If a foot or ankle injury has you off your feet, call the Law Offices of Jason Turchin at 800-337-7755 for a free case review.

Foot and Ankle Injury Claims at a Glance

What Causes Most Foot and Ankle Injuries?

Most serious foot and ankle injuries come from falls, vehicle crashes and heavy objects striking or crushing the foot. Your feet carry your full body weight, so even one bad step can tear ligaments or break bones.

Falls are a major source of these injuries. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, injuries related to stairs, ramps, landings, and floors, resulting in large part from slips and falls, accounted for more than 3 million emergency department treated injuries in 2024. Common causes include:

• Slips and trips: wet floors, spilled products, torn mats, broken stairs and uneven sidewalks.
• Car and truck crashes: the floorboard and pedals can crush or twist a driver’s foot in a frontal impact.
• Motorcycle and bicycle crashes: riders often land on or trap a foot. According to the FLHSMV, in 2025, there were nearly 10,000 bicycle crashes in Florida.
• Pedestrian accidents: a vehicle rolling over a foot can cause crush injuries and multiple fractures.
• Falling merchandise: heavy items dropped from store shelves can fracture toes and the top of the foot.
• Defective products: faulty ladders, scooters or footwear may give out without warning.

Who May Be Responsible for a Foot or Ankle Injury?

The person or business whose carelessness caused the injury may be responsible, and that depends on where and how you were hurt. People often confuse the different types of claims, so here is how they generally compare.

For a fall on a business’s floor caused by a spill or other foreign substance, Florida Statute §768.0755 generally requires the injured person to show the business had actual or constructive knowledge of the dangerous condition. Store injuries come up often; our overview of common Walmart injury lawsuits explains some of the patterns we see.

What Do Foot and Ankle Injury Cases Look Like?

These cases often follow familiar patterns. The examples below are illustrations, not actual clients or results:

• Grocery store spill: A shopper slips on liquid near a cooler and suffers a broken ankle that needs surgery with plates and screws.
• Rear-end and frontal crash: A driver braces on the brake pedal at impact and suffers a Lisfranc injury in the midfoot.
• Apartment stairwell: A tenant steps onto a broken stair tread in a poorly lit stairwell and tears ankle ligaments.
• Parking lot pedestrian: A Weston man walking to his car has his foot run over by a driver backing out without looking.

What Compensation May Be Available?

Injured people may be able to recover medical expenses, lost income and damages for pain, suffering and loss of enjoyment of life. What a claim may be worth depends on the injury, treatment and how daily life has changed.

Ankle and foot injuries can lead to surgery, months in a boot, physical therapy and sometimes post-traumatic arthritis. Workers who stand all day may miss significant time. Keep in mind that Florida’s comparative fault law, Florida Statute §768.81, may reduce damages if you share some of the blame.

What Should You Do After a Foot or Ankle Injury?

Get medical care first, then preserve evidence while it still exists. Steps that can help protect a claim include:

1. See a doctor promptly, even if you think it is only a sprain. Hidden fractures are common.
2. Report the incident to the store, property owner or police.
3. Photograph the hazard, the scene and your injury.
4. Follow your treatment plan and keep every appointment.
5. Avoid giving recorded statements to an insurer before getting legal advice.

Items to gather:

• Medical records and bills: X-rays, MRIs, surgery notes and therapy records.
• Incident proof: reports, photos, video and witness names.
• Work records: pay stubs and notes showing missed time.
• Footwear: the shoes you were wearing, kept unwashed and unaltered.

Our personal injury FAQs answer more general questions about the claims process.

Why Choose the Law Offices of Jason Turchin

Attorney Jason Turchin founded the firm in Florida, and has been helping people injured in falls, crashes and other accidents pursue personal injury claims in Florida. The firm also handles cases in New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C., and throughout the U.S. with a network of co-counsels and local counsels.

Attorney Jason Turchin has been named to the Super Lawyers list from 2020 through 2026. He holds an Avvo 10.0 Superb Rating and is AV Preeminent Peer Rated for Highest Level of Professional Excellence by Martindale-Hubbell in 2026. He is also a #1 Best Selling Author on Amazon.com on Accident Law. Cases are handled on a contingency fee basis, with fees and costs waived if there is no recovery. You can learn more about Attorney Jason Turchin.

Foot and Ankle Injury FAQs

Can I sue for a sprained ankle?

Possibly. Severe sprains can involve torn ligaments, long recovery and lasting instability. If someone else’s negligence caused the sprain, you may have a claim.

What if I did not go to the doctor right away?

A delay can make a claim harder, because insurers may argue something else caused the injury. It does not necessarily end a claim, so get checked now and keep your records.

Can I file a claim if my foot was injured at work?

Workplace injuries usually go through workers’ compensation. If a third party, such as a negligent driver or equipment maker, caused the injury, a separate claim may also be possible.

How long does a foot and ankle injury lawsuit take?

It varies. Many claims resolve after treatment ends and the full cost of the injury is known, while others may take longer if a lawsuit is filed.

Talk With a Florida Injury Lawyer About Your Foot or Ankle Injury

A foot or ankle injury can affect how you work, walk and live. If you believe someone else is responsible, you may have options. Call the Law Offices of Jason Turchin at 800-337-7755 or contact us online for a free consultation about your case.