On this page we will look at tort cases involving severe leg injuries and the average settlement and verdict payouts in these cases.
Types of Severe Leg Injuries
Severe leg injuries encompass a range of conditions, obviously. When our lawyers use the term, we are talking about leg injuries that significantly impact mobility, quality of life, and long-term health.
Fractures
Fractures are a common type of leg injury, ranging from simple breaks, which may heal with immobilization, to more complex compound fractures where the bone pierces the skin, increasing the risk of infection and requiring surgical intervention. Comminuted fractures, where the bone shatters into multiple pieces, often necessitate surgery involving plates, screws, or rods. These are awful injuries that can result in limited mobility, chronic pain, and permanent impairment and you usually see high settlement amounts in these cases.
Crush Injuries
Crush injuries are another devastating type of leg injury caused by significant force compressing the leg, leading to damage to muscles, bones, nerves, and blood vessels. Complications such as compartment syndrome—a condition of dangerously high pressure in the muscle compartments—require emergency surgical intervention, while tissue death from severe compression may necessitate amputation. Crush injuries often lead to long-term complications, including chronic pain and mobility challenges.
Nerve Damage
Nerve damage is also a common consequence of severe leg trauma, causing partial or total loss of sensation and motor function. Peripheral neuropathy, characterized by tingling, numbness, or burning sensations, often occurs due to direct trauma or surgical complications. Motor nerve damage can result in muscle weakness or paralysis, which is frequently permanent, requiring victims to rely on mobility aids or braces.
Amputation
Amputations, whether traumatic or surgical, represent some of the most catastrophic leg injuries. Traumatic amputations occur during accidents when a limb is severed or crushed beyond repair, while surgical amputations are performed to remove a severely damaged or infected limb. The level of amputation, such as below-the-knee (BKA), above-the-knee (AKA), or bilateral, has a profound effect on mobility and quality of life. Below-the-knee amputations preserve the knee joint, allowing for greater mobility and easier use of prosthetics, whereas above-the-knee amputations require more advanced prosthetics and often result in a higher degree of impairment. Bilateral amputations, involving the loss of both legs, dramatically affect independence and daily living. Of course, if there is adequate insurance coverage for the responsible party, settlement payouts in these cases can get into the millions.
All these injuries carry unique challenges, including chronic pain, loss of income, and the need for long-term medical care, prosthetics, and rehabilitation. Severe leg injuries also take an emotional and psychological toll, making it essential for victims to receive compensation that addresses not only their immediate needs but also their long-term financial and medical requirements.
What Impacts the Settlement Value of Severe Leg Injury Cases?
The settlement value of severe leg injury lawsuits is influenced by various factors, including the nature of the injury, the circumstances surrounding the accident, and the consequences for the injured party. Below is a brief outline of the most significant factors that tend to drive the settlement payouts in these cases.
Nature and Severity of Injury: Fractures, nerve damage, amputation, or permanent disability typically lead to higher settlements than minor injuries. The extent of medical intervention required, such as surgeries, rehabilitation, or long-term care, can significantly impact the settlement. A longer recovery period, especially one involving significant pain and suffering, tends to increase settlement value.
Impact on Life: If the injury results in a lifelong impairment, the settlement is likely to be higher. Difficulty walking, the need for prosthetics, or reliance on mobility aids can increase compensation. Psychological impacts, such as depression or anxiety resulting from the injury, may also be factored into the settlement.
Economic Damages: Severe leg injuries that require extensive medical treatment and/or force the plaintiff to miss significant time from work or self-employment will have a higher settlement value because the plaintiff will be entitled to economic damages for medical expenses and lost income.
Clear Liability: Clear evidence of the other party’s fault strengthens the case for a higher settlement. This is because the defendant will be less likely to risk going to trial and have a higher motivation to settle the case.
Insurance: The at-fault party’s insurance policy limits can cap the settlement amount. This is particularly true in auto accident cases. When the defendant is a big corporation with extensive financial resources this is less of an issue.
Statistics on Awards in Severe Leg Injury Cases
Jury Verdict Research published data on verdicts in severe leg injury cases over the 10 years prior to October 2010. By severe, I mean severe: crush injuries and amputations. For injuries to one or both legs, and leg injuries resulting in varying degrees of leg amputations, the statistics are:
| INJURY | AVERAGE | MEDIAN |
| One or Both Legs | $4,000,000 | $2,400,000 |
The average verdict in these cases is approximately $4,000,000 and the median verdict is $2,400,000 for injuries to one or both legs, and leg injuries resulting in varying degrees of leg amputations.
The leg amputation categories include both traumatic and surgical amputations. The relatively insignificant difference surprised me between above the knee and below the knee amputations:
| INJURY | AVERAGE | MEDIAN |
| Above the knee | $3,958,003 | $2,588,649 |
| Below the knee | $4,930,186 | $3,727,500 |
| Bilateral Amputation | $13,392,589 | $5,012,500 |
As you can see, the median for bilateral amputations is a statistically insignificant difference from a single above the knee amputation.
This is interesting data and useful to use in negotiating your case. But asking the numbers to make sense is asking too much.
Settlements & Verdicts – Serious Leg Injuries
Below are summaries of cases resulting in verdicts or settlements where the primary injury was a serious leg injury,
Smith v. Elseroad (Baltimore City 2023) $425,000: The plaintiff was standing between two parked cars when the defendant motorist smashed his vehicle into the rear of one of the cars, pushing it forward into the plaintiff and crushing the plaintiff between the parked cars. The plaintiff suffered a bilateral leg crush injury resulting in permanent injuries, a right fibular head fracture, a permanent concave deformity on his calf, and permanent scarring on his lower body.
Hupp v. United States (D. Md. 2021) $729,000: Plaintiff suffered multiple fractures to his left ankle, requiring fusion and resulting in loss of motion and pain, as well as aggravation of preexisting condition, when the motorcycle he was operating was struck by a USPS mail truck that backed up from a parked position without warning, causing his left leg to be pinned under the motorcycle.
Johnson v. Bautista (Baltimore County 2021) $2,458,000: plaintiff suffered crush injuries to his right leg, including fractures to his right femur and tibia and nerve damage requiring surgery followed by physical therapy, and resulting in the permanent loss of feeling in his right foot and a combined right leg/lower extremity impairment rating of 46 percent. Jury awarded $208,000 in economic damages and $2.2 million for pain and suffering.
Thomas v. MTA (Baltimore City 2019) $1,200,000: plaintiff, a water taxi deckhand, suffered multiple fractures to her left leg and an open fracture of her left ankle, both of which required extensive surgeries, including placement of rods and screws and skin grafting, and resulted in extensive scarring on her leg. Case settled for $1.2 million.
Turner v. Brown (Baltimore City 2018) $390,394: plaintiff suffered a left leg hairline fracture, a left knee meniscus tear that required surgery when he was struck by a commercial vehicle driven by the defendant.
Patton v. Ruiz (P.G. County 2017) $1,584,296: plaintiff suffered right leg compound fractures, including a right knee fracture, resulting in persistent leg and knee pain and weakness and permanent radicular symptoms related to his leg and knee, when defendant allegedly made a left turn at an intersection on a steady red light and struck the plaintiff’s vehicle as it was proceeding through the intersection on a green light.
Koger v. Mabato (Baltimore City 2017) $1,203,013: Plaintiff was hit by a mobility bus in an intersection and suffered a fractured right distal femur, which required open reduction and internal fixation surgery and resulted in permanent impairment, as well as a fractured scapula, resulting in difficulty walking, standing, sitting and using stairs, continuing pain and permanent impairment of his right knee/leg.
Contact Us About Leg Injury Cases
If you suffered a severe leg injury in an accident that was not your fault, contact our personal injury lawyers today to see if you have a case. Call us at 800-553-8082 or contact us online.