By Cat Mulligan. Last Updated 18th October 2023. If you’ve been injured in an accident at work, you may be wondering how much compensation you could receive. Not all accidents at work will result in compensation. To be eligible to make a personal injury claim, you will need to prove that you suffered your injury due to your employer breaching their duty of care. In this guide, we will discuss the duty of care all employers owe.
We’ll also explore slip and falls and other common examples of potential accidents at work, and compensation examples for common workplace injuries taken from the Judicial College Guidelines (JGC). Following this, we’ll explain how No Win No Fee agreements work and how a solicitor from our panel could help you make a personal injury claim.
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Accidents at work compensation examples guide
Select A Section
- Accident At Work Compensation Examples – How Much Could I Claim?
- Accident At Work Case Studies
- When Could I Claim Accident At Work Compensation?
- Examples Of Accidents At Work
- How Long Do I Have To Make An Accident At Work Claim?
- Injury At Work Compensation – Claim With A No Win No Fee Lawyer
- Further Accidents At Work Compensation Examples Claims
Accident At Work Compensation Examples – How Much Could I Claim?
If you suffered an injury due to employer negligence, you might want to learn more about how work accident compensation could be awarded. Firstly, in a successful workplace accident claim, general damages compensate for pain and suffering. In addition, some claims include special damages to recover costs incurred due to the injury.
General Damages
As stated above, general damages compensates pain and suffering in personal injury claims. To help assign value to injuries, legal professionals use the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This document lists injuries and their severity levels along with compensation brackets.
Our table below contains figures from the latest update of the JCG. As each claim is different, we’ve provided the table to help you understand how your pain and suffering could be valued. It is only to be used as guidance.
| Injury | Severity | Notes | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brain Damage | Moderate (ii) | This covers cases in which there is a moderate decrease in intellect, the ability to work is significantly lowered and there is a slight risk of epilepsy. | £90,720 to £150,110 |
| Brain Damage | Less Severe | A good recovery has been made. However, there may be some lasting issues, such as memory loss, or poor concentration. The level of compensation awarded here can depend on the severity of the initial injury, or any lasting disability. | £15,320 to £43,060 |
| Knee Injury | Severe (ii) | Constant pain with limited knee movement due a leg fracture that has extended into the knee joint. | £52,120 to £69,730 |
| Knee Injury | Moderate (i) | Dislocation of the knee or a torn cartilage/meniscus which results in instability or weakness. | £14,840 to £26,190 |
| Back Injury | Moderate (ii) | Damage to the ligaments and muscles, causing backache. Or the exacerbation of pre-existing conditions or prolapsed discs. The level of compensation awarded here can depend on the severity of the initial injury, degree of pain and impact of symptoms. | £12,510 to £27,760 |
| Back Injury | Minor (i) | A full recovery is made without surgery within two to five years from a soft tissue injury, strain, or sprain. | £7,890 to £12,510 |
| Foot Injury | Moderate | Displaced metatarsal fractures leading to long-term deformities and lasting symptoms. | £13,740 to £24,990 |
| Foot Injury | Modest | Puncture wounds, metatarsal fractures or ruptured ligaments that result in a limp with pain and aching. | Up to £13,740 |
| Shoulder Injury | Moderate | A limitation of movement and discomfort for about two years due to a frozen shoulder. Or soft tissue injuries persisting over two years. | £7,890 to £12,770 |
| Shoulder Injury | Fracture of Clavicle | How much is awarded will depend on any residual symptoms, the extent of the fracture and whether the union is anatomically displaced. | £5,150 to £12,240 |
Special Damages
As we mentioned above, some claimants may recover special damages for any expenses incurred as a result of the injury. It is likely you will need to submit proof, such as receipts, invoices or your wage slips.
Losses that could be recovered in a personal injury claim include:
- Medical expenses, such as plastic surgery and prescriptions.
- Medical aids; these may include wheelchair rental or purchase.
- Carer assistance costs if you need professional help with your injury, such as bandage changes.
- Loss of earnings; this could also include pension contributions.
Our advisors can answer questions you may have about how compensation could be awarded for injuries suffered in accidents in the workplace. If you would like your claim valued on your individual circumstances, they also do this. Our advice is free.
Accident At Work Examples And Case Studies
Below, you can find some examples of accident at work case studies.
Over £140,000 For A Scaffolding Accident
In Mr Lukas’s case, a scaffolding plank was not properly secured and he fell, hurting his ankle quite badly. As a result of the accident, Mr Lukas suffered damaged ligaments to his ankle as well as damage to his cartilage. He was awarded a total of £143,770.38.
£280,000 For A Factory Machine Accident
In Ms Bernard’s case, she was working on a rewind roll machine that didn’t have any protective guard. While carrying out her duties, her hand was pulled into the machine. Ms Bernard suffered multiple and very serious hand fractures. Due to the significance of the injuries, she also needed skin grafts and was left with permanent scarring. She was awarded £280,000.
Over £60,000 For A Farm Accident
Mr Hounslow was working on a farm when he was tasked to remove the plastic wrapping that covered cattle feed. To do this, he had to climb to a height of around 10 feet. There was no harness to secure him and no mesh or net to guard against a fall. Mr Hammond did fall and landed on solid concrete.
Mr Hounslow suffered significant injuries from his fall from a height, suffering fractures and broken bones. He was awarded £61,560.
£100,000 For A Burn Injury At Work
Mr Dingle was tasked to fill containers with a caustic solution to wash machinery. However, he was given no training on the task of working with such substances, nor was he given any PPE. He didn’t realise that the pipe the caustic substance travelled through had a leak, which had spilt onto him. After a short while, he felt a burning sensation on his leg.
When Mr Dingle checked his leg he’d found the caustic substance had burned it. But it had also travelled down his leg to his heel, where his skin had turned black. He suffered a significant burn to his right heel which required a skin graft, as well as serious burns to his leg. He was awarded £100,000.00 in compensation.
When Could I Claim Accident At Work Compensation?
In order to claim compensation for an accident at work, you first have to prove that:
- Your employer owed you a duty of care.
- This duty was breached.
- You suffered harm as a result.
Employers owe their employees a duty of care, which is a legal responsibility for their health and safety, under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA). This legislation states that employers must take all reasonably practicable steps to keep their employees safe while working.
The steps your employer should take depend on your job role, but they can include carrying out risk assessments, providing adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), and providing sufficient training.
If your employer breaches their duty of care, causing you to become injured, then you may be able to make a personal injury claim for accident at work compensation.
Our advisors are on hand to help if you’d like to find out if your claim is valid. Or, you can read on to find some examples of accidents at work.
Examples Of Accidents At Work
If you would like to claim compensation for at work injuries, you may like to see examples of workplace accidents.
As we stated above, your employer owes you a duty of care to take reasonably practicable steps to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees while at work. It is when they breach this and injuries occur as a result that compensation for at work injuries claims could be awarded. For example, a hand injury claim could be made if you injured your hand because your employer did not provide adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) that was required to carry out work tasks safely.
Other examples of workplace accidents could include:
- Slips trips and falls from cluttered walkways.
- Falls from height due to lack of railings.
- Head injuries from objects falling from a height.
- Inadequate training causing back injuries, for example, if an employee isn’t taught how to lift an object.
- Malfunctioning equipment and machinery due to lack of appropriate safety checks.
You may not see an example of an accident that caused your suffering on our list. However, you could potentially still claim. Call our advisors for a free assessment of your claim for compensation for at work injuries.
How Long Do I Have To Make An Accident At Work Claim?
When it comes to making a claim for an injury after a workplace accident it’s important to be aware of the time limits that apply.
Under the Limitation Act 1980, you have just three years from the date of the accidentto begin proceedings. If you fail to do so within this time, you may be prevented from claiming altogether.
There are exceptions to this three-year rule, however. One of them relates to children (under the age of 18). As they can’t legally represent themselves, the time limit is frozen until they turn 18. The time limit begins to run from the date of their 18th birthday and expires on their 21st birthday.
It is, however, possible to take action before the injured person turns 18. They will require the support of a litigation friend, which could be a parent or guardian, another family member or a trusted friend or individual (like a solicitor).
The most important take-away is to not delay when it comes to making an accident at work claim. The longer you leave it, the harder it is to investigate and prove.
Injury At Work Compensation – Claim With A No Win No Fee Lawyer
Now that we’ve discussed examples of workplace accidents, you might be interested in learning about the benefits of a No Win No Fee solicitor. This type of arrangement means that if your work place injury claim fails, you are not responsible for paying your solicitor for their work.
A solicitor that offers you a No Win No Fee agreement could help you claim compensation for an accident at work. A No Win No Fee agreement typically means:
- No upfront payment
- Ongoing costs during the claims process are covered
- The success fee you pay if your claim is successful is limited so that you aren’t overcharged for the percentage they take from your compensation
If you think you would benefit from working with a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel to help you secure an injury at work compensation payout, you can get in touch by:
- Calling our 24/7 legal advice line for free on 0800 408 7825
- Requesting a free call back by completing a form on our contact page
- Speaking with an online claims advisor using our live chat service
Further Accidents At Work Compensation Examples Claims
Thank you for reading our guide on accidents at work compensation examples; we hope it was helpful. You can contact our advisors if you have any further questions that were not answered in this guide. Within this section, you can find more helpful resources.
- Your Rights After an Accident at Work – A guide to your rights after an accident at work.
- Reporting Accidents at Work – A guide to why it is important to report an accident at work.
- Getting Paid if You’ve Been Injured at Work – A guide to getting paid after an accident at work.
- Physiotherapy Services – Search for physiotherapy in your area on the NHS website.
- Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents – A charity that aims to reduce the rate of accidental injury through advice and guidance.
- We also have some other guides you may find useful:
- Public accident claims hot spots
- Council slip and trip accidents
- Public transport accidents
- How to make a public liability claim
- Making a claim against the council
- Claiming for a pothole injury
- Making a claim against a shop
- Accidents in a public park
- Cycling accident claims
- Claiming for injuries suffered while shopping
- How does an accident at work claim work?
- How do you claim for a broken bone injury?
- How much could a broken finger at work claim be worth?
- What steps should I take when making a shoulder injury at work claim?
- What are the most common accidents at work?
- How do you prove an ankle injury at work claim?
- I suffered a leg injury at work, could I claim compensation?
- Can I get compensation after a serious accident at work?
- How do construction site accident claims work?
- Steps to take when making a hand injury at work claim
- How do you claim for a broken bone at work?
- How do you prove a claim for a foot injury at work?
- How to claim for scaffolding injuries
- Broken hand at work claims
- Claiming for lost wages due to a work accident
- Back injury at work claims
- Trailing Cables And Leads Hazards – How To Claim
- How Much Could I Get For An Office Accident Claim?
- My Employer Did Not Do A Slips And Trips Risk Assessment – Can I Claim?
- How Much Compensation For A Construction Accident Could I Claim?
- Accident At Work Claim – Check Your Eligibility
- Workplace Accident Compensation
- What Is The Average Workplace Trip Compensation Payout?
- Workplace Slips, Trips And Falls – How Much Could You Get?
Thank you for reading our guide looking at accidents at work compensation examples.
Article by AO
Publisher UI