Last updated 7th November 2024. If you want to know how to sue an office, look no further than this article. We’ve put together this guide to help you understand the process of putting together a valid claim against your employer. We’ll go through examples of accidents at work to clarify what a valid claim looks like. We also discuss No Win No Fee agreements and how they could benefit you.
Before we get started, it would be useful for you to know a few things. Firstly, when making a claim, you must be able to provide evidence of your employer’s negligence. If your employer has ignored the duty of care they owe you and you have consequently suffered a personal injury, you may have grounds to make a valid claim.
Additionally, you can speak to our team for any questions you may still have after reading this article. Get in touch:
- Call 0800 408 7827
- Use the live chat feature on your screen
- Contact us online
- Use the enquiry form at the top of your page
Choose A Section
- How To Sue For An Injury At The Office
- Examples Of Injuries That Could Occur At The Office
- How Can I Prove My Office Accident And Injury?
- How Much Compensation Could I Get If Injured At The Office?
- Can A No Win No Fee Solicitor Help Me Sue For An Injury At The Office?
- Learn More About Accident And Injury At Work Claims
How To Sue An Injury At The Office
When your employer is negligent, you may be injured as a result. Therefore you could be wondering how to sue an office for personal injury.
It is worth noting that your employer has a responsibility for your health and safety in the workplace. This duty of care is set out in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The legislation means employers should take every reasonable step to create a safe working environment.
Responsibilities your employer has may include:
- Providing the correct equipment and making sure it is safe and fit-for-purpose
- Offering adequate training to employees
- Carrying out risk assessments and removing or controlling potential hazards
If an employer has breached a duty of care to you, you may be able to make a claim. However, you must be able to prove that their negligence caused your injury. Speak to our team for more information on how to sue an office.
Examples Of Injuries That Could Occur At The Office
Unfortunately, accidents in the workplace aren’t uncommon. Around 0.4 million workers sustained a non-fatal injury last year, according to statistics from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). However, in some cases, an accident may happen and it is no one’s fault. As such, an employer is likely not to be liable for the accident.
On the other hand, employers are responsible if an accident is caused due to a failure to uphold their duty of care. We’ve featured some example scenarios below.
Slips, trips and falls
A slip or trip accident may happen if your employer fails to carry out regular risk assessments and remove any potential hazards. For example, if you are a window cleaner and your employer provides you with a ladder that hasn’t been assessed for its safety, it could be faulty leading you to fall from a height and sustain a broken foot or broken ankle.
Manual handling accidents
Manual handling accidents could happen if an employer does not provide you with adequate training to perform your job properly and safely. For example, you are a warehouse worker and were not trained to lift heavy stock safely. Subsequently, you could sustain a broken thumb if you drop the stock on your hands.
How Can I Prove My Office Accident And Injury?
In this next section, we will explain how to sue an office for slip and trip accidents. Slip and trip accidents could lead you to have a concussion or fall on your face and break your cheekbone. Like with all workplace accidents, if your employer has neglected their duty of care, there are several steps you may consider to build a strong claim. We explore these steps below:
- Seek medical attention: You should seek medical attention to ensure your injuries are treated properly and safely. Medical records provide key evidence to support your claim too.
- Gather evidence: Obtain CCTV footage, witness contact details, photographs of your injury and where the accident happened, plus records of your accident in the workplace accident book.
- Seek legal advice: Our panel of solicitors may support your claim and help you seek compensation.
If you are ready to begin your claim, get in touch with our team. They may connect you to our panel of solicitors if they think you have a valid claim.
How Much Compensation Could I Get IF Injured At The Office?
If your office accident claim is successful, your compensation could be made up of two heads of claim. These heads of claim are called general and special damages.
General damages, awarded in every successful office accident claim, provides compensation for how you’ve been physically and psychologically affected from being injured at the office. Here are some factors that are considered under his head of claim:
- The severity of your pain.
- Loss of amenity.
- The estimated length of recovery.
During the claims process, you may be asked to attend an independent medical assessment. Legal professionals and others involved in valuing claims can use the reports from this, plus the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), to help calculate your general damages.
The JCG contains guideline compensation brackets for all kinds of psychological and physical injuries and illnesses.
Guideline Compensation Table
The table below contains guideline compensation brackets from the JCG for some potential injuries that could be suffered from an office accident. Only the top figure is not from the JCG.
Please bear in mind that none of these figures can be guaranteed because all office accident claims have unique circumstances.
| Injury | Average Compensation Guideline Amount |
|---|---|
| Multiple serious injuries and special damages | Up to £500,000+ |
| Severe (i) Leg Injuries | £117,460 to £165,860 |
| Severe (i) injuries to the Pelvis and Hip | £95,680 to £159,770 |
| Moderate (i) Injuries to the Pelvis and Hip | £32,450 to £47,810 |
| Wrist Injuries (a) | £58,710 to £73,050 |
| Severe Ankle Injuries | £38,210 to £61,090 |
| Serious Foot Injuries | £30,500 to £47,840 |
| Moderate (i) Knee Injuries | £18,110 to £31,960 |
| Moderate Hand Injury | £6,910 to £16,200 |
Special Damages
Special damages, awarded in some successful office accident claims, provides compensation for how you’ve been financially affected from being injured at the office. Some financial losses that could be incurred include:
- Loss of earnings.
- Domestic care costs.
- Medical bills, such as prescription costs.
To maximise your chance of being awarded special damages, you must provide evidence, such as payslips, receipts, invoices, and bank statements.
Contact us to learn more about how to sue an office for compensation.
Can A No Win No Fee Solicitor Help Me Sue For An Injury At The Office?
A No Win No Fee agreement is a contract you would take out with a solicitor before beginning the claims process. The terms and conditions are agreed upon beforehand to avoid any hidden costs.
A No Win No Fee arrangement is appealing since there are no upfront solicitor fees involved, and your solicitor covers any legal costs accrued during proceedings. This is because solicitors deduct a legally capped fee from your compensation if your claim is successful. Your solicitor doesn’t receive this fee, however, if your claim fails. Subsequently, No Win No Fee solicitors have an extra incentive to make sure you successfully claim compensation.
Our panel of solicitors offer their services on a No Win No Fee arrangement. If you have a favourable claim, our advisors could connect you with them.
Speak To Us About How To Sue An Office
If you feel you have additional questions on how to sue an office successfully, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our advisors may also connect you with a No Win No Fee solicitor if they think that you have a valid claim. You can contact our team through the following methods:
- Giving us a call on 0800 408 7827
- Fill out a contact form
- Use the live chat feature at the bottom of your screen
Learn More About Accident And Injury At Work Claims
Here are some additional resources you may find useful when learning about how to sue an office:
- Concern Form – Report a health and safety issue to HSE.
- Broken Leg – NHS guidance on what to do if you break your leg.
For further reading on how to sue an office, you may find our other guides helpful.
- How To Sue Your Employer For A Broken Forearm – A useful guide for forearm injuries sustained in the office due to employer negligence.
- How To Sue A Former Employer For An Injury – You may be able to sue former employers if you can provide evidence that they caused your injury.
- How To Sue Your Employer For A Broken Ring Finger Injury At Work – A guide to broken ring finger injuries at work.
Thank you for reading our guide on how to sue an office. Speak to our team if you have any additional questions.
Article by JEN
Edited by VIC