Workplace injuries are often associated with more physically demanding jobs, such as construction work. However, office accident claims are not uncommon. If your employer has not taken reasonable measures to ensure your safety in the office and this has caused you an injury, you may be entitled to compensation.
This guide will explain whether you may be eligible to claim. You can also find information about what you can claim for, common types of injuries and their causes in the office. If you decide to file a claim, you can also read about how to proceed with a solicitor from our panel and what services they offer to help with your claim.
Contact the team for help with any queries:
- Via telephone on 0333 000 0729
- Through our online enquiry page.
- Using our live chat on this page
Jump To A Section
- Am I Eligible To Claim After An Accident In The Office?
- What Your Office Accident Compensation Claim Can Be Worth
- Types Of Office Injuries You Can Claim For
- Common Causes Of Accidents In The Office
- Can I Be Sacked After Claiming Against My Employer?
- How To Make An Office Accident Claim
- How Legal Helpline Can Help
Am I Eligible To Claim After An Accident In The Office?
You can claim if you experience an injury in the office and can prove the following:
- Your employer owed you a duty of care
- Your employer failed in their duty
- This failure caused you injury
Your employer owes you a duty of care in the workplace, as established by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Therefore, your employer must take reasonable measures to protect the health and safety of their employees. Measures can include:
- Workplace training
- Checking equipment and machinery are maintained and safe to use
- The provision of appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) where necessary
- The minimisation of risks and hazards, such as securing cables or cleaning up spillages to limit the risk of employees having a slip, trip or fall
- The performance of risk assessments and taking steps to remove or control the risk of hazard if found
If you are still not sure whether you’re eligible to claim, you can contact an advisor to discuss further.
What Your Office Accident Compensation Claim Can Be Worth
Each claim is assessed on a case-by-case basis. However, you can refer to the table below, which includes figures from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). Legal professionals can use the JCG to help them estimate compensation values for general damages (which will be explained in the next section).
Although the figures provide a guide, we cannot guarantee how much compensation you should receive. There are many different aspects to each claim that must be taken into account. However, you can contact an advisor for a free case assessment.
The first figure of this table does not come from the JCG.
| Type of Injury | Severity | Compensation amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severe injuries combined with financial losses | Very severe | Up to £500,000+ | Multiple severe injuries paired with financial losses |
| Head | Moderate | £183,190 to £267,340 | Some intellectual deficit and no prospect of employment |
| Less severe | £18,700 to £52,550 | Similar injuries to moderate cases but good recovery allowing a return to normal daily activities | |
| Back | Severe | £111,150 to £196,450 | Damage to spinal cord or nerve root, causing pain and disability |
| Moderate | £33,880 to £47,320 | Less severe disability than above bracket, covers a broad range of injuries with pain and discomfort | |
| Leg | Very serious | £66,920 to £109,290 | Permanent mobility issues and may need further surgery in future |
| Neck | Moderate | £30,500 to £46,970 | Includes fractures and dislocations, including chronic conditions |
| Arm | Less severe injury | £23,430 to £47,810 | Significant disabilities, recovery expected |
| Shoulder | Moderate | £9,630 to £15,580 | Frozen shoulder that cannot be moved, symptoms continue for around two years |
What Factors Are Taken Into Account?
Compensation for office accident claims is split into two different heads of claim. These are general and special damages. Continue reading to find out more.
General And Special Damages
General damages cover:
- Psychological impact
- The severity of physical injuries
- Reduced quality of life
- Pain and suffering
Special damages can cover costs incurred for:
- Care received
- Damaged belongings
- Home adaptations
- Travel expenses
- Lost wages- including wages that will be lost in future
- Medical costs
Costs included in your special damages must be a result of your office place injury. The list above is also not exhaustive, so there are other potential financial losses you could claim.
You will also need to provide evidence to prove your financial loss. For example, if you wish to claim for medical costs, you will need to keep receipts to show proof of payment and may need letters from a medical professional.
You can contact an advisor if you have further questions about general and special damages.
Types Of Office Injuries You Can Claim For
You can experience many different types of injuries in the office when the employer has not carried out their duty. Examples include:
This is not an exhaustive list. If your injury is not listed, you can get in touch for more information.
Common Causes Of Accidents In The Office
There are many situations where you could sustain an accident in the office due to your employer not carrying out their duty.
Common causes include:
- Slipping over on a wet floor which has not been marked with a wet floor sign
- Tripping while using the stairway if you are unable to see due to inadequate lighting
- Exposed cables and faulty sockets- these can result in electric shocks
- Faulty equipment, such as shelving that cannot withstand heavy objects or a desk chair missing screws
- Wires that are not tidied and secured- these can present tripping hazards
- Failure to train employees for manual activities, such as lifting heavy boxes
Your injury may have had a different cause than the ones listed. Speak with an advisor today to discuss the cause of your office injury and find out if you are eligible.
Can I Be Sacked After Claiming Against My Employer?
Employers cannot legally sack their employees for making office accident claims. They are obliged by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to take reasonable steps to keep you safe in the workplace. Therefore, you have the right to claim compensation from them if you can prove that their breach of duty caused you to suffer injury.
All employers should have employers’ liability insurance to cover workplace injuries. This means that the insurance company often covers compensation rather than the employer. You would not be alone in claiming compensation for a claim of this nature, as many people have filed office accident claims.
If an employer dismisses an employee for making an injury claim against them and they do not have grounds to do so, they could be opening themselves up to a separate employment law action. In general, employers want their staff to be safe at work and understand that insurance pays for claims against them. If you still feel apprehensive, you can contact an advisor for further help and guidance.
How To Make An Office Accident Claim
In this section, you can find out what the process is like and how to proceed with a claim. Starting a personal injury claim can seem like a daunting task, so continue reading to find out more. As you do so, bear in mind that you can instruct one of the experienced personal injury solicitors from our panel to help you with all aspects of your case.
Collect Supporting Evidence
You will need to provide evidence to prove that you suffered an injury in the office and that it was due to your employer failing in their duty.
Evidence may include:
- Witness contact details so that a statement can be taken if needed
- Medical records with details of the injuries and treatments
- CCTV footage of the incident (if there is any)
- Photographs of the injury or the scene of the incident
- Accident reports- your employer should have noted the incident in an accident book
- Financial records- such as payslips and bank statements
- Receipts to prove other financial losses
How Long You Have To Make A Claim
If you have the evidence required to file a claim, you will need to do so within the correct time limit (known as the limitation period). For a personal injury claim, the limitation period is three years from the date that the accident occurred, according to the Limitation Act 1980. You need to start your claim in this time frame but you do not need to finish it.
There are some exceptions to this time limit. If the claimant is under eighteen or lacks mental capacity, the time frame for starting a claim works differently. You can contact us to see if you are still in time to make a claim.
No Win No Fee Agreements
You may be concerned about the cost of bringing a claim. Therefore, a No Win No Fee contract could be your solution. A solicitor from our panel can offer you a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), which is a type of No Win No Fee agreement.
This means that you will not have to pay solicitors fees:
- Before your claim begins
- While your claim is ongoing
- If your claim is unsuccessful
You would only be required to pay a success fee if you do receive compensation. A success fee is a legally capped percentage of the compensation. As it is capped, you will receive the majority of your compensation.
How Long Will It Take For Me To Get Compensation?
Aside from the limitation period mentioned in the previous section, we cannot state how long it takes to receive compensation for office accident claims. This is because each case is different and the timescale can be impacted by:
- The type of injuries you have suffered and their severity
- The costs you have incurred because of your injury
- Whether your claim needs to go to court and how busy the court schedule may be
- The cooperativeness of the defendant and whether they offer to settle outside of court
- The time taken to gather evidence
Our panel solicitors will try and complete your case in a timely manner, whilst still aiming for the maximum compensation for you. The sooner you start your claim, the sooner you will find out if you have been successful and will receive compensation. You can call or enquire online to start your claim today.
How Legal Helpline Can Help
As well as offering you a No Win No Fee contract, our panel of solicitors will help you with:
- Adding all relevant losses to your claim
- Gathering the correct evidence and filing documentation
- Negotiating with the defending party
- Understanding complicated legal processes and jargon
- Ensuring that your case meets all necessary deadlines
Starting a claim does not have to be an ordeal. The right legal representation will give you a stronger chance of winning your case. Our panel solicitors are knowledgeable and approachable.
Get in touch with an advisor for more details:
- Via telephone on 0333 000 0729
- Submit an online enquiry
- Using our live chat on this page
More Information
Take a look at some other guides that may be relevant:
You can also visit the links below for further reading:
- When you are entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
- Here is an NHS guide on first aid
- Health and Safety Executive statistics about accidents and injuries at work.
Thank you for taking the time to read this guide on office accident claims.
