Suffering a burn injury at work could lead to time off work and medical expenses. Because of this, and if the injury was caused by your employer’s negligence, you may be interested in making an accident at work claim. In this guide, you can learn about different scenarios that could cause an injury and the legislation designed to reduce workplace hazards, as well as the benefits of No Win No Fee agreements.
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Choose A Section
- What Is A Burn Injury At Work?
- How Could I Be Burned In The Workplace
- What Evidence Could Prove An Accident At Work?
- Payout Estimates For A Burn Injury At Work
- Can I Hire A No Win No Fee Solicitor For This Type Of Claim?
- Extra Information About Claiming Compensation For A Burn Injury At Work
What Is A Burn Injury At Work?
According to the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA), employees are owed a duty of care by their employers. This means that employers must take reasonably practical steps to ensure employee safety while at work.
Part of the duty of care may include conducting a risk assessment and identifying hazards. Where it is possible to do so, hazards should be made safe. However, it is not always possible to do so. In these cases, the risk needs to be controlled and employees need to be informed.
Burn injuries could include:
- Burns from hot appliances, such as a cooker or curling iron.
- Scalding from hot water, such as boiling water on a hob.
- Chemical burns from detergents, such as undiluted cleaning solutions.
The risk of a burn injury at work could be reduced by identifying the hazard and taking actions to reduce or remove it where possible. Health and safety policies should reflect the risks of the job. For example, in a kitchen, a chef should expect their employer to provide oven gloves so hot food can be removed as safely as possible from the cooker.
If you have suffered a burn injury at work, our advisors are standing by to talk about your potential compensation claim.
Burn Injury Statistics
2020/21 saw 51,2111 non-fatal injuries to employees in Great Britain, as reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR). The statistics for a burn injury include a total of 983 reported by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The types of burns that employers should report under RIDDOR are serious burns over more than 10% of the body or burns that result in significant damage to the eyes, respiratory system or other vital organs.
How You Could Be Burned In The Workplace
Employers must take reasonably practical steps to manage risks in the workplace under HASAWA. Potential negligence arises when reasonable steps are not taken. Reasonably practical steps could include relevant health and safety training for all staff.
Prevention of a burn injury could include:
- Hot water signs. It is not always possible to set the thermostat to a lower temperature. Hot water signs to alert staff to the danger could be used instead to reduce scalding injuries.
- Adequate training. Regardless of the job and what risks it includes, your employer is expected to provide training free of charge. For kitchen staff, this could include health and safety training on how to release steam.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE). PPE will vary depending on the role. However, if it is required to safely carry out your work duties, your employer should provide it free of charge. For example, if you work in a kitchen, this could include heat resistant gloves and aprons.
Speak to our advisors today about your burn injury at work. Eligible claims may be passed to our panel of personal injury lawyers.
What Evidence Could Prove An Accident At Work?
Employer negligence must be proven in order to file a burn injury at work compensation claim. Evidence could be gathered during the steps you take following an injury.
Evidence could include:
- Medical notes. If you seek medical attention for your burn or scald injury, the notes from the hospital or doctor could be submitted as evidence. Also, you may be invited for an independent medical assessment if claiming compensation.
- Burn injury photos. Most burns and scaldings cause visible skin damage. You could take time-stamped unaltered photos.
- Witnesses. If there are any witnesses, you could take a note of their details. Statements from them could prove helpful should you file for burn injury at work compensation.
- Accident log book. Workplaces with ten or more employees must have an accident log book. It should contain your name, the date and time, and relevant details.
You might want to claim workers’ compensation for a burn injury. Filing a compensation claim could be easier with a No Win No Fee solicitor. Our advisors are on hand 24/7 with free legal advice for injuries caused by negligence.
Payout Estimates For A Burn Injury At Work
If you decide to file for compensation, your claim could have two heads: general damages and special damages.
General Damages
The part of your claim for your injuries and emotional distress suffered as a result is called general damages. If you use a solicitor to file your claim, your solicitor may use the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to estimate the value of your burn injury. This document provides potential compensation brackets for different injuries.
| Injury | Potential Compensation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Burns covering 40% of body | Likely to exceed £98,380 | Numerous factors affected the award, including; percentage of body covered by burns, burn thickness, cosmetic impact and subsequent reaction, need and extent of surgery, physical disability and the psychological impact. |
| Single disfiguring scar | £7,350 to £21,330 | Single disfiguring scar of the legs, arms, hands, back or chest. |
| Single noticable scar or several superficial scars | £2,220 to £7,350 | Scars to the legs, arms, or hands with a minor cosmetic deficit. |
| Facial disfigurment (a) | £27,940 to £91,350 | Very severe scarring with a severe psychological reaction and very disfiguring cosmetic wise in relatively young claimants (teens to early 30s). |
| Facial disfigurement (b) | £16,860 to £45,440 | Less severe scarring with substantial disfigurement and psychological reaction. |
| Facial disfigurement (c) | £8,550 to £28,240 | Significant scarring with some cosmetic disability after plastic surgery and where there is not a great psychological reaction. If the psychological reaction was considerable but diminished. |
| Facial disfigurement (d) | £3,710 to £12,900 | One scar that can be camouflaged or a number of very small scars with marred but not markedly appearance and some psychological impact. |
| Facial disfigurement (e) | £1,600 to £3,310 | Minor impact only. |
| Fatal: Severe burns (a) | £11,770 to £22,350 | Severe burns and lung damage with full awareness then fluctuating levels of consciousness between 4-5 weeks. Intrusive treatment for significant injuries. Death within a few weeks up to three months. |
| Fatal; Severe burns (b) | £9,870 to £10,010 | Severe burns and lung damage followed by unconsciousness three hours later. Excruciating pain. Death two weeks later. |
Special Damages
Costs related to your injury form the special damages head of your claim. In order to claim special damages, you must be able to supply evidence of the costs.
You could claim special damages for:
- Loss of earnings. Time off while recovering from your injuries could be claimed for.
- Loss of future earnings. If your injury leaves you out of work, you could claim for the potential earnings you would miss out on.
- Cosmetic devices. You could require a cosmetic device, such as specialist makeup to hide scarring. That could be claimed under special damages.
- Travel expenses. Medical appointment travel expenses could be claimed. Save the receipts, mileage or bus tickets.
- Repairs/replacement of personal property. Repair or replacement costs for personal property damaged in the workplace accident that caused your injury. For example, clothing destroyed while being burned.
Our advisors are standing by to discuss what damages you could receive for your burn injury.
Can I Hire A No Win No Fee Solicitor For This Type Of Claim?
You may want to use a No Win No Fee solicitor for a burn injury at work compensation claim. Using the services of a lawyer can make the claim process seem easier.
A No Win No Fee agreement can be a good way to fund legal representation without the risks traditionally associated with hiring a solicitor because there are no upfront solicitors fees. A legally capped success fee applies if your case is successful.
There is a time limit to filing a compensation claim. Typically, you have three years from the date you know you are injured to start a claim. There are some exceptions to the time limit, such as if you are injured before your eighteenth birthday. If you’d like clarity on what time limit may affect your claim, get in touch.
Contact Us To Discuss Your Burn Injury At Work
Free legal advice is available from our advisors 24/7. Contact them today. If employer negligence resulted in a burn injury, and if your claim is eligible, it may be passed to our panel of personal injury solicitors.
To get in touch:
- Use the live chat feature.
- Click the banner at the top of the page.
- Contact us with this form.
Extra Information About Claiming Compensation For A Burn Injury At Work
We have provided some links that you might find useful:
And guides if you have suffered a burn injury at work:
- How Long Do Accident At Work Claims Take?
- Examples Of Workplace Accident Compensation Payouts
- What Goes Into Making A Factory Accident Claim?
- Employee Rights After An Accident At Work
- Accident At Work Claims When On A Zero Hour Contract
- What Should I Do If I Have A Finger Injury At Work?
- What Influences Settlements For Injury At Work Claims?
- How To Make A Serious Work Injury Claim
- Scarring At Work Claims
Writer Danielle Beasley
Publisher Ruth Vince