worried about their fees why not use a solicitor that offers No Win No Fee terms. This agreement between you and the solicitor means that their fees are conditional on the fact that they win your case. If they win the case they are paid a success fee which is a percentage of your compensation when it is awarded.
Because a success fee is conditional on winning and comes from compensation, you won’t have to pay fees you can’t afford. You also won’t pay fees if the claim fails. You can get more information about making a No Win No Fee claim from our advice team.
Related Fracture Claim Guides
Broken Jaw compensation claims
How to report a doctor for medical negligence
Neck Of Femur Fracture Compensation Claim FAQs
How much is a broken leg worth?
The amount of money you could be entitled to claim for a broken leg depends on the severity of the injury. Leg injuries can range from soft tissue damage to amputation or permanent disability.
What are the long-term effects of a broken femur?
The long-term effects of a broken femur depend on the severity of the fracture. And the pre-existing health of the victim, and the standard of treatment and care they receive. Healing from a broken femur could vary from 12 weeks in good circumstances to over a year. If the patient falls victim to medical negligence then there is a chance that permanent effects could result from a broken femur.
Can you fully recover from a broken femur?
Ideally yes, you should be able to recover from a broken femur in as little as three to four months. However, in cases where there has been a misdiagnosis, the recovery could take longer and the victim could be left with permanent effects.
What is the fastest way to heal a broken femur?
A doctor is best placed for giving advice on medical treatments. If you think you have fractured your femur it is vital you receive immediate medical treatment.
Writer KL
Checked by EI.
