How Much Compensation for Ligament Damage at Work?

Damage to ligaments can cause a significant amount of pain and weakness which can have an impact on your ability to function normally. Therefore, if you have sustained a work-related ligament injury, you may wish to seek compensation from your employer if they caused your suffering. As such, this guide will examine what compensation for ligament damage at work could be claimed, how to build a strong case and how the claims process generally works.

To help you find out if you can claim compensation for ligament damage at work, we offer a free initial consultation. In your call, a specialist will consider your case and ask questions about what happened. They’ll then provide no-obligation advice about your legal options. If a claim appears feasible, you could be connected with one of our accident-at-work solicitors. If they offer to represent you, their work will only need to be paid for if you’re compensated because of their No Win, No Fee service.

To find out more about how ligament damage claims work, you can:

• Call our legal advisors on 0333 241 2519 for free advice.
• Use our live chat service to ask questions at any time of night or day.

Please read on to learn more about your options or give us a call if you need to know anything further.

What Types of Ligament Injuries Can We Help With?

Ligaments are found all over the body. They are fibrous tissues that connect bones to bones. Ligaments are tough bands of fibrous tissue that connect bones to other bones in the joints such as those in your knees, ankles, elbows, wrists and shoulders. As well as stabilising these joints, ligaments also prevent your bones from twisting or moving too far apart.

A compensation claim may be possible if you’ve sustained damage to ligaments at work in an accident linked to employer negligence.

Here are some common ligament injuries we can normally help with:

• Sprains: These can happen in almost any work environment from offices (slipping on wet floors) to construction sites (tripping on rubble).
• ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) injuries: One of the most common knee injuries.
• Ankle ligament Injury: Often caused by twisting or rolling the ankle on uneven flooring in the workplace.
• Rotator Cuff Injury: Typically occurring from repetitive motions or lifting incorrectly which can be due to lack of training.
  
• Wrist ligament Injuries: These are often caused by falls at work or from stopping heavy objects suddenly moving unexpectedly.
  

While some ligament damage can be treated with painkillers and muscle-strengthening exercises, more serious injuries may require surgical intervention.

Can I Claim Compensation for Ligament Damage at Work?

You may have seen information about the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 on noticeboards in your workplace or staffroom. It is the primary health and safety legislation for UK employers and it places a duty of care on them to take practical steps to prevent workplace accidents.

Some of the steps they could take to reduce the risks of workplace ligament injuries include:

• Performing workplace risk assessments on a regular basis and removing any hazards they identify.
• Providing staff with adequate safety training (including regular refresher courses).
• Ensuring all workplace equipment, machinery and tools are safe to use by maintaining them correctly.
• Providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) if hazards can’t be reduced in other ways.

Failure to take such steps could mean your employer has been negligent and, in turn, it may be possible to claim compensation if:

• You can demonstrate that your employer owed you a duty of care when you were injured.
• You had an accident at work caused by your employer’s negligent actions or omissions.
• As a result of that negligence, in the last three years, you have been diagnosed with ligament damage.

To find out if you should be compensated for ligament damage, please feel free to call our number above now to discuss the case with a legal advisor.

What Should I Do If I’ve Sustained Damage to Ligaments at Work?

If you’re involved in an accident at work and you suffer any of the symptoms of ligament damage, you should:

• Report the workplace accident so that your employer has the chance to prevent similar accidents and injuries.
• Visit your GP or A&E to have your ligament injuries diagnosed and treated correctly.
• Ensure the accident is logged in your employer’s accident report book.

You should also inform your employer about any medical recommendations you receive so they can make any reasonable changes needed to enable your return to work.

What Evidence Can Be Used for Ligament Damage Claims?

You should always try to strengthen your claim if you want to claim compensation for ligament damage at work. The best way to do so is to supply evidence that shows how and why you sustained damaged ligaments and who was responsible.

Here are some examples of the types of evidence you could supply to strengthen a ligament damage claim:

• Photographs taken at the accident scene to show its cause.
• Medical confirmation of your injuries (GP notes, hospital records etc).
• Witness details for anybody who saw the accident happen.
• An accident report form from your employer that shows when your accident occurred.
• CCTV footage of the accident occurring.

While it would be nice to have all of the evidence listed above, we know that it’s not always possible. As such, please feel free to contact our legal advisors about what happened regardless of how much evidence you have.

How Long Do I Have to Claim Compensation for Damaged Ligaments?

The time limit for accident at work claims, including those based on ligament injuries, is 3 years. This is a legal time limit defined by the Limitation Act 1980.

The time limit generally starts from:

• The date of an accident at work that damaged your ligaments; or
• The date your ligament damage was diagnosed by your GP (date of knowledge).

As claims made outside of the 3-year time limit can be refused, we would always suggest that you start the claims process as soon as you can. By doing so, you’ll give your solicitor enough time to hopefully find the evidence to prove your case within the allowable timeframe.

What Compensation Can I Claim for Ligament Damage?

Ligament damage compensation is calculated on a case-by-case basis as each claimant is affected differently. If your claim is won, you’ll normally receive compensation based on general and special damages.

General damages is compensation for the pain and suffering you’ve endured and any you might endure in the future. It also covers any impact your ligament injuries have on hobbies and other activities (loss of amenity).

Using medical records and independent reports, your solicitor will try to put a value on this element of your claim. They may then refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to try and work out how much your ligament injuries might be worth.

Our compensation list has some settlement ranges for ligament damage injuries from the JCG. However, as each claim is unique, these amounts are just for guidance and in no way guaranteed.

• Severe damage to knee ligaments could be worth £31,960 to £117,410.
• Compensation for a modest foot ligament injury may reach up to £16,770.
• Serious leg ligament injuries might be compensated between £47,840 and £66,920.
• Moderate back ligament injuries could result in compensation amounts from £15,260 to £33,880.
• Moderate damage to ankle ligaments may attract compensation between £16,770 and £32,450.
• Modest ligament damage to an ankle could secure up to £16,770 in compensation.

On top of general damages, your compensation could contain an element of special damages if you’ve been left out of pocket by your injuries. Special damages could be claimed to cover:

• Physiotherapy, prescription fees and other medical expenses.
• Support or care at home.
• The cost of adapting your home if ligament damage results in longer-term suffering.
• Travel expenses (e.g. to cover fuel or parking fees for hospital appointments).
• Loss of earnings.
• Future lost income if ligament damage prevents you from maintaining the same income in the future.

If you need to claim special damages relating to a work-related ligament injury, you should ensure that you supply receipts, pay slips and other financial records to help prove your losses.

Do You Need a Solicitor for Ligament Damage Compensation Claims?

Taking on legal representation can make it much easier to sue your employer for negligence resulting in ligament damage. Also, a solicitor’s experience and legal skills could give you a better chance of being awarded a fair compensation payout.

You could work with one of our solicitors if your claim is feasible. If that happens, your solicitor can:

• Take control of your claim from beginning to end.
• Put together as strong a case as possible.
• Deal with all communications and enter into negotiations with your employer on your behalf.
• Send you regular updates so that you’re aware of how your case is progressing.
• Aim to secure as much compensation as possible to cover all of your suffering.

Another benefit of working with our solicitors is that they provide a No Win, No Fee service for all ligament damage claims.

That means that as soon as you’ve signed a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), your solicitor can start building your case without being paid for their work in advance. Crucially, when using a CFA, you only have to pay for your solicitor’s efforts if you are compensated (hence the phrase No Win, No Fee).

If the claim is won, up to 25 per cent (legally capped) of your settlement will be deducted to pay your solicitor’s success fee.

Please get in touch now if you’d like to check if you could claim for ligament damage at work on a No Win, No Fee basis.

Is a Claim Likely to Go to Court?

A compensation claim for ligament damage at work can be settled in court but, in our experience, this is very unlikely to happen. Normally, both parties will find it beneficial to settle amicably so that they can avoid the costs and time involved in a court hearing.

That said, our solicitors aren’t afraid of calling court hearings if they have a strong belief that your claim is solid but your employer won’t agree to settle (or they offer an unfair compensation payment).

If your case does need to go to court, your solicitor will be with you throughout and will manage all aspects of the process for you.

How Long Do Injury at Work Claims Usually Take?

At this stage, we can’t say exactly how long your specific claim might take. That’s because each and every claim is different and durations can be affected by various factors.

In straightforward claims, you might expect to receive a compensation payout in 4 to 6 months. Usually, this would require a fast admission of guilt by your employer and for you to have completely recovered from your injuries.

More complex claims, for instance, crushing injuries, can take well beyond 12 months or more in some cases. These may be cases involving serious ligament damage. That’s because it may be better to get a full understanding of how your injuries will affect you in the future before the claim is settled (so that you are compensated fairly).

crucially, if your employer admits that they are responsible for your injured ligaments, you could be paid interim compensation before the claim is settled to help you deal with any financial issues linked to your injuries.

Contacting Us About a Ligament Damage Compensation Claim

If you’ve suffered ligament damage at work and believe that you should be compensated, why not get in touch now by:

• Calling 0333 241 2519 to speak with a legal advisor.
• Asking questions via our 24/7 live chat service,

We will review your case for free when you get in touch and your legal options will be explained. After your call, we could connect you with a work injury solicitor if your case is feasible. Should they agree to help you start a work-related ligament damage claim, you’ll be represented on a No Win, No Fee basis.