Do you want to know how to sue for a minor injury at work caused by a negligent employer? If so, continue reading. This guide will explain when you could be eligible to make a compensation claim for an accident at work that caused you to suffer harm after your employer breached their duty of care.
We explain employer negligence and give some examples of how it could lead to a minor or moderate injury.
Even moderate or minor injuries can have an impact on your quality of life, such as less serious breaks and sprains that mean you are unable to drive or work causing lost income and travel expenses. We discuss how compensation for a minor injury at work claim is calculated and what a payout awarded after a successful case could include.
Moving on to evidence, we list some useful forms of proof to support your claim. Finally, we look at how a personal injury solicitor from our panel could help you under a type of No Win No Fee agreement.
If you would like to chat about your minor injury at work claim right now, you can connect with one of our advisors in the following ways:
- Fill out one of our ‘Contact Us‘ form to have us give you a callback.
- Use the live chat feature to discuss claiming compensation.
- Call us on 0800 408 7827.
Jump To A Section
- Can You Claim For A Minor Injury At Work?
- How Could A Minor Injury At Work Be Caused By Employer Negligence?
- How Much Compensation Can I Get For Minor Injuries?
- What Evidence Could Help You Claim Compensation For An Injury At Work?
- Use No Win No Fee Solicitors To Make A Personal Injury Claim
- Learn More About How To Make A Work Injury Claim
Can You Claim For A Minor Injury At Work?
All employees are owed a duty of care by their employers as outlined in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974,(HASAWA). This states that all employers must take all reasonable steps to prevent you from suffering harm as you work.
You might be able to start a compensation claim for a minor injury at work if you can prove that the injury was caused by employer negligence. In tort law, negligence is understood in the following way:
- You were owed you a duty of care.
- This duty of care was breached.
- As a result, you suffered physical injury, psychological harm or both.
All three points must apply to have eligible grounds to start a personal injury claim.
In addition to this, there is a three-year time limit in which legal proceedings for personal injury claims need to be started. This generally starts from the accident date, although certain exceptions can apply, such as if the person lacks the mental capacity to seek compensation themselves.
Speak to our specialist advisors on the number above for free and find out if you are within the time limit to make a workplace accident claim. Also, why not take advantage of the free case check to see if you are eligible to seek compensation?
What Is Classed As A Minor Injury?
There is no strict definition of a minor injury. It could include an injury that isn’t immediately life-threatening and may have a less significant or less permanent impact on your quality of life. Examples could include:
- Lacerations, such as a cutting injury.
- Superficial head injuries and mild concussion.
- Minor back injuries.
- Minor leg injuries
- A toe injury or finger injury
- Sprains and strains.
- Minor bone fractures.
In order to claim for minor injuries suffered in an accident at work, you need to show your case meets the criteria listed above.
How Could A Minor Injury At Work Be Caused By Employer Negligence?
Some of the steps an employer can take to uphold the duty of care placed on them by HASAWA include providing necessary personal protective equipment (PPE), carrying out regular risk assessments, and addressing any hazards found to pose a risk of injury. Also, they need to provide adequate training so employees are able to carry out their duties safely.
Failure to do so could lead to an employee suffering a minor injury at work. For example:
- An employer fails to check tools and machinery are safe to use and because of this, you suffer a bad cut to the hand or a broken finger.
- There was a failure to ensure computer cables were properly marked or covered in an office. As a result, you were injured at the office suffering a sprained ankle from tripping over trailing wires.
- You were asked to work with hazardous chemicals without the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE), such as gloves and eye protection. As a result, the chemicals come into contact with your skin and eyes and you suffer minor burn injuries and a minor eye injury.
These are just a handful of examples of how an employee could suffer a minor injury in the workplace. Please note, not all incidents of an employee becoming injured at work will form the basis of a valid claim. You must be able to prove employer negligence.
To learn more about claiming for a health and safety breach that caused your minor injury, contact our team of advisors today.
How Much Compensation Can I Get For Minor Injuries?
A compensation payout for a successful personal injury claim can consist of up to two heads of loss. General damages compensate you for the physical and emotional pain and suffering caused by the injury. Special damages reimburse you for the money you lost because of injury. You can only receive special damages if you are entitled to general damages.
To calculate the value of general damages, it might be necessary to sit for an independent medical exam. A solicitor could help arrange this for you if you choose to have legal representation.
The results of the medical exam are compared with injuries listed in the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This document lists guideline award brackets.
Compensation Brackets
The table comprises some JCG figures, except for the top entry. They are only guidelines as each case varies meaning settlements can differ too.
| Type of Injury | Severity | Guideline Bracket Amounts |
|---|---|---|
| Instances of multiple moderate/minor injuries plus special damages | Moderate/Minor | Up to £250,000 + |
| Head | (c) Moderate (i) | £150,110 to £219,070 |
| Back | (b) Moderate (i) | £27,760 to £38,780 |
| Neck | (b) Moderate (i) | £24,990 to £38,490 |
| Hand | (g) Less Serious | £14,450 to £29,000 |
| Hand | (f) Moderate | £5,720 to £13,280 |
| Ankle | (c) Moderate | £13,740 to £26,590 |
| Knee | (b) Moderate (i) | £14,840 to £26,190 |
| Foot | (g) Modest | Up to £13,740 |
| Elbow | (c) Moderate or Minor Injury | Up to £12,590 |
Claiming For Financial Losses
You could also claim for the costs caused by a minor injury at work under special damages. This might cover:
- Lost earnings – both past and current.
- Medical expenses.
- The costs of domestic care.
- Travel costs, such as taxi fares to and from hospital appointments
To claim back costs under special damages, you will need evidence. This could include bank statements, paid invoices, and wage slips.
If you are unsure about what compensation you could be owed for your minor injury at work claim, speak to our team for free guidance.
What Evidence Could Help You Claim Compensation For An Injury At Work?
To put forward a strong claim for a minor injury at work, it is important to have evidence. To help you with this, we’ve listed some examples below of the steps you could take to collect evidence to strengthen your case:
- Get copies of your medical records. This can be X-rays, scans or proof of medication needed. These can be generated after seeking medical attention.
- Collect witness contact details.
- Take photos of your visible workplace injuries and where the accident happened.
- Keep a personal diary of your symptoms and treatments.
- Request any CCTV footage that captured your accident.
- Get a copy of the incident report from the accident book at work.
You could also consider instructing a solicitor to work on your claim. It’s not a legal requirement to do so but they could help you in many ways, such as assistance gathering evidence and ensuring your case is submitted in full within the relevant time frame.
The work injury solicitors from our panel have experience handling claims for minor injuries and could help you claim compensation. Read on to find out how they can offer their services. Alternatively, call an advisor to discuss potentially being connected with a solicitor to begin working on your case today.
Use No Win No Fee Solicitors To Make A Minor Personal Injury Claim
If you’re interested in starting your minor injury at work claim with a solicitor, call our team. They can assess your case and may connect you to an expert personal injury solicitor off our panel who may provide their work on a No Win No Fee basis through a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).
There are several benefits of having a solicitor offer their services under a CFA, including:
- Nothing needs to be paid upfront for their work or as the claim proceeds.
- If the claim wins, a small percentage is taken from your compensation. This is paid to the solicitor as their success fee but is capped by law to make sure you get the bulk of the compensation.
- For claims that fail, no success fee will be taken.
To find out more about how a No Win No Fee solicitor could assist you through the personal injury claims process and what it means for them to represent you under these terms, get in touch with our team. You can reach out via the following contact details:
- Fill out one of our ‘Contact Us‘ form to have us give you a callback.
- Use the live chat feature at the bottom of your screen
- Call us on 0800 408 7827.
Learn More About How To Make A Work Injury Claim
Below are some more of our useful guides:
- This guide offers information on how to sue for a slip or trip accident that was the fault of a negligent third party.
- Information on broken ankle injury at work claims.
- This guide looks at how to sue a former employer for an injury.
Additionally, more external resources that could help:
- Information on broken bones from the NHS.
- Helpful workplace accident statistics from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
- Guidance on claiming Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from GOV.UK.
Thank you for reading our guide on compensation claims for a minor injury at work. If you’d like any other guidance or information, we encourage you to contact the team on the number above.