I Got Hurt At Work – Do I Need A Lawyer?

By Megan Stanley. Last Updated 6th January 2023. You may be asking whether you need a workplace injury lawyer if you are involved in an accident at work. It is always wiser to seek legal representation when making a personal injury claim because it means the chances of receiving compensation are greatly increased.

Whether you suffer minor workplace injuries or something a lot more serious, you have the right to seek compensation if you can show you were not responsible for the accident occurring. Even if you think you are partly liable, you could still make a personal injury claim but the amount you would be awarded would reflect your level of responsibility.

Can I Sue If I Get Hurt In A Workplace Accident?

Our guide to seeking compensation, and whether you need a workplace injury lawyer to represent you, provides essential information and advice on why having a solicitor act on your behalf improves the chances of a successful outcome.

We offer advice on how you could benefit from No Win No Fee terms if a lawyer establishes your claim is strong and therefore has a good chance of being successful. We explain how a No Win No Fee agreement works and why you would not have to pay a lawyer from our panel any fees upfront for them to start acting on your behalf.

To find out more on why you might want to hire workplace injuries lawyer to represent you when you make an accident at work claim, please continue reading our guide. If, on the other hand, you would like to discuss a personal injury claim with a member of the Legal Helpline team, you can call us on 0161 696 9685. You can also reach us online through our 24/7 live chat service or our online enquiry form.

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Can I Claim If I’m Hurt At Work In An Accident?

Employers and businesses in the UK are legally obliged to ensure that a workplace is safe for staff and visitors to be in at all times. This is referred to as their duty of care.

The law requires them to hold employers’ liability insurance. Employers and businesses must also follow a host of other health and safety regulations.

If you have been injured in a workplace accident, and you believe that your employer breached their responsibilities towards you, it could give you grounds to seek compensation by making an accident at work claim against them.

Workplace injury lawyer guide

Hurt at work do I need a lawyer guide

If the workplace accident is caused through the negligence of a work colleague, or because they made a ‘mistake’, you could still have grounds to sue for compensation.

Proving liability can be challenging in some circumstances, which is when having a workplace injury lawyer act on your behalf can prove beneficial. Our panel of personal injury solicitors have vast experience in representing people who are injured in the workplace whether through no fault of their own or because they were partly responsible for the accident occurring.

An experienced workplace injury lawyer understands and respects the legal process involved in filing an accident at work claim. This includes following pre-action protocols and time limits associated with personal injury claims, all of which goes a long way when it comes to increasing the chance of a workplace accident claim being successful.

To discuss an accident at work claim with a Legal Helpline adviser, please get in contact on the number at the top of this page, or chat with us now using our live chat, bottom right.

How Can An Accident At Work Lawyer Help Me?

It is always wise to seek legal advice following a workplace accident in which you suffered any sort of injury. The reason being is that accident at work claims can prove challenging when it comes to establishing responsibility, or in other words, that your employer breached their duty of care.

Another reason for working with a workplace injury lawyer is because there are strict time limits associated with personal injury claims, and these must be respected to avoid having a claim ‘time barred’. All personal injury claims must be lodged within 3 years of the date of the accident or the date you obtained knowledge that the injury was at least partially the fault of the defendant.

You could opt to seek legal representation from a firm of solicitors who do not offer to represent claimants on a No Win No Fee basis. However, going down this route can prove expensive from the outset. The reason being is that you would have to pay a solicitor an upfront fee for them to begin their investigations. There would also be ongoing fees to pay as a case progresses whether through the courts or not.

Another option is to seek advice and legal representation from a lawyer who offers No Win No Fee terms to claimants who are injured in the workplace. This is something we can help you with. Your case would need to be assessed and once it has been established that you have a valid claim for a workplace injury, the solicitor would then offer to represent you on a No Win No Fee basis.

To find out more on the benefits of having a workplace injury lawyer represent you on a No Win No Fee basis, please call Legal Helpline today.

Common Ways In Which You Could Be Hurt At Work?

Employers in the UK owe employees a ‘duty of car’. They have a legal obligation to protect employees and other staff as well as visitors to the workplace from being harmed so far as reasonably possible. This is set ou in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and set in place ‘safe working practices’.

One of these practices is providing the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) to their employees which includes the following:

  • Dust masks
  • Ear protectors
  • Hard hats
  • High-visibility clothing
  • Safety gloves and shoes/boots

Your employer must also ensure all employees and other staff have been appropriately trained to carry out jobs they are tasked to do in the workplace. A failure to provide any of the above which results in a workplace injury could entitle you to seek compensation.

Some of the more common workplace injuries suffered by employees and other staff include the following:

  • Falls from heights
  • Being injured by hazardous equipment in the workplace
  • Being hit by a moving object or something that falls from height
  • Being hit by a vehicle
  • Manual handling
  • Slips, trips, and/or falls
  • Back injuries

To discuss a workplace accident in which you suffered injuries, please call Legal Helpline today.

Employees Who Are At A Higher Risk Of Getting Hurt At Work

Certain employees and other workers are more at risk of being injured in a workplace accident, and this includes the following:

  • Health care workers
  • Emergency service workers
  • Factory workers
  • Workers on construction and building sites
  • Agricultural workers

If you were injured in a workplace accident and would like to know if you have a valid personal injury claim, please call Legal Helpline today.

How Can A Work Injury Lawyer Help Me Claim?

A work injury lawyer could help you through every step of your claim. Solicitors understand that people can be unfamiliar with the accident at work claims process.

A work injury lawyer could not just act as your representative, but essentially manage your claim on your behalf. Your solicitor could help you claim by:

  • Collecting and requesting evidence that could help you prove your claim
  • Providing you with their expertise on negotiations with insurance firms, and possibly if needed, representing you in court
  • Arranging local appointments for medical assessments

If you are unsure or unfamiliar with the processes involved in accident at work claims, then please speak to a member of our team to see how a workplace injury lawyer could help you.

Accident At Work Lawyer – Do They Need To Be Local?

As we have already stated throughout this guide, if you have been injured in an accident at work, a lawyer could be able to help you with your claim. However, you may be wondering whether you need to use a local layer.

You do not necessarily need to use a local lawyer for a work injury claim. Many lawyers nowadays are able to help you with your claim online, meaning that you don’t have to use someone local. It’s important that you find the lawyer that works best for you. Doing some research online, looking up reviews and asking family members and colleagues, who have used a lawyer in the past for recommendations could help you find the lawyer that’s suited for you.

If you’ve been injured in a work accident, a lawyer from our panel could help you with your claim. They have years of experience and knowledge of working on various accident at work claims.

Contact our advisors today if you have any questions concerning your potential claim. Additionally, if they believe that you may be eligible for compensation, they could connect you with our panel of solicitors.

Injury At Work Compensation Claims Calculator

We have added an alternative to a personal injury claims calculator for injuries sustained in an accident at work. The table below provides an idea of how much your claim may be worth.

The amounts indicated are taken from the Judicial College Guidelines and are awarded in general damages, which relates to your physical pain and psychological suffering. The amounts do not include any special damages that may be included in a successful accident at work claim.

InjuryDetailsAmount
Neck injurySevere (i) - This type of injury is usually associated with incomplete paraplegia or it will result in permanent spastic quadriparesis.In the region of £148,330
Leg injuryAmputation (iii) - One leg is amputated above the knee. Various factors such as phantom pains and any psychological issues will affect how much is awarded.£104,830 to £137,470
Pelvis and Hip injuryModerate (i) - A serious injury to the hips or pelvis. However, the future risk is not great and any permanent disabilities are not major.£26,590 to £39,170
Back injuryModerate (i) - Injuries could include crush or compression fracture to the lumbar vertebrae that cause constant discomfort and pain with a risk of developing osteoarthritis.£27,760 to £38,780
Hand injurySevere fractures to the fingers that may require partial amputations. This will impair the hand's grip and result in a deformity.Up to £36,740
Elbow injuryLess severe - Despite the elbow's function being impaired, it will not require major surgery or result in a serious disability.£15,650 to £32,010
Arm injurySimple fractures of the forearm.£6,610 to £19,200
Ankle injuryModest - Minor or undisplaced fractures, ligamentous injuries or sprains. Whether a full recovery has been made will affect how much is awarded.Up to £13,740
Shoulder injuryModerate - Limited shoulder movement with discomfort that persists for around 2 years due to a frozen shoulder.£7,890 to £12,770
Wrist injuryAn uncomplicated Colles' fractureIn the region of £7,430

To speak to a member of our team for a more accurate estimate on how much your accident at work claim may be worth, please call Legal Helpline today.

What Is A Claim For Special Damages?

You have the right to claim back any financial losses and expenses you had to cope with following an accident at work in which you were injured.

Successful personal injury compensation can include two parts. These are general damages for your pain, suffering and loss of amenity, and special damages for any losses and expenses you had to deal with as a result of a workplace injury.

You must provide relevant receipts and documents to support a special damages claim. You could include any of the following in a successful accident at work claim when it comes to special damages:

  • Loss of income if you are unable to carry on working
  • Loss of earnings incurred during your recovery
  • Care costs – if you need help with daily chores at home
  • Medical expenses – prescription costs, the cost of treatment in the private medical sector which includes therapies and rehabilitation
  • Travel expenses – parking fees at the place where you are treated, the cost of getting there and back whether this is by car, train, bus, or taxi
  • Vehicle and home adaptations if these are deemed necessary
  • Any other expenditure connected to the workplace injuries sustained

To talk to an adviser about special damages, please call Legal Helpline today

Do I Need A Lawyer To Secure An Interim Payment?

If your accident at work claim is complex because the injuries you suffered are severe, your case may take longer to reach a final settlement. A personal injury lawyer would work hard to secure interim payments during this time to avoid you having to deal with any financial pressure. This would also ensure the cost of private treatment, therapy and rehabilitation is covered and that you would not be out of pocket.

If you would like to know more about interim payments, please contact Legal Helpline today.

Why Work With Legal Helpline On Your Claim?

There are several options available to you if injured in a workplace accident, and would like to seek compensation. You could choose to represent yourself but should be aware of the many legal pitfalls you may have to face. This includes respecting both pre-action protocols and personal injury time limits. A failure to respect either of these could result in an unsuccessful accident at work claim.

Another option is to have a solicitor who does not offer No Win No Fee terms to people who are injured in the workplace. But this route too can prove risky as well as expensive. You would have to pay the solicitor an upfront fee (retainer) for them to begin working on your claim. There would be ongoing fees to find too as your accident at work claim progresses.

A third option is to have a No Win No Fee lawyer act on your behalf. For this to happen, your claim would have to assessed by a legal expert and once this is achieved, you would be asked to sign a Conditional Fee Agreement. This is a legal contract between yourself and the No Win No Fee lawyer who agrees to act on your behalf without requesting that you pay them any fees to do so.

This is where Legal Helpline can be of assistance. For more information on working with a No Win No Fee lawyer, please get in touch today.

Accidents At Work Solicitors – No Win No Fee Claims

If you’ve been injured at work and wish to work with accidents at work solicitors but don’t want to take the financial risk, you might benefit with seeking a No Win No Fee solicitor. Under this type of arrangement, you’ll only pay a fee if your claim is successful. The success fee is capped as outlined in the Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013. You won’t pay your solicitor if your claim fails.

A No Win No Fee work accident lawyer may also not expect an upfront fee to start working on your claim.

When you’ve been hurt at work, our panel of expert solicitors may be able to help you on a No Win No Fee basis. Speak to our advisors and they can provide a free consultation to verify the eligibility of your claim.

Begin A Claim With Our Team

To begin an accident at work claim today, please call a member of the Legal Helpline team. We can be reached in the following ways:

  • By telephone on 0161 696 9685 – all calls are free of charge
  • By requesting that we call you back by clicking here
  • By chatting with an adviser on our online live helpline
  • By emailing us at [email protected]

Quick Resources For Hurt At Work Claims

If you would like to know more about Employers’ Liability Insurance, please click on the link below:

Liability Insurance explained

For more information on your employer’s duty of care towards you in the workplace, please follow link provided below:

Employers responsibilities in the workplace

If a loved one was fatally injured in a workplace accident, and you would like more information on claiming compensation, please follow the link below:

Do you still have any questions about accident at work claims or hiring a workplace injury lawyer? If so, then please get in touch with our advisers online or on the phone.