Do I Need To Complete An Accident At Work Form?

To make a personal injury claim, you must be able to provide evidence of third-party negligence. This article will explain why an accident at work form is an important part of the accident at work procedure, and how one can help support your personal injury claim.

Accident at work form guide
Accident at work form guide

If you have been injured in an accident at work due to employer negligence, you could make a personal injury claim. 

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What Is An Accident At Work Form?

All employers owe employees a duty of care according to the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act, 1974 (HASAWA). This means that there are certain responsibilities an employer must fulfil in order to ensure that the workplace environment is reasonably safe and secure.

For example, your employer should perform regular risk assessments to analyse and control risks in the workplace. The steps to a risk assessment are:

  • Identifying risks – Noting what hazards exist in the workplace.
  • Assessing risks – assessing how potentially harmful the hazards are to the employees. 
  • Controlling risks – Putting in measures to get rid of the hazard and, if this can’t be done, ensuring it’s controlled.
  • Recording findings – Recording findings like what the hazards are, who could be harmed and what controls have been put in place. 
  • Reviewing controls –  Reviewing controls to see if they are still effective or if any new risks have arisen. 

Accident at work forms are useful when there has been an accident in the workplace. This is to ensure that a document exists of the accident, but also to help prevent similar accidents from occurring in the future.

It also provides clear documentation of an accident, so you sustain an injury as a result of negligence, you can use this as evidence for your personal injury claim.  

If you have any more questions about what an accident work form is then please feel free to contact our team of advisors. If you have a valid claim, you could be connected with a personal injury solicitor from our panel. 

How Often Do Injuries Happen At Work?

In 2020/21, the Health and Safety Executive documented that 441,000 non-fatal injuries occurred in British workplaces, according to the Labour Force Survey. 51,211 non-fatal injuries were reported by employees under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR).

Overall, the rate of non-fatal injuries reported by employers has been declining and in 2019/2020, employers reported 242 injuries per 100,000 workers compared to 185 in 2020/2021.

Situations Requiring An Accident At Work Form

The HASAWA states reasonably practicable steps that employers must take under their duty of care to ensure employee safety. These steps include:

  • Providing and maintaining work systems – Ensuring tools and equipment are kept to a safe and usable standard. This can include ensuring proper maintenance of machinery and construction tools. 
  • Providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – Ensuring safe handling, storage and transport of items and materials by providing PPE to protect from occupational risks.
  • Providing adequate training and supervision – Making sure that all employees receive free training relevant to their job role and are appropriately supervised.
  • General housekeeping – Promptly clearing pathways and cleaning hazards is important to maintain a safe working environment. For example, loose wires or boxes obstructing walkways could cause workers to trip and suffer injuries.

It’s good practice to fill out an accident at work form after an accident that results in injury.

Examples of accidents that might occur could include:

  • Slips, Trips, and Falls – Spills that haven’t been promptly attended to could result in an employee slipping and sustaining an injury.
  • Improper equipment maintenance – Factory machinery if not properly maintained could cause a malfunction and you could be hurt.
  • Lacking Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – If your employer refuses to provide adequate PPE, or provides faulty PPE, this could be a breach of their duty of care. An example of faulty PPE could be a dented hard hat on a construction site that is unable to provide adequate protection. 

For more information on claiming if your employer was at fault for your injuries, speak with an advisor today.

What Evidence Could Support A Work Injury Claim?

You must be able to provide evidence for your claim if your employer’s negligence has caused you to sustain an injury at work. If you choose to hire a solicitor, they can help you with this process.

Some examples of evidence you can collect includes:

  • Medical records – Seeking medical attention ensures you get the help you need, and any medical records or notes made by a medical professional can be used as evidence.
  • Accident book logs – Workplaces with 10 or more employees must have an accident book by law. Filling this out after your accident creates a timely record of what happened. If you’re incapacitated or need to get immediate medical attention., someone else can fill it in on your behalf.
  • CCTV footage – Any footage of your accident or the circumstances leading up to it could help your claim. If your workplace is fitted with CCTV, you can request the footage from your employer. You could also use videos taken by colleagues. 
  • Pictures of the accident area and injury – Photographing the injury and the area where it happened creates documentation that could help strengthen your claim.
  • Witness details – Taking the contact details of anyone who may have witnessed the incident helps to ensure that statements can be collected by a legal professional later in your claim. 

To learn about how our panel of No Win No Fee personal injury solicitors can help you strengthen your claim, contact our advisors today. They could offer you advice on the role your accident at work form could play in supporting your claim. 

How Much Compensation Is My Work Injury Worth?

How much worker’s compensation you receive in an accident at work claim depends on your circumstance. You’ll receive general damages to cover the pain and suffering caused by your injuries.

A publication called The Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) helps outline guideline compensation brackets for a wide variety of injuries at differing levels of severity. The following table includes examples of some of these brackets:

InjuryCompensationNotes
Chest Injury (g)Up to £3,710Rib fractures or injuries to the soft tissue leading to serious pain and disability over a period of weeks only.
Severe Neck Injury (iii)£42,680 to £52,540Dislocations, fractures or severe soft tissue damage and/or tendon ruptures leading to a lasting disability. Award depends on length of serious symptoms, treatment requirements and prognosis.
Minor Back Injury (ii)£2,300 to £7,410Full recovery without surgery from three months to two years. Short-term acceleration/exacerbation of injuries can also be included.
Moderate Pelvic Injury (i)£24,950 to £36,770Notable pelvic or hip injury with minor permanent disability and no great future risk.
Wrist Injuries (c)£11,820 to £22,990Not severe but still lead to some permanent disability such as lasting pain and stiffness.
Minor Hand, Finger and Thumb Injuries (v)Up to £4,461Fractures recovered in around six months. Also, scarring tenderness and reaction to coldness, however still fully recovered.
Moderate Ankle Injury (c)£12,900 to £24,950Fractures, tears to the ligament and similar which lead to less than serious disability such as walking and standing difficulties for prolonged times or on uneven ground. Awkward on stairs, metal plate irritation and scarring. Future osteoarthritis risks.
Serious Achilles Tendon (b)£23,460 to £28,240Complete tendon division with residual weakness, ankle movement limitations, a limp and lasting scarring. Further improvement is not likely.
Jaw Fractures (iii)£6,060 to £8,200Simple fracture needing immobilization but with a full recovery.
Facial Disfigurement (b)£16,860 to £45,440Substantial disfigurement and a significant psychological reaction.

Furthermore, you could be eligible to claim special damages as part of your personal injury claim. Special damages relate to the financial costs incurred due to your injury and the following period of recovery. Such damages could include:

  • Loss of income and future earnings
  • Child care costs
  • Travel expenses to and from medical appointments 

To claim special damages, you must be able to provide proof of financial loss. As such, it can be helpful to save any relevant receipts, bills, or invoices.

It is important to note that these figures are guidelines and not guaranteed amounts. However, for a more accurate assessment of how much compensation you could receive, you can talk to our team of advisors today. They can also advise you on whether your accident at work form could be used to strengthen your claim. 

What Difference Does A No Win No Fee Agreement Make?

You do not need to hire an accident at work lawyer to make a personal injury claim; however, legal guidance could make the process feel easier. For example, they may be able to advise you on whether to accept the first offer of compensation. 

Entering into a No Win No Fee agreement comes with no upfront cost and you will pay no fees to your lawyer if your claim fails. Your No Win No Fee lawyer will take a small, legally-capped percentage of the compensation as their success fee if the claim succeeds. 

For more help on the role an accident at work form can play in supporting a personal injury claim, get in touch with our team of advisors now. 

Talk To Us About Accident At Work Forms

If you would like free legal advice about accident at work forms and their uses in the workplace, feel free to contact our team of advisors. They could also advise you if you have a valid compensation claim. 

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Find Out More About Accident At Work Forms

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If you are interested in finding out more about an accident at work form, contact our advisors today.