Do You Receive Compensation After An Accident At Work That's Not Your Fault?

When you have an accident at work that’s not your fault, you may be able to claim. However, it’s not enough that the incident in which you were injured was not your fault; it needs to have resulted from a breach of duty of care on the part of your employer.

In this article you will learn what to do in the event of a work accident and if you are entitled to compensation, plus how claims are valued. We also discuss more affordable ways of gaining legal representation.

If you are ready to make a claim now or want free legal advice, get in touch by:

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Can You Claim For An Accident At Work That’s Not Your Fault?
What Could Cause Accidents At Work?
How Can I React To A Work Accident?
Compensation Estimates For An Accident At Work Claim
Do No Win No Fee Lawyers Handle Work Injury Claims?
Learn About Claiming For An Accident At Work That’s Not Your Fault

Can You Claim For An Accident At Work That’s Not Your Fault?

A claim offers compensation for an injury that you have sustained. The injury may have caused pain and suffering, and would also have an impact on your quality of life. Furthermore, it might have had an effect on your finances.

Your employee is expected to take all reasonably practicable steps to protect your safety in the workplace. This is set out in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA).

If this duty of care is not upheld by your employer, you may be involved in an accident where you’re injured. You could be entitled to claim compensation if so.

Are you ready to make a claim for an accident at work that’s not your fault? If so, you can contact our advisors. They can put you in touch with a solicitor from our panel to work on your claim, provided it is valid.

How Common Are Work Accidents?

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) enforces health and safety legislation in Great Britain. Using reports from the Labour Force Survey and ones that were made under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013, HSE publishes statistics on work accidents.

441,000employees were reported to have suffered a non-fatal injury at work in 2020/21. This was according to the Labour Force Survey, so these statistics will be self-reported.

We have included some more statistics from the HSE below:

Slips, trips and falls were the most frequently reported non-fatal accident kind last year
Handling, lifting or carrying was the second most common and accounted for 18% of non-fatal injuries
There were 339,000 injuries that resulted in over a seven-day absence in 2020/21

Have you had an accident at work that’s not your fault? Get in touch now. Our advisors can connect you with a solicitor from our panel provided that you have a valid claim for compensation.

What Could Cause Accidents At Work?

Section two of HASAWA states that your employer owes you a duty of care. If they ignore this, you may suffer an accident at work that’s not your fault.

The following hazards could lead to an accident at work:

Faulty machinery: When you work with heavy machinery, it is important that your employee carries out regular risk assessments to ensure that it is in good working order. For example, if you work in the construction industry and operate cranes, the cranes should be examined and regularly checked to reduce the risk of injury.

Poor housekeeping: You could be at risk of slipping or tripping if your work environment is full of clutter. Your employee should make sure that the workspace is kept clean and free of any potential clutter or hazards. For example, if you work in retail, and stock is left on the floor, this could lead you to trip and break your leg. You may consider claiming compensation for a leg injury if so.
Lack of training: It is down to your employer to provide you with free, up-to-date training relevant to your job role. For example, if you work in a warehouse, and are not properly trained on how to lift boxes, you could have a lifting accident at work.

Our advisors can provide free advice. Head to the live chat feature at the bottom of this page to speak to a member of our claim team now.

How Can I React To A Work Accident?

If you have been involved in an accident at work that’s not your fault, you may want to consider gathering evidence to support your claim. Here are some tips to help you:

Seek medical attention. You should do this immediately, particularly if you’ve sustained a serious work injury. This will provide you with a medical record of your injuries, which may be used as evidence in your claim.
Make a report in your work’s accident logbook or fill out an accident form. This generates an immediate record of what happened, how and where. A colleague can complete a report for you if you are unable to do so.
Obtain other evidence. There are different types of evidence you could use to support your claim, including CCTV footage, photographic evidence of your injuries or witness contact details.

You may also want to seek legal advice. Our panel of solicitors are experts in dealing with accidents at work. Follow the banner below to learn more.

Compensation Estimates For An Accident At Work Claim

Personal injury compensation settlements can be valued with the help of guidelines from the Judicial College. These guideline compensation brackets contain a range of different injuries of different levels of severity.

General damages is the part of your compensation that covers any pain, suffering or loss of amenity caused by your accident at work. This pain and suffering may be physical or psychological.

Injury	How Much?	Notes
Minor Brain or Head Injury	£2,070 to £11,980	Brain damage, if any, will be minimal, but you may suffer headaches.
Asbestos-Related Disease	£65,710 to £118,150	Where function and quality of life are impaired and severe pain is caused.
Moderate (i) Neck Injuries	£23,460 to £36,120	Pre-existing degenerative changes may be accelerated by your neck injury. There could be soft tissue trauma too.
Minor (i) Shoulder Injuries	£4,080 to £7,410	Soft tissue injury to shoulder with considerable pain, but you will have fully recovered within two years.
Severe (i) Injuries to the Pelvis and Hips	£73,580 to £122,860	There could be extensive fractures of the pelvis and the bladder may be ruptured as a result.
Very Serious Injury to Thumb	£18,390 to £32,850	The thumb will have been severed at the base and grafted back resulting in deformity.
Less Serious (ii) Leg Injuries	£8,550 to £13,210	Simple fracture of a femur but no damage to articular surfaces.
Moderate Toe Injuries	Up to £9,010	There may be a need for surgery which can lead to discomfort and permanent scarring.
Fractures of Nose or Nasal Complex (i)	£9,990 to £21,700	Serious fractures require surgery but there will be permanent damage, including difficulties breathing, nerves or tear ducts, and facial deformity.
Wrist Injuries (a)	£44,690 to £56,180	Complete loss of function in the wrist. An arthrodesis will have been performed.

You may also be entitled to special damages, which cover any financial losses that your injury may have caused you. This could include private medical costs, prescription fees, travel expenses and the potential loss of future earnings.

It’s always a good idea to provide evidence in support of special damages. You could provide receipts and invoices, for example, to show how much you have spent.

Contact our advisors for free advice if you need help working out how much compensation you could receive for an accident at work.

Do No Win No Fee Lawyers Handle Work Injury Claims?

Legal representation is not a requirement when making an accident at work claim. However, it can make the process feel much easier. If the thought of legal costs is putting you off from seeking legal advice, you may want to consider using a No Win No Fee lawyer.

A No Win No Fee agreement offers a more affordable way to find legal representation without paying upfront fees or ongoing costs. Your lawyer will take a legally capped success fee from your compensation if your claim is successful.

On the contrary, should your claim fail, you won’t have to pay your lawyer any fees at all.

Perhaps you want to consider using a No Win No Fee lawyer if you have suffered an accident at work that’s not your fault. Our advisors can offer more information about claiming for harm caused by third-party negligence. Get in touch with a member of our team today.

Contact Us About An Accident At Work Claim

We hope you have found this guide helpful. If you feel like you are ready to take the next steps in making a claim following an accident at work that wa not your fault, you can do the following:

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Learn About Claiming For An Accident At Work That’s Not Your Fault

Please find below some additional resources that you may find useful:

NHS services near you: This may be useful if you are still suffering due to your injury.
Reportable incidents: HSE provides guidance on what incidents employers must report.
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP): Government information on claiming SSP if you’re off work without full pay.

You can find some more of our guides below too:

For any further questions on what to do if you have had an accident at work that’s not your fault, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team of advisors.