A workplace injury can occur in various ways depending on the nature of your work. In this guide, we will be looking at how they can occur. You may be entitled to compensation if you have experienced an injury while at work due to employer negligence.
Contact us for free legal advice. Our advisors are on hand 24/7. If your claim is favourable they could connect you to our panel of personal injury solicitors. However, you’ll not be under any obligation to use our panel’s services if you get in touch.
Choose A Section
- Could I Claim Compensation For A Workplace Injury?
- Injury Scenarios At Work
- What Must I Do To Prove An Employer Breaching Its Duty Of Care?
- How Much Will I Get For A Workplace Injury?
- Using A No Win No Fee Solicitor For An Accident At Work Claim
- Additional Guidance On Making A Workplace Injury Claim
Could I Claim Compensation For A Workplace Injury?
Under workplace health and safety legislation, your employer has a duty of care to take reasonable measures to protect your safety and wellbeing in the workplace. If you have suffered a workplace injury caused by employer negligence, you may be entitled to claim compensation.
Workplace health and safety regulations should be in place to keep you safe while at work. These vary depending on where you work and the nature of your employment.
No Win No Fee accident claims can be beneficial. Our advisors are available 24/7 to discuss your legal options if you suffered a workplace injury due to employer negligence.
Injury Scenarios At Work
A workplace injury can happen when your employer fails in their duty of care. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, employers’ responsibilities include taking reasonable measures to ensure the health and safety needs of the workforce are met.
Practicable Steps to Prevent a Workplace Injury
This means, that as far as reasonably practicable, employers must:
- Assess health and safety risks to the employees and inform employees of any risks. Workplaces will have certain risks attached to them. This depends on the nature of the work. The responsibility to ensure employees are aware of the risks rests with the employer or an appointed person. An example would be construction health and safety. There are many occupational health and safety risks with construction and it is up to employers to identify reasonable risks and point them out to employees.
- Provide adequate training. It is unreasonable to expect you to know the correct way of doing something without adequate training. You should not use hazardous equipment without first being trained on it. For example, you could slice your fingers in a new cutting machine if not appropriately trained, even if you were familiar with the older model.
- Provide appropriate equipment. Not carrying out required equipment checks can result in a dangerous equipment failure. For example, a plug with frayed wiring can cause electric shocks or a fire.
- Ask employees about health and safety issues. If a health and safety issue arises employees should feel comfortable presenting it to their employer or a health and safety representative. A heightened risk of a workplace injury can present itself when employees do not know how or are too frightened to report a potential health and safety risk.
If you’ve suffered an accident or injury at work that was not your fault, our advisors are available 24/7. Why not speak to one of them by clicking the banner at the top of the page?
What Must I Do To Prove An Employer Breaching Its Duty Of Care?
If you experience a workplace injury, you should take certain steps.
- Firstly, seek medical attention. Medical records of your injuries will be required if you decide to make an accident claim. Some injuries will require immediate medical attention.
- To pursue a claim, you will require evidence. You can get witness contact details for statements at a later date. You can ask your employer for the CCTV footage. Also, take photographs.
- Fill in the accident log book. This should include details of the accident and how it happened and the time and date.
You could also seek legal advice. If you’ve been involved in a workplace injury that was your employer’s fault then you may be entitled to claim compensation. If you wish to speak to our advisors, click on the banner at the top of the page. They are available 24/7.
How Much Will I Get For A Workplace Injury?
The costs associated with a workplace injury soon add up. Compensation comes in two types: general damages and special damages.
General Damages
This is the compensation you receive for your pain and mental suffering. The Judicial College produces guidelines that list potential compensation amounts for varying injuries. The below table is for illustrative purposes only.
| Injury | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Moderate brain damage (iii) | £40,410 to £85,150 | An impact on concentration and memory with reduced ability to work. Small risk of epilepsy and dependency on others |
| Severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder | £56,180 to £94,470 | Permanent inability to work or function at levels seen before the trauma. All aspects of life will be impacted. |
| Total blindness with total deafness. | In the region of £379,100 | Such injuries would rank with the most devastating injuries. |
| Mild tinnitus with some noise-induced hearing loss. | £11,820 to £13,970 | Mild tinnitus with some NIHL. |
| Severe neck injuries (iii) | £42,680 to £52,540 | Fractures, dislocations, soft tissue damage and/or ruptured tendons that lead to chronic conditions and permanent disability. Award amount dependent on the length of time expected of the most serious symptoms and overall prognosis. |
| Severe back injuries (ii) | £69,600 to £82,980 | Back injury with nerve damage resulting in loss of sensation, impaired mobility, impairment to bladder and bowel, sexual impairment and scarring. |
| Serious shoulder injuries | £11,980 to £18,020 | Shoulder dislocation with damage to the lower brachial plexus. Pain in shoulder, neck and elbow with a weakened grip and movement restrictions. |
| Moderate hip and pelvis injuries (i) | £24,950 to £36,770 | Significant risk of mild permanent disability with little future risk. |
| Total or effective loss of both hands. | £132,040 to £189,110 | Both hands are rendered useless. |
| Moderate knee injuries (i) | £13,920 to £24,580 | Dislocation or torn cartilage which results in future mild disability. |
Special Damages
Your workplace injury may have built up additional costs associated with it. To cover these costs, special damages are awarded. Evidence of costs must be kept, such as receipts or invoices.
Special damages can be awarded for:
- Loss of income.
- Future income loss.
- Transportation to medical appointments associated with your injury. Be sure to save any taxi receipts or bus tickets.
- Damage to your property caused by the injury. For example, keep the receipt to have your handbag strap repaired or the entire handbag replaced if it snapped while suffering the injury.
Compensation for a workplace injury is easy to find out about. Click on the banner at the top of the page to speak to one of our advisors. They’re available 24/7 to answer your questions.
Using A No Win No Fee Solicitor For An Accident At Work Claim
If you have been injured in a workplace accident and it was caused by your employer’s negligence, you may be entitled to claim compensation. Under No Win No Fee, you do not pay an upfront solicitor’s fee. you also don’t have an ongoing solicitor’s fee to pay. You only pay the solicitor a legally capped success fee if your case is successful.
If the claim loses, you don’t have to pay the success fee at all.
Discuss Your Workplace Injury With Us Today
To chat about your workplace injury, our advisors are standing by 24/7. You may be entitled to make a No Win No Fee compensation claim. They may pass you onto our panel of personal injury solicitors if they think your claim will be successful. You have no obligation to use our services.
- Contact us online today.
- Use our live chat for instant answers.
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Additional Guidance On Making A Workplace Injury Claim
Here are some additional links to explore if you have suffered a workplace injury:
If your employer is not taking your health and safety concerns seriously and you think they need to be reported, you can contact the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) about your concerns.
RIDDOR is where employers are meant to report serious injuries that occur in the workplace or occupational diseases.
To clean your own wound the NHS provides guidance.
For further advice, you can take a look at other guides on our website:
- Must I Use Work-Related Claims Solicitors?
- Compensation Awards For A Lifting Accident At Work
- Do I Need To Complete An Accident At Work Form?
- Average Payouts For An Accident At Work
- Broken Finger At Work Compensation
- No Health And Safety Training At Work Accident Claims
- What Is The Definition Of An Accident At Work?
- Compensation For A Work Accident That’s Not Your Fault
- What Is The Correct Accident At Work Protocol?
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