If you have been injured at work, you may be entitled to claim compensation. A workplace accident can affect far more than your immediate health. It can leave you unable to work, struggling financially, needing treatment, relying on family members for support, or worried about your future.
Your employer has a legal duty to take reasonable steps to keep you safe at work. If they failed to do so, and you were injured as a result, you may be able to bring an accident at work claim.
Havard Law Solicitors helps injured workers bring claims for compensation following accidents at work. We explain your options clearly, handle the legal process for you, and work to secure the best possible outcome.
What is an accident at work claim?
An accident at work claim is a legal claim for compensation following an injury that happened in the workplace or during the course of your employment.
The accident may have happened because of unsafe working conditions, poor training, defective equipment, lack of protective equipment, poor supervision, or a failure to follow proper health and safety procedures.
You may still be able to claim if you are a full time employee, part time employee, temporary worker, agency worker, contractor, or self employed person working under another organisation’s control.
You do not necessarily need to have taken time off work, and you do not need to have gone to hospital immediately. What matters is whether you were injured and whether the accident was caused, at least in part, by someone else’s failure to keep you safe.
When might you need help?
Workplace accidents can happen in factories, warehouses, construction sites, offices, shops, schools, care settings and many other working environments.
Common accident at work claims can involve slips, trips and falls, manual handling injuries, falls from height, being struck by falling objects, forklift or vehicle accidents, defective machinery, unsafe tools, exposure to harmful substances, lack of protective equipment, poor training, or injuries caused by a colleague where supervision or safety procedures were inadequate.
Some workplace accidents cause relatively short term injuries. Others can have life changing consequences. Injuries to the back, neck, shoulders, hands, arms, legs, head, or nervous system can affect your ability to work, drive, look after your family or carry out normal daily activities.
Psychological injury can also form part of a claim, particularly where the accident was traumatic or the consequences have had a serious impact on your mental health.
What can compensation cover?
Compensation is intended to reflect the impact the injury has had on your life.
This may include compensation for pain, suffering and loss of amenity, which means the effect the injury has had on your day to day life, hobbies, independence and wellbeing.
A claim may also include financial losses. These can include loss of earnings, future loss of income, medical treatment, rehabilitation, travel expenses, care provided by family members, professional care, aids, equipment, home adaptations, and other costs linked to the injury.
Every case is different. The value of a claim will depend on the nature of the injury, the seriousness of the long term impact, whether you are able to return to work, and what evidence is available.
How Havard Law Solicitors can help
Being injured at work can be stressful, especially if you are also worried about money, your job, or how long your recovery will take. Havard Law Solicitors can guide you through the process and deal with the claim on your behalf.
We can listen to what happened, assess whether you may have a claim, explain the process in plain English, gather evidence, obtain medical reports, calculate your losses, deal with the employer or insurer, and negotiate a settlement.
Most accident at work claims settle without going to court. If a claim does need to proceed further, we will explain what is happening and support you at each stage.
We can also consider related issues where needed. For example, if your injury has affected your employment, caused long term loss of earnings, required rehabilitation, or raised concerns about future care, those matters can be reviewed as part of the overall claim.
Case study: serious factory press injury
Havard Law Solicitors acted for a factory worker who suffered life changing injuries while operating a 200 tonne mechanical power press.
The machine came down without warning, trapping both of his hands. He was unable to free himself and had to wait to be rescued by the fire brigade.
The injuries were severe. Both hands were crushed, with significant injuries to the thumbs and fingers. The client suffered muscle avulsion injuries to both thumbs, a fracture and destruction of the index metacarpal joint in the left hand, nerve damage, and psychological trauma.
The case was complex. The client had not received formal safety training on how to operate the press machinery. The only training provided was an informal demonstration from a more senior colleague. This became an important part of the claim.
The accident also happened during the COVID 19 pandemic, which created delays and complications in arranging face to face medical examinations. Given the seriousness of the injuries, detailed expert evidence was required from several specialists, including a Consultant Hand and Plastic Surgeon, a Consultant Neurophysiologist, a Consultant Psychologist and an Occupational Therapist.
Although liability was eventually admitted in full by the defendant’s insurers, the employer initially placed the client on Statutory Sick Pay rather than paying his usual wage. This placed financial pressure on the client and contributed to him returning to work sooner than was medically appropriate.
Havard Law Solicitors worked to build a detailed claim covering the full impact of the accident. This included the client’s physical injuries, psychological trauma, loss of earnings, reduced career prospects, care needs, future treatment, aids, equipment, adaptations and the support he would need in the future.
The claim settled for just under £400,000. The settlement reflected the serious and long-term effect of the injuries, including pain and suffering, loss of earnings, future care needs, equipment, adaptations and ongoing support.
Evidence that can help your claim
The evidence needed will depend on the circumstances of the accident and the injury suffered.
Helpful evidence can include photographs of the accident location, photographs of defective equipment or unsafe conditions, accident book entries, witness details, medical records, payslips, correspondence with your employer, risk assessments, training records, CCTV where available, and evidence of any financial losses.
Do not worry if you do not have everything. Many people contact a solicitor before they know what evidence exists. Havard Law Solicitors can explain what may be needed and what steps can be taken to support your claim.
Speak to our accident at work team
If you have been injured at work, it is sensible to get advice as early as possible. Early advice can help protect your position, preserve evidence and give you a clearer understanding of your options.
Contact Havard Law Solicitors for a free, no obligation conversation about your accident at work claim by calling 0151 556 1234 or emailing info@havardlaw.co.uk.
Accident at Work Claims FAQs
Havard Law Solicitors will discuss funding options with you at the outset so you understand the position before deciding whether to proceed.
Many personal injury claims are handled on a No Win, No Fee basis. This usually means you do not pay legal fees if the claim is unsuccessful, subject to the terms of the agreement and any insurance arrangements.
Before you commit to anything, the funding position will be explained clearly so you understand what is covered, what deductions may apply if the claim succeeds, and what the risks are.
The amount of compensation depends on the injury and the impact it has had on your life.
A claim may include compensation for pain, suffering and loss of amenity, as well as financial losses such as lost earnings, future loss of income, medical treatment, rehabilitation, care, travel expenses, equipment, adaptations and support with everyday tasks.
A minor injury that resolves quickly will usually be worth less than a serious injury that affects your ability to work, causes long term symptoms, or changes your independence. Havard Law Solicitors can give you a clearer view once the injury, evidence and financial losses have been reviewed.
It is helpful if an accident was recorded in the accident book and medical treatment was sought at the time, but a delay does not automatically prevent a claim.
Some people do not report an accident immediately because they are shocked, embarrassed, worried about their job, or hoping the injury will improve. Others only realise later that the injury is more serious than they first thought.
Other evidence may still help support the claim. This could include witness accounts, photographs, text messages, emails, GP records, hospital records, or evidence that you later told your employer what had happened.
In most cases, you have three years from the date of the accident to start a personal injury claim.
There are some exceptions. For example, different rules can apply if the injured person was under 18 at the time of the accident, or if the injury or condition only became apparent later.
It is always better to seek advice as soon as possible. Evidence can become harder to obtain over time, witnesses may move on, CCTV may be deleted, and records may be harder to access.
You should not be treated unfairly or dismissed because you have made a legitimate personal injury claim following an accident at work.
Many people worry about claiming against an employer, particularly if they are still employed by them. In practice, claims are usually dealt with by the employer’s insurers rather than the employer personally.
If your employer treats you badly, pressures you, dismisses you or changes your role because you reported an accident or made a claim, that may raise separate employment law issues. It is worth taking advice before deciding not to claim because of concerns about your job.
Yes, you may still be able to claim even if you think the accident was partly your fault.
Workplace accidents are not always simple. An employee may have made a mistake, but the employer may still have contributed to the accident by failing to provide training, equipment, supervision or a safe system of work.
If responsibility is shared, compensation may be reduced to reflect your level of fault. This does not automatically prevent a claim. It simply means the evidence needs to be considered carefully.
You may have a valid claim if you were injured at work and the accident was caused, at least in part, by someone else’s failure to keep you safe.
This could include your employer failing to provide proper training, safe equipment, protective clothing, adequate supervision, a safe system of work, or a safe working environment. It may also include situations where another employee caused the accident and better training or supervision could have prevented it.
The best way to find out is to speak to a solicitor. Havard Law Solicitors can review what happened, explain whether you may have a claim, and advise what evidence may be needed.
