What Are The Most Common Accidents At Work Claims?

In this guide, we will look at the most common accidents at work as well as how to claim compensation for injuries sustained in a workplace accident. It’s important to note that you can only claim if your employer breached the duty of care they owed you and caused you harm as a result.

Common accidents at work claims guide

We will explore different types of workplace accidents as well as provide examples of how an employer’s negligence could cause you harm.

You may be contending with the consequences of an accident at work right now. For instance, you may be struggling with bills or the costs of medical care as you try to recover. If so, this guide could help as we look at how compensation could be awarded for your injuries and any financial losses associated with the harm you sustained.

The sections below offer detailed information, but if you want to speak with a member of our friendly team, please feel free to:

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What Are The Most Common Accidents At Work?
How Many People Suffer Non-Fatal Injuries At Work?
How Many People Suffer Fatal Injuries At Work?
Calculating Compensation For Accidents At Work Claims
Most Common Accidents At Work No Win No Fee Claims

What Are The Most Common Accidents At Work?

When looking at the most common accidents at work we could refer to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). This government agency provides yearly statistics about certain types of injuries and incidents that are reported by employers under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR).

We have used figures from RIDDOR to look at the most commonly reported accident kinds during 2020/21 in the sections below.

Slips, Trips, and Falls

According to HSE, employers reported 16,698 non-fatal slips, trips, and falls on the same level during 2020/21. The cause of the accidents was not reported and not all of the accidents will have been caused by someone else’s negligence. However, an example of how an employer’s negligence could cause someone to sustain an injury in a slip, trip or fall might include:

Your employer may have failed to provide slip-resistant footwear after carrying out a risk assessment that found the floors in a factory room posed a risk to employee safety. They may have done everything they reasonably could to remove the risk but it still remained. As a result, you may have slipped over and broken your wrist.

Handling, Carrying, and Lifting

Manual handling activities, such as production lines, could have the potential to cause employees to sustain harm if employers don’t provide them with adequate training to do their job safely.

According to HSE, 9,314 non-fatal injuries were sustained while handling, lifting or carrying.

Struck By A Moving Object Or Vehicle

Modern work environments could contain a lot of potential hazards in the form of moving machinery or processing equipment, as well as workplace transportation vehicles like forklift trucks. As a result, being struck by a moving object or vehicle is one of the other types of common accidents at work.

Around 5,117 non-fatal injuries were caused by being struck by a moving, flying or falling object and around 1,079 were caused by being struck by a moving vehicle. This was according to reports made by employers through RIDDOR.

Acts of Violence

According to reports made by employers through RIDDOR, acts of violence accounted for around 4,286 non-fatal injuries. The cause of these accidents was not highlighted. However, an example of how an employer might be negligent for causing violence at work might include:

You may have raised concerns about a co-worker discriminating against you in the workplace but your employer may have failed to take any action regarding your concerns. As a result, the discriminatory behaviour may have escalated causing you to sustain injuries during an assault at work.

Falling From A Height

Other types of common accidents at work include falls from height. RIDDOR recorded around 4,143 non-fatal injuries associated with falls from height. The nature of how the accident occurred was not reported but an example of how an employers negligence could cause this type of accident might include:

Your employer may have failed to carry out regular risk assessments to maintain the safety of equipment at work. As a result, you may have experienced a fall from a defective ladder causing you to sustain a broken leg.

If you have experienced a similar incident to the examples listed above, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team. They could assess whether you’re eligible to claim compensation.

How Many People Suffer Non-Fatal Injuries At Work?

According to self-reports made to the Labour Force Survey, 441,000 workers suffered a non-fatal accident during 2020/21. Furthermore, the reports showed that around 339,000 injuries required up to 7 days off work and an additional 102,000 required more than 7 days off work.

Additionally, RIDDOR recorded the following non-fatal injuries to different parts of the body:

4,263 injuries to parts of the head
10,860 injuries to parts of the torso
18,988 injuries to upper limb locations
14,938 injuries to lower limb locations

It’s important to note that these injuries could have been caused by accidents that occurred despite an employer taking all the correct steps to prevent their employees from experiencing harm. However, in order to pursue a valid claim, your employer must have acted negligently.

How Many People Suffer Fatal Injuries At Work?

Fatal injury statistics relate to people who lost their life due to an accident at work. During 2020/21 a total of 142 people died at work, according to employer reports made under RIDDOR. The most common accidents at work that caused fatalities included:

Falls from a height which accounted for 35 deaths
Struck by a moving vehicle which accounted for 25 deaths
Struck by a moving object which accounted for 17 deaths
Trapped by something collapsing or overturning which accounted for 14 deaths
Contact with moving machinery which accounted for 14 deaths

You could make a fatal accident claim on behalf of someone else. If you’d like to learn more about the process, our team are available to help. Please get in touch on the number above.

Calculating Compensation For Most Common Accidents At Work Claims

Whatever the precise circumstances of your personal injury claim, if you have evidence that the accident happened because of negligence on the part of your employer, you could have a valid claim.

Each successful compensation payout might include general damages. These provide compensation for the physical or psychological injuries you may have experienced as a result of negligence. They aim to acknowledge the pain, suffering, or loss of amenity you have suffered.

As part of the accident at work claims process, you may need to sit for an independent medical assessment. The assessment will produce a medical report that shows the severity of your injuries and the extent to which they might impact your future quality of life. Furthermore, details of the assessment may be used when valuing your injuries.

The assessment of your injuries can then be used alongside a publication called the Judicial College Guidelines which is often used to help value claims. The guidelines provide bracket compensation figures for various injuries at differing levels of severity. These figures have been used to create the table below. However, please only use the figures as a guide because actual settlements vary based on unique factors associated with your claim.

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Injury Severity Damages Notes

Brain Damage Very severe (a) £264,650 to £379,100 The award given will depend on several factors including life expectancy, physical limitations, sensory impairment and ability to communicate.

Neck Severe (a) (i) In the region of
£139,210 Examples might include an injury which is associated with incomplete paraplegia.

Shoulder Severe (a) £18,020 to £45,070 Severe shoulder injuries that may be associated with neck injuries. They may involve brachial plexus damage and cause a disability that’s significant.

Elbow Less severe (b) £14,690 to £30,050 Injuries might cause function to become impaired but no major surgery will be required.

Hand Injuries Complete/ partial loss of the index finger (i) £11,420 to £17,590 Cases awarded the top end of this bracket may be for total loss of the index finger.

Injuries Affecting Sight Minor eye injuries (h) £3,710 to £8,200 Injuries might include being exposed to fumes such as smoke, being smashed by liquids or being struck in the eye. Injuries may cause initial pain and vision interference that’s temporary.

Deafness or Tinnitus Total hearing loss in one ear (c) £29,380 to £42,730 Cases awarded the higher end of the bracket may include associated problems such as dizziness, headaches or tinnitus.

Knee Severe (a) (iii) £24,580 to £40,770 Less severe injuries that may result in ongoing pain and discomfort. Movement may also be limited.

Ankle Modest (d) Up to £12,900 Less serious injuries such as fractures, sprains and ligament tears.

Facial Disfigurement Significant scarring (c) £8,550 to £28,240 Plastic surgery will have reduced the worst effects with some degree of psychological reaction.

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Injury	Severity	Damages	Notes
Brain Damage	Very severe (a)	£264,650 to £379,100	The award given will depend on several factors including life expectancy, physical limitations, sensory impairment and ability to communicate.
Neck	Severe (a) (i)	In the region of £139,210	Examples might include an injury which is associated with incomplete paraplegia.
Shoulder	Severe (a)	£18,020 to £45,070	Severe shoulder injuries that may be associated with neck injuries. They may involve brachial plexus damage and cause a disability that’s significant.
Elbow	Less severe (b)	£14,690 to £30,050	Injuries might cause function to become impaired but no major surgery will be required.
Hand Injuries	Complete/ partial loss of the index finger (i)	£11,420 to £17,590	Cases awarded the top end of this bracket may be for total loss of the index finger.
Injuries Affecting Sight	Minor eye injuries (h)	£3,710 to £8,200	Injuries might include being exposed to fumes such as smoke, being smashed by liquids or being struck in the eye. Injuries may cause initial pain and vision interference that’s temporary.
Deafness or Tinnitus	Total hearing loss in one ear (c)	£29,380 to £42,730	Cases awarded the higher end of the bracket may include associated problems such as dizziness, headaches or tinnitus.
Knee	Severe (a) (iii)	£24,580 to £40,770	Less severe injuries that may result in ongoing pain and discomfort. Movement may also be limited.
Ankle	Modest (d)	Up to £12,900	Less serious injuries such as fractures, sprains and ligament tears.
Facial Disfigurement	Significant scarring (c)	£8,550 to £28,240	Plastic surgery will have reduced the worst effects with some degree of psychological reaction.

Additionally, if you can provide solid documented proof of financial loss caused by the injuries such as wage slips that show a loss of earnings, you could claim back the loss under special damages. Other examples of expenses associated with your injuries that you could claim back might include:

Medical bills
Costs for care
Travel costs

As mentioned, there must be solid proof to substantiate these expenses. Speak to our advisors now to see if you could be eligible to claim for other costs related to your injuries.

Most Common Accidents At Work No Win No Fee Claims

Now that you have a clearer understanding of what the most common accidents at work are, you may be keen to start a personal injury claim for yourself.

If so, you may wish to seek legal representation from a solicitor who offers No Win No Fee services. When you enter into an arrangement such as this with a personal injury solicitor there are numerous immediate benefits, such as:

There are no fees required upfront to hire a solicitor
There are no ongoing costs to pay while the solicitor works on your claim
If the case fails, there is no success fee to pay your No Win No Fee solicitor

A successful outcome requires payment from your compensation. This is taken as a legally capped percentage. However, your solicitor will discuss the fee with you before they start working on your case.

Our panel of solicitors all work on this basis and could take on your claim if it has a chance of success. Get in touch for a free assessment of your case or to find out more information. You can contact us by:

Calling us on 0203 870 4868
Filling out the contact form on our website
Using the live support function below

UK Law – Most Common Accidents At Work Claims