Top Tips When Making An Office Accident Claim

This guide will explore when you could be eligible to make an office accident claim after you sustained injuries in an accident at work. Throughout the guide, we will discuss the eligibility criteria that must be met to make a personal injury claim for this type of accident, the evidence that can support your case, and how long you have to begin legal proceedings. 

Office Accident Claim

Office Accident Claim Guide

Additionally, we will look at examples of how you could sustain an injury whilst working in an office and when your employer may be liable.

Also, we will provide a table of guideline compensation brackets and discuss how a settlement could be calculated for a successful personal injury claim.

Lastly, we will look at the potential benefits of making a compensation claim with an accident at work solicitor, as well as describe what it means to do this via a No Win No Fee agreement. 

If you have any questions regarding your potential personal injury claim, or if you would like to enquire about starting the process today, please get in touch with an advisor from our team. They are available at all times to offer you a free consultation and provide advice.

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Eligibility Criteria When Making An Office Accident Claim

Employers owe their employees a duty of care to perform reasonably practicable steps to ensure their safety at work. This is established by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA). Some of the reasonably practicable steps that an employer must take include providing proper training to their employees, performing risk assessments and carrying out maintenance within a reasonable time frame. 

To be eligible to make a personal injury claim for an accident in an office, there are certain criteria that must be met. These are as follows: 

  • Your employer must have owed you a duty of care at the time and place that your accident occurred.
  • Your employer breached their duty of care.
  • Due to this breach, you sustained injuries. These could be physical, psychological or both.

This is negligence, for which you could be eligible to make a personal injury claim.

If you would like to find out whether you may be eligible to make an office accident claim, please contact an advisor from our team, who can assess your case for free. 

Top Tips When Making An Office Accident Claim

It is important to prove your employer’s negligence when making an office accident claim. Below we will provide some examples of the steps you could take to support your case:

  • Fill out the accident at work book and obtain the report as evidence of the accident. 
  • Acquire a copy of your medical records. 
  • Keep a diary of your symptoms and the impact they have on your quality of life.
  • Take pictures of any visible injuries and the accident scene.
  • Acquire contact details of any witnesses for statements to be taken at a later date. 
  • Keep proof of any financial losses incurred due to your injuries, such as receipts, bank statements, payslips and invoices. 
  • Obtain any CCTV footage that could show the accident taking place.

Also, we recommend that you seek legal advice after sustaining injuries in the workplace, for which your employer was liable.

Our advisors are available 24/7 to provide insight and guidance regarding your potential personal injury claim. What’s more, they could find your claim to be eligible and potentially connect you with a solicitor from our panel. A solicitor can help with the process of gathering evidence and building your case. 

Is There A Time Limit To Claiming Office Accident Compensation?

To make a compensation claim following an accident in an office, there are time limitations that must be adhered to. In accordance with the Limitation Act 1980, personal injury claims must be started within 3 years from the date that the accident took place. 

Although there are some expectations that may apply to this time limit in certain circumstances. For guidance on how long you have to claim for an accident at work or to enquire about the exceptions to the time limit in connection with your claim, please get in touch with an advisor from our team. 

How Could An Office Accident Be The Result Of Employer Negligence?

There are various ways an office accident could occur. Below we will provide some examples of accidents and injuries that could be caused by employer negligence: 

  • Uncovered and tangled wires run across a walkway in the office where you work, which causes you to trip and fall and sustain a wrist injury. 
  • You report a fault with your chair to your employer. However, they fail to repair or replace the faulty piece of equipment within a reasonable time frame, leading to you sustaining a back injury. 
  • A leak causes a puddle of water on the floor of the office. There is no signage provided, and the leak is not repaired within a reasonable amount of time. Due to this, you slip on the wet floor and suffer a leg injury. 

If you have been injured at work and would like to find out whether you could have valid grounds to make an office accident claim, speak to one of our advisors today.

How Much Compensation For An Accident At Work Could I Receive?

The compensation award for a successful office accident claim can be made up of up to two types of damages, general damages and special damages. Firstly, general damages can compensate for the physical and mental pain and suffering that is caused by your injuries. 

Below we have created a guideline compensation table for various injuries that could be sustained in a workplace accident. To create this table, we used the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), which accident at work solicitors can also refer to for help valuing general damages in personal injury claims.

However, please remember that this table is only a guide as all personal injury claims are unique. Therefore, compensation amounts will differ.

Compensation Bracket Guidelines

Injury TypeSeverity Compensation Bracket GuidelineDetails
Brain DamageModerately Severe (b)£219,070 to £282,010The injured person will have serious disabilities and will be substantially dependent on others.
Neck InjurySevere (a)(i)In the region of
£148,330
A neck injury that is connected with incomplete paraplegia or results in permanent spastic quadriparesis.
Pelvis and Hip Injuries Severe (a)(i)£78,400 to £130,930An extensive pelvis fracture which involves, for example, a ruptured bladder and the dislocation of a lower back joint.
Hand InjurySerious Damage to Both Hands (b)£55,820 to £84,570Injuries lead to significant loss of function and cosmetic disability of a permanent nature.
Arm InjuryPermanent and Substantial Disablement (b)£39,170 to £59,860Injures, such as, serious fractures to one or both forearms. There will be a permanent significant residual disability that is either functional or cosmetic.
Elbow InjuryLess Severe (b)£15,650 to £32,010Elbow function will be impaired but there will be no requirement for major surgery and no significant disability.
Leg InjuryLess Serious (c)(i)£17,960 to £27,760An incomplete recovery is made after a fracture or there will be serious soft tissue injuries.
Ankle InjuryModerate (c)£13,740 to £26,590Injuries, such as fractures, that lead to less serious disabilities, for example, difficulty walking on uneven ground.
Knee InjuryModerate (b)(i)£14,840 to £26,190An injury that involves dislocation, torn cartilage or meniscus and leads to problems such as, minor instability, or other mild future disability.
Wrist InjuryUncomplicated (e)In the region of £7,430An uncomplicated Colles' fracture.

Special Damages In A Work Injury Claim

Furthermore, special damages could also be awarded in a successful personal injury claim. This head of claim aims to reimburse you for any financial losses that have been incurred as a result of your injuries. 

For example, special damages could reimburse for: 

  • Loss of earnings 
  • Care costs 
  • Medical expenses 
  • Travel costs 
  • Home adaptations

If you would like an advisor from our team to provide you with a more personalised estimate of how much compensation you could be eligible to receive, please get in touch. 

Could I Use A No Win No Fee Solicitor To Make An Office Accident Claim?

A No Win No Fee solicitor could offer to work on your office accident claim under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This is a type of No Win No Fee agreement that eliminates upfront and ongoing payments for the services your solicitor provides. What’s more, you also generally won’t be expected to pay for these services at any time if your claim is unsuccessful.

However, in the event of a successful claim, your solicitor can take a small success fee. This is a percentage of your compensation that the legislation covering CFAs caps. This ensures that you’ll receive the majority of your compensation. 

An advisor from our team can assess your claim to determine whether you may be eligible to pursue compensation. If they find that you could be, they may connect you with a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel. Therefore, you should not hesitate to get in contact with our team today.

You can:

Learn More About Claiming For Accidents At The Workplace

Below are more of our guides on workplace accident claims:

We have also included external links that you may find useful:

Thank you for reading this guide on when you may be eligible to make an office accident claim. If you have any remaining questions, please get in touch with an advisor from our team. 

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