How To Sue A Company For Negligence

Last Updated On 30th January 2025. Would you like to know whether you could sue a company for negligence? Have you been injured at work or in public place? Has a healthcare professional breached their duty of care to you? If so, this guide on personal injury/medical negligence claims may provide you with beneficial information.

Within this guide, we will cover what types of evidence you may need to have a successful claim. Further to this, we will look at what kind of compensation you could receive for various injuries. Additionally, we will discuss how a solicitor from our panel may be able to help you on the basis of No Win No Fee.

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We aim to cover what you need to know about making a claim within this guide. However, if you have any queries after reading, we can help. Our advisors are available 24/7 to provide you with free expert advice about your claim.

To speak with our team:

About Suing A Company For Negligence

  1. How To Sue A Company For Negligence
  2. What Evidence Do I Need To Sue A Company For Negligence?
  3. Injury Payout Examples For The UK
  4. How Long Does It Take To Sue A Company For Negligence?
  5. How To Sue A Company For Negligence With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
  6. Ask Our Team About Suing A Company For Negligence And Get Advice About Your Claim
  7. Learn More About Personal Injury Claims

How To Sue A Company For Negligence

In order to sue a company for negligence, you must prove that because they breached their duty of care to you, you were injured. But what duty of care do various organisations owe you?

Accidents at Work:

Per the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA), your employer must ensure your health, safety and welfare by taking reasonably practicable steps. This is their duty of care. They could ensure adherence to health and safety laws by performing regular risk assessments and maintenance checks on equipment. An example of how an accident at work could happen due to your employer breaching their duty of care is:

  • Your employer has not replaced or repaired the defective bannister on the main stairwell. As a result, you fall down the stairs when the bannister completely comes away from the wall. You suffer a broken forearm and a broken finger.

Medical Negligence:

All medical professionals must treat their patients with a minimum standard of care to avoid unnecessary harm. If your medical practitioner were to act negligently, you could become avoidably harmed, for example:

  • A doctor prescribes you some medication that contains something you’re allergic to, and they were aware of this allergy. You then suffer a severe allergic reaction.

Public Place Accidents:

The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 states that anyone who is controls a public space, such as a manager, must do all that they reasonably can to keep visitors safe whilst visiting their property. Your local council is considered an ‘occupier’ as they are in control of public spaces such as parks and footpaths. An example of how they could breach their duty of care to you is:

  • Your child is injured on a broken swing in a public park. It is later found out that the defective swing had been reported many times by members of the public but had still not been fixed. Your child suffers a broken ankle and broken foot injury as a result.

No matter who or what organisation you are making a claim against, you will need to prove that they breached their duty of care to you in order to make a claim. Additionally, you then must prove that because they acted negligently, you were harmed in an accident that was preventable.

For further information on liability and duty of care, speak with an advisor today.

What Evidence Do I Need To Sue A Company For Negligence?

If you are going to sue a company for negligence, you will need to provide sufficient evidence proving that you were injured due to them breaching their duty of care. Some examples of evidence that could support a case include:

  • Photographic evidence such as pictures of the accident scene and your injuries.
  • CCTV footage of the accident.
  • A record of your accident in an accident book (if applicable).
  • Eyewitness contact details.
  • A copy of your medical records stating your injuries.

Call our team today for more details on the evidence that you may need to provide for your specific claim.

Injury Payout Examples For The UK

If you decide to sue a company for negligence, your settlement may be split into general and special damages. General damages cover the physical and emotional suffering caused by your injury. As well as the impact the injury has had on your quality of life. Special damages compensate you for the financial losses caused by your injuries.

You will need to provide evidence of your suffering in order to successfully claim for these damages. For example, you could provide a copy of your medical records to prove your physical suffering and a copy of your bank statements to prove financial loss.

To help you understand how much you could potentially receive in general damages, we have created the following table. The figures are taken from the 16th edition of the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), a document solicitors in England and Wales often use to help value claims. However, you should only use these figures as a guide, as how much you may receive will depend on your specific claim.

Injury SeverityAmount Guideline
Multiple Severe Injuries and Special DamagesSevereUp to £1,000,000
Brain and Head InjuryModerately severe£267,340 to £344,150
Brain and Head InjuryModerate (iii)£52,550 to £110,720
Foot InjuriesSevere£51,220 to £85,460
Other Arm InjuriesSubstantial Disablement£47,810 to £73,050
Injuries to the ElbowSevere£47,810 to £66,920
Wrist InjuriesPermanent Disability£29,900 to £47,810
Knee InjuriesModerate (ii)Up to £16,770
Ankle InjuriesModest Injuries Up to £16,770
Leg InjuriesLess serious (iii)Up to £14,450

Speak with one of our advisors today for further information on how to make a compensation claim.

How Long Does It Take to Sue A Company For Negligence?

The length of time it may take to sue for negligence depends on the specific circumstances of your claim. Legal professionals must assess your claim on an individual basis. For example, a medical negligence claim involving a wrongly amputated leg is completely different from an accident at work where someone broke their wrist after tripping over a wire.

Even two claims that appear very similar have different factors to consider. These could include:

  • Whether the defending party accepts liability
  • Whether or not your claim goes to court (it is typically a quicker process to settle a claim outside of court)
  • The court schedule
  • The type of evidence you require to prove your claim 
  • Whether you have fully recovered from the injury (it can take time to assess the future impact of your injury if you have not recovered)

If your claim is represented by a solicitor from our panel, we can assure you that they will assist you at every stage of the claim. They will also provide you with regular updates so that you know the status of your case. 

Please do not hesitate to contact our advisors for more information on how to sue a company for negligence. They can inform you whether you have a valid claim and potentially connect you to a solicitor from our panel for No Win No Fee representation.

How To Sue A Company For Negligence With A No Win No Fee Solicitor

We may have answered your question on how to sue a company for negligence. Now we’ll discuss ‘How do you sue a negligent company in a more pocket-friendly way?’

Our panel of solicitors offer No Win No Fee services in the form of a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This means your solicitor won’t charge you upfront, while your claim is pending or if you lose your case. Should your claim succeed, your lawyer will take a percentage of your compensation as the success fee. There is a legal cap on this percentage to ensure you retain your compensation to the maximum extent.

Have more questions about suing a company for negligence? Contact us now:

Learn More About Personal Injury Claims

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