I Had An Accident At Work Abroad – Can I Claim?

By Brett Williams. Last updated 3rd January 2023. Suffering an injury in an accident at work abroad can be deeply distressing.

Not only could there be a language barrier, but there may be different procedures in place for ensuring you get the treatment you need.

You may not be aware that you can claim compensation for accidents at work abroad. And you don’t need to use a solicitor based in that country. Instead, you can connect with sp

Nowadays it is not unusual for people from the UK to spend some time working in another country. This could range from a weekend-long business trip to spending a gap year volunteering with a humanitarian project or having a fixed-term contract of several years working in another country on behalf of your employer. As with any other form of employment, there is a chance, however slim, that you may suffer an accident at work abroad.accident at work abroad

An accident at work that wasn’t your fault can entitle you to seek compensation from your employer; however, you might be concerned that an accident when working abroad might complicate your right to do so.

Depending on your contract and whether you are employed with a UK-based company may determine which country your accident at work claim would take place. At Accident Claims UK, you could work with personal injury solicitors who will help you win all the compensation that an accident when working abroad should entitle you to if you are employed with a UK based company.

The number to ring to reach our team is 0800 073 8801, there you can speak to someone about starting a claim and any other issues that concern you about making a compensation claim.

Select A Section

  1. What Is An Accident At Work Abroad?
  2. Types Of Overseas Job Roles
  3. Accidents Which Could Happen On A Business Trip Abroad
  4. Could I Claim For An Accident When Working Abroad With A UK Solicitor?
  5. Does The Country My Employer Is Based In Affect My Claim?
  6. What Should I Do If I Had An Accident When Working Abroad?
  7. Will Making A Claim Against My Employer Affect My Job?
  8. Fall And Trip Accidents At Work Abroad
  9. Road Traffic Accidents At Work Abroad
  10. Accident At Work Compensation Calculator
  11. Special Damages You Could Claim For A Work Accident Abroad
  12. No Win No Fee Claims For An Accident When Working Abroad
  13. Let Us Handle Your Claim For An Accident At Work Abroad
  14. Essential References

What Is An Accident At Work Abroad?

Accidents at work while abroad can be caused by much the same circumstances that cause people to get hurt at work here in the UK. For example handling a faulty piece of equipment that had not been checked and maintained properly, being made to perform certain tasks without the pre-requisite training or working in an environment in which you could be exposed to harmful substances asbestos without protective equipment.

It isn’t just these obvious dangers that could cause an accident; people can suffer accidents and injury in more mundane environments, such as offices, when basic steps such as clearing away tripping hazards aren’t taken.

Employers based in the UK have a duty of care laid down by the Health And Safety At Work Act 1974 to ensure that the workplace and the employees are safe; this duty may extend to workers whom they have sent abroad.

If you are working abroad and you become injured in other environments other than work, if you are injured or made ill due to third party negligence, you may be able to still claim depending on various circumstances.

Check out our guide to making accident claims abroad to applicable information on that issue. We will address this in further detail below.

Types Of Overseas Job Roles

If you’re wondering whether you could make an accident at work abroad, here are some types of roles that you may be in. With so many different types of employers, the types of jobs one could hold while working abroad is as great as the number of jobs one could potentially have in the UK. Some of the more common occupations that might take you overseas include:

  • Working for a cruise line
  • Working as a holiday rep
  • Working in foreign aid
  • Working on construction projects
  • Working in the oil and gas industry

Accidents Which Could Happen On A Business Trip Abroad

Many businesses regularly send their employees abroad on business trips; this can be to attend conferences, to meet clients or to meet up with business partners or departments of their organisations based abroad. Your employer may still be liable if you suffer an injury while on a business trip that was caused in some way by their failure to meet their duty of care to you by ensuring your safety.

Other examples of an accident at work abroad that might happen while on an overseas business trip include being involved in a road collision, suffering from food poisoning, or having an accident at your hotel. Claims could be made against foreign businesses for these types of accidents or against a travel agent if the trip arrangements were made through a UK travel agent as part of a package deal.

Could I Claim For An Accident When Working Abroad With A UK Solicitor?

Just because the accident happened in a country other than the UK doesn’t mean that a solicitor from the UK couldn’t handle the case. In fact, if your employer was a UK based company while you were working abroad or if the arrangements for travelling or your accommodation were made by a UK based travel company as part of a package deal, then the case could be made under UK law. We could also provide you with a solicitor who has experience and qualifications in working in foreign law.

Does The Country My Employer Is Based In Affect My Claim?

If you’re thinking about making an accident at work abroad, you may be wondering whether the country your employer is based in will affect your claim. If the employer you were working for while working abroad were not a British based company, then the case would be made under foreign law rather than UK law. This may mean that the way the case operates could be quite different than if the case was made in the UK as many countries have laws regarding health and safety, time limits on making personal injury claims, different way of calculating compensation amounts, and so on that are different to the UK. That being said, this should not deter you from approaching us for help in making an accident at work claim for something that happened while working abroad. A number of our solicitors aren’t just qualified to make claims in the UK but are also equipped to handle claims through the courts of other countries.

What Should I Do If I Had An Accident When Working Abroad?

Here are some useful notes on what to do when you have an injury from an accident at work abroad. You might find them helpful if it has occurred very recently, or they may come in handy if you find yourself in such a situation in the future.

  • Seek medical attention; your immediate well-being trumps any consideration of legal action for the time being.
  • Record the information in an accident book. In the UK, all workplaces must have an accident book for logging a record of when any accidents occur. If you are being employed by a UK based company, then you should get in touch with them as soon as possible so that they can make a record of it. If there is an accident book in the workplace itself where the accident occurred, then you ought to record it in there as well.
  • Take down the contact details of other people at the scene who witnessed the incident. They can be contacted later to request that they state support of your claim.
  • Take pictures if you can. Photograph the area where the accident occurred and take photos of what caused the accident.
  • Write down everything that happened as closely as you remember it while it is still fresh in your memory.
  • Contact our solicitors. We can advise you on whether your situation merits making a personal injury claim. If it does, and we can help, we will refer you to one of our solicitors to begin the process of making a claim itself.

Don’t worry if you haven’t gathered any evidence of your own yet, as a solicitor can put together the evidence to support your case.

Will Making A Claim Against My Employer Affect My Job?

You might feel intimidated by taking legal action against your employer. You may be worried that they could give you the sack or otherwise victimize you for seeking compensation from them. Don’t worry that if you are employed by a UK based company, the law in the UK guarantees you the right to claim compensation for an accident that wasn’t your fault, and it is illegal in the UK for an employer to dismiss someone for making a claim. If you are concerned, remember that you have every right to a safe working environment, and the law is on your side. If your employer is deemed liable, our team will be happy to address any worries you have about claiming against your employer. For more information about making a claim for an accident at work abroad, you can contact us.

Fall And Trip Accidents At Work Abroad

Tripping accidents are the most common form of workplace accidents in the UK, and there is no cause to believe that the case is any different in other countries. Tripping accidents in the workplace can be caused by packaging and other objects being left out in the corridors, by the carpet or linoleum in the workplace being tattered and poorly fitted and by steps or uneven flooring not marked with a warning sign. Wet floors and icy surfaces can also cause accidents from people slipping over on them. This may all seem coincidental, but it is, in fact, your employer’s responsibility to make sure that the workplaces they operate are as free as reasonably possible from possible tripping and slipping hazards as part of their duty of care to their employees. This duty of care extends to the businesses property outside the workplace, as in pavements and car parks on their property. If you trip or slip while on your employer’s property in the UK, then they could be liable if they haven’t taken reasonable steps to prevent such accidents. For more information on slips, trips and fall claims in general, you can read this guide here and this one for slips, trips, and falls at work in the UK.

Road Traffic Accidents At Work Abroad

Being involved in a road traffic accident while abroad could entitle you to make a compensation claim if the accident wasn’t your fault. It could be that your employer would be liable in some way, for example, if they supplied you with a vehicle or a company car that was unsafe to drive.  Other road traffic accident claims could be made either against negligent drivers for causing the accident or against the authority in that country for failing to ensure that the roads’ condition is safe to drive on depending on the exact cause of the accident. To get more information on how road traffic accident claims work, you may find this guide useful. You can always consult with our advisors for further information about an accident at work abroad.

Accident At Work Compensation Calculator

If you’ve had an injury and have been thinking of claiming compensation for it, it has probably crossed your mind to wonder how much the injury is worth in compensation. That is not really a question that can be answered at this point with any degree of accuracy. This is because compensation is calculated based on the claimant’s needs in question and the degree to which they have been harmed by their injuries.

Naturally, this means that a person claiming compensation for life-changing injuries will be entitled to receive more than someone who suffered only minor injuries. This also means that without consulting your solicitor about the details of the incident and confirmed with them the extent and prognosis of your injuries using a medical report, it can’t be said how much compensation you might have a right to as part of your claim for an accident at work abroad.

We may be able to give you a vague idea, however, by showing you this claim calculator, updated May 2021. Although it is not a substitute for a calculation made by a professional personal injury solicitor, it does display the UK Judicial College Guidelines for measuring the degree of compensation awarded for different types and circumstances of injuries to claims pursued under UK law. Claims made in different countries may have different amounts. If you see an injury resembling your own among the examples, it includes you could see for yourself the region in which your compensation would be worth.

Edit
Injury Notes Compensation
Minor injury (a) A minor injury which is fully healed within seven days. A few hundred pounds to £650
Minor injury (b) A minor injury which heals within 28 days £650 to £1,290
Minor injury (c) A minor injury which heals within three months. £1,290 to £2,300
Amputation of both feet This is treated as equivalent to the amputation of both legs below the knee. £158,970 to £189,110
Amputation of one foot This is treated as equivalent to the amputation of the leg below the knee. £78,800 to £102,890
Amputation of one leg below knee In which the leg is removed below the knee joint. Exact amount will depend on degree of issues such as phantom pains, psychological issues linked to the amputation and the degree of success of prothesthetics. £91,950 to £124,800
Amputation of both legs below knee Removal of both legs below the knee, Exact amount will depend on degree of issues such as phantom pains, psychological issues linked to the amputation and the degree of success of prothesthetics. £189,110 to £253,480
Amputation of great toe. Removal of the big toe on either foot. In the region of £29,380

Special Damages You Could Claim For A Work Accident Abroad

This information is only concerned with claims for an accident at work abroad made under UK law. If you are claiming a different country, this information may differ. Compensation is worked out on a case by case basis based on several different factors, including the injury itself. The amount relating to the direct effects of the injury are known as general damages. The other part, referred to as special damages, cover the financial impact of the injury. These special damages include:

  • Loss of earnings from being unable to work
  • Travel expenses to receive medical care
  • Care expenses relating to the injury

The compensation for these damages will be worked out by tallying the total cost of these expenses, so make sure you keep hold of all the receipts involved to make a record of your expenses.

No Win No Fee Claims For An Accident When Working Abroad

Accident Claims UK handles all of our claims on a no win no fee basis. No win no fee claims mean that you won’t have to pay legal fees for a claim that fails. The only way a solicitor in a no win no fee claim can receive their fees is by winning the case. If they do, they will be allowed to receive a certain amount of your compensation as their payment. This amount will be pre-arranged between the two of you before you start the claim. If there’s anything that confuses you about the idea of making a no win no fee claim, then you can seek out the advice of our team.

Let Us Handle Your Claim For An Accident At Work Abroad

We hope that this guide has helped you decide if you can claim and in which country your claim will be pursued. If you wish to do so right away or if you still have worries, then please call 0800 073 8801 to speak to our team, and they can offer you a free consultation. You can call right now if you want, regardless of what time it is since our phone line is open at all hours. If now isn’t a convenient time for you, then you can arrange a call back at a time of your choosing by putting your details in this sign-up sheet. Feel free to drop an email to office@accidentclaims.co.uk as another way of getting in touch.

How Accident At Work Abroad Claims Are Handled

When you begin a claim for an accident at work abroad, you may be wondering what you should do first. Should you gather evidence, report the accident, get medical evidence or something else first? Well, in truth, all of the above needs to be done before you even approach your employer to begin a claim. Even after you have all of the evidence you need, the process isn’t that straightforward. That’s because as soon as you submit your claim, your employer will simply forward it on to their insurance company. They’ll then respond to your claim with a request for you to prove what happened, what injuries you sustained and why their client (your employer) was liable. If you aren’t able to convince them, with evidence, you won’t receive the compensation you might be owed.

Therefore, to make the claims process easier, we believe you should take on specialist legal representation. Our team of solicitors has decades of experience in claiming on behalf of our clients. They know what evidence is needed, and what’s not, to try and prove who was responsible for an accident. They also have the legal acumen to try and counter any objections insurance companies throw at them.

The main goal of our solicitors is to seek justice for our clients and to try and make sure any settlement paid is at the maximum level possible. If you’d like our help claiming for an accident at work abroad, why not call today for a free case review?

Essential References

Below, you can find some more resources on claiming compensation after an accident at work:

Article by JY

Edited by Mel.

Thank you for reading our guide about claiming compensation for an accident at work abroad.