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Last Updated: 17 October 2025. If you stood on a nail at work, you may have sustained severe injuries to your foot. Such accidents may occur at your workplace if the floor hasn’t been checked or cleaned, or if you haven’t been provided with safety boots. In such cases, you may have an eligible accident at work claim against your employer.
At Advice, our advisors and solicitors have years of expertise in securing a fair compensation payout for workers, employees and contractors. For more information, feel free to contact our advisory team:
- Call on 0161 509 2856.
- Contact us online.
- Use our live chat feature.
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What You Need To Know If You Stood On A Nail:
- Do I need to get a tetanus shot if I stood on a nail? Yes, it is very likely that you would need to get a tetanus shot if you stood on a nail. This is true especially if the wound is deep and you haven’t had a booster shot in the last 5-10 years.
- What kind of injuries are possible from standing on a nail? Some examples of the injuries which are possible from standing on a nail include puncture wounds, lacerations and skin infections.
- Can I claim compensation if the nail injury was partially my fault? Yes, even if you were partially at fault, you may be able to claim compensation. However, under contributory negligence, your compensation will be reduced depending on your responsibility.
- Will I lose my job if I claim against my employer? No, your rights as an employee include making a claim for compensation. Therefore, you cannot be dismissed for this reason.
- Can I claim compensation for the loss of income due to the nail injury? Yes, if your nail injury claim is successful, you may seek compensation for the loss of income under special damages.
Select A Section
- A Guide To Nail Injury At Work Claims
- What Injuries Could Standing On A Nail Cause?
- How To Treat Your Injuries
- What Should I Do If I Stood On A Nail At Work?
- What Could You Claim If You Stood On A Nail At Work?
- Talk To Us About Making No Win No Fee Claims
A Guide To Nail Injury At Work Claims
Workplace health and safety is something that employers must take very seriously. The Health and Safety At Work etc Act 1974 is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the UK government agency responsible for governing health and safety in the workplace.
A breach of their lawful duty to apply certain measures for staff safety can result in an employer being liable to compensate you for injury. One example could be a failure to provide personal protective equipment (PPE). The legislation called the Personal Protective Equipment At Work Regulations 1992 clearly explains what is legally necessary for employers to do. Injury may also result from other negligence, such as a lack of training and supervision.
Other requirements may include:
- Running a safe and fit-for-purpose workplace at all times
- Conducting risk assessments to identify potential issues
- Meeting with safety representatives and responding to employee concerns about safety
- Providing adequate training and clear advice on health and safety.
Under Section 7 of the HASAWA, employees also have a duty to safeguard their health and well-being in the workplace as much as possible. But if you stood on a nail at work that should have been counter-sunk or more clearly indicated as a risk, you may have an eligible claim for accident at work damages for the injury caused. Our team are available to offer free immediate guidance on the number above.
What Injuries Could Standing On A Nail Cause?
If you stood on a nail at work, it can be possible to suffer a wide range of injuries. Nails come in varying lengths and thicknesses, but even the smallest masonry nail can cause significant damage when trodden on. Some examples include:
- Puncturing the sole of the foot, causing tissue damage
- Piercing the foot and causing nerve damage
- Hitting a metatarsal bone in the foot
- Stabbing the heel and becoming embedded in the foot
- Other lacerations and tears.
What Are Tetanus Injuries?
Any of these injury types could then go on to cause tetanus or even septicemia, which has the potential to be life-threatening. Nerve damage can potentially cause permanent injury, impacting the way the person walks and their future mobility. These injuries can be complex and long-lasting. This may, in turn, impact their ability to work at their chosen occupation and create economic issues for them.
How To Treat Your Injuries
If you stood on a nail at work, there are some immediate steps that you can take to treat the injury. Please note that professional medical advice should always be sought after any type of injury that could result in an infection.
Getting medical care after an injury at work will not only ensure that you get the treatment and care needed to make a full recovery, but it will also mean that your injury and any subsequent treatment are documented in your medical records. Your medical records can then go on to be used as evidence should you have a valid personal injury claim.
What Should I Do If I Stood On A Nail At Work?
You can take practical steps to report injuries after standing on a nail at work. Also, to strengthen any intention, you may have to launch a claim for personal injury. These are actions that you can take yourself or with the assistance of a personal injury solicitor, such as:
- Report the accident immediately
- Record the event in the accident at work book
- If the accident is serious, to warrant it, the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) procedure should be applied by your employer.
- Record the time, place and nature of the accident
- Take photos of the area and request CCTV footage if possible
- Obtain copies of medical evidence of your injuries
- Request witness details in case a statement is needed at a later date.
At this point, you may wish to consider working with a personal injury solicitor to help. If so, please get in touch with our team. We can offer a free eligibility assessment and connect you with a lawyer to help.
What Could You Claim If You Stood On A Nail At Work?
With this in mind, a personal injury solicitor could help you calculate two potential compensation areas. Solicitors use a publication called the Judicial College Guidelines to see what general damage amounts could be awarded. These award bracket amounts are not guarantees, merely guideline figures, as the table shows. Also, the top row isn’t taken from the JCG.
| Area of Injury | Award Bracket | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Injuries and Special Damages | Up to 250,000+ | There can be many injuries and a loss of earnings, medical and travel expenses. |
| Amputation of One Foot | £102,470 to £133,810 | Similar to a below knee amputation |
| Foot - Very Severe | £102,470 to £133,810 | Permanent and severe pain and disability caused |
| Foot - Severe | £51,220 to £85,460 | Severe injury that causes degloving and requires surgery |
| Foot - Serious | £30,500 to £47,840 | Continuous pain and a risk of future traumatic arthritis, prolonged treatment and risk of fusion surgery |
| Foot - Moderate | £16,770 to £30,500 | Displaced metatarsal, permanent deformity and continuing symptoms |
| Foot - Modest | Up to £16,770 | Puncture wounds, fractures and other issues that cause a permanent limp, pain or aching |
| Toe - Severe | £16,770 to £25,710 | Bursting and crush wounds that cause severe damage and create permanent injury |
| Toe - Serious | £11,720 to £16,770 | Pain, discomfort and sensitive scarring, stabbing pains and impaired gait |
| Toe - Moderate | Up to £11,720 | Straight-forward fractures. |
These amounts aim to address the impact on quality of life and the consequences of the injury. A solicitor can arrange an assessment of the injuries for you.
As well as this, an amount can be calculated for financial loss. Special damages need documented proof of financial harm caused as a direct result of workplace negligence. This can be receipts, bills or statements that show how you needed to meet expenses created by the injury.
Our team offers guidance to ensure all eligible amounts are acknowledged.
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Talk To Us About Making No Win No Fee Claims
Therefore, if you stood on a nail at work and suffered a foot injury due to negligence, a personal injury solicitor could help. At Advice, we can connect you with No Win No Fee solicitors offering to represent you under Conditional Fee Agreements.
The advantages of working this way include no upfront fees while the solicitors work on your behalf. Successful claims require a small amount to be deducted from the payout as a success fee for your solicitors. Furthermore, claims that are unsuccessful do not require a success fee at all.
Learn how a No Win No Fee agreement could help you after you stood on a nail at work by:
- Calling our team for free advice at 0161 509 2856
- Contacting us online
- Or using the live chat option opposite
Read More About Accidents At Work Claims
In conclusion, if you stood on a nail at work and want to make an accident at work claim, the resources below offer further general reading on the subject of claiming compensation:
- As well as this, read guidance from the NHS after a foot injury
- In addition to this, accident statistics in the workplace
- Lastly, details on whether an injury needs stitches
