Find out how much compensation for an injury at work you could be entitled to claim if your employer was at fault for your accident.
We are a trusted claims management company helping people make personal injury claims for over 15 years.
How Much Compensation for an Injury at Work?
If you’ve suffered an injury at work because of your employer’s negligence, you may be entitled to claim compensation. The amount of compensation you could receive will depend on the type and severity of your injury, how it has affected your daily life, and any financial losses you’ve incurred.
Workplace injuries can range from cuts and bruises to broken bones and severe brain or spinal trauma. These can be caused by various circumstances, such as slips and trips, falls from height, machinery accidents and exposure to hazardous substances.
Your employer owes you a legal duty of care and may be liable for compensation if you suffer harm due to their negligence. A successful workplace injury claim can compensate you for both physical suffering and financial losses, such as lost wages and medical expenses.
To find out if you have a valid claim and how much compensation for an injury at work you could receive, call 0800 470 0472 today for a free case assessment or request a call back.
Table of Contents
Am I eligible to claim compensation for a workplace injury?
A specialist personal injury solicitor can let you know within minutes if you can make an accident at work claim. They will offer you a free case assessment to verify whether:
- Your employer owed you a legal duty of care.
- They breached this duty, causing an accident or unsafe work conditions.
- You suffered an injury or illness as a direct result of their negligence.
- You are within the legal time limit for starting a claim.
An employer’s duty of care is typically established by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. This includes providing a safe work environment, adequate training, and maintaining equipment and machinery.
If a breach of duty caused your injury and the time period to take legal action has not expired, you should be able to make a claim against your employer.
How is the compensation for an injury at work calculated?
Workplace injury compensation is typically divided into two types of damages:
General damages
In a personal injury claim, general damages cover the physical and psychological impact of your injury or illness. Essentially, these are designed to compensate you for non-financial losses, which could include:
- Physical pain and suffering caused by the injury.
- Emotional distress or psychological trauma, such as anxiety and depression.
- The impact on your hobbies, daily tasks and social activities (loss of amenity).
- Scarring and disfigurement.
- Loss of enjoyment of life.
- Reduced life expectancy.
- Any mental or physical disability caused by the injury.
The amount awarded for general damages will depend on the type and severity of your injury, the recovery time and how it affects your daily life. Your solicitor will use the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) along with the available evidence to assess the appropriate payout.
Special damages
Special damages cover the financial losses and expenses you have suffered because of your accident and injury. They aim to restore you to the financial position you were in before the incident occurred, as much as possible.
They compensate for actual, measurable past and future costs related to the injury, such as:
- Lost earnings due to time off work while recovering.
- Future loss of earnings, if your injury affects your ability to work.
- Costs for treatment, prescriptions, physiotherapy, or counselling.
- Travel expenses related to medical appointments.
- The cost of care and assistance with daily tasks, even if provided by friends or family.
- Adaptations to your home or vehicle to accommodate a disability.
To recover special damages, you will need evidence such as receipts, invoices, bank statements, and wage slips.
Who will pay my workplace injury compensation claim?
Your employer’s insurer will typically pay your workplace injury compensation. According to the Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969, all employers must carry insurance with a minimum cover of £5 million against the personal injury of their employees.
With a few exceptions that include certain micro companies and public organisations, all employers must hold valid Employers’ Liability insurance (see also HSE guidance on employers’ liability insurance). If you make a successful claim, the insurance company will pay your damages, so your employer will not be left out of pocket.
Under the legal concept of vicarious liability, your employer would be liable for compensation even if you suffered harm because of another colleague’s negligence.
What are the most common types of accidents at work?
Common types of workplace accidents that could lead to compensation for injuries include:
- Slips and trips, often caused by wet surfaces, uneven floors, trailing cables and objects left in walkways.
- Manual handling accidents resulting from lifting and moving heavy objects without proper training or equipment.
- Falls from height caused by faulty ladders or unstable scaffolding.
- Being struck by moving or falling objects, such as tools, equipment, debris or materials.
- Machinery accidents can happen when this is defective or it lacks safety guards.
- Exposure to hazardous substances such as fumes, chemicals or asbestos.
- Repetitive strain injuries caused by overuse, repetitive movements or poor ergonomics.
- Vehicle accidents involving cherry pickers, forklifts, cranes or trucks.
- Workplace assaults or violence from clients or co-workers.
These and other workplace incidents can lead to a range of injuries for which you may be entitled to compensation.
What types of injuries could you suffer in the workplace?
Workplace accidents and being exposed to unsafe conditions can lead to various types of injuries in the workplace, including:
- Soft tissue injuries include sprains, strains and tears of muscles, tendons and ligaments. They could be caused by falls, lifting heavy objects or sudden movements.
- Burn injuries can result from electrical incidents, contact with hot surfaces or chemicals. They range from superficial burns to deep tissue damage with loss of function.
- Cuts and lacerations can be due to sharp tools, machinery or blunt force trauma. Deep cuts carry the risk of infection and can cause permanent scars.
- Broken bones can result from falls, contact with machinery or vehicle collisions. These can affect any part of your body, including your ribs, jaw, toes or pelvis.
- Head injuries can be due to falling objects, falls from height or collisions. They range from mild bumps to severe brain trauma, with permanent consequences.
- Hearing loss and tinnitus are caused by prolonged exposure to unsafe noise levels at work.
- Respiratory illnesses develop from inhaling dust, fumes, asbestos and other hazardous substances.
- Repetitive strain injuries are caused by prolonged, repetitive tasks such as typing or working on assembly lines.
- Crush injuries occur when a body part is trapped between two heavy objects. This can damage the skin, muscles, nerves and bones and could result in amputations.
Examples of workplace injury compensation payouts
The table below provides compensation figures for various types of injuries at work, taken from the 18th Edition of the Judicial College Guidelines:
| Injury Type | Description | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Arm Injuries | A simple forearm fracture | £8,700 - £25,000 |
| A severe arm injury falling just short of amputation | £127,000 - £173,000 | |
| Hand Injuries | A moderate hand injury, including crush injuries, penetrating wounds or soft tissue damage | £7,500 - £18,000 |
| Total or effective loss of one hand | £127,000 - £145,000 | |
| Brain Damage | A brain injury with full recovery within three years | £2,900 - £17,000 |
| Brain damage causing severe physical and cognitive disability, full-time nursing care and significantly reduced life expectancy | £373,000 - £534,000 | |
| Hip And Pelvis Injuries | A hip or pelvis fracture or significant soft tissue injury with minimal or no long-term disability | £5,200 - £17,000 |
| A severe hip or pelvis fracture requiring surgery and causing ongoing symptoms or disability | £82,000 - £104,000 | |
| Chest Injuries | Fractured ribs or soft tissue injuries causing pain and disability for a few weeks | Up to £5,200 |
| Chest and lung damage causing some continuing disability | £41,000 - £72,000 | |
| Leg Injuries | A femur fracture | £12,000 - £19,000 |
| A very serious leg injury causing permanent mobility problems and need for crutches or mobility aids | £72,000 - £117,000 | |
| Back Injuries | A minor back injury recovering fully within 1-2 years | £5,800 - £10,000 |
| A severe back injury with spinal cord and nerve root damage, causing pain, disability and bladder, bowel and sexual impairment | £120,000 - £213,000 | |
| Neck Injuries | A minor neck injury recovering fully within 3-12 months | £3,200 - £5,800 |
| A neck injury causing serious cervical spine damage and substantial loss of neck movement | £87,000 - £173,000 | |
| Shoulder Injuries | A minor shoulder injury recovering fully within 3 months | Up to £3,200 |
| A serious shoulder injury causing permanent symptoms | £17,000 - £25,000 |
You can use our online accident at work claim calculator to determine how much compensation you might be entitled to receive for your injuries.
For a personalised compensation estimate, call 0800 470 0472 or request a call back, and you will receive a free case assessment with an experienced legal adviser.
How much compensation can I claim for a workplace injury that was partially my fault?
You could still make a claim for compensation even if you were partially at fault for a workplace injury. However, your payment will likely be reduced by a percentage that reflects your contributory negligence.
For example, if your claim is valued at £80,000 and you are found 25% to blame for your injuries, you would only be awarded £60,000. Examples of contributory negligence in workplace accident claims include:
- Failing to wear the provided personal protective equipment (PPE).
- Not following training or instructions properly.
- Engaging in horseplay or reckless behaviour.
- Entering restricted or hazardous areas.
- Failing to report hazards or defects.
- Ignoring warning signs.
What compensation amount could I get for multiple injuries?
If you have suffered multiple injuries in a workplace accident, your compensation payment will not simply be calculated by summing up the guideline awards for each injury.
Instead, your settlement will reflect the combined impact of all your injuries. As such, you will receive the upper bracket award for your most severe injury and a reduced percentage of the value of the less severe injuries. For example, let’s say you suffered:
- A severe head injury valued at £289,000 - £373,000.
- A moderate neck injury valued at £33,000 - £51,000.
- A minor shoulder injury valued at £3,200 - £5,800.
In this case, you would receive the maximum compensation for your head injury and a smaller percentage of the value for the other two injuries.
Will I have to pay tax on my workplace injury compensation?
No, you typically don’t need to pay any tax on the compensation awarded for a workplace injury. The compensation payment is not considered earnings or profit, so it is entirely exempt from Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax.
Instead, compensation aims to put you back in a position you would have been in if the accident had not occurred. However, any interest gained on your settlement after an award or judgment but before a payment is made is taxable. The tax is often deducted at source.
Also, if you invest your compensation or place it in a savings account and later earn interest or investment returns, these gains will be subject to tax and must be declared to HMRC.
What will be deducted from my compensation award?
If your claim is successful, certain deductions may be made from the compensation you received for an injury at work:
- If you claimed under a conditional fee agreement, your solicitor would deduct a success fee from your payout. This fee is capped at 25% of your general damages and past financial losses and does not affect future losses.
- If you have also taken After the Event (ATE) insurance to protect you from legal costs and disbursements, you would also have to pay the price of the premium.
- In rare cases, you may be asked to cover small expenses such as expert report fees if they can’t be recovered from the other side.
- Any interim payments that may have been awarded to you to cover your immediate financial needs while the case was ongoing.
Could I lose my job if I make a workplace injury claim?
Your employer owes you a legal duty to keep you safe from accidents and injuries at work. If this duty is breached and you suffer harm, you could claim compensation for your pain, suffering and related financial losses.
Making a claim is your legal right, and your employer cannot dismiss you, discipline you or treat you unfairly for exercising it. You are protected from retaliation by the Employment Rights Act 1996.
If your employer were to sack you, demote you or make your working conditions intolerable because you made a claim, it could amount to unfair or constructive dismissal. This would give you the right to make a separate claim at an employment tribunal.
The tribunal could order your employer to reinstate you or compensate you financially, depending on the situation.
What evidence do I need to secure the best compensation for work injuries?
When making a claim, you need various types of evidence to prove negligence, the extent of your injuries and their impact on your life. You could use the following to build a strong case and maximise the compensation you may receive:
- Detailed medical records documenting your injury, diagnostic tests and treatments.
- An independent medical assessment to confirm your prognosis and ongoing needs.
- A diary of your symptoms and how they have affected different aspects of your life.
- Photos, videos or CCTV footage of the accident scene, hazards or unsafe conditions at work.
- Pictures of your injuries immediately after the accident and during recovery.
- Statements from colleagues or others who saw the accident and how it has affected you.
- A copy of an accident report that you should file with your employer and make sure they record in the company’s accident book.
- Proof of related financial losses and expenses, such as receipts, invoices and wage slips.
Do I need a personal injury solicitor to make an injury at work claim?
No, you do not legally have to use a solicitor to make a workplace accident claim and pursue the compensation you deserve. However, hiring an experienced solicitor is highly recommended, as they can:
- Provide expert legal advice and guidance on a no win no fee basis.
- Navigate any complex legal issues that may arise.
- Assess your eligibility and estimate how much your claim could be worth.
- Gather and organise evidence to prove your employer’s negligence.
- Arrange a free medical assessment to support your claim.
- Handle all communication with your employer and their insurer.
- Negotiate the maximum level of compensation on your behalf.
- Represent you in court if your employer disputes liability or negotiations fail.
What is the time limit to claim compensation for an injury at work?
Generally, you have three years to pursue compensation if you were injured at work, starting from either:
- The date of your accident.
- The date of knowledge (when your injury or illness was diagnosed and linked to workplace negligence).
Under the Limitation Act 1980, there are a number of exceptions to this rule, which you can read more about here: What is the time limit to make a personal injury claim?
Regardless of your circumstances, we would advise you to start your claim at the earliest time possible. This will help your solicitor gather evidence and build a strong case, which improves your chances of making a successful claim.
Start your claim today!
If you suffered an injury in the workplace, get in touch with our team of solicitors to find out if you can claim compensation. They will offer you a free consultation and guide you through all the steps of the claims process.
You can use our online compensation calculator to find out how much compensation for an injury at work you could receive. But speaking with a solicitor will give you a more informed figure, based on your exact circumstances. They will assess your case for free, with no obligation to proceed.
To get started, call 0800 470 0472 today or use our online claim form to request a call back.
