I’ve Stood On A Nail At Work – Can I Claim Compensation?

This guide discusses whether you could be eligible to make a personal injury claim if you have stood on a nail at work and become injured as a result. We discuss the requirements that need to be met in order for you to have valid grounds to seek compensation, as well as the evidence you could collect to support your case.

Employers owe a duty of care to provide a safe working environment for their employees. We will explore the duty of care they owe further in our guide, as well as the legislation that outlines their responsibilities. Additionally, we provide examples of how an accident involving standing on a nail could occur, and the injuries that could be sustained as a result. 

Furthermore, we provide an overview of how personal injury compensation payouts are calculated and what they could include following a successful accident at work claim.

Finally, we look at the benefits of working with a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel, as well as the ways in which they could assist you with your claim. 

Please continue reading to learn more about claiming for a workplace injury. Alternatively, please contact an advisor for free advice. They are available 24/7. To reach them, you can:

a person about to stand on a nail at work

Browse Our Guide.

  1. I’ve Stood On A Nail At Work – Can I Claim Compensation?
  2. Examples Of How An Employee Could Have Stood On A Nail At Work
  3. What Evidence Could I Use For An Accident At Work Claim?
  4. Potential Accident At Work Compensation
  5. Make A No Win No Fee Accident At Work Claim With A Solicitor
  6. Learn More About Claiming For An Accident At The Workplace

I’ve Stood On A Nail At Work – Can I Claim Compensation?

If you have stood on a nail at work, and become injured as a result, you may wonder if you are eligible to make a personal injury claim. To do so, you need to prove the following:

  • Your employer owed a duty of care to you at the time of the accident. 
  • Your employer breached this duty of care.
  • This breach of duty caused your injuries.

Together, these three points lay down the foundation of negligence in claims for a personal injury.

Under the The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 employers need to take reasonable, as well as practicable, steps to ensure their employee’s safety within the workplace and while carrying out their work-related tasks. This is the duty of care they owe. Some steps they could take to uphold this duty can include performing risk assessments on a regular basis, and addressing any hazards they become aware of to reduce or remove the risk of injury these may pose. 

If you have evidence that an employer breached the duty of care they owed you, and caused you to sustain harm as a result, please call our team. They can assess whether you have valid grounds to seek compensation.

Examples Of How An Employee Could Have Stood On A Nail At Work

There are several ways you could have stood on a nail at work and sustained an injury to your foot. For example:

  • Your employer has put new shelves up in an office, but nails have been left on the floor. As a result, you stand on a nail and suffer a severe puncture wound to your foot causing ruptured foot ligaments.
  • You work on an building and construction site where there are several known hazards, including equipment left on the floor. However, your employer failed to give you any personal protective equipment, such as steel toe cap safety boots. As a result, you stand on a large nail which causes damage to your heel.

Please note, not all instances of workplace accidents will result from employer negligence. As such, it may not always be possible to seek compensation.

If you would like to discuss your specific case, please contact an advisor on the number above.

What Evidence Could I Use For An Accident At Work Claim?

Providing evidence can help to support your claim by proving that your employer failed to uphold the duty of care they owed you, and that this breach resulted in your injuries. As such, you may find it beneficial to gather the following:

  • Video footage of the accident, such as from a CCTV.
  • A diary containing details of your physical and mental suffering after the accident in which you were injured.
  • Photographs of the accident site and your injuries.
  • The contact details from any potential witnesses. 
  • Copies of medical records, such as doctor’s notes. 

Should you wish to seek legal representation and your claim is valid, a solicitor from our panel may be able to help you gather any evidence to support your case. To find out more about their services, and whether they could represent your case, please contact an advisor on the number above.

Potential Accident At Work Compensation

After a successful claim, personal injury payouts can be divided into two heads of claim; general and special damages. 

General damages compensate for the physical and psychological pain and suffering of your injuries. Factors such as the severity of your injury, the recovery time, and the impact on your quality of life are all considered when determining how much you are owed for your injuries.

Additionally, solicitors and other legal professionals can refer to any medical evidence provided in support of your case, and the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to help them value your injuries.

The JCG is a document that contains a list of guideline award brackets, some of which you can find in the table below. Please only use the figures as a guide, however, because they are not guaranteed amounts.

Compensation Table

Injury Severity Compensation Comments
Foot Very severe (c) £83,960 to £109,650 Permanent and severe pain or really serious disablement of a permanent nature.
Severe (d) £41,970 to £70,030 This bracket can include an unusually severe injury to one foot, such as ulceration or injuries that have required extensive surgery.
Serious (e) £24,990 to £39,200 Ongoing pain from traumatic arthritis or the risk of arthritis, ongoing treatment, and the risk of surgery.
Modest (g) Up to £13,740 Ruptured ligaments, puncture wounds and other similar injuries causing ongoing symptoms and a permanent limp.
Toe Amputation (a) £36,520 to £56,080 Amputation of all toes.
Amputation (b) In the region of £31,310 Amputation of the Great toe.
Severe (c) £13,740 to £21,070 This bracket includes injuries that result in severe damage and produce ongoing significant symptoms.
Moderate (e) Up to £9,600 Laceration injuries to one or more toes.

If you’d like to check out our accident at work claim calculator, head here. You can find compensation payouts for a wide range of injuries.

Special Damages In A Workplace Accident Claim

Special damages compensate for any financial losses you incurred due to your injuries. For example, if you sustained a foot injury after you stood on a nail at work, you may have incurred:

  • Loss of earnings, as you require time off work to recover.
  • The cost of medical care.
  • The cost of adaptations to your home to enable better mobility getting around. 
  • Travel expenses.

You should keep a record of any expenses through receipts, travel tickets and wage slips to help when claiming them back.

To discuss the personal injury compensation settlement you could be awarded if you made a successful claim, call an advisor on the number above.

Make A No Win No Fee Accident At Work Claim With A Solicitor

If you wish to instruct a solicitor to assist you in seeking compensation for injuries sustained after you stood on a nail at work, we could help. Our panel of solicitors can offer their services, such as gathering evidence and building your case, under the terms of a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).

This is a No Win No Fee contract between you and your solicitor which typically means the following:

  • No fees to pay your solicitor for their work upfront, while your claim progresses, or if it fails.
  • Your solicitor will take a percentage of your compensation if your claim succeeds. This is their success fee. However, the amount they can take is restricted by the law.

For more information on working with a workplace accident solicitor from our panel, please contact an advisor. To reach them, you can:

Learn More About Claiming For An Accident At The Workplace

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Thank you for reading our guide on whether you could claim compensation for an injury sustained after you stood on a nail at work. If you have any other questions, please contact an advisor on the number above.