While broken ankles might be common, they are by no means minor injuries. If another person caused your broken injury, you likely want to know how much you can recover for your damages.
Determining how much your broken ankle injury case is worth is not an exact science. Each case requires a thorough examination to determine how a final settlement will be affected by the facts of the cases. However, it is safe to say that the more severe your broken ankle injury is, the higher your settlement amount should be.
If you broke your ankle and are trying to settle your case, our New York personal injury attorneys can help develop the right legal strategies for your case. Call The Carrion Law Firm today at (718) 841-0083 for a free case review.
How Much Will the Average Settlement Be for a Broken Ankle in New York?
Unfortunately, there is no exact way to determine how much an “average” settlement should be after suffering a broken ankle in New York. The amount of your settlement for your broken ankle will depend on the particular circumstances of your case. The goal is to ensure that the damages caused by another person are covered fully. If your broken ankle requires surgery or other serious medical care, your settlement will likely be higher. Less severe broken ankles might only need a certain degree of care and will therefore settle for less.
The best way to determine what you can expect in a settlement is to calculate the damages your injuries have caused. This includes any medical expenses associated with treating your injuries, lost wages from time missed at work, and any other costs you have incurred attending to your broken ankle.
A broken ankle is a common enough injury, but the settlement amounts can be quite high. Some broken ankle injuries require several surgeries and lengthy physical therapy to recover fully. Ankle injuries like these might settle for a six-figure number or higher. However, other factors, like your own negligence, can reduce the amount you will ultimately recover. Our Brooklyn personal injury attorneys can help you determine what your ankle injury is worth and fight for the compensation you deserve.
What Factors Will Impact My Settlement for a Broken Ankle in New York?
Every personal injury case is different, and broken ankle cases are no exception. The amount your case will settle for will depend on a variety of factors that can either increase or decrease your final number. One of the most important aspects of a broken ankle case is the severity of the injuries involved. Another critical factor is who was at fault. If you contributed to causing your injuries, it will likely reduce the amount your case settles for.
The Severity of Your Injuries
There is no shortage of ways for a broken ankle to occur. Some accidents can cause severe fractures to a person’s ankle, like slipping and falling down a negligently kept stairwell. Many other broken ankle injuries are caused by spills that were negligently left on the floor. A broken ankle from a slip and fall on a spill might result in a less severe fracture and, thus, a lower settlement amount. Regardless of the severity of your injuries, you have the right to be compensated by the person that injured you.
It is important to seek medical care immediately after suffering a broken ankle in New York. This will begin the important process of documenting your injuries and getting a medical professional’s opinion on the severity of your injuries and the future treatments they will require. Your medical records will be crucial to proving your injuries and determining how much your case is worth.
When you receive initial care for a broken ankle, you will be interviewed by medical professionals to determine how your injuries came about, your past medical history, and record important details that will be useful later when trying to recover compensation. Your medical records will have a great deal of information that our New York personal injury attorneys can use in your case:
- The projected recovery time for your broken ankle
- Whether the ankle is permanently damaged
- If surgery is required
- The victim’s ability to perform certain tasks
If you wait a day or even hours to get medical care, it can open the door for the insurance company to argue that your injuries are not that severe. Some fractures might not feel as if you broke your ankle, so getting a doctor’s opinion is vital after being injured.
Who Was at Fault
One of the biggest factors that will impact the settlement of your broken ankle will be whether you contributed to causing your accident. If you were at fault or mostly at fault, it will typically reduce your settlement significantly, or your claim could be outright denied. Fortunately, you are not barred from recovering damages in New York even if you contributed to causing your injuries.
This is because New York practices pure comparative negligence rules. This means that victims can recover damages for their injuries if they contributed to causing them. Still, the amount of their recovery will be reduced by the percentage of the victim who was found to have contributed to causing the accident. For example, if you were awarded $100,000 for your broken ankle but found 50% at fault, your award would be reduced to $50,000, leaving you responsible for the remaining half of your damages.
This can significantly impact how your broken ankle case progresses. If evidence shows that you were mostly at fault, you are still entitled to pursue compensation, but the insurance company might be less willing to settle. They might decide only to offer a paltry settlement amount or deny the claim. In some cases, it will be necessary to hold the negligent party accountable in court. Our Queens personal injury attorneys can review your case and fight accusations that you caused your suffering.
Our New York Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help
If you suffered a broken ankle, our Bronx personal injury attorneys can assess your case so that you recover the compensation you are entitled to. For a free case assessment, contact The Carrion Law Firm at (718) 841-0083.