Ankle Injury Claims

If you’ve sustained an ankle injury and someone else is to blame, you may be entitled to claim compensation for medical expenses, associated loss of income and pain and suffering resulting from your injury.

Common ankle injuries

Ankle injuries range from muscle sprains and torn ligaments to broken bones. In some cases, they may have a long-term impact on mobility.

Ankle injuries often result when people slip, trip or fall. They may also occur as a result of car or motorcycle accidents.

Other common causes of ankle injuries include escalator, lift and automatic door accidents; dog bites; train accidents; and aviation accidents.

Types of ankle injury claims

How and where you sustained your ankle injury will determine who you can claim damages from, as well as how much you can claim. Here are some of the most common types of personal injury claims made for ankle injuries.

Claims against property owners

Under South African law, property owners and public service operators are required to ensure that their property is reasonably safe for use by tenants or members of the public. This is referred to as a “duty of care”.  If they fail to protect those using their premises from foreseeable harm, they may be liable for damages.

For example, if you fall on a slippery ramp with no railing at your apartment block, or slip on a wet floor in a supermarket, you may be able to claim compensation.

Criminal injury claims

If your ankle injury is the result of physical assault, you can claim from the individual/s responsible. This includes injuries resulting from police assault.

Road accident claims

If you’ve suffered a serious injury as a result of a road accident in South Africa, you may be able to claim from the Road Accident Fund (RAF), which is a government-supported insurance fund.

You can claim from the RAF as a vehicle or motorcycle driver, vehicle passenger, cyclist or pedestrian. The RAF may provide compensation for present and future medical expenses, loss of income and, in some cases, pain and suffering resulting from a road accident.

Proving liability for an ankle injury

To make a successful ankle injury claim, you must provide proof that the injury was a direct result of negligence or wrongdoing by the defendant.

Evidence to support your claim may, for example, include a police report, witness statements, medical reports, photographs of the accident site and a written account of exactly how the injury occurred.