If you have sustained a fractured forearm in an accident at work that was not your fault, you may be wondering whether you could be eligible to claim compensation. You could also be wondering how much compensation for a fractured forearm at work could be appropriate in your case. On this page, we provide information regarding fractured forearm compensation amounts, as well as information on the injury, how it could happen, and what circumstances may lead to you making a personal injury claim for compensation. You can also read more on how fractured forearm compensation payouts could reach £30,000, via an illustrative case study. Should you wish to ask any questions about what you have read, or if you would like a free assessment of whether you could claim compensation, you can call us here at Legal Helpline on 0161 696 9685. Otherwise, why not take a further look at the information provided below.
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- Fractured Forearm Injury In The Workplace
- Anatomy Of The Forearm, Ulna And Radius
- Commonly Recorded Types Of Workplace Accidents
- 5 Ways You Could Sustain A Fractured Forearm At Work
- Case Study: £30,000 Fractured Forearm Accident At Work Payout
- Fractured Forearm Compensation Calculator
- No Win No Fee Claims For Fractured Forearms Injures At Work
- How Workplace Accident Claims May Work
- Start Your Claim With Legal Helpline
- Supporting Information And Resources
Fractured Forearm Injury In The Workplace
Fractured forearm injury claims
If you have suffered a fractured forearm accident at work, you may be wondering whether you could claim compensation because the accident you had could have been avoided. Your employer has a duty of care to look after your safety and your health at work. If they are negligent in this duty and you suffer this type of injury due to the breach in the duty of care owed to you as an employee, you could be eligible to claim compensation for your fractured forearm at work.
Before we look at fractured forearm compensation payouts in more detail, we will take a closer look at this type of injury.
What Is A Fractured Forearm?
A fracture or break to the forearm could mean that your forearm bones have been put under extreme pressure. Or, they might have sustained force that has caused one or both of them to break. There are various types of fractures that you may have sustained, they could include:
A greenstick fracture – this type of fracture would be seen more commonly in children and young people. The bone would bend until it breaks.
A distal radius fracture – this is a wrist fracture that can affect the forearm.
A hairline fracture of the arm – This is a small crack in the bone
A displaced fracture – This is where the broken bones breaks in 2 or more parts with the ends not lined up straight.
A non-displaced fracture -This is where the damaged parts of the bone stay in place.
Fractures can also be open (where the skin breaks) or closed (where the skin is intact).
How do you know if you fractured your forearm?
Some open and displaced fractures could be relatively easy to spot, but if you suffer a non-displaced/closed fracture, it may be difficult to tell at first without an X-ray whether the bone is broken. According to the NHS, some radius or ulna fracture symptoms could include:
- Pain
- Swelling
- Inability to move the arm
- Bruising
- Numbness
- Tingling
- Visible deformity
How Do You Treat A Fractured Forearm?
Radius and ulna fracture treatment would usually involve the injury being splinted or put in a cast. However, before this, the bones may need to be adjusted back into place. Sometimes, manual manipulation could be possible, which could be done under a local anaesthetic. In some cases, however, manipulation might be done under general anaesthetic. Or, you may require surgical repair with pins and plates depending on how severe the injury is.
How Long Does A Fractured Forearm Take To Heal?
The healing time for a fractured forearm could vary depending on the severity of the break and the treatment that you have undergone to fix it. For simple fractures, recovery time would be expected between one and two months, but in more complex cases, recovery could take longer than this. You may also require physiotherapy to regain the movement in your arm after your cast has been removed. Your recovery time and the severity of your injury could affect your fractured forearm compensation payout.
Anatomy Of The Forearm, Ulna And Radius
To understand this type of injury further, let us look at how the bones in the forearm are structured.
The bones in the forearm are called the ulna and the radius. If you hold your arm out with your palm facing to the front, the radius would be the bone on the outer side of the arm. The ulna would be the one on the inside. The radius is the shorter of the two bones, and the radius moves around the ulna as the arm rotates. Both of these bones are critical for proper movement of the hand and arm.
Commonly Recorded Types Of Workplace Accidents
If you are wondering how a fractured forearm accident at work could happen, then it would be prudent for us first to take a look at common workplace accidents that could occur, and that could cause injuries. Statistics published by the HSE reveal that in 2018/19, the most common reported non-fatal accidents involved:
- Falls from heights – 8% of reported accidents
- Violent acts – 8% of reported accidents
- Having been struck by moving objects – 10% of reported accidents
- Lifting, handling or carrying – 20% of reported accidents
- A slip, trip, or fall on the same level – 29% of reported accidents
If your accident could have been avoided if it had not been for negligence on your employer’s part, you could be eligible to claim compensation for a fractured forearm at work.
5 Ways You Could Sustain A Fractured Forearm At Work
Now let us look at how this type of injury could be sustained in a workplace accident. Here are just a few examples:
- Road traffic accidents – If you were on the road for work, and you suffered a fractured forearm in a road traffic accident that wasn’t your fault, you could claim compensation, but this could be against the other driver and not your employer.
- Falling on to an outstretched arm – If you slipped, tripped or fell because something in your workplace was not safe, for example, you could put out your arm to save yourself. Landing on your arm like this could cause a fracture.
- Faulty Machinery – If machinery is not maintained your arm could become stuck in its mechanisms causing a crushing injury which may lead to a fractured arm.
- Being struck by or struck against something – If proper care is not taken while in a warehouse by staff moving stock around, for example, and something hits you, then you could potentially break your forearm.
- A direct blow or blunt force trauma to the forearm – Any type of direct force applied to the bones in the forearm could potentially cause them to break. You may have fractured your forearm from having been struck by a forklift struck,
To claim for compensation, you would need to prove that negligence on the part of your employer with regards to your health and safety caused the accident and your injuries.
Case Study: £30,000 Fractured Forearm Accident At Work Payout
Here, we look at a case study to show how an accident at work could lead to fractured forearm compensation payouts of £30,000. We refer to the claimant as Ms M. Ms M was working for a building company when she was on a site visit at a property that was undergoing some renovations. She was assessing the quality of the work when some piping fell on her arm from above. The pipe broke her forearm so badly that it required a plate to fix it. As it was the claimant’s writing arm that was broken, she needed to take some time off work until such time as she was able to perform her duties again. She lost out on wages during this time.
Ms M received £30,000 in a fractured forearm compensation payout for her injury itself as well as the loss of earnings due to the injury. The building firm admitted liability immediately, and the settlement was agreed without court action.
Fractured Forearm Compensation Calculator
Below, we look at potential broken arm compensation payouts. Instead of including a fractured forearm compensation calculator, we have chosen to display a table containing the Judicial College Guidelines’ for injuries to the arms. We believe this works well as an alternative to a personal injury claims calculator so that you could see what kind of general damages could be achievable for your forearm fracture injury.
| Type Of Injury | Notes | Compensation Bracket |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Arm Injuries | Those injuries that do not require amputation but leave the claimant only slightly better off than they would be if they lost their arm. Serious brachial plexus injuries could be included within this bracket. | £90,250 to £122,860 |
| Arm Injuries Resulting In Substantial Permanent Disablement | This could include serious fracture to one forearm or both forearms when it leaves the claimant with a permanent disability, whether cosmetic or functional. | £36,770 to £56,180 |
| Less Severe Arm Injuries | Initially, there would have been a significant disability. However, there would be a significant recovery or expected in the future. | £18,020 to £36,770 |
| Simple forearm fracture | £6,190 to £18,020 |
In addition to the fractured forearm compensation amounts you could receive for general damages (the pain and suffering of the injury), you could also claim for costs associated with the injury. These would be referred to as special damages. They could include wage losses, travel costs and medical expenses, for example.
No Win No Fee Claims For Fractured Forearms Injures At Work
Claiming compensation for a fractured forearm at work with the assistance of a personal injury lawyer does not mean high upfront costs. When you choose to work with a No Win No Fee solicitor on a fractured forearm claim, the solicitor would not require payment for their fees until the liable party pays your compensation. You would need to sign a Conditional Fee Agreement, promising to pay a percentage of your compensation to the lawyer in the event of a successful payout. The highest percentage they could ask for would be 25%, although some lawyers may charge less than this for their success fee. Once the claim is paid out, the success fee would be paid to the lawyer, and the rest would be for your benefit. If your chosen lawyer didn’t secure you any compensation, but your claim was valid, they could not ask for payment of this success fee.
How Workplace Accident Claims May Work
It could be a good idea to get an assessment of your eligibility to claim compensation if you’ve suffered a broken forearm at work and you believe your employer could be liable. If you are looking for advice, Legal Helpline could assist. We could provide a free assessment of your eligibility to claim, and we could also offer guidance on the next steps to take if we believe you could be eligible for compensation.
Claiming for an injury at work that you’ve suffered because of your employer’s inadequate health and safety provision doesn’t have to be something you do alone. Getting advice and support from a personal injury lawyer could make the claims process much easier, as they would have the capabilities to build a strong case for compensation. Here at Legal Helpline, we could help connect you with an appropriate lawyer to take your case on.
Start Your Claim With Legal Helpline
Would you like some advice on claiming for a fractured forearm accident at work? Whether you’ve suffered a fractured ulna or a fractured radius, or any other forearm injuries in an accident at work that wasn’t your fault, we are here to help. You could choose to call the Legal Helpline team on 0161 696 9685, or alternatively, why not complete the contact form and we will get in contact with you.
Supporting Information And Resources
Manual Handling Claims – In this guide, we offer advice on making claims for manual handling accidents.
Warehouse Accident Claims – Our guide on warehouse injury claims could prove useful if this is the type of accident you’ve had.
Workplace Injury Claims – Our general guide on making claims for an accident at work could be found here.
Trusted External Resources
HSE Reportable Injuries – Here, you can see information on the types of injuries that you should report to RIDDOR.
NHS Information On Broken Arms – This NHS advice could be of use to you if you have broken your arm.
Types Of Accidents – HSE – The HSE site also has statistics on the kinds of accidents reported in 2018/19.