The pelvis or hip bone is one of the strongest bones in the body and if injury occurs to that region, it is generally the result of a serious accident. Hip and pelvis injury can be caused in accidents at work, particularly falling from height, in road traffic accidents and in slipping and tripping accidents in our streets and places of work. Fractures to this area particularly in the elderly can prove very complicated and can lead to more serious results, like blood clots, pneumonia and infection.

This is one of the major bones in the body, enabling us to bend, flex, walk, sit and run. The hip is the area where the thigh meets the pelvis .Fractures to the pelvis or hip invariably leads to hospitalisation and often weeks of excruciating pain. This is a ball and socket joint and dislocations are another common accident to this area, particularly in some of the more serious road accidents.

What can cause pelvis or hip injury?

• Slips trips and falls on the public highway. The local authority has a duty to keep pavements in a reasonable state of repair.
• Slipping in shops or restaurants. The owners owe us a duty of care to look after our safety and avoid obvious tripping hazards such as pallets left on the floor or boxes, or cleaning up spillages.
• Accidents at work, such as slipping on oily or wet floors, debris which has not been cleared, accidents involving vehicles like fork lift trucks either colliding with workers or knocking items onto them are also common. Falling from height is another obvious cause.
• Road traffic accidents. In order to sustain fracture or dislocation, it tends to be a serious accident, often involving crush injury, and with long term consequences.

This is a major part of the body and an injury here can lead to serious long term effects.

The sorts of injury that can occur include

• Fractures
• Dislocations
• Tendon damage
• Muscle damage
• Ligament damage
• Internal damage to bladder and other internal organs
• Long term aggravation of arthritis or spondylitis

What sort of compensation can be awarded?

The following are guides as the amounts depend on the injury and the individual circumstances.

• The more serious multiple fractures possibly involving injury to internal organs and hip deformity can receive over £80,000
• Those more moderate injuries such as a significant fracture but with no major risk of permanent disability would be in the region of £17000-£25000
• Anything up to £17000 where there has been a successful hip replacement
• Those where there has been a significant injury originally but recovery has been quick and complete, £8000-£25000
• Minor injury with a full recovery £2500.

As you can see, the compensation varies widely and no two accidents or injuries are the same. If you have been involved in an accident in which you have received injury to your pelvis or hip, you should seek the services of a specialist lawyer to assist you formulate the claim to achieve the maximum compensation.