Foot Injuries

Trial and Settlement Value of Foot Fracture Claims

Our law firm has handled scores of foot and ankle fracture cases. This page is about average settlement compensation payouts in these foot and ankle fracture lawsuits. Our lawyers also talk about the factors that drive settlement amounts and how that might increase or decrease your compensation payout.

Our Experience Maximizing the Settlment Amounts for Foot Fractures

Our attorneys have handles scores of foot injury lawsuits. Our lawyers met with and used as experts some of the leading foot and ankle surgeons in the country.

The reoccurring theme you repeatedly hear from these doctors is that the structure of the foot is very complex. The bones in the foot are incredibly intricate and delicate. The foot can be hard to put back together. When the foot cannot be fully put back together, victims are often left with a permanent injury.

In car accident cases, we frequently see high settlement amounts for heel fractures, comminuted fractures, and Lisfranc fractures.

Heel Fracture

The heel bone is called a calcaneus. It is a relatively big bone, the largest of the tarsal bones in the foot. It is like an eggshell in that it is fairly solid outside but really soft in the center. The heel bone has a joint connected with the talus bone. That gives you the ability to move your foot side to side when you are standing on a level surface.

We have an entire page devoted to heel injuries and their settlement value.

Comminuted Fracture

A comminuted fracture is when a fracture is broken into more than one piece. A simple fracture would just be two pieces and a comminuted might be three or four multiple pieces. The greater the comminution, the greater the chance satisfactory alignment of the fracture itself may not be achieved which can cause ongoing problems and pain.

Fracture comminution has a real impact on the degree to which the foot surgeon can internally fix the fracture fragments and provide stability at the fracture site.

Lisfranc Fracture

The Lisfranc joint is the joint that comprises the tarsometatarsal joint from the first metatarsal right across the foot to the fifth metatarsal. Technically, this mid-foot injury can be either a fracture of a bone on an injury to a ligament.

The Lisfranc joint is very important to mobility. Our law firm once represented an NFL player whose career was cut short by a misdiagnosed Lisfranc injury that left him unable to make sharp cuts without pain.

Two Mechanisms of Injury in Truck and Car Accidents

There are two mechanisms for a foot injury in a car or truck accident. The injury is caused by either compression from the pedal or brake pad or it is from an impact with the dash. So whether you’re looking at femoral fracture or a foot fracture of one of the 26 bones in the foot, the same mechanism is involved.

Sample Foot Injury Verdicts and Settlements

If you are trying to figure out the settlement value of your foot injury after a car accident, looking at sample settlements and verdicts can help you. They will not give you the exact settlement amount for your case will be because no two cases are alike.

The result in one claim does not accurately predict another. But these cases will give you a better idea of the possible ranges for settlement compensation or a jury verdict in your case.

• 2021, California: $554,287 Verdict. A 45-year-old motorcyclist collided with a truck. He fractured his left knee and ankle. The man experienced residual joint pain. He now required a left knee replacement and an ankle fusion. The man alleged negligence against the truck driver. He claimed he failed to maintain an appropriate lookout and safely operate his vehicle. The jury awarded $554,287.
• 2021, New York: $25,000 Settlement. A minor pedestrian was struck at a crosswalk. He fractured his right foot and right fibula. The boy also sustained a left lung contusion, pneumomediastinum, back road rash, and head abrasions and contusions. His father alleged negligence against the at-fault driver. He claimed she failed to yield to and look out for pedestrians. This case settled for $25,000.
• 2021, California: $5,750,000 Settlement. A married couple was rear-ended. The husband sustained a severe traumatic brain injury, subdural hemorrhages, and intraventricular hemorrhages. He underwent several inpatient treatments over two months. The man now required daily care. The wife suffered right foot fractures and facial injuries. She underwent outpatient treatments. The couple alleged negligence against the at-fault driver. They claimed he negligently operated his vehicle. This case settled for $5,750,000.
• 2020, Washington: $200,000 Settlement. A 60-something woman was T-boned. She fractured her left wrist and left Lisfranc joint. The woman also suffered a chest contusion. She was left with permanent left foot impairments. The woman now required specialized shoes. She alleged negligence against the at-fault driver. The woman claimed he made a negligent left turn and failed to yield the right-of-way. She received a $200,000 settlement.
• 2019, Oregon: $350,000 Settlement. A cyclist was struck at an on-ramp. He fractured his left heel, left ankle, left tibia, left fibula, neck, pelvis, ribs, and right hand. The man also sustained a traumatic brain injury, chipped teeth, facial lacerations, collapsed lungs, and liver injuries. He alleged negligence against the tortfeasor and the City of Portland. The man claimed the tortfeasor excessively sped and negligently passed him. He received a $350,000 settlement.
• 2019, Washington: $500,000 Settlement. A construction worker fell into an unprotected trench. He twisted his left ankle. The man also suffered a left heel fracture. He sustained calcaneocuboid joint arthritis. The man underwent a triple fusion procedure. He alleged negligence against the contractor. The man claimed it failed to maintain safe working conditions. This case settled for $500,000.
• 2019, Washington: $1,250,000 Settlement. A 48-year-old woman was struck head-on. She suffered a right Lisfranc joint fracture and dislocation, a concussion, and musculoskeletal injuries. The woman underwent two open reduction internal fixations and an ankle cheilectomy. She alleged negligence against the at-fault driver. The woman claimed he drove erratically. This case settled for $1,250,000.
• 2018, California: $108,905 Verdict. A 61-year-old motorcyclist was struck. He fractured his right lateral cuneiform and fourth metatarsal bones. The man also sustained spinal sprains, strains, disc herniations, and radiculopathy. He alleged negligence against the at-fault driver. The man claimed he made a negligent lane change and failed to maintain an appropriate lookout. A jury awarded $108,905.
• 2017, California: $600,000 Settlement. A 65-year-old man is traveling on his motorcycle when he is struck by the defendant, who is trying to change lanes. Plaintiff is transported to the hospital and diagnosed with two separate fractures of the right foot. The first is a distal intra-articular fracture of the first toe and the second is an avulsion fracture of the medial cuneiform. Plaintiff undergoes open reduction and internal fixation of the cuneiform fracture to insert screws into the foot. The screws are removed during a later surgery. The parties agree to a $600,000 settlement.
• 2016, Michigan: $475,000 Settlement. A 74-year-old blind pedestrian is struck by a van and suffers facial trauma, back pain, neck pain, and a foot fracture. After extensive rehabilitation, she returns to independent living. Subsequently, the woman is a passenger in a motor vehicle accident and suffers further injuries. The defendant alleges the injuries from the vehicle accident supersede the ones from being struck by the van. The parties agree to a $475,000 settlement.
• 2014, New York: $450,000 Verdict. A 53-year-old man attempts to cross the street at a crosswalk with a group of friends when he is struck by the defendant’s vehicle. One of the vehicle’s tires strikes the foot of the man. The man is transported to a local hospital by ambulance and is diagnosed with a crush-induced injury of his right foot, an avulsion fracture of his right foot’s fourth toe, among other injuries. The man alleges that the traffic signal permitted him to cross the street and the defendant was negligent in yielding the right of way. A jury awards the plaintiff $200,000 for past pain and suffering and $250,000 for future pain and suffering.
• 2013, New York: $125,000 Verdict. A 55-year-old man is involved in a motor vehicle accident where his vehicle is struck by the defendant’s vehicle. The man is transported to the hospital by ambulance. At the hospital, it is determined that the man sustained nondisplaced fractures of his right foot’s second, third, and fourth metatarsals. The fractures require minor surgery. The man also suffers disc herniations as a result of the accident. The defense alleges the injuries to the man’s foot have resolved and the herniations were caused by a prior motor vehicle accident. A jury awards the plaintiff $50,000 for future medical cost, $50,000 for past pain and suffering, and $25,000 for future pain and suffering.
• 2013, New York: $6,623,000 Verdict. A six-year-old girl was a rear-seat passenger in a minivan that was involved in a multi-vehicle accident on the highway. The girl is placed in an ambulance and is transported to a local children’s hospital. The girl sustains injuries that include an open comminuted fracture of her right hip, a fracture of her left leg’s tibia, an open comminuted fracture of the intra-articular region of her calcaneus, and fractures of the foot’s navicular and third cuneiform bones. The girl undergoes two separate surgeries to fix the hip fracture and to remove bone fragments. She is in the hospital for six days and completes eight months of physical therapy. The girl continues to suffer pain in her foot, develops progressive arthritis in the foot, and will require two further fusions of the foot. The defense alleges the girl does not suffer from arthritis. A jury awards the plaintiff $53,000 for past medical costs, $70,000 for future medical costs, $2,500,000 for past pain and suffering, and $4,000,000 for future pain and suffering.
• 2010, Maryland: $925,000 Verdict. A 58-year-old man is driving his pickup truck southbound on New Hampshire Avenue when the defendant street sweeper attempts to turn across three lanes of traffic and collides with the plaintiff’s vehicle. Plaintiff suffers a transverse fracture of the left patella and stress fractures of the foot. The injuries require surgery to implant internal fixation of hardware. Plaintiff claims permanent limitations that result in him being unable to return to work. Defendant alleges the plaintiff is contributorily negligent because he could have avoided the accident by applying the brakes or taking evasive action. A jury awards the plaintiff $32,001 for past medical expenses, $35,192 for past lost wages, $409,787 for future lost wages, $224,010 in non-economic damages, and $224,010 for loss of consortium. The non-economic damages was subject to the statutory cap.
• 2009, Maryland: $80,000 Settlement. Plaintiff is a passenger in a vehicle traveling on Route 108. A vehicle traveling in the opposite direction loses control and collides with the plaintiff’s vehicle. The plaintiff, a 20-year-old female, suffers a fractured heel in the left foot. She claims she can no longer run, stand for long periods or engage in high-impact exercise. The defendant alleges a phantom vehicle had stopped suddenly in front of her, causing her to swerve and lose control. The plaintiff claims $28,896 in medicals and the parties settle for $80,000.
• 2006, Maryland: $22,600 Verdict. Plaintiff, a 31-year-old female, is traveling in her vehicle when she is broadsided on the passenger side by a stolen vehicle that is exiting a gas station. The unidentified driver of the stolen vehicle flees the scene. Plaintiff suffers neck and knee injuries that require treatment. Approximately three months after the collision, Plaintiff alleges her knee gives out and she falls on the sidewalk. Because of the fall, the plaintiff suffers a fracture of the fifth metatarsal of the right foot requiring treatment by an orthopedist and physical therapy. Plaintiff claims the fall is proximately related to the accident and brings an uninsured motorist claim. A jury awards the plaintiff $1,600 for past medical expenses, $9,000 for past lost wages, and $12,000 for pain and suffering.
• 2005, Maryland: $1,700,000 Settlement. Plaintiff, a 21-year-old male, is a passenger in a vehicle making a left turn at an intersection. The vehicle has the right of way due to a green turn arrow. Defendant, driving a dump truck, runs the red light and collides with the plaintiff’s vehicle. Plaintiff suffers a crushed right foot, fracture of the right mid-fibula and tibia, and a right ankle fracture. Plaintiff also develops compartment syndrome and requires a Chopart amputation of the right foot. A knee amputation will eventually have to be conducted to alleviate the discomfort of the right foot. Defendant alleges he did not have time to apply his brakes. The parties settle for $1,700,000.
• 2004, Maryland: $2,000,000 Settlement. Plaintiff, a 23-year-old male, is a passenger in a vehicle traveling on a two-lane road. The driver, who is intoxicated, loses control of the vehicle and strikes a tree. Plaintiff suffers a crushed right foot, right ankle fracture, and avulsed muscle of the skin, nerves, and tendons in the right forearm. A Chopart amputation of the right foot is required, as well as an amputation of two fingers on the right hand. The parties settle for $2,000,000.

How Much is Foot Fracture Worth in a Lawsuit?

The typical settlement value range for a personal injury case involving a foot fracture is between $60,000 and $110,000. The median jury verdict amount in foot fracture cases is $95,000.

What Factors Impact the Settlement Value of Foot and Ankle Fractures?

The primary factor that can drive the potential settlement compensation payouts for ankle and foot fracture lawsuits is the type and severity of the fracture involved. A complex or comminuted fracture of one or more bones in the foot is the most severe type of foot fracture and would have the highest potential settlement value.

Another key factor that can impact the potential value of a foot fracture case is whether the fracture results in any permanent impairment. A fracture that permanently limits the plaintiff’s mobility will have a higher settlement value.

What Is the Most Money Your Law Firm Has Obtained in a Foot Fracture Case?

The largest verdict we have received in a foot and ankle fracture case is $928,000. Our lawyers have actually gotten larger settlements in cases where there is a foot or ankle fracture but that was not the only injury that drove the settlement compensation payout. In the $928,000 verdict, the fracture was the only injury our client had.

Our client in that case actually made a pretty good recovery which is what the defendant argued incessantly at trial. But foot and ankle fractures can be very traumatic.

Getting Help for Your Foot Injury Claim

If you have suffered a foot fracture in an automobile or truck accident and want to consider a lawsuit or pursue an out-of-court settlement, call our lawyers right now at 800-553-8082 or get a free no-obligation Internet consultation.