Could I Make A Compensation Claim For A Sprained Ankle At Work?

By Marlon Dawson. Last Updated 8th September 2022. Suffering a sprained ankle at work could have an impact on your ability to walk, and possibly even your ability to work. You might be able to claim compensation if the accident and injury came from a lack of sufficient care by your employer.  

In this guide, we’ll explain more about the laws around accidents at work and how personal injury claims work. 

To discuss your potential claim and for any more information about making an accident at work claim, you can contact our advisers now using our contact page.

sprained ankle at work

A guide to making a sprained ankle at work claim

Select A Section

  1. A Guide To Sprained Ankle At Work Injuries 
  2. How Often Do Sprained Ankle At Work Injuries Occur? 
  3. Key Evidence For Accident At Work Claims 
  4. Ankle Injury Compensation Amounts
  5. No Win No Fee Solicitors For Ankle Injuries 
  6. How Do I Learn More About Sprained Ankle At Work Claims? 

A Guide To Sprained Ankle At Work Injuries 

A sprained ankle occurs when your foot is turned or twisted in an unnatural manner affecting the bones and ligaments supporting your ankle. While they can heal naturally, the period following might be accompanied by pain, bruising, possible swelling of the ankle and an inability to put weight on your foot. 

It is advised to seek medical attention if you have suffered a sprained ankle at work, even if just to confirm that the injury is healing correctly. You could claim compensation regardless of whether the ankle injury heals in a short amount of time or not.

The conditions for being eligible for an accident at work compensation are: 

  • Your employer owed you a duty of care 
  • They breached this duty, causing an accident or incident
  • You suffered an injury as a result

Duty of care means your employer has to do everything within reason to make sure your work is safe. A breach would be if your employer failed to take actions to make sure your working environment was safe. 

If your employer did not take reasonable steps to make sure your workplace was safe and this was responsible for the injury you suffered, they could be found at fault for your injury and you could claim compensation against them. 

If you want more information about your own situation and what you can do after suffering a sprained ankle at work, you can contact our advisers now for a free consultation. 

How Often Do Sprained Ankle At Work Injuries Occur? 

A slip or trip can lead to the twisting of your foot, causing a sprained ankle at work. An item being dropped on it or contact with a moving object can also cause the injury. 

Actions typically associated with ankle sprains are not uncommon in work environments and so sprained ankles at work should be accounted for. 

Sprained Ankle At Work Statistics 

Slips, trips and falls were the most common non-fatal accident reported under The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) in 2020/21. According to RIDDOR statistics, 16,698 people reported suffering an injury from slips, trips and falls on the same level that year. 

 Other accidents reported that could also lead to a sprained ankle at work were: 

  • Injured while handling, lifting or carrying: 9,314 
  • Falls from a height: 4,143 
  • Contact with moving machinery: 1,860 
  • Being struck by falling, moving objects: 5,177 
  • Hitting something stationary: 1,891  

Liability 

As previously mentioned, your employer has a duty of care towards you and other employees while at work. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, they are required to perform duties to help with this such as: 

  • Risk Assessments 
      • These are health and safety checks of the environment and of any activities they ask you to carry out. If they did not do this and this contributed to the sprain you suffered, then you could claim compensation. 
  • Provide Proper Training 
      • Especially for activities such as manual handling, any activity that might have an impact on your health should first come with training. If you did not receive proper training, and this contributed to your sprain, your employer could be found and fault. 
  • Create Safe Systems of Work
      • These are guides and rules that dictate how various activities should be carried out so as to avoid accidents and injuries. 

Employers should reduce risk anywhere they reasonably can. If you have suffered a sprained ankle at work, you can ask what could reasonably have been done to prevent this to understand whether there was a breach of the duty of care owed to you. You can speak to an advisor now for more information on your situation. 

Key Evidence For Accident At Work Claims 

Any evidence for a personal injury claim could involve the injury and the actual hazard that led to your accident. It could include:

  • Medical records. Any medical attention you receive from a professional should be logged. 
  • Pictures of the injury can also be used. 
  • CCTV of the accident.
  • Witness statements

If your accident came from a hazard that was not attended to in an adequate amount of time; any evidence proving it could help your claim. This could be dated photos and footage, or even emails proving the matter had been brought to an employer’s attention. 

Requested CCTV footage of the accident could help prove the version of events that happened. 

When it comes to witnesses to the accident, or witnesses who can testify to the hazard being unattended to over a period of time; note down their contact information. Their testimonies could be used as evidence. 

Ankle Injury Compensation Amounts 

Compensation in a personal injury claim may be awarded under two categories.

The first head of claim is general damages – the amount of compensation that is awarded to a person for the pain and distress they may have suffered because of the injury.

The information in the table below is taken from the 2022 Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This shows compensation brackets calculated using what has been awarded in ankle injury claims that went to court.

InjuryNotesAward
Ankle Injury: Very SevereExtensive tissue damage resulting in deformities£50,060 to £69,700
Ankle Injury: SevereLong period of treatment needed or a residual disability occurs£31,310 to £50,060
Ankle Injury: ModerateFractures and ligamentous tears £13,740 to £26,590
Ankle Injury: ModestCovering less serious sprains, and ligamentous injuriesUp to £13,740
Achilles Tendon: Most SeriousSeverance of the tendonIn the region of £38,430
Achilles Tendon: SeriousDivision of the tendon is repaired but residual weakness£24,990 to £30,090
Achilles Tendon: ModeratePartial rupture or significant injury to the tendon£12,590 to £21,070
Achilles Tendon: MinorA turning of the ankle resulting in some damage to the tendon£7,270 to
£12,590
Foot Injuries: ModerateDisplaced metatarsal fractures£13,740 to £24,990
Foot Injuries: ModestSimple metatarsal fractures, ruptured ligamentsUp to £13,740
 

While the JCG can be used to guide a valuation for your injury in your claim, compensation is still awarded on a claim-by-claim basis.

The second head of claim is special damages – the amount of compensation awarded to a person for any financial impact of their injury. You can request special damages for any monetary losses you have suffered because of your injury. This could be:

  • Income losses
  • Expenditure towards care or treatment
  • Costs of mobility aids to help you cope with your injury

Supporting evidence, such as receipts or payslips will be needed to claim special damages.

Please reach out to a member of our team now to discuss how to make a claim for an ankle injury, and the compensation amounts that could be awarded for those who have suffered injuries in accidents at work.

No Win No Fee Solicitors For Ankle Injuries 

Our panel of solicitors handle all accepted personal injury claims on a No Win No Fee basis. Under a No Win No Fee agreement, your solicitor would agree to not charge you any upfront or ongoing fees. 

You would be charged a success fee; which can only be applied if your claim is successful and compensation is awarded. Fees would be a legally capped percentage of that amount. If you do not succeed in your claim, there would be no fee to pay your solicitor. 

Talk To Us About A Sprained Ankle At Work Claim 

Our advisers are available at any time to give free legal advice. You can:

  • Contact us via our website
  • Call us on the number at the top of the page
  • Use our live chat for instant answers

How Do I Learn More About Sprained Ankle At Work Claims? 

You can report health and safety concerns to the Health and Safety Executive. 

Use the NHS to learn whether or not your injury was a sprain. 

You can also contact a physiotherapist through the NHS. 

Other guides we offer include: 

If you have any questions about making a sprained ankle at work claim, get in touch with our advisors.

Written by CHA 

Published by VIC