By Stephen Bishop. Last Updated 16th May 2024. Welcome to our guide, which covers compensation for a self-employed accident at work. As someone who is self-employed, you may be unsure as to what rights you have when it comes to personal injury claims for accidents at work. You may doubt whether you possess the same statutory rights as those in permanent employment. Who would be liable for an injury or illness that results from an act of negligence? While you may feel like you are not eligible to pursue a claim for compensation, this is not true.
Throughout this guide, we will explain how you may be able to make a claim for compensation if another party is at fault for your injury or illness. We will show how you could be afforded the same rights as those in regular employment, along with information about what circumstances you may find yourself ineligible to claim.
You may be worrying about what process to follow and what steps to take, which is understandable and is why our advisors are on hand to help evaluate the validity of your case in a free, no-obligation consultation. If after reading this guide you still have questions or queries about claiming compensation for a self-employed accident at work, call our friendly advisors on 0161 696 9685. Our lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with a team of experts waiting to take your call.
Select A Section
- Can I Claim Compensation For A Self-Employed Accident At Work?
- What Effect Could An Accident At Work Have On Self-Employed Workers?
- How Could A Self-Employed Accident At Work Happen?
- What Compensation For A Self-Employed Accident At Work Could I Get?
- Steps To Take If You Are Self-Employed And Injured At Work
- How Legal Helpline Could Help If With A Self-Employed Work Accident Claim
- Helpful Resources On Accidents At Work
Can I Claim Compensation For A Self-Employed Accident At Work?
If you are looking to seek compensation for a self-employed accident at work, you must be able to demonstrate that you sustained injuries due to a third party breaching the duty of care they owed you.
When you are on the premises of another workplace, the party who controls that space owes you a duty of care. For example, if you are a self-employed electrician and are brought onto a building site to do work, the contractor in charge of this building site would owe you a duty of care. If they breached this duty, causing you to sustain harm, you might have an eligible personal injury claim.
Call on the number above to learn more about you’re eligibility to claim as someone who is self-employed and was injured at work.
What Effect Could An Accident At Work Have On Self-Employed Workers?
In some cases, a self-employed person could be left with long-term repercussions following a self-employed work accident, just like any workplace accident. The consequences of such an event could be detrimental to several areas in a person’s life. For example, a long-term injury could lead to financial loss, an extended absence from work or, in severe cases, termination of work entirely.
In a personal injury claim, these factors will be taken into consideration. This is where the importance of your medical assessment will come into play. Under this assessment, various aspects of your injury will be evaluated and a prognosis provided on your future condition. Instead of relying on an online personal injury claims calculator for a generalised estimation, please discuss your circumstances with an advisor from our panel, who could provide you with a more centralised total of your potential damages.
How Could A Self-Employed Accident At Work Happen?
There are several ways someone who is self-employed could be injured at work. For example:
- You are hired to carry out electric work in an office but because of wires and leads left trailing on the floor, you trip and fall and suffer a back injury.
- You are hired as a joiner to carry out work on a building site but are not provided with a hard hat. As a result, you are hit by a falling object and suffer a serious head injury.
Please keep in mind that in order to make a compensation claim, you need to prove third-party negligence occurred showing that a breach of duty caused your injuries.
To discuss your specific case and find out whether you’re eligible to claim compensation for a self-employed accident at work, call an advisor using the number above.
What Compensation For A Self-Employed Accident At Work Could I Get?
If you make a successful claim for an accident at work while self employed, then your payout may include general damages and special damages. General damages compensate you for the pain and suffering your injury has caused.
The table below features some of the compensation guidelines listed within the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This is a document that may be used by those valuing your accident at work claim for general damages. It lists various types of injuries alongside guideline compensation brackets.
The table below should be viewed as a guide only. Please also note that the first entry in the table is not based on the JCG.
| Injury | Severity | Amount | Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple Serious Injuries with Financial Losses | Serious | Up to £500,000+ | Compensation for the effects of multiple serious injuries and the financial losses incurred, such as lost income, medical costs, and travel bills. |
| Severe Leg Injury | The most serious injuries short of amputation (i) | £117,460 to £165,860 | Although these may not involve amputation, an injury of this severity is considered to be of similar significance to a case of amputation. For example, this may include extensive degloving of the leg, gross shortening of the leg or fractures that do not unite and extensive bone grafting must be undertaken. |
| Very serious (ii) | £66,920 to £109,290 | An injury of this level will require crutches or mobility aids for the remainder of the individual’s life due to permanent problems with mobility. In addition to this, the injury will include multiple fractures which take years to heal, require treatment of extensive levels and which give rise to serious deformity, limitation of movement and development of arthritis. | |
| Serious (iii) | £47,840 to £66,920 | A compound injury to the joint or ligament which results in serious instability, prolonged treatment and also non-weight-bearing which persists over a long period mobility. There will be near certainty that arthritis will ensue from this and extensive scarring will also be likely. | |
| Knee Injury | Severe (i) | £85,100 to £117,410 | A serious injury to the knee will cause disruption to the person’s joint and this will give rise to the development of osteoarthritis, gross ligamentous damage and other such symptoms which will lead to the inevitability of arthroplasty or arthrodesis. |
| Moderate (i) | £18,110 to £31,960 | Some examples of moderate knee injuries which will be considered for such a bracket include dislocation, torn cartilage or meniscus. As a result, the individual will experience minor instability, wasting, weakness and other such mild symptoms for future disability. | |
| Ankle Injury | Very Severe | £61,090 to £85,070 | There is a limited number of examples which fall into this bracket, many of which are unusual. These include transmalleolar fractures to the ankle which result in extensive soft-tissue damage and deformity of the ankle itself. In addition to this, there will be a high risk to future injury which will require amputation. |
| Severe | £38,210 to £61,090 | This type of injury will require an extensive period of treatment. This will incorporate the use of plaster, pins and/or plates which will lead to significant residual disability. For example, this could be through ankle stability or severe limited ability to walk. How much is awarded will depend on various features associated with arthrodesis, the presence of risk to osteoarthritis, regular sleep disturbance and other such symptoms. | |
| Moderate | £16,770 to £32,450 | These injuries will likely give rise to less serious disabilities, such as difficulty to walk on uneven ground, walk for a long period of time or generally stand. These repercussions will usually derive from fractures or ligamentous tears. | |
| Modest Injuries | Up to £16,770 | Although this bracket is less serious than those previously mentioned, the amount awarded will depend on whether a complete recovery is made and, in such cases where a recovery is not completed, what the likelihood may be for the ankle to give way. | |
| Achilles Tendon Injury | Most Serious | In the region of £46,900 | The most serious of Achilles tendon severance will give rise to a range of symptoms, such as restricted movement in the ankle, cramp and swelling. It will be necessary for the individual to cease active sports as a result. |
If you can receive general damages, then your accident at work compensation may possibly also include special damages. This compensates you for financial expenses or losses directly related to your injuries. Examples of expenses or losses that may be covered under special damages include:
- Loss of earnings if time you’ve spent recovering from your injuries has prevented you from working.
- The cost of certain medicines or medical treatments.
- Travel expenses to vital appointments.
To include special damages as part of your claim, you’ll need certain documents as evidence, such as bank statements or wage slips.
For more advice on the potential compensation payout you’ll receive for an accident at work, contact our advisors for free today.
Steps To Take If You Are Self-Employed And Injured At Work
After an accident, your mind may be swamped with emotions and stressed thoughts. When you are able, it’s important to follow some simple steps to gather supporting evidence. These pieces of evidence will be used to strengthen your claim and may put you in better stead for a successful compensation claim. These steps include:
- Photograph The Scene: Following a self-employed work accident, you should take as many photographs of the accident itself as possible, including the cause.
- Gather Witness Contact Details: If anyone was in the vicinity and witnessed the incident, try and collect their contact details. It is important to note, however, that you should not gather a statement from the witnesses, as this is the responsibility of your personal injury lawyer.
- Seek Medical Attention: Even if you suffer a minor injury, you should seek medical attention to ensure a medical record of your suffering.
- Report The Accident: The incident should be reported to the relevant operating body to be logged in the work accident report book.
- Photograph Your Injuries: Alongside seeking treatment for your injuries, you should photograph them too.
This list is not exhaustive, and there may be extra steps that you could take after a self-employed accident at work to assist your solicitor in building your case.
How Long Do I Have To Claim If I Am Self-Employed And Injured At Work?
Your claim will need to be conducted within the relevant personal injury claims time limit. This time limit is 3 years from the date of the accident. However, some exceptions can be made, such as if the person was under 18 or the person lacked the mental capacity to start legal proceedings themselves.
Please speak with an advisor from our team to find out more about how long you have to claim compensation for a self-employed accident at work and any exceptions that might apply to your case.
How Legal Helpline Could Help With A Self-Employed Work Accident Claim
If you have valid grounds to claim for an accident at work while self employed, then our advisors could connect you with a No Win No Fee solicitor on our panel.
The solicitors on our panel can support a claim for an accident at work under what’s called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). Under such an agreement, you won’t need to pay your solicitor for their service before your claim has begun or while it’s being processed. You also won’t be required to pay your solicitor for their work if the claim fails.
If your No Win No Fee claim is successful, then your solicitor’s payment will be covered by what’s called a success fee. This means that your solicitor will take only a small percentage of the compensation awarded for your claim. There is a legal cap that limits the percentage your solicitor can take to cover their payment. This helps ensure that you keep most of the compensation awarded.
Contact our advisors for free today to learn more about claiming with the support of a No Win No Fee solicitor. Our team can also answer any questions on other aspects of the personal injury claim process. To get in touch, you can:
- Call us on 0161 696 9685
- Fill in our contact form.
- Message us using our 24/7 live chat service.
Helpful Resources On Accidents At Work
In addition to the information provided above, please find some additional resources you may find useful to your unique circumstances.
- Gov UK – Health and safety tips from the Government website for major road schemes.
- Citizens Advice For Accidents At Work – If you were injured from an accident at work, you might find this guide useful.
- Claiming compensation for an accident at work
- Accidents at work caused by tiredness and fatigue
- Claim compensation for slipping at work and hurting your back
- How to make an NHS accident at work claim
- How to claim compensation for an accident at work during your probationary period
- Why is it important to report accidents in the workplace?
- Find out how to claim if the company has dissolved
Thank you for reading our guide about compensation for a self-employed accident at work.