Work Injury Compensation

What Is Work Injury Compensation?

Work injury compensation is the term used to refer to the compensation you are awarded to help you get your life back on track after an injury as a result of an accident at work. You are entitled to feel safe in the workplace, and it is important that your employer takes all appropriate steps to guarantee that you are working in a safe environment. If these steps are not taken, and you suffer a work injury as a result, you are entitled to make a work injury compensation claim.

Common work injuries include:

• Back injuries, often from lifting accidents
• Spinal and head injuries, often as a result of a fall from height or a falling object
• Cuts and abrasions, usually as a result of a poorly-maintained workplace
• Sprains and strains, following a slip, trip or fall for example

If you have suffered a work injury, you will know just how stressful they can be. You may be in a significant amount of pain, and there is also the worry of financial hardship if you have to take time off work to recover from your work injury. If worry about your financial situation, or a lack of funds, is slowing your recovery from your work injury, we at Free Legal Justice want to help.

A work injury compensation claim can seem like adding additional pressure to a stressful situation, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Our dedicated team of personal injury claims solicitors have years of experience dealing with work injury claims just like yours, and we can take all of the stress out of your work injury claim.

If you are considering making a work injury claim, call us on 0800 567 7074 or 0121 565 4317 or claim online today to see how we can help. We are available 24/7 and can arrange a free call back service at a time convenient to you if this is helpful.

How To Respond Following A Work Injury

The most important thing after any work injury is to make sure that you are safe from any further harm and that you have access to the medical assistance you need. Only once you have made sure that this is sorted should you consider taking a few simple steps to help support your claim, if you feel that you are able to do so.

The most important, and probably the easiest, thing that you can do is to create a written record of everything that has happened. The sooner you do this after your work injury, the more you are likely to remember and the better your evidence will be. The more details you are able to include, the easier it can be to support your work injury compensation claim. If you can, include details of anyone around who witnessed your work injury, as this can be very important later.

Witness Details And Statements

It can also be extremely helpful for your work injury compensation claim if you have noted down the contact details for anyone who witnessed your work injury. Having access to supporting evidence from others who witnessed your work injury can be a powerful tool in convincing the person responsible for your work injury that they should settle your work injury compensation claim before it gets to court, as well as for convincing the court to rule in your favour if the case does go all the way to court.

You may also want to try to obtain photographs or videos which might be relevant to your case, especially of the location in which your work injury occurred, provided it is safe to do so.

These are all things that can make it easier to make a work injury compensation claim. If any of these are difficult for you, please don’t worry. Our dedicated team of personal injury claims specialists are available 24 hours a day to help you. Call us on 0121 565 4317 or claim online now.

How Much Compensation Is Awarded For Work Injuries?

Although it might seem like a simple question, it is not possible to give an exact estimate of how much compensation your work injury might attract without knowing the details of your case. This is because there are so many different factors which will have an impact. In general, however, compensation claims can be divided into two parts.

Compensation claims are usually separated into two parts. The first part is easier to calculate. This is the part designed to compensate you for the pain and suffering you have experienced. Compensation amounts in this category are set nationally by the Judicial College and a range is given for expected payments for each individual type of injury. Whilst this can give a basic guide, the ranges can be very wide, to allow for the specific nature of each individual injury. Our experienced personal injury claims solicitors will be able to give you better guidance as to where in the range your work injury is likely to fall.

How Did The Accident Affect Your Life?

The other part of the compensation claim is based on the ways in which your work injury has impacted your life. This part of the compensation claim for your work injury is there to help you get your life back as close as possible to the way it would have been if your work injury had not happened, so it is important to ensure that you claim for every cost and expense you have incurred as a result of your work injury. This could be additional medical support that is difficult to obtain on the NHS, such as physiotherapy, or even making modifications to your home if necessary. If you need to take time off from work in order to recover from your work injury, your loss of earnings would be included in this aspect of the compensation.

It can be difficult to be sure that you are claiming the right amount of compensation for your work injury, and many of our clients are initially offered compensation payments that are far too low for the specifics of their case. Our expert team of experienced personal injury claims solicitors work hard to get you the full payments you deserve to help you get your life back on track after your work injury.

How Can Free Legal Justice Help you for your work injury compensation claim?

Making a work injury claim can seem daunting, and many of our clients are worried that they might struggle with the paperwork or that it will be very time-consuming. At Free Legal Justice, we want to take the stress and worry out of making a work injury compensation claim. We are available 24 hours per day, seven days a week, meaning that you can always get in touch with us if you need us. Whether you prefer to call us on 0800 567 7074 or 0121 565 4317 or to apply online and have us call you back for free at a time of your choosing, we are here to help.

Our expert team of personal injury claims solicitors understand the importance of listening. We make sure that we listen carefully to every aspect of your case, including who was at fault, the circumstances surrounding your work injury, all of the details of your injuries and the ways in which this has impacted your life. This degree of personalised care means that we are able to give you the most accurate information and advice that is specific to you.

We Handle All The Paperwork

We are also able to handle all of the admin and paperwork involved in making your work injury compensation claim. All legal action can require a significant amount of paperwork, including letters and forms that must be submitted within strict deadlines. Once we are employed as your solicitors, we are able to complete almost all of this. We are also able to offer free home visits, to help you complete any of the paperwork that we can’t fill out on your behalf.

If you are thinking of making a work injury compensation claim, we don’t want you to feel alone. Call us now or claim online to get the help you deserve.

Can I Get No Win No Fee Help With My Work Injury Claim?

At free Legal Justice, we believe that justice should be available to everyone, without the need for large up-front payments or large solicitor’s fees. As a result, we offer our services on a we offer our services on a no win no fee basis to the vast majority of our clients.

With a no win no fee agreement, you don’t have to pay anything in order to begin making your claim. Our expert team of personal injury claims solicitors can begin to act on your behalf. We don’t get paid a penny until the person responsible for your work injury has accepted liability and we have successfully negotiated a compensation amount that you are happy with. Our fees are set as a percentage of your compensation payment, meaning that you will always know exactly how much you will receive before agreeing to any compensation amount. This ensures that you will always receive the lion’s share of the payment.

Not All Work Injury Compensations Claims Are No Win No Fee

For a very few clients, we may be unable to offer a no win no fee agreement. In the unfortunate event that your work injury falls into this category, we will inform you of this straight away and will discuss possible alternative funding options to give you a cost-effective way to get the help you need to get the compensation you deserve.

If you are considering making a work injury compensation claim, there’s no need to wait. Call us on 0800 567 7074 or 0121 565 4317 or claim online now and let our expert team of personal injury claims solicitors help you get the compensation you deserve.

Could I Lose My Job If I Make A Work Injury Compensation Claim?

Many of our clients worry that they will get into trouble or even lose their jobs if they make a work injury compensation claim. It is important that you know that your employer is not allowed to punish you in any way for making a work injury compensation claim. This includes reducing the opportunities available to you, making your job more unpleasant or sacking you.

Good employers would never want to punish an employee for seeking the compensation they are entitled to. The compensation you deserve is there to help you get your life back on track after your work injury, not to punish your employer, and almost all employers understand this.

Make A Claim To Help The Workplace Safer

Making a work injury compensation claim can also be helpful to your colleagues, as it highlights ways in which your employer is not taking sufficient care of you and encourages them to put more safety measures in place. After all, if you have suffered a work injury as a result of your employer’s carelessness or negligence, others could very easily have the same experience.

You can also be sure that your work injury claim is not impacting the long-term financial health of the company you work for. They are required to take our Employers Liability Insurance, which covers them for all accidents at work. This insurance means that you should never feel pressured into not making a work injury compensation claim on the basis that you and your colleagues may be out of work if the company is not able to pay.

If you are wondering whether you can make a work injury compensation claim, or if you are ready to begin the process, call us on 0800 567 7074 or 0121 565 4317 or claim online. Our dedicated team of claims specialists are here to help, 24 hours a day.

How A Work Injury Compensation Claim Works

Making any personal injury claim for compensation, including a work injury claim, follows the same, simple process.

Getting legal advice before starting your work injury compensation claim can dramatically increase the likelihood of you receiving the compensation you deserve, and can also help you to make a claim for the full amount that you are entitled to. Our work injury claims specialists are available 24 hours a day on 0800 567 7074 or 0121 565 4317 or you can claim online and we will call you back at a time to suit you.

As your personal injury claims solicitors, we will send a letter to the person to blame for your work injury, explaining that you are making a work injury compensation claim and that you believe that they were to blame. We will give them a deadline by which they must either accept liability (this means accepting that they were to blame) or tell us why they were not to blame.

If Your Company Denies Fault For Your Work Accident… Then?

If the other person refuses to accept that they were to blame, we will show them evidence that makes this clear. This evidence comes in many forms, including statements, photographs and videos and even their own accident book. Once we have provided them with evidence, very few employers will continue to dispute liability.

When we have established with the other party that they were to blame for your work injury, we will then begin negotiations to decide how much compensation is fair following your work injury. There are many tactics and techniques used by the other side to try to convince you to accept a lower amount than you are entitled to. Whether to accept or reject an offer of compensation is always up to you, but our expert guidance and advice will allow you to be sure that the amount you agree to is a fair reflection of what you are entitled to.

Will You Need To Go Court For Your Work Accident Claim?

Almost all work injury compensation claims are resolved through the above process. In very rare cases, the other party will either not accept that they were at fault, or they will refuse to offer a fair amount of compensation given your injuries. In these situations, we may need to go to court to allow a judge to decide your case. If this happens, we will support you throughout the process.

Only when the amount of compensation has been agreed and paid do you need to think about our fees. Our fees are set as a minor percentage of your compensation amount, meaning that the bulk of your payment is there for you, to help you however you need following your work injury.

How To Begin Making A Work Injury Compensation Claim

Making a work injury claim can seem daunting. It can be hard to decide whether to go ahead with making a claim, and you may be unsure who to trust. Our dedicated team of personal injury claims solicitors have years of experience helping people just like you to make their work injury compensation claims.

If you are considering making a compensation claim for your work injury, the most important first step is to call us to get expert advice from our dedicated team of personal injury claims solicitors. We are available, free, 24 hours a day on 0800 567 7074. If you are calling from a mobile, call 0121 565 4317. If you prefer, you can claim online and we will call you back at a time that you specify at no charge. Contacting our work injury claims specialists allows you to begin your compensation claim with the best possible advice and help.

We Will Listen To You

During our call, we will make sure that we understand all of the details of your work injury claim. It is important that we know all of the circumstances surrounding your work injury (in particular who you believe was to blame), the impact that it has had on your life and the full extent of your injuries. This information allows us to give you an accurate estimate of your chances of winning your case, and the amount of compensation you can expect if we do.

How Long Does It Take To Make A Work Injury Claim?

Work injury compensation claims can take different amounts of time to complete, with some taking much longer than others. We understand that you want to resolve your work injury as quickly as possible to give you the financial support that you need to put your work injury behind you.

Some cases are able to be resolved extremely quickly, with the fastest taking just a few weeks. These cases tend to involve more minor injuries, as the sums of money involved are significantly smaller and there is little to be gained by the other party arguing to push the costs down. Such injuries also lead to simpler cases, with less need for medical evidence or disputes over the exact causes of the injury. The fastest cases are always those in which the other party accepts liability, as proving who was to blame for your work injury can add significantly to the time your claim takes to resolve.

Serious And Complicated Work Claims Take Longer

If your case is more complicated, for example if the other person refuses to accept that they were to blame or if there are multiple people who were all partially to blame for what happened, it might take much longer for you to get the compensation you deserve. Cases that have to go to court can last significantly longer than those that do not.

What If My Work Injury Is Not In The Accident Book?

Every workplace will have an accident book, which is used to record all accidents, injuries and near misses that happen in that workplace. This record is there to protect you and to protect the company, as it is intended to provide accurate and up to date details of the company’s health and safety history. Your work injury should be recorded in there as soon as is practical after it happens, to ensure that the records are always kept updated and that the incident is remembered clearly when filling out the book.

In rare instances, an accident or injury is not recorded in the accident book. This is often because the person responsible for keeping the records has been distracted looking after the person who has been hurt, or they are trying to make sure that they fully understand what happened before writing it down. Although it is very rare, some unscrupulous employers may attempt to avoid liability by deliberately not recording incidents in the accident book.

Accident Was Not Written In The Accident Book – Can You Still Claim?

Although having your work injury recorded in your company’s accident book can be useful when making a compensation claim, it is not essential. Our expert personal injury claims solicitors have experience of using a wide variety of different types of evidence to help prove your account of what happened to you and allowing you to receive the compensation you deserve.

If your work injury is not recorded in the accident book, the best course of action is to email an appropriate member of staff (this is usually your manager or a member of the HR department), informing them of what happened and asking them to make sure that this is recorded correctly. This ensures that there is a written record of your version of events and also prevents your employer from claiming that they were unaware of what had happened.

Can I Claim Compensation For The Work Injury I Suffered?

If you have suffered a work injury, you may be unsure as to whether you are entitled to claim compensation. In most cases, you will be able to make a claim, but there are a few conditions that must be met.

You are only able to make a compensation claim for things that you have actually suffered. You are only able to make a work injury compensation claim if you have experienced a work injury, not if you suffered a near miss. Similarly, you are only able to make a claim for the damage you have actually sustained, not the damage that you could have suffered, or for injuries that you narrowly avoided.

Someone Else Must Be To Blame To Make A Claim

It is also vital that there is someone who is at fault in your work injury. In order to make a work injury compensation claim, you must claim against someone, and this person or organisation must have had some form of responsibility towards you. If your accident or injury took place at work, your employer will almost certainly be in this position, as they have a statutory duty of care, meaning that they have a legal requirement to think about your health and safety and to take all appropriate measures to keep you safe.

The person or organisation that you are claiming against must also have been able to predict something along the lines of what happened to you. This does not mean that you have to prove that they did anticipate it, but a reasonable person who was taking their role seriously in terms of health and safety should be able to foresee the danger.

The final thing to think about is whether the person responsible for your welfare put sufficient measures in place to protect you. Even if some steps were taken, you are still able to claim if these were not adequate for the circumstances you found yourself in.

Contact Our Work Accident Claims Team Today

If you have suffered a work injury and someone else was to blame, whether through their negligence or carelessness, you are entitled to compensation. If you are considering making a work injury compensation claim, don’t delay. Call us now on 0800 567 7074 or 0121 565 4317 or claim online to discover how we can help you to get the compensation you deserve.

Useful Links
HSE – Legal Requirements
Find out the legal requirements for health and safety at work in the UK

Health and Safety Tips
Find out the basic safety tips for the workplace