Finger Injury At Work Compensation Claims

By Danielle Newton. Last Updated 23rd June 2023. In this guide, we talk about what to expect when claiming compensation for a finger injury at work. If you have cut your finger at work, you could be eligible to claim if the injury was caused by the negligence of your employer.

Cuts to the finger can range from minor to serious. For instance, some simple finger lacerations might only take a few months to recover, whereas a serious injury could result in you losing your finger. You may be able to claim in either circumstance. 

Read on for more information on what to do if you have cut your finger at work. Our details are below for you to get in touch with us regarding your claim. Reach out today. You can:

Select A Section

  1. An Overview Of Cut Finger At Work Compensation Claims
  2. Are All Fingers Awarded The Same Payouts?
  3. How Can A Finger Injury At Work Happen?
  4. Evidence That Can Support A Finger Injury At Work Claim
  5. How Do I Start A Cut Finger At Work Compensation Claim?
  6. Finger At Work Compensation Payouts
  7. Finger Injury At Work – No Win No Fee Claims
  8. Finger And Hand Injury Guides

An Overview Of Cut Finger At Work Compensation Claims

There is a wide range of different types of finger injuries. You could sustain damage to the nerves, muscle, tendon, bone, or connective tissue in the digits.

Cut finger at work compensation

Cut finger at work compensation

If your injury is caused by an impact such as a fall or your fingers are crushed, you could sustain a fracture or dislocation. If you work with sharp objects or machinery then you could suffer an open wound. This could lead to things like infection. In extreme circumstances, your finger could be amputated, either surgically because of your injuries or traumatically in an accident.

If your injury is very minor (such as a bruise or small cut) and has a negligible impact on your life, then it’s very unlikely that you could make a claim. However, if your injury has caused you pain and suffering and impacted your quality of life, you could be eligible to receive compensation for your injury

The Criteria For Making A Claim For A Finger Injury At Work

If you are looking for more information on claiming for the loss of a finger, our compensation guide may answer your queries. Firstly, we are going to examine accident at work claim eligibility.

To have a valid claim, your injuries must have been caused by your employer breaching the duty of care they owe to you. Their duty of care is set out by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA). It states that employers must take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure the health, safety and welfare at work of their employees.

To ensure that they are compliant with the HASAWA, employers may follow the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. This sets out the need to carry out risk assessments and implement preventative or protective measures based on the findings. For example, the risk assessment may have identified the need for personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent the risk of a hand injury. All necessary PPE that you need to safely carry out your work duties should be provided free of charge by your employer.

In addition, your employer should ensure that you are properly trained. Equipment should be well-maintained and safe. If your employer fails to do this, and you are injured as a result, this is negligent. If you are injured as a result of employer negligence, you may be eligible for compensation.

If you have any questions about claiming for your finger injury at work, please call our advisors for free legal advice.

Are All Fingers Awarded The Same Payouts?

If you have cut your finger at work, compensation amounts can vary depending on which finger is injured. Generally, some fingers are used more in day-to-day life than others. Because of this, some injured fingers are worth more than others. 

For example, injuries to the little finger tend to be worth the least of all the digits on the hand. Thumbs tend to be worth the most. This is because we use our thumbs to do things like pick objects up and grip things. If you also suffered a lacerated arm, this could boost your payout.

The level of damage inflicted as a result of the accident can also affect the compensation you could receive. For example, if you experience a relatively minor cut that heals and leaves you with minimal scarring, this will be worth less than a finger that is separated from the rest of the hand 

How Can A Finger Injury At Work Happen?

In this section, we’ll discuss how a finger injury at work could happen. It’s important to remember that your employer’s negligence must have caused your cut finger in order to make a valid claim. The examples below could be the basis of accident at work claims.

  • If you are given defective equipment, such as a damaged power tool, leading to a deep cut on your finger
  • Due to a lack of maintenance checks, a safety guard remains missing on machinery at work resulting in you slicing your finger
  • A lack of PPE, such as gloves, may mean you cut your finger when handling certain items.

If employer negligence caused you to suffer a finger injury at work, solicitors from our panel could help you claim. Get in touch today to find out more.

Evidence That Can Support A Finger Injury At Work Claim

If you’re making a claim for an injury such as a cut on your finger or a cut on your hand, one of the most important steps in claiming is gathering evidence. This helps you strengthen your claim by showcasing how severe your injuries are, how extensive your treatment is, and how this affects your life.

Some examples of evidence you could gather include:

  • CCTV footage
  • Medical records
  • Photographs of your injuries
  • Photographs of the accident site
  • Accident book logs
  • Witness contact details

A solicitor from our panel can help you gather this evidence and provide more help throughout the claims process. To learn more about cut finger or loss of a finger compensation and how evidence can help strengthen your claim, contact our team today.

How Do I Start A Cut Finger At Work Compensation Claim?

Seeking medical attention should always be a priority following a cut finger at work. Compensation is important, but your health should take priority.

Even if you think you have only sustained a minor finger injury, the damage could be deeper-lying than it seems at first glance. Furthermore, a seemingly minor cut could become infected and get worse if you don’t seek medical attention. 

As well as gathering evidence of your employer’s negligence (as mentioned in the section above), we also recommend keeping a record of all the costs and expenses you’ve incurred as a result of your injuries. This could be useful to you in claiming special damages, which we’ll discuss at greater length further on in this guide. 

Whilst it isn’t a legal requirement, we recommend hiring an experienced personal injury solicitor to assist you with your claim. They can help the claims process run more smoothly and may be able to help you get more money than you otherwise would. 

How Long Do I Have To Claim For A Finger Injury At Work?

As stated in the Limitation Act 1980, you will typically have 3 years from the date of your injury to start your claim. However, you may still be able to make a claim in some instances of this time limit expiring. For example:

  • Child claims – Minors cannot pursue their own claim until their 18th Due to this, their time limit is suspended until this date. Until then, a litigation friend may be appointed to claim on their behalf.
  • Claimants with a reduced mental capacity – The 3-year-time window is suspended until (and if) their mental capacity reaches a state where the claimant is deemed capable of making their own claim. As with child claims, a litigation friend may also be appointed in these circumstances.

Get in touch if you have any questions. We can also give you a bespoke valuation of your claim, which is likely to be more accurate than an online finger injury claim calculator.

Finger At Work Compensation Payouts

If you have suffered a finger injury at work or you’re claiming for losing a finger at work, then compensation can potentially consist of two heads. Firstly, your physical and mental injuries can be compensated for via a sum known as general damages. The second head of compensation is known as special damages and covers financial losses directly caused by the accident and injuries you’re claiming for.

Below, we’ve included some compensation brackets for different injuries you may claim for following a cut finger at work incident. The brackets are based on the 2022 edition of the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). Solicitors may check these guidelines to help calculate the value of your injuries when claiming.

We have only included finger injuries in this section, due to the topic of the article. However, the JCG is very detailed and makes reference to a wide range of physical and mental injuries that could be caused by negligence. These figures have been taken from the up-to-date guidelines, published in April 2022. 

 

Edit
Injury Description Amount
Thumb Serious – amputation of the tip of the thumb, nerve damage, fracture, etc. £12,590 to £16,760
Thumb Moderate – damage to nerves/tendons that impairs sensation and function £9,670 to £12,590
Thumb Permanent loss of function, although minor, from severe dislocation or soft tissue injury. £6,340 to £7,780
Ring or middle fingers Serious injury resulting in permanent loss of dexterity; also includes total loss of middle finger £10,320 to £16,340
Little finger Amputation £8,640 to £12,240
Little finger Small movement loss and cold weather discomfort following a serious fracture to the little finger that resulted in surgery. In the region of £6,000
Little finger Partial loss, where there is still sensitivity in the remaining tip £3,950 to £5,860

 

Finger Injury At Work – What Else Could I Be Owed?

As we mentioned above, your settlement may also consist of special damages. Special damages are awarded to compensate for the monetary losses you experienced as a result of your finger injury at work.

Below we’ve listed a few examples of the losses that might be included in your compensation for loss of a finger:

  • Your lost wages if you required time off work to recover from your injury. This can also include pension contributions.
  • Medical expenses, such as prescriptions and bandages.
  •  Home help, such as the costs of employing a cleaner while you recover.
  • Travel costs, including expenses related to attending appointments for your injury.

If you suffered a broken finger at work and would like to know more about compensation, including what you could potentially be awarded, please get in touch with one of the advisors from our team.

Finger Injury At Work – No Win No Fee Claims

If you suffered a finger injury at work and would like to claim compensation, you could do so with legal representation. A solicitor could be funded under the terms of a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). A CFA is a type of No Win No Fee funding arrangement.

What No Win No Fee means is that your solicitor will not typically charge you an upfront solicitor’s fee when agreeing to represent your cut on hand claim. When a cut on finger claim is successful, a success fee is taken out of the award. The percentage that can be taken is capped by the law. However, should a deep finger cut claim fail, you don’t need to pay your solicitor.

Our advisors are on hand 24/7 to answer any questions you have regarding your cut on hand claim. If it seems like your deep finger cut claim is eligible, you could be connected to a solicitor from our panel.

To get in touch:

Finger And Hand Injury Guides

We’ve included some extra reading material to help you understand this topic:

  1. A guide on broken hand claims.
  2. This guide explains whether you can sue someone for assault.
  3. Find out more about if you get paid following an injury at work.
  4. Litigation friends can make a claim the behalf of those who cannot claim themselves 
  5. NHS information on finger pain.
  6. How do I clean a wound?” – more NHS information.

We also have some other guides you may find useful:

We hope our guide on claiming for a cut finger at work has been helpful. If you would like to speak to an advisor for more help, you can get in touch with Public Interest Lawyers using the contact details found within this guide.

Article by AI

Publisher ET