You can learn a lot about workplace accidents from accident at work statistics. Statistics can highlight what injuries are associated with accidents, what factors contribute to accidents happening and show what industries are most likely to be affected.
This guide will talk about the importance of accident at work statistics, especially in forming workplace health and safety. It will also discuss how the knowledge you can gain from reviewing statistics can be applied to the personal injury claims process.
If you want to discuss making an accident at work claim, you can talk to one of our advisers. They offer free initial consultations and could help you understand whether you could make a claim.
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Choose A Section
- What Value Do Accident At Work Statistics Have?
- Scenarios Of Employees Getting Hurt At Work Based On Accident At Work Statistics
- What Steps Could I Take For Making A Claim?
- How Much Is My Injury At Work Claim Worth?
- Advice On Using No Win No Fee Lawyers
- Extra Information About Accident At Work Statistics
What Value Do Accident At Work Statistics Have?
Accident at work statistics can reveal trends in workplace accidents, and this can help people understand the hazards posed by their work. Commonly repeating accidents can help employers understand what to look out for and what protections might be needed.
Employers have a responsibility, under legislation such as the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA), to do all they reasonably can to help provide a safe working environment for their employees. This responsibility is known as a duty of care. If they breach this duty, and an employee is injured as a result, they could be found responsible.
Statistics are used by both employers and health and safety regulators to understand what measures need to be in place for different types of industries, such as
- Hardhats in environments with a risk of overhead falling objects.
- Slip-resistant shoes in environments with slippery floors.
The Latest Accident At Work Statistics
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the agency responsible for workplace health and safety enforcement and regulation. They require employers to report various accidents and injuries under RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013).
The most commonly reported non-fatal accidents in the year 2020/21 were slips, trips or falls. This is a repeating trend; slips, trips and falls had been the most commonly reported accident in the previous seven years.
Scenarios Of Employees Getting Hurt At Work Based On Accident At Work Statistics
Accident at work statistics show that slips, trips and falls are the most commonly reported workplace accidents.
Your employer has a duty to implement reasonable measures where they can to help prevent slips or trips occurring in your area of work.
For example, they could:
- Carry out a risk assessment of an area before asking you to work in it. If they do not, they could fail to identify a slipping hazard that could lead to an injury.
- Perform safety checks on equipment. Otherwise, they could assign you faulty equipment, like a broken ladder, that leads to you falling and injuring yourself.
- Provide necessary safety equipment such as slip-resistant shoes.
If they do not take the appropriate action to look for and reduce risk, they could be found at fault for any accident and injury you suffer.
For more information about whether your employer could be found at fault for what happened to you, you can contact an adviser now to discuss your situation.
What Steps Could I Take For Making A Claim?
The first step to take if you have suffered an accident is to seek out medical attention. If you wish to make a claim, medical evidence will play an important role and the treatment you receive for your injuries could be used as evidence.
Other evidence you can gather is evidence of the circumstances that led to the accident. If your accident and injury came from your employer not doing reasonably enough to protect you, you could gather evidence in the form of:
- Contact details of witnesses who can provide statements. This could be witnesses to your employer not carrying out the health and safety duties expected of them.
- CCTV (or similar recordings) that show a hazard had been in place and not addressed over a long time, for example.
Document as much as you can about the injury and any effects it has had on you. These can be:
- Notes on the day-to-day effects of the injury.
- Financial records of costs arising from the injury.
All of this could be used as part of your claim.
A personal injury solicitor can advise you on evidence that could be useful specifically in your claim. Contact our advisers today to find out more.
How Much Is My Injury At Work Claim Worth?
In this section of our guide exploring how accident at work statistics are used, we look at compensation when making a claim.
The value of compensation in personal injury claims is influenced by the extent of the injury and the effect it has had on your life.
Compensation can be categorised into two heads. The first head, general damages, is the amount of compensation intended for the pain the injury has caused.
The Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) is a document commonly used by judges and solicitors when valuing claims. The JCG is a collection of guidelines for compensation awards based on previous court settlements.
Some entries in the JCG are included in the compensation table below.
| Moderately Severe Brain Damage | Serious disability with possible limb paralysis | £205,580 to £264,650 |
|---|---|---|
| Moderate Brain Damage (ii) | Moderate to modest intellectual deficit, ability to work greatly reduced if not removed | £85,150 to £140,870 |
| Back Injuries: Minor (i) | Full recovery within two to five years | £7,410 to £11,730 |
| Back Injuries: Moderate (ii) | Disturbance of ligaments | £11,730 to £26,050 |
| Leg Injuries: Moderate | Multiple fractures or severe crushing injuries | £26,050 to £36,790 |
| Less Serious Leg Injuries (i) | Fractures from which an incomplete recovery is made | £16,860 to £26,050 |
| Knee Injuries: Severe (i) | Disruption of the joint, gross ligamentous damage | £65,440 to £90,290 |
| Knee Injuries: Moderate (i) | Dislocation or torn cartilage | £13,920 to £24,580 |
| Achilles Tendon: (a) Most serious | Severance of the tendon | In the region of £36,060 |
| Hand Injuries: (b) | Serious damage to both hands leading to significant loss of function | £52,310 to £79,360 |
| Hand Injuries: (c) | Total or Effective Loss of One Hand | £90,250 to £102,890 |
As part of your potential claim, you’d attend an independent medical assessment to help with proof. A healthcare professional would check over your injuries and any past medical notes, create a report and share it with those involved in the claim. The report would show:
- The severity of your injuries.
- Whether the injuries are consistent with those that could be caused by such an accident.
A personal injury solicitor could arrange the medical assessment locally to you.
The second head of claim, known as special damages, covers any financial losses you might suffer as a result of the injury.
This could be:
- Loss of income
- Expenses towards treatment/care
- Gracious care provided by family
- Travel expenses (to and from medical appointments, for example)
Any amount you request should consider both ongoing costs and expected costs. As such, it is important to know as much as you can about the extent of the injury before seeking an amount.
For any more information about compensation valuations, you can speak to an adviser now.
Advice On Using No Win No Fee Lawyers
A No Win No Fee lawyer is a way to hire legal help without the usual concerns about cost.
A lawyer working on a No Win No Fee basis would not charge you an upfront fee for their services, nor would they charge you any ongoing fees. Their payment would only be on the condition that you were successful in your claim and awarded compensation. In this case, their success fee would be taken as a legally capped percentage of your compensation. If you were not successful, there would be no fee.
Our panel of solicitors offer No Win No Fee agreements and could represent you in your claim. You can talk to an adviser now to see if you could be put through to a solicitor from our panel.
Ask Us About Accident At Work Statistics
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Extra Information About Accident At Work Statistics
For other additional information you might need:
The government website offers information on:
How to access Statutory Sick Pay
And a page for pay and work rights complaints
The HSE website offers information on how to report a health and safety issue
Thank you for reading our guide on accident at work statistics. Other guides we offer include:
- How To Gather Evidence For An Accident At Work Claim
- Gathering Evidence For A Foot Injury At Work Claim
- Steps To Take After Suffering A Hand Injury At Work
- Electric Shock At Work Claims
- Accident At Work Due to Faulty Equipment Claims
- Using An Accident At Work Helpline To Get Advice
- How Do I Report My Injury In An Accident At Work Book?
- Inadequate And Poor Quality PPE Claims
- Construction Health and Safety – Accident At Work Claims
We hope this guide on accident at work statistics has helped. If you’d like to, get in touch with our advisers for free legal advice.
Publisher Ruth Vince
Writer Marlon Creek