Tibia Fracture Compensation Claims In The UK

Have you suffered a fractured tibia due to someone else’s negligence? If so, you may be entitled to tibia fracture compensation. You shouldn’t have to suffer due to someone else breaching their duty of care; compensation can help you get your life back on track. 

Fractured Shinbone Compensation Claims

Before starting this article, you may have some questions:

• How serious is a tibia fracture?
• Can you walk on a fractured tibia?
• What is the most common cause of bone fractures?

This article will answer these questions and more to ensure you’re as informed as possible about your fractured shinbone. 

If you suffered a misdiagnosed shinbone fracture, you might also be entitled to claim compensation under medical negligence, something we’ll discuss below too.

Get In Touch With Our Team

Our friendly team of advisers is available 24/7 to offer you free legal advice. They’re happy to have a chat with you to learn more about your situation. If you have a valid claim, they can connect you with our expert panel of personal injury lawyers.

They can then get your claim started and discuss No Win No Fee agreements with you. To get in touch with our team of advisers, you can:

• Call them on 020 3870 4868. An adviser is always available to have a chat with you.
• Fill in our online claims form. One of our advisers will get back to you at your earliest convenience.
• Chat with an adviser via our online chat pop-up box for an instant response.

Services And Information

1. Everything You Need To Know About Tibia Fracture Compensation Claims
2. What Is A Tibia Fracture?
3. What Are The Parts And Function Of The Tibia?
4. Tibia Fracture Symptoms
5. High-Energy Impacts And Other Causes Of Tibia Fractures
6. Calculate Your Tibia Fracture Compensation Award
7. Diagnosis Of A Fractured Tibia
8. Misdiagnosed Fractures Of The Tibia Bone
9. Why Are Bone Fractures Misdiagnosed?
10. Is There A Time Limit To Start My Claim?
11. Steps You Can Take After Fracturing Your Tibia
12. Claim For A Tibia Fracture On A No Win No Fee Basis
13. Related Services
14. Bone Fracture FAQs

Everything You Need To Know About Tibia Fracture Compensation Claims

To begin with, this article will explain what a tibia fracture is and the function of the tibia. Next, there will be a section discussing tibia fracture symptoms and causes. There will then be a personal injury claims calculator table to show you how much compensation may be awarded for different injuries.

Furthermore, the article will have a section looking at how a fractured tibia is diagnosed and how it can be misdiagnosed. It will also explore why bone fractures can be misdiagnosed. Moreover, the article will explain the personal injury claims time limit to show you how long you have to claim.

There will also be a section showing what steps you can take after fracturing your tibia to ensure you get the care you need. Additionally, there’ll be a section explaining what No Win No Fee agreements are and whether our panel of personal injury lawyers work on this basis.

The guide will also include some additional related guides to ensure you leave the article with as much information and knowledge as possible about making a personal injury claim. Finally, there are some frequently asked questions about tibia fracture compensation to make sure we’ve covered what you need to know. 

If you have any questions or require any further information, please get in touch with our team.

What Is A Tibia Fracture?

Although general tibia fracture statistics aren’t readily available to the public, we can look at workplace injury statistics reported under The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (also known as RIDDOR) to see how common lower limb injuries are. The table below portrays non-fatal injuries to employees in Great Britain by the site of injury in 2019/20.

As you can see, the least amount of injuries in the workplace happened to one or more toes, with 835 reported injuries. On the other hand, the highest number of injuries were sustained to the rest of the lower limb, including the tibia, with 7,603 reported injuries.

It’s important to remember that the rest of the lower limb includes body parts other than the shinbone, such as the thigh bone. However, it’s still alarming that the number of injuries in that area is so high.

There are various different types of tibia fractures, such as:

• Spiral fracture of the tibia: This is when the long tibia bone breaks in half, usually due to twisting or a high impact injury.
• Distal tibia fracture: This is when the widest part of the tibia is broken. This type of fracture is usually slanted or sideways.
• Proximal tibia fracture: When the top portion of the bone that widens to support the knee joint is fractured.
• Open tibia fracture: This usually occurs from a high impact road traffic accident or falling from a height. An open fracture is where the skin has split in half and the bone is sticking out and visible.
• Hairline fracture of the tibia: This fracture is more common in children as their bones are weaker and more fragile. A hairline fracture of the tibia is a small crack in the bone that doesn’t pass all the way through the bone.

What Are The Parts And Function Of The Tibia?

The tibia, also known as the shinbone, is the biggest of the two bones in the lower leg (the other is called the fibula). The tibia sits on the inner part of the shin and forms the bottom part of the knee joint and the inner segment of the ankle.

The upper part of the tibia has two prominences that meet with the thigh bone (femur). The tibia also connects with the kneecap (patella) to form the knee joint. The shaft of the tibia is triangular and is attached to the fibula by a membrane. 

The tibia is the second largest bone in the body, and its purpose is to hold weight. The medial part of the tibia holds the most weight. This is why the tibia is such a vital bone in the body, so suffering a fractured tibia can leave you unable to complete day-to-day tasks.

Tibia Fracture Symptoms

Some common symptoms of a fracture or break of the tibia are:

• Severe lower leg pain
• Finding it difficult to walk
• Numbness in the foot
• Being unable to put weight on the affected leg
• Misshapen lower leg, ankle or knee
• Visible bone poking out the skin
• Being unable to bend the knee 
• Swelling and/or bruising around the injured area

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms and suspect you may have a tibia fracture, you should seek medical advice. The sooner you receive treatment, the quicker your t recovery is likely to be. 

High-Energy Impacts And Other Causes Of Tibia Fractures

Some causes of a fractured tibia are:

• Falls from a height: This can cause a fractured tibia if the person lands heavily on their shin. The impact as the shin hits the floor can crush and break the tibia. 
• Road traffic accident: A tibia fracture can occur due to a car accident. The impact of the car hitting something can cause your shinbone to break if it is crushed. If you’ve experienced this due to another person’s negligence, you may be able to make a car accident claim.
• Slip, trip, and fall: This type of accident can cause your shin bone to break if you land on that area of your leg. The impact of your leg hitting the floor may break or crack the bone.
• Osteoporosis: People with this condition have weakened bones, meaning their bones are more fragile and susceptible to breaks. 
• Overuse: Repeatedly using the same bone can exhaust the muscle and strain the bone. This is why some athletes present with a stress fracture. 

Calculate Your Tibia Fracture Compensation Award

Sometimes an article will provide a personal injury claims calculator to show how much compensation you can receive in your personal injury claim. However, a fractured tibia injury is unique to the individual. Therefore, in this instance, a personal injury calculator is unlikely to portray an accurate figure.

Therefore, we’ve instead compiled the latest Judicial College Guidelines figures into a handy compensation table to convey how much some injuries could attract in compensation. This table is purely for example purposes, and figures may vary. 

Edit

Injury:	Severity:	Notes:	Compensation:
Mental Anguish	Severe	A fear of impending death.	£4,380
Leg Injuries	Very Serious	Multiple fractures that take years to heal, needed lengthy treatment, and have caused deformity.	£51,460 to £85,600
Leg Injuries	Moderate	Multiple, complicated fractures to one limb.	£26,050 to £36,790
Knee Injuries	Severe	Leg fracture affecting the knee joint resulting in constant pain.	£48,920 to £65,440
Knee Injuries	Moderate	Torn cartilage, dislocation, or meniscus causing wasting and weakness.	£13,920 to £24,580
Ankle Injuries	Very Severe	Transmalleolar ankle fracture with severe soft-tissue damage causing deformity.	£46,980 to £65,420
Ankle Injuries	Modest Injuries	Undisplaced fractures, ligamentous injuries, and sprains.	Up to £12,900

There are two forms of compensation that can make up an overall settlement. General damages compensate for the actual injury and the physical and mental impact it’s had on your life. The amount of compensation awarded is based on how serious the injury is and how long recovery takes. 

Special damages compensate for the financial loss you’ve incurred due to your injuries. For example, you may have suffered a loss of earnings due to taking time off work because of your injuries. 

Please note that it’s difficult to claim special damages without evidence. An example of this evidence could be bus tickets to prove you travelled to and from medical appointments. 

Diagnosis Of A Fractured Tibia

A tibia fracture is usually diagnosed through a physical examination and X-Ray. These are usually the steps taken:

• Physical examination: This is where the medical professional will ask you questions about how you sustained the injury and what symptoms you have. They may lightly press down on the injured area to assess how much pain you’re in. They will also look at the bone to see if it looks disfigured or abnormal.
• X-Rays: The medical practitioner will then conduct an X-Ray if they suspect you have a fractured tibia. This X-Ray should produce a clear image of the bones to see if they’re broken.
• MRI or CT scan: If the X-Ray image is unclear, your doctor should conduct an MRI or CT scan to produce a clearer, more precise image of the bones. This should then confirm whether or not you’ve suffered a shinbone fracture.

If you’d like to discuss filing a tibia fracture compensation claim, you can get in touch with our friendly team of advisers to receive free legal advice.

Misdiagnosed Fractures Of The Tibia Bone

You may have suffered an injury that you’re not sure is a fracture or not, as sometimes they can be difficult to spot. However, if you’re constantly in pain or notice swelling and bruising of the affected area, you should seek medical advice.

Experiencing a misdiagnosed fracture can worsen your injury and increase your suffering. There are multiple issues that can occur due to a misdiagnosed fracture, such as:

• The bones may heal in the wrong place and wrong way. This can require surgery to move the bones back into their original place, which can be time consuming and unpleasant. 
• Your treatment is likely to be longer if your fracture is misdiagnosed. This is because the injury is likely to have worsened and needs more extensive treatment than it would have originally. 

If your shinbone fracture was misdiagnosed due to a medical professional’s negligence, you might be able to claim tibia fracture compensation. You can chat with our team of advisers to receive free legal advice about making a clinical negligence claim. 

Why Are Bone Fractures Misdiagnosed?

Sometimes, medical negligence can lead to a misdiagnosed fracture. Misdiagnoses’ can happen due to many factors, such as:

• X-Ray mistakes: An X-Ray is used to take images of bones to see if there’s a fracture or break. However, there are times when an X-Ray won’t be clear enough to see a break, or it can be taken at the wrong angle and miss the break. If this happens, the medical practitioner should take the X-Ray again at a better angle. If they fail to do this and misdiagnose you, you could make a tibia fracture compensation claim for their negligence. 
• MRI and CT scan: If the X-Ray is taken at the correct angle but unclear, the medical practitioner should conduct an MRI or CT scan. These scans are more precise and clearer than X-Rays, so they should show if there’s a break. If your doctor doesn’t do this and misdiagnoses you due to an unclear X-Ray, they’re breaching their duty of care, and you could make a claim. 

If you’ve been misdiagnosed and would like to discuss making a tibia fracture compensation claim, you can contact our team of advisers for free legal advice today. 

Is There A Time Limit To Start My Claim?

Generally, the personal injury claims time limit is three years. That equates to three years from the precise date you sustained your injury or three years from when you gained knowledge that the injury was due to someone else’s negligence. This time limit also applies to medical negligence claims.  

However, if you’re under 18, the three-year time limit begins on the day of your 18th birthday. On the other hand, someone can act as a litigation friend to claim on your behalf sooner than this. The compensation awarded, if any, will then be put into a secure bank account for you to access when you turn 18. 

If you lack the mental capacity to make a claim, the three-year personal injury and medical negligence time limit begins when your recovery commences, and you gain mental clarity. Alternatively, someone can make a claim for you by acting as a litigation friend.

If you have any questions about how much time you have to claim, you can get in touch with our expert team of legal advisers. They can have a chat with you about your situation and assess your needs. 

Steps You Can Take After Fracturing Your Tibia

If you think you’ve suffered a fractured tibia, you should attend a minor injuries unit or your local A&E to seek medical help. They can then carry out an examination on you and give you a diagnosis. Furthermore, you can use these medical records as evidence if you decide to make a personal injury claim. 

Your medical record includes information about how you sustained the injury, how severe your injury is, and what treatment you receive. You should also gather as much evidence as you can to prove the accident wasn’t your fault. Examples of this evidence could be witness statements, pictures of your injury, and CCTV footage. 

Additionally, you should provide evidence of your financial losses too. Examples of this evidence could be payslips to prove you suffered a loss of earnings or receipts to prove you paid your own money out of pocket for prescription medication. This can help you receive special damages in a successful personal injury claim.

Finally, it’s suggested that you seek the help of a personal injury lawyer or medical negligence solicitor to work with you on your claim. Specialist solicitors are experienced and knowledgeable in how to help claimants gain more money from an injury claim. They can also discuss No Win No Fee agreements with you. 

Claim For A Tibia Fracture On A No Win No Fee Basis

If you have a valid case, our panel of personal injury lawyers would be happy to discuss working with you on a No Win No Fee basis. A No Win No Fee agreement is a contract between you and your lawyer which states you don’t have to pay your lawyers fees if your case fails. There are also no fees to pay upfront or while the case progresses.

If your case succeeds, your personal injury solicitor will deduct a small percentage from your compensation award. This percentage is legally capped and will be discussed with you first. 

There’s little to lose, so why wait? You can contact our team of advisers by:

• Calling them on 020 3870 4868. One of our advisers will give you free legal advice about your situation.
• Filling in our online personal injury claims form to receive a response whenever suits you best. 
• Talking with an adviser via our live chat pop-up box for an immediate reply. 

Related Services

In this section, we’ve included some other resources you may appreciate. 

Broken Back Compensation Claims In The UK – Have you also suffered a broken back injury? Our article explores how you can make a personal injury claim to receive compensation.

Broken Wrist Compensation Claims In The UK – If you’ve sustained a wrist fracture due to someone else’s negligence, this guide explains how you can gain compensation.

Calculating Compensation For A Broken Elbow – Our article can discuss making a compensation claim for a broken elbow.

How Do I Know If I’ve Broken A Bone? – If you suspect you’ve suffered a broken bone injury, this NHS guide will tell you the signs, treatment, and recovery. 

Broken Leg – This NHS article explores the signs, treatment, and recovery of a fractured leg.

Advice after a knee cap (patella) injury – If you’ve suffered a patella fracture, this NHS guide has the information you need to know.

Bone Fracture FAQs

Before we complete this guide, we wanted to provide you with answers to some questions we often get asked. 

Are some bone fractures too minor to claim for?

If your bone fracture is worth less than £1,000, you will not be able to make a claim. You can chat with our friendly team of advisers today to discuss how much your injury could be worth.

What complications could be caused by a mistreated fracture or break?

If you receive the wrong treatment for a fracture, your injury could worsen. This is because your bones are likely to heal in the wrong place or the wrong way, meaning you may have to have surgery to correct this.

Could I claim for the long-term impacts of a broken bone?

Yes. If your broken bone has affected you for a long period of time, you could be awarded compensation. You can chat about this further with our team of advisers today.

When could you claim for another person?

If someone is under 18 or mentally incapacitated, you can become a litigation friend to claim on their behalf.

Thank you for reading our guide on how to seek tibia fracture compensation.

Guide by NS

Edited by BER