Accidents at Work

Our Solicitors Can Help With Accident at Work Compensation Claims

If you’ve had an injury that wasn’t your fault, our accident at work personal injury solicitors are here to help. We’ve recovered thousands of pounds in compensation for cases just like yours – no matter how severe the injuries. Contact our solicitors today for no win, no fee legal advice.

What is an accident at work?

An accident at work is any incident that causes injury or illness in the workplace, where your employer was at fault. Accidents at work can happen for many reasons, and not only in high-risk jobs. They may be the result of:

• Faulty equipment
• Improper training
• Slips, trips and falls
• Lack of protective equipment
• Poor risk assessments.

You can make a claim for an accident at work if you were injured and it was not your fault. We can help you source evidence to prove your employer was at fault – for example, if you were not given the right personal protective equipment (PPE).

What are common accident at work examples?

Types of accidents at work vary depending on your job. Most commonly, work injury claims fall into:

Slips, trips and falls

These are most common, accounting for 30% of accidents in 2024/2025. They can happen in most workplaces, such as falling from a height on construction sites, or slipping on a wet floor in a kitchen. They may result in broken bones, cuts, bruises or more severe head injuries.

Repetitive strain injury

These usually affect arms and hands, and are caused by overuse of one body part during a repetitive action. They may be common in physical labour jobs, such as farming or construction, or even in office jobs where computer use is common. It is your employer’s responsibility to provide you with the right equipment to keep you safe and comfortable.

Manual handling injuries

Manual handling injuries can happen if a worker is not properly trained. For example, they may have not been taught to lift heavy items appropriately. Employers should have risk assessments and training in place if the role requires any heavy lifting. This may include warehouse or courier work. They may also be able to offer PPE to make manual handling easier and prevent injuries.

Chemical injuries

This type of injury is common in medical environments, laboratories or on construction sites. Chemicals could cause burns to the skin or eye injuries. In some cases, they may result in sight loss.

Defective equipment claims

Defective equipment could refer to anything from a handheld tool to a forklift or vehicle. It is your employer’s responsibility to ensure all equipment is safe. This includes regular, documented inspections. Injuries may include electric shocks, road traffic accidents or crushing.

Carer-related injuries

Those in care roles could face manual handling accidents due to lifting people in and out of bed. Special equipment can help with this, and should be provided where possible. In other cases, care workers may be vulnerable to assault, resulting in cuts, bruises or broken bones.

Other cases could be specific to certain tools and trades. For example, vibration white finger causes numbness and tingling in the hands, caused by overuse of vibrating tools.

Of course, this list is not exhaustive and there could be many injuries or accidents that affect you. Our job is to help you find the evidence that you were injured, and that your employer was at fault.

How do I know if I can make an accident at work claim?

You may be able to make an accident at work claim if you had an injury caused by your employer’s negligence. We can help you prove that you were injured and that your employer was at fault.

You can claim for mild or serious injuries, including psychological damage. Our role is to prove that your employer failed in their duty of care, resulting in your injury.

Your rights in the workplace

Your employer owes you a ‘duty of care’, which means they must keep you safe. This includes providing satisfactory working conditions and adequate training.

According to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, your employer must:

• Provide a safe workplace, including regular risk assessments to spot hazards
• Offer PPE where needed, for example, on a building site
• Keep all equipment inspected to safe standards
• Maintain a clean, tidy working area
• Give training to do your job safely.

Your employer should be able to document these. For example, they may use training logs, cleaning logs and equipment inspection reports. You could use these as evidence if your employer was negligent – for example, if a piece of equipment was overdue for an inspection.

If an accident happens, your employer must also report major injuries and deaths to RIDDOR. (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations.)

What to do if you have an accident at work

If you’ve had an accident at work, the first thing you should do is seek medical help. Once you are well enough, you can then start documenting what happened.
This may start with an on-site first aider or a conversation with your doctor. Tell them what happened and log any details in a company accident book. You should also notify your manager.

Ask any witnesses to provide a statement, or a union representative where possible. During your medical treatment, keep note of details you have, such as doctors’ letters.

In the cases of serious incidents, your employer should also:

• Report your accident to RIDDOR
• Arrange Statutory Sick Pay if you need time off work
• Enquire about any benefits if your injury has long-term effects
• Make adjustments to your workplace if needed (such as mobility aids) when you return.

Hold on to any documents you have relating to the accident, including proof of negligence, such as outdated training records. We can use these when processing your compensation claim.

How to make an accident at work no win, no fee claim

When you are well enough to do so, you can start your no win, no fee accident at work claim with us. It’s best to get in touch as soon as possible so that we can gather the best evidence.

First, call us for a free, no-obligation consultation. We’ll ask you questions such as when and how the accident happened, how serious your injuries were, and what the long-term impacts on your life have been.

Once we’re satisfied you have a case, we’ll start helping you gather evidence. This will prove that your employer failed in their duty of care, as well as the extent of your injuries and any financial losses you’ve faced.

We’ll calculate a total compensation amount based on how serious your injuries are, and any money lost. We’ll then present this figure, alongside your evidence, in a ‘Letter of Claim’ to your employer’s insurer.

If your employer’s insurer accepts fault, then you will be awarded compensation minus our fees. If they don’t, we may have to take it further. The employer may offer a sum out of court, without accepting responsibility. We’ll keep you informed throughout the process.

We could also help with interim payments. These are payments taken out of your final sum to pay for any ongoing expenses, such as travel to medical appointments.

We generally work on a no win, no fee basis. This means you’ll only pay our fees if your case is successful – and they’ll come out of your final compensation.

What evidence do I need to prove an accident at work?

In workplace accidents, we’re looking for four key things to prove negligence:

Duty of care

For example, your employer has a duty of care to keep you safe under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Breach of duty

Evidence that your employer failed in their duty of care, for example, letting an untrained person use a forklift.

Causation

Proof that this breach of duty led to an injury, for example, a forklift crash resulting in broken bones.

Damages

Physical injuries, emotional distress (general damages) and any financial losses (special damages).

Every case is unique, so different accidents will require different types of evidence. As a general rule, it’s best to gather:

• Photographs or CCTV footage of the accident
• Witness statements
• Police reports (for things like road traffic accidents)
• Training records (that prove you were inadequately trained)
• Equipment inspection logs (to show that equipment was faulty)
• Risk assessment records (to highlight safety issues)
• Accident book logs (to prove you followed the right procedures)
• Medical documents (doctors’ notes, scans etc.)
• Receipts (for financial losses, such as travel to medical appointments).

We can help you gather this evidence to best support your claim. Always keep a record of the incident so that you have written proof to back up your case.

How long does it take to claim accident at work compensation?

Every case is different, and the more complex the claim, the longer it will take. Simple cases can take as little as six months. For example, the employer was clearly at fault and admits liability, like a fall caused by avoidable spillages.

In other cases, such as with severe injuries with HSE investigation, or if the employer says they were not at fault, it can take longer. We do our best to settle all accident at work compensation claims as quickly as possible. Complex cases (including ongoing diseases) can sometimes take years.

How much compensation for an accident at work claim?

There are no set compensation amounts for workplace injuries. When we’re assessing your claim, we’re looking at two types of damages: general and special.

General damages refer to the physical and emotional pain you’ve suffered. The more severe your injury, the higher your compensation is likely to be. Special damages refer to any financial losses you’ve suffered, such as time off work or travel to medical appointments.

The Judicial College publishes guidelines based on general damages alone. These are compensation amounts paid out for specific injuries, using historical cases for reference. For example:

• Upper limb injuries, minor to severe: £4,000 to £170,000
• Lower limb injuries, minor to severe: £7,000 to £170,000
• Back, neck and shoulder injuries, minor to severe: £6,000 to £150,000
• Head injuries, minor to severe: £1,000 to £340,000.

Who pays my accident at work compensation?

Accident at work compensation is covered by your employer’s insurance. By law, all employers must have Employers’ Liability insurance for at least £5 million, with some exceptions. Your employer will not be directly liable to pay your compensation.

What are the time limits for making an accident at work compensation claim?

You generally have three years from the date of your workplace accident to make a claim. There are some exceptions to this:

If you were left mentally incapacitated (unable to make your own decisions) then there is no time limit. A ‘litigation friend’ over 18 can claim on your behalf.

If you were under 18 (full-time work legal age limit is 16), then you will have three years to claim from your 18th birthday. A litigation friend can claim for you up until your 18th birthday.

If the accident happened abroad, time limits vary by country, so please ask us.

If your injury was a work-related disease, then the time limit is three years from the date of diagnosis.

If you were injured by a faulty product, you could claim after more than three years if the product was recalled.

If the accident resulted in death, then there is no time limit for a loved one to claim on your behalf.

Why choose Vincents’ accident at work solicitors?

At Vincents, we offer more than two decades’ experience settling personal injury claims like yours. Our specialist accident at work solicitors will listen to you. We’ll help you gather all the evidence possible to get you the compensation you deserve.

This will cover everything from your physical damages to travel expenses, medical treatments and home adjustments. We’re fully regulated by the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority and can offer compensation on a no win, no fee basis. We’re also members of the Professional Negligence Lawyers Association.

For expert legal advice and a no-obligation consultation, contact Vincents today.

Can I claim if I was partly at fault for the accident?

You can still claim workplace accident compensation if you were partly at fault for the accident. In legal terms, this is known as ‘contributory negligence’. For example, you may have had overdue refresher training for driving a forklift, but you were also driving carelessly.

In these cases, a court will decide how much you were at fault, calculated as a percentage. This will then be taken off your compensation amount. For example, if you were 50% at fault, you would only receive 50% of your total compensation.

Can I be dismissed for making an accident at work compensation claim?

Under UK employment law, you cannot be sacked for making a workplace injury claim. If your employer tries to fire you after a claim, you might have a case for unfair dismissal.

Equally, if they make your work life unbearable, you may have grounds for constructive dismissal. Your injury claim should not affect your relationship with your employer, and they are not personally liable to pay out.

Can I make an accident at work claim if I’m self-employed or on a zero hours contract?

You can still claim if you’re self-employed or on a zero hours contract. Your employer still has a duty of care to protect you. If they gave you unsafe equipment or left you in unsafe working conditions, then they would still be at fault. You’ll still need evidence to support your case, including your contract details.

Can I claim accident at work compensation for an occupational illness or disease?

You can claim for an occupational illness or disease, for example, lung-related cancers caused by asbestos. These claims are more complex and can take longer to process, but can be successful with the right legal support.

You’ll need to submit evidence within three years of whenever your symptoms started or you were formally diagnosed. We will follow the same process as we would for standard accidents, though they may be more complex as the HSE will need to investigate your case.

Can I claim accident at work compensation if I work in a high-risk industry?

You can still claim for a workplace accident, even if you work in a high-risk industry. Workplaces with more hazardous conditions will have a strict set of risk assessments. These include warehouses and construction sites.

Your employer still has a duty of care to keep you safe, and risk assessments will cover common hazards in risky places, such as toxic chemicals, scaffolding, forklifts and kitchen appliances.

What happens if my employer disputes my accident at work claim?

If your employer claims they were not at fault, there are two options. They might give you a ‘without prejudice offer’, which is an out of court settlement without accepting fault. If you do not accept this, your case may have to be taken further to court to prove they were at fault.
It’s rare that personal injury cases go to court, but we will keep you informed throughout the process. The more complex the case, the longer it will take.

How can I cover my time off work after an accident?

If you have suffered financially through time taken off work, we may be able to help with interim payments. These are smaller sums of your final compensation that are taken early while you’re recovering. They will come out of your final total, and can fund things to aid your recovery, such as travel to medical appointments.

What benefits can I claim if I’m off work with an injury?

Your employer should be able to arrange Statutory Sick Pay if you are off work with an injury. This is paid by your employer for up to 28 weeks. If you still need time off after 28 weeks, you could qualify for Employment and Support Allowance.
Other benefits include the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit and the Carer’s Allowance. If you have a union representative, you can also speak to them about getting further help.