I Was Hurt At Work. Do I Need An Injury At Work Lawyer?
By Marlon Madison. Last Updated 25th July 2022. Have you been injured because of an accident at work caused by employer negligence? If so, you may be wondering if you need an injury at work lawyer to help you begin a compensation claim. The idea of pursuing a workplace accident claim alone can be intimidating, so our panel of personal injury lawyers is here to help.
You may have some questions such as:
- Do I get paid if I get injured at work?
- Should I get a lawyer if I got hurt at work?
- How do I settle a personal injury claim?
We created this guide to help you get answers.
Using an injury at work lawyer can help make you aware of your rights and the personal injury claims process. If you’ve been hurt at work because of your employer’s negligence, you could receive the compensation you deserve to help get your life back on track.
Get In Touch With Our Team
This guide will explore what an injury at work lawyer is, how they can help your claim, and whether working with one would be beneficial for you. Every individual and claim is unique, so if you would like to receive personalised advice, our advisers are happy to help.
We recommend you get in touch by:
- Telephone on 020 3870 4868. Our advisers are available 24/7 to offer free legal advice.
- Contacting us about your claim online via our site. An adviser will get back to you.
- Using our live chat. You will get an instant reply to start chatting with an adviser today.
Once you’ve received free legal advice from one of our advisers, you’re under no obligation to continue with our services. However, if you have a solid claim, an adviser can put you in touch with our panel of expert personal injury lawyers. They can then discuss No Win No Fee agreements and your potential workplace accident claim.
To discover more about whether you need an injury at work lawyer, please read on.
Services And Information
- Everything You Need To Know About Claiming With An Injury At Work Lawyer
- What Is An Injury At Work?
- How Could You Suffer An Injury At Work?
- What Is An Injury At Work Lawyer?
- Accident At Work Compensation Calculator
- Accident at Work Lawyers – Do I Need Them to Claim?
- Learn About Your Rights With An Injury At Work Lawyer
- Learn Whether You Are Eligible To Claim For An Accident At Work
- How Much Time Do I Have To Claim For An Injury In The Workplace?
- I Suffered An Injury At Work What Should I Do?
- Do You Handle Injury At Work Claims On A No Win No Fee Basis?
- Tools To Help You Make A Claim
- FAQs About Injury At Work Lawyers
Everything You Need To Know About Claiming With An Injury At Work Lawyer
This article will explore what a workplace injury is, including some statistics of accidents at work. It will also look at how they happen and which workplaces can be more susceptible to accidents. There will also be a section explaining what an injury at work lawyer is and whether you might need one.
Furthermore, there will be an accident at work compensation table to help you assess the potential amount you could receive for injuries sustained from workplace accidents. You will also learn about your injury at work rights and receiving the compensation you deserve.
If you’re wondering whether you’re eligible to make a workplace accident claim with an injury at work lawyer, this article will discuss the requirements to make a personal injury claim. There is also a personal injury claims time limit section.
What Is An Injury At Work?
The workplace should be a place of safety for employees, but sometimes accidents inevitably happen. However, it is a significant issue if the accident causes an injury due to an employer breaching their duty of care. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 states that employers have a responsibility to reasonably safeguard and protect their employees.
If your employer fails to adhere to this duty of care and it causes you injury, you may be eligible to make an injury at work claim. If you’re not sure whether your injury at work was due to your employer’s negligence, our advisers can help.
Suffering an injury at work can cause distress, confusion, and pain. What’s more, you could suffer financial loss due to the injuries. For example, you might have to take unpaid leave while you recover. That’s where personal injury claims can help. You’d seek compensation for your suffering and could also claim for financial loss caused.
Whilst it isn’t a legal requirement to use the services of an injury at work lawyer, it can be helpful to have a professional’s support.
There are many kinds of accidents at work, but those that aren’t uncommon include:
- Slips, trips, and falls
- Falling from a height
- Cuts and lacerations
- Exposure to loud noise
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Injury At Work Statistics
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics for 2021 make for interesting reading. The HSE is a government agency that enforces welfare, health and safety in the workplace. Their statistics relate to Great Britain.
According to the HSE, in 2020/21, 0.4 million workers self-reported sustaining a non-fatal injury.
Non-fatal injuries to employees (as reported by employers) by most common accident kinds for 2020/21 were:
- Slips, trips or falls on the same level (33%)
- Handling, lifting or carrying (18%)
- Struck by moving object (10%)
- Acts of violence (8%)
- Falls from a height (8%)
Don’t hesitate to chat with our advisers if you’ve been injured at work and wish to seek free legal advice.
How Could You Suffer An Injury At Work?
There are multiple ways in which your employer could breach their duty of care and cause an injury. However, employers must safeguard employees by minimising hazards and risks as much as is reasonably possible.
How could you suffer an injury at work?
Here are some common workplace hazards that can cause a work accident injury:
- Lack of regular safety checks/risk assessments
- Poor staff health and safety training
- Faulty machinery that you’re made to use, despite awareness of the hazard
Your employer should be completing regular safety checks to minimise hazards as much as is reasonably possible. If you suffer an injury at work due to your employer’s negligence, you may be eligible to make a personal injury claim with the help of an injury at work lawyer.
What workplaces have a higher risk of injury?
According to the HSE, the industries where the rates of self-reported, non-fatal workplace injury were higher than the average in 2020/21 were:
- Forestry, agriculture, and fishing
- Accommodation and food services
- Construction
- Retail/wholesale trade
What Is An Injury At Work Lawyer?
A UK lawyer could help gain you the compensation you are owed after suffering an injury at work. If you experience a workplace accident that leads to injuries, you may be entitled to compensation for the pain and suffering it has caused you.
Suffering an injury at work could mean you have to take time off work, attend multiple medical appointments, or hire a carer to help you complete everyday tasks. There are many aspects of your life that could be significantly altered because of a workplace injury.
Why should you have to suffer due to someone else’s negligence? An injury at work lawyer can help gather evidence of your workplace accident to prove it wasn’t your fault. They can also help you receive compensation for the financial impact the injury has had on your life, as well as the mental and physical effects it has had.
Accident At Work Compensation Calculator
In the compensation table below, we have compiled potential awards from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). Legal professionals use the JCG to help when valuing injuries.
Please note that this table is purely for example purposes and figures may vary.
| Part of Body: | Level of Injury: | Compensation Amount: |
|---|---|---|
| Brain Damage | Very severe | £264,650 to £379,100 |
| Brain Damage | Moderate (i) | £140,870 to £205,580 |
| Arm Injuries | Severe | £90,250 to £122,860 |
| Arm Injuries | Injuries causing substantial and permanent and disablement | £36,770 to £56,180 |
| Leg Injuries | (i) Loss of both legs | £225,960 to £264,650 |
| Leg Injuries | (iv) Moderate | £26,050 to £36,790 |
| Shoulder Injuries | Severe | £18,020 to £45,070 |
| Shoulder Injuries | Moderate | £7,410 to £11,980 |
General damages, shown in the table above, compensate for the physical and mental effects of the injury. The award brackets illustrate that compensation can depend on the severity of the injuries, as well as factors such as how long the injury will last and how long treatment is needed.
To prove general damages, you’d attend an independent medical assessment. Our panel of solicitors would try to arrange this so that it’s local to you. At the appointment, the medical professional would check your injuries and create a report, which is intended to show:
- Whether the injuries were caused, worsened or not connected to the accident at work.
- How severe your injuries are.
You could claim if your injuries were exacerbated or caused by the accident, but not if there’s no link between the injury and incident. A solicitor would use this report to value your injuries. Additionally, it can be used as evidence in your claim.
Special damages compensate for the financial impact the injury has had on your life. For example, this could be a loss of earnings due to having to take sick leave from work.
In order to receive special damages, you must provide evidence of the financial loss. This could be in the form of bus tickets to prove you paid to travel to and from medical appointments, for example.
Accident at Work Lawyers – Do I Need Them to Claim?
You do not have to work with a personal injury lawyer in your work accident claim. You have a legal right to represent yourself. Working with a personal injury lawyer can be beneficial though as they can help you with:
- Collecting evidence for your claim, along with knowledge of the types of evidence that can influence a negotiation for compensation
- Arranging a medical assessment with a specialist to produce an injury report for your claim
- Negotiations, as they can be familiar with negotiating with insurance firms, and could potentially help you receive more compensation
Before making a decision on representation in your claim, please speak to one of our advisors for information about working with personal injury lawyers for injuries at work and what they could do for you.
Learn About Your Rights With An Injury At Work Lawyer
Employees have certain rights after suffering a workplace accident. These include the below.
- The right to make an honest injury at work claim: If you have suffered an accident that has left you with injuries due to employer negligence, you have the right to make a personal injury claim. Your employer cannot punish you for this or treat you any differently, so long as it’s a sincere claim. If you lose your job due to making a truthful personal injury claim, you can pursue a claim for unfair dismissal.
- Statutory Sick Pay (SSP): If your injuries require you to take sick leave from work, you have the right to receive Statutory Sick Pay if you’re eligible. Many companies offer their own sick pay scheme. If this is the case for you, you can have a discussion with your employer about how much sick pay you’re entitled to. Alternatively, details of it should be in your employment contract or the relevant company policy.
If you’re eligible, SSP can be helpful. However, it might not cover the full loss of earnings you suffer due to being off work. You could recover any loss of earnings caused by the injury as part of your compensation claim.
Learn Whether You Are Eligible To Claim For An Accident At Work
In order to be eligible to make an injury at work claim, you must prove that your employer’s negligence caused your injury. If you had an accident but no injury was sustained, you won’t be able to make a claim. However, your employer breaching their duty of care and causing you to sustain an injury means you have the right to receive compensation.
Essentially the three points of negligence are as follows:
- Your employer owed you a duty of care.
- They breach this duty of care, causing an accident or incident.
- You endured an injury as a result.
In order to receive the maximum amount of compensation you could be entitled to, you should provide evidence that the accident was due to your employer’s negligence. This could involve providing (for example):
- Witness statements
- CCTV footage
- Your log in the work accident book
- Pictures of your injuries
You shouldn’t have to suffer due to someone else’s negligence. Our advisers are available 24/7 to offer free legal advice regarding your potential claim. Once you’ve spoken with an adviser, you are under no obligation to continue with our services. However, they can put you in touch with our expert panel of lawyers who can discuss how much compensation you could receive for your work accident injury.
How Much Time Do I Have To Claim For An Injury In The Workplace?
Generally, the personal injury claims time limit is 3 years. That’s 3 years from the exact date you suffer the injury or 3 years from when you gained knowledge that the injury was due to someone else’s negligence.
If it has been longer than 3 years, you might not be able to make a personal injury claim unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Under 18 Time Limit
If you are under 18, the 3-year time limit begins from your 18th birthday. However, if you’d like to start the claim as soon as possible, a trusted adult can act as a litigation friend and begin the claim for you.
Lack Mental Capacity
If you’re mentally incapacitated, the time limit is frozen until you commence your recovery. You’d then have 3 years from the recovery date. On the other hand, someone you trust can become a litigation friend to claim on your behalf.
The clock is ticking, so why wait? We recommend you get your injury at work claim started as soon as possible. You can contact us for free legal advice regarding your potential claim. Once our advisers have learned more about your situation, they can forward you to our panel of personal injury lawyers to assess your claim and possibly get started.
I Suffered An Injury At Work What Should I Do?
If you’ve suffered a workplace accident and have sustained injuries, the first thing you should do is seek medical attention. This is important as it ensures you receive the correct treatment and can therefore, hopefully, recover smoothly.
Additionally, it means you will have an entry in your medical records to provide as evidence during the personal injury claim.
It’s important to gather as much evidence as possible to help with pursuing an injury at work claim. Providing CCTV footage and witness statements can be extremely helpful in proving that the accident happened due to your employer’s negligence. Additionally, pictures of your injuries can help portray the severity of them.
Finally, you could work with an injury at work lawyer. They can provide you with advice based on their expert legal knowledge and may also offer their services on a No Win No Fee basis.
Our team of advisers would be happy to chat with you and learn more about your situation. They can then forward you to our experienced panel of personal injury lawyers who can build your case and discuss No Win No Fee agreements with you.
Do You Handle Injury At Work Claims On A No Win No Fee Basis?
No Win No Fee agreements, also known as Conditional Fee Agreements formally, are popular among claimants as you don’t have to pay any fees to your solicitor unless your claim succeeds. What’s more:
- There aren’t any ongoing solicitor fees to pay.
- If the claim loses, there a no solicitor fees to pay at all.
If your claim succeeds, your injury at work lawyer will deduct a legally capped, small percentage from your compensation. They’d discuss this percentage with you before you agree to work with each other so that you’re well aware of their fee.
With a No Win No Fee agreement, there’s little to lose. Why wait to begin your personal injury claim and receive the compensation you deserve? If you’d like to explore making a personal injury claim, we suggest you contact our team of advisers by:
- Calling them on 020 3870 4868. An adviser will be available 24/7 to offer you free legal advice.
- Using our claim online form. An adviser will respond at whatever time is best for you.
- Chatting with an adviser through our live chatbox for an instant reply.
Tools To Help You Make A Claim
This section of our guide to whether you need an injury at work lawyer includes some extra guides you may find useful.
What Are My Rights After An Accident At Work In The UK?: If you’ve suffered an accident at work due to your employer’s negligence that has caused you injuries, this guide explores your rights. It tells you how you can make a personal injury claim to receive the compensation you could be owed.
Accident At Work Claims Guide: If you’ve suffered an accident at work that wasn’t your fault, our article assesses how much compensation you could claim.
A Guide To Self-Employed Accident At Work Claims: Have you suffered an accident at work whilst self-employed? Our guide discusses whether you could be eligible to make a personal injury claim to gain compensation for your injuries.
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992: This piece of legislation states the duty of care employers have when employees are conducting manual handling in the workplace.
Broken a Bone?: If you suspect you may have suffered a broken bone injury, this NHS page shows the signs, treatments, and future risks of broken bones.
Broken Arm or Wrist: Have you endured a wrist injury or broken an arm? This NHS article explores the signs, treatment, and recovery.
FAQs About Injury At Work Lawyers
How long do workplace injury claims take?
How long it takes workplace injury claims to resolve depends on factors such as the severity of the injury and how straightforward the case is.
What injuries could I claim compensation for?
If you have suffered an accident at work that has caused any sort of injury, you could be eligible to make a personal injury claim if it wasn’t your fault. Some common workplace injuries are:
- Broken bones
- Cuts and lacerations
- Bone fractures
Thank you for reading our article discussing what an injury at work lawyer can do to help your personal injury claim.
Writer HL
Checked by HT
