Foot Drop: Highlighting the Challenges | Medical Negligence and Personal Injury Blog

‘Stepping Forward’ is the latest theme for highlighting a little known medical condition that can be particularly difficult to live with. National Foot Drop Awareness Day on 20 September is championed by the National Foot Drop Society to increase understanding and appreciation of the issues surrounding this condition and its management. The emphasis of the campaign is on the need for early diagnosis and innovative treatments.

Foot drop, a general term describing difficulty in lifting the foot and toes properly, is often caused by an injury to the peroneal nerve which controls muscles in the foot. It can also be the result of a brain or spinal injury or a neurological condition.

Symptoms include dragging the toes or foot along the ground while walking, or raising the thigh higher than usual. The foot may tingle or be numb and where the condition is prolonged, it can lead to muscle wastage. It can have far reaching consequences affecting walking and gait, increasing the chance of falls, and detrimentally impacting independence and quality of life.

Foot drop can result from errors in surgery and other medical treatments and in such circumstances, there may be grounds for a legal claim for compensation. Nerve damage can be a known risk of certain surgeries such as hip or knee replacements and spinal surgery. However, if the surgical technique was poor or there was a deviation from protocols which caused nerve damage and associated foot drop then there may be a claim.

We have succeeded in past cases in claims for nerve injuries due to negligent operative technique in hip replacement surgery. Other examples are direct severing of the peroneal nerve or compression of nerves due to the misplacement of screws or plates during surgery. Injuries can further occur during long surgical procedures where the nerves have not been protected. Damage may also be caused on the administration of spinal injections such as an epidural. If there was an error such as that the injection was not inserted at the correct site leading to nerve damage then there may be a clinical negligence claim. 

Errors in post-operative care can also cause nerve damage leading to foot drop. Examples include the mismanagement of infection and inflammation leading to nerve compression. Infections at the surgical site can directly impact the surrounding nerves and can lead to the formation of abscesses or scar tissue, both of which can cause nerve damage. Prompt treatment of infection is vital. Early detection of nerve compression or ischemia (reduced blood flow) is also key and failures can result in prolonged damage.

There may also be a legal claim where a patient was not adequately informed of the risks associated with a procedure and suffers an injury. More information can be found on Kingsley Napley’s dedicated webpage page on claims for a lack of informed consent. 

Foot drop can improve with therapies including physiotherapy. However, in some cases it can be permanent. Equipment such as orthotic braces may make a real difference to mobility.

The team at Kingsley Napley are highly experienced in acting for people suffering from a range of disabilities including foot drop and in getting the optimum outcome for clients. We understand how crucial it is to obtain the very best treatment and equipment in order to secure a better quality of life and fight hard for the best package of compensation. We seek to obtain interim payments for clients wherever feasible so that recommended rehabilitation can start as quickly as possible.  

Further information

If you have any questions regarding this blog, please contact Laura Vincent Evans in our Medical Negligence and Personal Injury team.

About the author

Laura Vincent Evans is an Associate in the Medical Negligence & Personal Injury team, having qualified in September 2022. She assists the Partners in the department on a variety of claims, including those where negligence has resulted in clients sustaining complex injuries during birth and procedures. She has experience in both medical negligence and personal injury claims and has a particular interest in multi-trauma and brain injury cases.