In this guide, we’ll discuss the process of making a personal injury claim for harm you sustained in the workplace, when you could be eligible to seek compensation and the benefits of using accident at work claim solicitors.
Do I Have To Use Accident At Work Claim Solicitors?
Additionally, we will look at the duty of care your employer has to prevent employees from being harmed at work.
We will also provide examples of how an accident at work could occur if this duty is not upheld, the injuries that you could sustain as a result and the compensation that could be awarded if you make a successful claim.
Furthermore, we will discuss the steps you can take to make an accident at work claim including the evidence you could obtain and the benefits of seeking legal advice.
Please continue reading to learn more. Alternatively, please get in touch with our team of advisors by:
- Filling out our ‘contact us‘ form
- Chatting with an advisor via the live chat feature below
- Calling the number above
Choose A Section
- What Are Accident At Work Claim Solicitors?
- Examples Of Workplace Accidents Leading To Serious Injuries
- What Can I Do After An Accident At Work?
- Compensation Estimates From Appointing Accident At Work Claim Solicitors
- Could Accident At Work Claim Solicitors Offer A No Win No Fee Agreement?
- Extra Resources About Accident At Work Claims
What Are Accident At Work Claim Solicitors?
Employers owe a duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to take reasonable steps to reduce the risk of you sustaining harm at work or while carrying out work-related duties. If they fail to do so, it could lead to you sustaining harm.
In order to seek compensation for harm sustained in a workplace accident, you must be able to demonstrate that you experienced physical or psychological harm as a result of your employer breaching the duty of care they owed you. This is known as negligence.
When making an accident at work claim, solicitors who have experience handling this type of case can provide several services, such as:
- Helping you collect evidence to support your claim
- Collecting witness statements
- Guiding you through the different stages of the claims process
- Negotiating a settlement on your behalf
It’s not necessary to use a solicitor, but they can be beneficial. To learn more about the ways in which solicitors could help, please get in touch on the number above.
What Do The Official Work Accident Statistics Tell Us?
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) collates reports made by employers into helpful workplace accident statistics. The reports are made under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013.
As per these reports, in 2021/22, there were:
- 61,713 non-fatal injuries to employees
- 123 workers killed in work-related accidents
Examples Of Workplace Accidents Leading To Serious Injuries
There are different ways in which an accident at work could lead to you sustaining harm. Examples include:
- An employer failing to provide adequate training could cause an employee to experience a back injury in a manual handling accident as they lifted heavy objects incorrectly.
- An employer failing to provide necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) could cause an employee to experience a severe eye injury after they weren’t provided with goggles whilst working on a construction site.
- An employer failing to carry out regular risk assessments could mean hazards are not addressed, such as a wet floor. As a result, an employee may slip, trip or fall and sustain a hand injury or head injury.
However, not all accidents will form the basis of a valid claim. You must be able to demonstrate that negligence has occurred. To find out when you could make an accident at work claim and if solicitors could help, get in touch on the number above.
What Can I Do After An Accident At Work?
After sustaining harm in the workplace, you can take different steps, including:
- Getting medical attention – This can ensure you receive the correct treatment and diagnosis for your injuries. It can also generate medical records that you could use to support your claim.
- Gathering evidence – This can include pictures of your injuries, pictures of the accident, the contact information of any witnesses and a copy of the incident report from the accident book at work.
- Getting legal advice – You can speak to an advisor from our team for free legal advice. If they find you have a claim that is valid and has a chance of succeeding, they could assign a solicitor to begin working on your claim.
To learn more about the process of making an accident at work claim and how the solicitors from our panel could help, please get in touch on the number above.
Compensation Estimates From Appointing Accident At Work Claim Solicitors
Each personal injury settlement could include general damages which compensate for the emotional and physical pain and suffering caused by your injuries. Other factors can also be considered such as the impact on your quality of life.
In order to accurately calculate this head of claim, solicitors and other legal professionals can use the Judicial College Guidelines to help them. We have included the compensation brackets which correspond to different injuries from this publication in the table below.
Please only use these figures as a guide because the actual settlement you receive could differ.
| Injury | Compensation Brackets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Neck Injuries | In the region of £148,330 | (a) Severe (i): Injuries that are associated with incomplete paraplegia. |
| Arm injuries | £96,160 to £130,930 | (a) Severe: A serious brachial plexus injury that leaves the person little better off than if the arm had been lost. |
| Back Injuries | £91,090 to £160,980 | (a) Severe (i): This bracket includes cases of the most severe injury involving spinal cord and nerve root damage. The injury will cause symptoms that are not normally found in a back injury. |
| Back Injuries | £27,760 to £38,780 | (b) Moderate (i): This bracket contains a wide variety of injuries, including a damaged intervertebral disc with irritation to the nerve roots and causing reduced mobility. |
| Wrist Injuries | £47,620 to £59,860 | (a) Severe: Injuries result in complete loss of function. |
| Leg Injuries | £39,200 to £54,830 | (b) Severe (iii): Serious injuries such as a compound or comminuted fracture. |
| Knee Injuries | £26,190 to £43,460 | (a) Severe (iii): Less severe injuries in this bracket that cause a disability of a less severe nature. |
| Elbow Injuries | £15,650 to £32,010 | (b) Less Severe: Injuries that don't involve major surgery or cause a significant disability but still result in impairment of function. |
| Shoulder Injuries | £12,770 to £19,200 | (c) Serious: A rotator cuff injury with ongoing issues that persist after surgery. |
| Ankle Injuries | Up to £13,740 | (d) Modest: Injuries such as minor or undisplaced fractures, sprains and strains. |
You could also be awarded special damages to compensate for the monetary losses incurred as a result of your injuries. This can include loss of earnings that you have incurred as a result of having to take time off to recover from the harm you sustained.
Other losses that could be reimbursed include:
- Medical expenses
- Cost of care
- Travel costs
It’s important to keep a record of these losses, such as in the form of receipts and payslips. This can help prove any financial costs you claim back under special damages.
For more information on the accident at work compensation you could receive, please get in touch on the number above.
Could Accident At Work Claim Solicitors Offer A No Win No Fee Agreement?
There are different types of No Win No Fee agreements. One in particular is called a Conditional Fee Agreement and can be offered by the accident at work claim solicitors from our panel.
Under the terms of this agreement, you typically won’t be expected to pay for your solicitor’s services if the claim fails. You also generally won’t have to pay for these services upfront or during the course of the claim.
For claims that succeed, your solicitor will deduct a percentage of your compensation. This is known as a success fee and is subject to a legal cap.
These types of agreements can be beneficial in mitigating the financial risk often involved in accessing a solicitor’s services. Find out whether a solicitor from our panel could represent your claim on this basis by getting in touch via the details below.
Call Us About Making An Accident At Work Claim
We hope this guide on making an accident at work claim with solicitors who offer their services on a No Win No Fee basis has helped. However, if you have any other questions, please get in touch by:
- Filling out our ‘contact us‘ form
- Chatting with an advisor via the live chat feature below
- Calling the number above
Extra Resources About Accident At Work Claims
Below, we have provided more of our guides relating to workplace accident claims:
- What are my employee rights after an accident at work?
- Accident at work when self-employed
- Who is liable for an accident at work claim?
Additionally, below are a few different external links which you can follow:
Thank you for reading this guide on using accident at work claim solicitors to seek compensation. If you need any other information, get in touch using the details provided above.
Writer Louis Punch
Editor Meg MacAllister