By Marlon Cooke. Last updated 27th August 2025. In this illustrative case study, we examine a personal injury claim where a claimant was awarded £145,000 in compensation for a broken heel following an accident at work.
After looking at this case study, within this guide, we explain when you could be eligible to make an accident at work claim for a broken heel. Additionally, we look at how long you have to start a claim, how to establish liability and how a No Win No Fee solicitor could help you.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss your own potential claim, you can contact our advisors:
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Jump To A Section
- Compensation For A Broken Heel – Case Study
- How Much Compensation For A Broken Heel Was Awarded?
- Accident At Work Eligibility Criteria
- How Long Do I Have To Claim Compensation For A Broken Heel?
- Establishing Liability For Workplace Accident Claims
- How To Start A Claim For A Broken Heel
- No Win No Fee Solicitors For Broken Heel Compensation Claims
- Useful Links
Compensation For A Broken Heel – Case Study
The victim of this injury was a construction worker. When the accident happened, he was standing in the empty bucket of a JCB, using the height this gave him to be able to reach up and pour bitumen out of a barrel and into a waiting tanker. This was obviously a risky thing to be doing, but the employer was aware it was being done, and it had indeed, been done many times previously.
The victim fell out of the bucket when the JCB inadvertently moved, falling around 10 feet to the floor, and breaking his heel when he landed.
How Much Compensation For A Broken Heel Was Awarded?
The answer to the question, how much compensation will I get for a broken foot? Is far from straightforward. However, in this particular case, the compensation amount was clearly driven by the short-term trauma of the injury. Therefore the £145,000 the victim received is a fairly average settlement for foot injury. Several specialists including an orthopaedic surgeon, a pain specialist, and a psychiatrist gave expert testimony to the extent of the injuries and their effect on the life of the victim.
However, in more extreme cases foot injury compensation payouts can be much higher than £145,000.
Accident At Work Eligibility Criteria
If you are wondering whether you are eligible to claim compensation for a broken heel, you will need to show that you have suffered negligence. Negligence is when a responsible third party breaches their duty of care, and this causes an injury.
Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, all employers owe their staff a duty of care. To comply with this duty, employers must take reasonable steps to ensure that their employees are not only kept safe, but that their health and well-being is also protected.
As such, if you can prove each of the criteria below, you could begin an accident at work claim:
- Your employer owed you a duty of care.
- Your employer breached their duty of care.
- You suffered an injury, such as a broken heel, due to this breach.
To learn more about claiming compensation for a broken heel due to an accident at work, please contact us today.
How Long Do I Have To Claim Compensation For A Broken Heel?
Generally, the time limit to start a personal injury claim is three years from the date of the accident. However, as there are instances where people may only become aware of their injuries at a later date, the time limit could also start from the date of knowledge. This could potentially be the date you received an official medical diagnosis for a broken heel bone.
There are cases where the time limit is suspended. For example, if a child has suffered a broken heel injury due to negligence, they are not allowed to represent themselves in legal proceedings. During the suspension, a litigation friend can claim on their behalf.
The time limit is also suspended if the claimant has a limited mental capacity. Similarly, a litigation friend can claim on their behalf until they have recovered. If this does not occur, the time limit is suspended indefinitely.
This information is taken from the Limitation Act 1980.
If you have been suffering pain from walking on a broken heel bone and would like to start your claim, then please reach out to one of our advisers.
Establishing Liability For Workplace Accident Claims
When considering accident at work claim amounts, then much depends upon a) if the employer is liable for the injury and b) whether liability can be fully proven.
In this particular case, there are two particularly definitive aspects to the accident which would deem the employer to be liable to pay compensation.
Firstly, the undertaking was clearly dangerous. Using a piece of heavy machinery for a purpose for which it was not intended. Secondly, the employer can be deemed to encourage the use of the machinery in this way, as it was aware of what was happening and had witnessed the same process being used many times before without doing anything to stop it. The employer had a legal obligation to make sure that unsafe working practices were clamped down on, to keep employees safe.
How To Start A Claim For A Broken Heel
There are some key steps to take in order to start a claim for compensation for a broken heel. You can see some guidance on these steps below, but for a comprehensive assessment of your eligibility to claim and to find out how our No Win No Fee solicitors can help you, contact our advisors using the details given at the top of the page.
What Evidence Do I Need To Have?
To claim compensation for a broken heel, you will need evidence like your medical records to support your case. This evidence, and other forms of proof, are important in establishing how a third party breached their duty of care, resulting in your injuries.
Please see the following examples of evidence that you could use for your claim:
- Footage from CCTVs, which many workplaces will have. You have a legal right to request CCTV footage of yourself.
- Contact details of any potential witnesses who could support your version of events at a later date. These witnesses can include colleagues and members of the public who could provide a statement to your solicitor to strengthen the claim.
- Photographs or videos of the accident or your injuries, if your broken heel is noticeable.
- Your medical records, which detail the injuries you suffered and what treatment you’ve received. These records may also indicate what the long-term prognosis is for recovery.
- A daily diary that details your symptoms and the level of pain you experienced.
- A report from your company’s accident book, if your employer keeps one.
If you’re connected with one of our specialist solicitors, they could assist you with evidence-gathering to ensure a smooth claims process. To discover more about proving a broken heel compensation claim, please contact one of our advisors today.
Get Legal Advice
You are not required to use a solicitor to seek broken heel compensation, but it will definitely be of great benefit to you to have someone with deep legal knowledge and considerable experience handling claims in your corner.
As well as supporting you throughout the claims process, a solicitor could:
- Correspond with the defendant’s representatives on your behalf.
- Help you draft the letter of claim.
- Assist with gathering evidence.
- Determine a potential compensation figure.
- Negotiate a final settlement on your behalf.
Keep reading to learn about the No Win No Fee contract our solicitors can offer. To get a zero-cost, no-obligation assessment of your eligibility, talk to our team today using the details given at the end of this guide.
No Win No Fee Solicitors For Broken Heel Compensation Claims
If you have suffered an injury due to an accident at work and your employer is at fault, you may be in a position to claim some compensation for your injury. If you use the services of No Win No Fee solicitors, then you won’t have to pay any service fee to begin the claims process.
Legal Expert can help you under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). That means you don’t pay upfront or ongoing solicitor fees, nor are you charged for them if you don’t win your claim. You’ll only pay a small success fee for your solicitor’s work if you win. This is a small, capped percentage of the compensation and is fully explained before your solicitor starts work on the claim.
Contact Legal Expert Today
You could use an online accident at work compensation calculator to try and find out how much heel fracture compensation you might be able to claim following an accident at work. You are far better off talking to us here at Legal Expert, though, so we can take the specific details of your broken heel injury and tell you exactly how much we think you can claim.
All you need to do to start claiming compensation is to reach out via one of the following options:
- Call 0800 073 8804
- Contact us online
- Use our live chat
Useful Links
Some useful links
- NHS information about heel pain – Advice from the NHS on what you can do if you’re feeling pain in your heels.
- Another case study involving a broken foot.
- Can you claim if a driver runs over your foot?
Thank you for reading our guidance on claiming compensation for a broken heel.
