A broken femur can have a dramatic impact on your ability to function normally. It is the strongest bone in the body and plays a critical role in allowing you to move and stand. Importantly, if suffered a broken femur because of somebody else’s negligence, you could be compensated for the suffering you had to endure. In this guide, we’ll look at how much compensation for a broken femur might be awarded. We’ll also review the types of accidents that could cause a broken femur and explain the claims process for you.

To talk to us right away about the process of claiming compensation for a broken femur, please call our team on 0800 6524 881 today. Alternatively, please continue reading for more information on broken femur compensation claims.

What Is The Role Of The Femur Bone?

The femur, or thighbone, is the longest bone in the body. The top of the femur forms a ball (the femoral head) that locks into the hip joint. As well as being a strong bone that helps you to stand and walk, the femur is connected to various tendons, muscles and nerves. The distal end of the femur connects to the patella (knee cap).

Types Of Femur Fractures

If your femur has been broken, doctors will assess your injury to identify the type of fracture. This is an important step in trying to ensure you recover as fully as possible. Some of the most common femur fractures include:

• Open femur fracture – where the broken bone pierces the skin.
• Transverse femur fracture – a horizontal clean break of the femur bone.
• Spiral fracture – where the fracture travels around the femur bone. This type of fracture is usually caused by a twisting motion.
• Oblique femur fracture – an angled fracture across the femur shaft.
• Comminuted femur fracture – the bone will have fractured into three (or more) pieces.

While some femur fractures might only affect you for a matter of weeks, more complicated fractures can be life-changing and result in long-term injuries. The impact of your fracture will determine how much compensation you’d get for a broken femur if your claim is successful.

Symptoms Of A Broken Femur

The symptoms caused by a broken or fractured femur will depend on the type of break but are likely to include:

Due to the way it’s connected, a broken femur can also lead to a fractured hip injury. This can heighten the pain and amount of discomfort you’ll suffer and will have an impact on your recovery time.

Am I Eligible To Claim Compensation For A Broken Femur?

Our solicitors will always try to help as many claimants as possible but can only take on claims that have a realistic chance of being won. Therefore, before taking on a broken femur compensation claim, they’ll check whether:

• The defendant (the party you blame) had a duty of care towards you; and
• Their negligence caused an accident; and
• You broke your femur in that accident.

Proving that a duty of care existed is something your solicitor will help with. They’ll check various pieces of legislation such as the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Road Traffic Act 1988 or the Occupiers Liability Act 1984 to do this. Therefore, your main role will be to prove how you broke your femur and who was to blame. We’ll look at the evidence you can use to do this shortly.

Common Causes Of Broken Femur Compensation Claims

There are many ways in which you could break a femur bone and, if the accident was somebody else’s fault, could mean you’re eligible to claim compensation. Some of the most common causes of broken femurs resulting in a compensation claim include:

• Road traffic accidents. The femur can be broken if your foot was trapped and twisted during a car crash. The bone can also be fractured by the force of the collision. Cyclists and motorcyclists often break bones in their legs if they’re knocked off of their bikes.
• Accidents at work. Your employer has a duty of care to try and keep you safe at work. Therefore, if your femur was fractured by a faulty machine, following an accident with a forklift or following a fall from height, you may have grounds to claim compensation for a broken femur.
• Slips, trips and falls. If you are injured after falling in a public place, you may be eligible to claim compensation. For example, if you slipped on wet flooring and broke your femur in a pub because of a leak you may have grounds to claim. Similarly, if you fell over on a spillage in a supermarket that had not been cleaned up swiftly, you may have grounds to claim damages.
• Pedestrian injuries. You could also claim compensation for a pedestrian accident for a broken femur if you were knocked over by a vehicle that mounted the pavement or hit you while crossing a zebra crossing. Similarly, if you tripped on a road defect, you could claim compensation from the local authority for your suffering.

Even if we’ve not listed the accident in which you suffered a broken femur, please get in touch and we’ll review your claim for free.

How Much Compensation Will I Get For A Broken Femur?

How much compensation for a broken femur you could claim (if you’re eligible) will typically be calculated based on how bad the break is and how the injury has affected your life (general damages) and what expenses you’ve incurred as a result (special damages).

In summary, you could potentially claim compensation to cover:

• The physical pain caused by your broken femur.
• Any psychological impact (PTSD, depression, anxiety, distress etc).
• The effect your broken femur has on your social life and hobbies.
• Loss of income and future loss of earnings (for longer-term injuries).
• The cost of replacing items such as clothing damaged during the accident.
• Travel costs.
• Care costs (including the time a family member spent supporting you).
• Medical expenses (physiotherapy, private medical treatment etc).
• Home adaptations if your broken femur doesn’t heal fully and leads to a long-term disability.

Our solicitors will always try to secure the maximum compensation possible by reviewing your claim in detail to fully understand how you’ve suffered.

Broken Femur Compensation Amounts Guide

Each broken femur compensation claim is unique. Therefore, until your injury has been independently assessed (a requirement in all injury claims), we cannot say exactly what payout might be awarded if your case is won. However, you can get some idea of potential compensation amounts for a broken femur based on severity below:

• £9,110 – £14,080 compensation for a simple fractured femur.
• £17,960 – £27,760 compensation for a broken femur requiring a metal implant or causing other impairment/disability.
• £27,760 – £135,920 for moderate to severe fractures.

Evidence To Support A Broken Femur Compensation Claim

If you begin a claim for broken femur compensation, you’ll probably have to deal with the defendant’s insurance company. They’ll typically not award damages unless you can prove exactly how you were injured, how you’ve been affected and why their client was to blame. The types of evidence that could increase your chances of winning your claim include:

• Photographs of the accident scene (ideally before anything is moved).
• Details of any witnesses who saw the accident that caused your broken femur to happen.
• Medical records and x-rays from the hospital that treated your broken femur.
• Footage from CCTV cameras or dashcams that recorded your accident.
• Evidence of any financial losses like receipts, wage slips or bank statements.
• A copy of an accident report form to which you are entitled if you reported the incident.

As part of our no-obligation claim review, we’ll look at any evidence you’ve secured so far so please have it ready when you call.

Broken Femur Claim Time Limits

As with any personal injury claim, there is a 3-year time limit if you want to claim compensation for a broken femur. In most cases, this will start from the day of your accident.

Where a child has broken their femur, the 3-year limitation period will not apply. Using the litigation friend process a parent or guardian could represent the child and begin the claims process at any point before the child’s 18^th birthday.

Claiming sooner rather than later is usually beneficial as it can lead to compensation being paid faster. Also, in some cases, it may be possible for your solicitor to secure an early interim payment to cover the cost of private medical treatment or physiotherapy.

Starting The Broken Femur Compensation Claims Process

To find out how much compensation you could be awarded for a broken femur, please call us today on 0800 6524 881 for a free review of your case.

If your case is accepted by one of our solicitors, they’ll represent you on a No Win No Fee basis meaning you won’t need to worry about paying solicitor’s fees unless your claim is won.

If you have any further queries about claiming broken femur compensation, please use live chat to speak with a specialist online.