By Stephen Burke. Last Updated 4th August 2023. You may be wondering, ‘If I’ve had an accident at work, what should I do?‘ In this guide, we will examine the steps you could take following a workplace accident.
Whilst you are at work, your employer must take reasonably practical measures to ensure your safety. Therefore, they owe you a duty of care. If they breach this duty, and as a result, you are injured in an accident, you could be eligible to claim compensation for your injuries.
Had an accident at work what should I do
This guide will explain what to do if you have had an accident at work and how you could go about making a claim for compensation. To see if you could have an eligible case, please call Accident Claims UK. If we find that you may have legitimate grounds for a claim, we could put you in contact with one of our specialist personal injury lawyers.
Contact us today to see if you could begin your claim:
- Call Accident Claims UK on 0800 073 8801
- Contact us in writing via our website
- Use the live chat feature on this page to speak to a claims advisor
Select A Section
- I’ve Had An Accident At Work; What Should I Do?
- Should I Report An Accident At Work?
- Treat Your Injuries And Get Medical Care
- Start Gathering Evidence
- I’ve Had An Accident At Work; What Could I Claim?
- Claiming For An Accident At Work With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
I’ve Had An Accident At Work; What Should I Do?
You may have questions if an accident at work has caused you to be injured, such as, ‘I’ve had an accident at work; what should I do?’ Firstly, it is important to seek medical attention. Following this, there are important steps to take, like reporting what has happened in the workplace accident book.
If you believe your accident was caused by employer negligence, you may be thinking of making a personal injury claim for an accident at work. In order to achieve this, you must be able to prove liability. This may mean beginning to gather evidence of what happened and the injuries you were caused.
Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA) employers are responsible for undertaking reasonably practicable steps to ensure their employee’s safety whilst at work. Section 2 outlines the duties an employer must carry out to comply with legislation. This includes:
- Carrying out regular risk assessments to identify hazards.
- Ensuring maintenance and repairs are completed within the correct time frame.
- Providing employees with relevant and proper training.
Therefore, if your employer breaches their duty of care, resulting in an accident at work in which you are injured, they could be liable.
However, it is important to mention there is also a responsibility on you, as an employee, to adhere to any training provided and behave sensibly whilst at work.
When Can You Claim For An Accident At Work?
Furthermore, it is important to consider the personal injury time limits laid out by the Limitation Act 1980. It states that you must begin your claim within three years of the date that the accident occurred or the date you made a connection between your injuries and negligence.
There are some exceptions to these time limits, please speak to one of our advisors to learn more.
Should I Report An Accident At Work?
You may be asking yourself many questions if you’ve had an accident at work: ‘what should I do? Should I report it?’ An accident at work should be reported straight away.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides useful information on reporting incidents at work. It is a legal requirement for employers to report certain injuries, fatal accidents, and dangerous occurrences under The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR).
Read on to find out to who you, as the employee, should report the accident.
Who Do I Report The Incident To?
Please inform the relevant representative at work if you have had a work-related injury. Workplaces with 10 or more employees should also have an accident book. Ensure the details of the accident and your injuries are recorded.
Should I Record My Injuries?
It could also prove helpful to keep a diary recording the following:
- Your experience of the accident
- The details of your injuries
- The ongoing effects of your injuries and any treatment required
If you have had an accident at work, you should consider whether the incident could have been avoided had the workplace had better health and safety practices in place. If this is the case, you may be eligible to bring forward a compensation claim for the harm you sustained.
Treat Your Injuries And Get Medical Care
If you are injured at work, please seek the appropriate medical treatment. Depending on the severity of your injuries, a colleague trained in first-aid may be able to help you; alternatively, for injuries that require the attention of a doctor, you may need to call an ambulance, visit your nearest A and E or see your GP.
Not only could medical treatment ensure you get the help you need to make a speedy recovery, but the medical records detailing your injuries could also provide crucial evidence for your claim.
Start Gathering Evidence
If you have had an accident at work, what should you do next? If you are wanting to start a personal injury claim to receive accident at work compensation then it could be a good idea to begin gathering evidence. In order to be eligible to make such a claim then, your employer will need to have been responsible for what happened.
The evidence could include the following:
- Photographs of your injuries.
- Photographs of the hazard that caused your injuries.
- CCTV footage of the accident taking place.
- The accident report book.
- Contact details from witnesses who could provide a statement to a third party at a later date.
Can You Claim If You Had An Accident At Work?
You could be eligible to claim compensation for a work-related accident if the following are true:
- You can show that your employer owed you a duty of care at the time and place of the accident
- Your employer breached their duty of care.
- Subsequently, this caused an accident at work in which you were injured.
Please contact Accident Claims UK to see if you could claim compensation. An advisor will be happy to speak to you to determine whether you may be eligible to claim.
I’ve Had An Accident At Work; What Could I Claim?
There are two potential heads of a successful accident at work claim:
- General damages – accounting for the mental and physical pain and suffering the injuries caused.
- Special damages – accounting for certain expenses resulting from your injuries. Such as past and future loss of earnings or care costs. It is important to provide evidence of any financial losses, such as invoices and bank records.
We have used the 16th edition of the Judicial College guidelines (JCG), April 2022 update, to create the compensation table below as a guide to general damages. The table does not include special damages. Legal professionals, such as personal injury lawyers, use the JCG to assist them in valuing payouts.
| Injury Sustained | Notes On The Injury | Compensation Amounts |
|---|---|---|
| Leg Injury – Amputation (a)(i) | Either, the loss of both legs above the knee or, where one leg is lost above the knee and the other below the knee. | £240,790 to £282,010 |
| Leg Injury – Severe (b)(ii) | The injury could lead to the person permanently having mobility issues. They may need mobility aids such as crutches for the rest of their life. | £54,830 to £87,890 |
| Injury Caused By Brain Damage – Moderately Severe (b) | The person will be left with very serious disabilities. They will be substantially dependent on other people as well as requiring constant care. | £219,070 to £282,010 |
| Injury Caused By Brain Damage – Less Severe (d) | Whilst not all normal functions may have been restored, the person should have made a good recovery and be able to return to work and take part in normal social activities. | £15,320 to £43,060 |
| Hip or Pelvis Injuries – Severe (a)(i) | Extensive fractures of the pelvis or a hip injury that causes spondylolisthesis, leading to substantial levels of disability. | £78,400 to £130,930 |
| Foot Injury – Amputation (b) | One foot is amputated. | £83,960 to £109,650 |
| Foot Injury – Moderate (f) | Permanent deformity of the foot caused by displaced metatarsal fractures. | £13,740 to £24,990 |
| Back Injuries – Severe (a)(iii) | The back injury, such as fractures of discs, cause the person to experience chronic conditions and disabilities that remain despite treatment. | £38,780 to £69,730 |
| Arm Injuries – (b) | Injuries to the arm which lead to substantial and permanent disablement. This could include serious fractures of either one or both forearms. | £39,170 to £59,860 |
| Neck Injury – Severe (a)(iii) | The person may suffer severe damage to soft tissues, fractures or dislocations, which lead to chronic conditions and permanent significant disabilities. | £45,470 to £55,990 |
Due to the different circumstances of each claim, these figures are a guide. Call our advice line to discuss how much compensation you could potentially receive. Additionally, our advisors will be able to answer your question, ‘I’ve had an accident at work, what should I do?’
Claiming For An Accident At Work With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
If you have valid grounds to sue your employer for an accident at work, then you could seek support from a solicitor. If you speak to our team of advisors, they may connect you our No Win No Fee solicitors.
One of the solicitors may offer to help you claim compensation for an accident at work under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). Making a personal injury claim under this type of agreement typically means the following:
- You won’t pay any upfront or ongoing fees for your solicitor’s services.
- Also, you won’t need to pay for your solicitor’s services if your claim goes ahead and it’s unsuccessful.
- If your claim does succeed, your solicitor will usually take a small and legally capped percentage deducted from the compensation awarded to you. This is known as a success fee.
Have you been injured in an accident at work? Do you have evidence to show your claim meets the eligibility criteria? If so and you wish to claim, you can contact our advisors for free to discuss starting your case with the help of a No Win No Fee solicitor.
Please contact us to enquire about making a compensation claim against your workplace by:
- Calling us on 0800 073 8801
- Using our contact form on our website
- Messaging us on our 24/7 live chat
Related Claims For Injuries At Work
These guides from our website may be helpful in learning more about accident at work compensation claims:
Things To Know About Accident At Work Claims
Are You Eligible To Make A Self Employed Accident at Work Compensation Claim?
What Steps Should I Take When Injured At Work?
Furthermore, we have provided some external links for you to take a look at:
Statistics – Non-fatal injuries at work in Great Britain – information from the Health and Safety Executive
Preventing slips and trips at work – information from HSE
An NHS guide to broken leg injuries
If you were wondering, “I had an accident at work, what should I do?” we hope this guide has been helpful.
