Settlement Value of Foot and Ankle Injuries

This page will look at the average settlement payout value for ankle and foot injuries in auto accidents, slip and fall, and other types of personal injury lawsuits. Our personal injury lawyers have handled countless accident cases involving foot and ankle injuries and recovered millions on behalf of our clients. On this page, we will look at some general statistics for settlements and verdicts involving foot and ankle injuries. We will also explain what factors tend to drive the potential settlement value of foot and ankle injury claims, and we will summarize recent verdicts and reported settlements from foot and ankle injury cases.

Valuing Foot & Ankle Injuries in Accident Cases

Foot and ankle injuries are very common in auto accidents. The foot and ankle are often in a very vulnerable position during an impact. Injuries to the foot or ankle in a car accident cover a very wide range of severity from minors sprains to complex fractures. This results in an equally wide range of foot injury compensation payouts.

Another thing that is somewhat unique in terms of valuing foot and ankle injuries for settlement purposes, is that depending on the occupation of the plaintiff, foot and ankle injuries can result in temporary or long-term interruptions in the plaintiff’s ability to work. If you have a job that requires you to be on your feet and mobile, a serious foot or ankle injury typically means you won’t be able to work for an extended period of time. If the foot or ankle injury is permanent, it could have a major impact on your earning capacity for the rest of your life. The economic damages in cases like this can potentially be very high.

Average Settlement and Verdicts in Foot and Ankle Cases

Nationally, the average jury verdict in cases involving a foot injury is slightly over $715,000. The median verdict award in foot injury cases is much lower at $92,000. This disparity between the average and median verdict amounts reflects the fact there are a small percentage of foot injury cases that involve very severe, life-impacting injuries which generate very big verdicts. These big verdict foot injury cases end up pushing up the average, so the median verdict amount is closer to what you could expect in most cases.

The verdict statistics for ankle injury cases reflect the lower average value of ankle injuries in general. The average verdict award in ankle injury cases is $86,000 and the median is $33,000. The main reason for this difference is because you get a lot of minor ankle injury claims in auto accident cases, and these tend to pull down the averages.

Injury Type	Median Verdict	Average Verdict
Foot	$92,000	$715,000

Ankle	$33,000	$86,000

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

There are several different factors that tend to drive the value of foot & ankle injury settlement amounts. The first factor, as discussed above, is the injury type. Foot injuries are typically worth more than ankle injuries. The second, and probably most significant factor, is the severity of the injury to the foot or ankle. A minor ankle sprain will be worth much less than a complex foot fracture. Another significant factor, which is related to severity, is whether the injury has any permanent impact on the victim’s life, such as decreased mobility or a limp. Foot & ankle injuries can often result in partial disability ratings.

Another factor that can boost the value of a case is whether the plaintiff’s treating doctor testifies in the case. This can make a big difference, especially in cases where the defense is disputing the nature and extent of the plaintiffs’ injury. Treating doctors make much better witnesses than hired experts and testimony from the ankle surgeon who treated the plaintiff can easily double the value of the case.

The final enormous factor in ankle injury cases is where the case would go to trial. In some states, there are certain jurisdictions that are much more plaintiff friendly than others.

Ankle and Foot Injury Verdicts and Settlements

Below are summaries of recent verdicts and reported settlements in tort cases in which the plaintiff’s primary injury was a foot or ankle injury.

$1,300,000 Settlement (New Jersey 2024): A woman had severe injuries from rolling her ankle at a bank’s night deposit box. The incident occurred following a storm, with allegations centered on unsafe premises due to inadequate maintenance. The plaintiff required multiple surgeries and extensive medical treatments, including cortisone injections, nerve blocks, and a spinal cord stimulator. The bank and its snow removal contractor were named as defendants, with the bank attributing liability to the contractor and the contractor denying responsibility. The case concluded after mediation, with the bank contributing $1.1 million and the contractor $200,000 to the settlement.
$950,000 Settlement (Massachusetts 2024): A Florida woman fractured her ankle in a fall caused by a deficient revolving door design at a Boston hotel. The incident occurred on Thanksgiving Day as the woman exited the lobby and encountered an unmarked, abrupt step-down to the sidewalk. A safety expert concluded the hotel violated State Building Code requirements, citing inadequate visual cues and a misleadingly safe appearance of the area. The plaintiff underwent surgery, extensive rehabilitation, and required assistance from family during a prolonged recovery. The defense argued the step was visible and the design was grandfathered under older code provisions, but the case was resolved through settlement for $950,000.
$150,000 Settlement (Michigan 2024): A worker sustained a fractured ankle due to a hazardous condition on a job site, leading to a premises liability lawsuit. The land possessor argued the condition was open and obvious, resulting in dismissal at the discovery phase. This was a long road for the plaintiff. She lost her case on appeal, got the verdict reversed by the appellate court and then successfully appealed the dismissal and subsequently mediated the case for $150,000.
$40,000 Verdict (Maryland 2024): A man was hit by a car in a pedestrian accident, resulting in an avulsion fracture to his right ankle. Avulsion fractures, where a fragment of bone attached to a tendon or ligament is pulled from the main bone structure, are generally not considered severe. The individual did not require surgical intervention but completed nine weeks of physical therapy, experiencing ongoing discomfort. The defense argued he had a preexisting injury. The jury awarded only $40,960.12 for lost wages, medical bills, and pain and suffering.
$50,000 Verdict (Pennsylvania 2023): The plaintiff alleged that she slipped and fell at the defendant’s hair salon store due to a defective condition in the floor. She claimed that she suffered unspecified injuries to her ankle and foot as a result of the fall and was awarded $50,000.
$15,000 Settlement (New Jersey 2023): The plaintiff, a minor, was crossing an intersection when he was struck by the defendant’s motorcycle. The plaintiff alleged suffered a strained ligament in his right ankle (i.e., an ankle sprain) and the case settled for $15,000.
$113,057 Verdict (Illinois 2023): The plaintiff was shopping at a Home Depot store outside Chicago when a load of lumber fell off the side of a forklift loading cart and struck her in the ankle. The plaintiff claimed that she suffered significant injuries to her ankle which required surgery and caused her to miss time from work.
$100,000 Verdict (Washington 2023): The defendant struck the plaintiff’s vehicle in an intersection as she was making a right turn. The plaintiff suffered a serious tendon injury in her right ankle requiring surgery. The verdict included $29,000 in medical expenses.
$70,000 Verdict (Pennsylvania 2023): The plaintiff allegedly slipped and fell on an icy driveway at the defendant’s residence. He asserted that he suffered injuries to his ankle as a result of the fall, requiring treatment and time off from work. The jury awarded $70,000 which included $8,000 for past medical expenses and $49,500 for future medical expenses.

Contact Us About Foot & Ankle Injury Cases

If suffered a serious foot or ankle injury in an accident that was not your fault, call our personal injury lawyers today for a free case evaluation. Call us at 800-553-8082 for a free consultation or contact us online.