Skip to content We've been featured in:
A chemical burn injury can have serious serious effects on a person’s mental and physical health. When such injuries are a result of failures on behalf of your employer to meet health and safety laws, chemical injury claims can be made. This often applies when the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) has not been provided or there’s been lack of training, meaning that employees were not able to work safely.
Although certain industries may require you to work with chemicals, such as cleaning and scientific research, it is your employer’s responsibility to take reasonable steps to ensure your safety. For example, employers must perform risk assessments and replace equipment when they are aware of faults.
If you make a successful accident at work claim, you can get compensation for your pain, suffering and financial losses. Chemical burn injuries can have long lasting and permanent consequences, so getting a compensation award can help to reduce the financial stress of life after injury.
You can enquire with a Legal Expert advisor today to confirm whether you have valid grounds to make a compensation claim. Before making any legal commitments, you can ask them any questions you have about the process and learn about what your compensation could cover. This is also a chance to confirm whether one of our solicitors could take your case forward on a No Win No Fee basis.
4.8 (466 reviews)
Chemical injury claims are a type of personal injury claim that allow claimants to get compensation for the injuries and associated financial losses that they have suffered due to a chemical incident. Such claims are generally made against employers, who have certain responsibilities to their employees. There are various injuries that can qualify a person for a claim, ranging from psychological to physical conditions.
If you have any questions regarding workplace accident claims, get in touch with our advisors. They will explain any aspects of claiming that you are unsure of.
Yes, there is the option to claim for a chemical burn on the condition that your employer did not uphold health and safety laws, allowing for you to experience an accident and injury. This eligibility criteria can seem complicated, so see below for more details:
A duty of care refers to the responsibility of a party to follow laws that aim to protect the health and safety of others. Employers automatically owe a duty of care to those they employ under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA). This means that they need to take steps that are reasonable to ensure employee safety.
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) is also relevant here. This requires employers to assess and prevent risks associated with hazardous chemicals.
Your employer must have failed to meet the requirements of the law. This could take the form of a failure to conduct the necessary risk assessments, poor health and safety training and inadequate PPE.
As a result of the incident, you must have suffered some form of harm. This may related to physical injuries, such as scarring and a loss of vision. Psychological issues can also qualify, as chemical burns often cause anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
You can make a chemical injury compensation claim on your loved one’s behalf if they are unable to handle the decision-making requirements for a claim themselves. This typically applies in cases involving someone who is mentally incapacitated or under the age of 18.
When representing another person, you are acting as a litigation friend. The role means that you will need to make decisions for the compensation claim and communicate with the solicitor who is working on the case.
Finding out whether you have a valid claim is as simple as getting in touch with one of our advisors. They can further explain the criteria for making chemical injury claims and potentially connect you to one of our solicitors.
Chemical burns may occur due to a lack of adequate PPE, poor training and faulty equipment. For instance, chemical injury claims could be made for these example scenarios:
Chemical injuries can occur in a variety of ways, so our examples may not apply to your situation. Don’t worry if this is the case, as our advisory team is available to help you. By discussing your unique experience, they can confirm whether you meet the criteria to make a compensation claim.
The impacts of chemical injuries can include infections, scarring and numbness in the affected area. The symptoms depend on the severity of the injury and the success of treatment. In some cases, the stress of the event or a resulting cosmetic deformity can give rise to various psychological challenges.
When the vital organs have been affected, there can be vision loss or respiratory issues. A buildup of scar tissue can also restrict your mobility, so serious chemical burns can result in a variety of long-term disabilities.
The nature of your injuries will be considered when assessing your compensation award. You can speak with our friendly advisors to discuss how your chemical burn injury has affected your life and how compensation can cover this.
How much compensation is awarded in successful chemical injury claims depends on the unique physical, mental and financial impact that each claimant has experienced. This is because compensation is tailored to each individual.
If successful, you can expect general damages to be included in your compensation. These compensate you for the suffering and pain associated with your injuries.
Figures from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) may be used to assess your general damages. If you’re wondering what the JCG is, it is a text that combines different severities and types of injury with an appropriate compensation guideline bracket.
You can look at some relevant JCG figures included in the table below. Although these figures can be useful, it is necessary to note that they do not offer a guarantee. Legal professionals calculate compensation to reflect the unique circumstances of your claim. Therefore, these general figures may not apply. Also, please take note that the first figure was not taken from the JCG.
In order to gain a more tailored estimate of your chemical injury compensation, you can speak with a Legal Expert advisor. They can highlight what parts of the case are likely to impact a final payout and explain how compensation is assessed.
| Type and Severity of Harm | Compensation Guideline Brackets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple injuries with financial harm | Up to £500,000+ | Multiple forms of harm leading to financial losses such as medical bills, travel costs and payments for home adjustments |
| Total blindness | In the region of £327,940 | Total blindness |
| Total loss of vision in one eye with reduced sight in the remaining eye (i) | £117,150 to £219,400 | There will be a risk of further deterioration in the eye that was not injured which goes further than sympathetic opthalmia |
| Bodily scarring- burns covering 40% or more of the body | Likely to exceed £127,930 | Several factors will be considered such as the percentage of the body that is burnt and whether there is a pscyhological impact |
| Bodily scarring- a number of noticeable laceration scars or a single disfiguring scar | £9,560 to £27,740 | Scarring may affect the back, chest, arm(s), leg(s) or hands(s) |
| Facial disfigurement- very severe scarring | £36,340 to £118,790 | Claimants will be relatively young between teenage years and early 30s with a psychological reaction and disfiguring cosmetic effect |
| Facial disfigurement- less severe scarring | £21,920 to £59,090 | When there is substantial disfigurement and a psychological reaction that is significant |
| Dermatitis- both hands | £16,770 to £23,430 | There will be soreness and cracking which impacts the person's domestic and working abilities |
| Dermatitis- one or both hands | £10,550 to £13,930 | The condition will continue for a significant amount of time but settle with the use of gloves for certain tasks and treatment |
Yes, chemical injury claims can also include compensation for the financial losses resulting from your injuries. This is covered under a part of the compensation called special damages, which can cover:
In order to recover your losses, you will be asked to include evidence. You can give receipts, bank statements and invoices in order to do so.
By speaking with our advisory team, you can get a better idea of the costs that compensation can include. Get in touch today for free, tailored advice.
4.8 (466 reviews) When it comes to making chemical injury claims, the strength of your evidence will determine the likelihood of getting compensation. It is necessary to prove your chemical injuries and how exactly another party is liable for the incident. Read this section to find out more.
After suffering a burn injury, it is important that you treat the wound as soon as possible. This may require you to visit a GP, hospital, specialist burn care services or urgent care centre. Treatment varies depending on the severity of the burn. Common treatments include dressing the wound, skin grafts and injections to avoid infection.
Although you may be eager to start the claims process, it is vital that you put your health first. Seeking medical attention has the added benefit of creating an official record of your burn injury and the treatment that you required. If you make a claim at a later stage, you can include a copy of your medical records as part of your evidence.
Once you are in a more stable condition, it is best to start collecting your evidence as soon as possible. This may take the form of:
All employers are required to report certain workplace injuries. In terms of chemical burn injuries, your employer must report any burns that cover more than 10% of the body’s surface or that significantly damage the respiratory system, eyes or other vital organs.
You can ask for a copy of the report as part of your personal injury claim. Having formal documentation of the incident is a great way to bolster your case.
It is a good idea to keep your own notes throughout the recovery journey. Where appropriate, you can keep a record of your:
This provides more useful evidence for your case and can be helpful for your own recollections as the claim progresses.
Coping with chemical burn injuries can be difficult, so it is important that you work with a law firm that will give you the support you need. Before making any legal commitments, you can speak with our advisors to discuss:
Contacting our team directly is a great way to get the answers you need without any hassle.
You will need to consider the limitation period for making your claim. Under the Limitation Act 1980, most chemical injury claims need to be made during a 3 year period that begins with the accident date.
There are various exceptions to the time limit, so feel free to contact our advisors to learn more. You can also ask them any questions you may have about the evidence that will be required or how the claims process works.
At Legal Expert, our solicitors know how to give claimants the support they need when making chemical injury claims. Read this section to learn about the different services on offer and how their fee agreements work.
You should choose to work with our solicitors when making a chemical injury compensation claim because they have decades of combined experience. When working with one of them, you can trust your case is in competent hands. The excellent legal services that they offer include:
When making a chemical injury compensation claim, many claimants find a No Win No Fee agreement to be an attractive option. This is because a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) confirms that there is no requirement to pay fees for the work of your solicitor:
However, if you do get compensation, a success fee will be owed. This is a percentage of your compensation that you must pay to the solicitor who represented you. In terms of your interests, you can rely on a legally binding cap in place to ensure that the largest part of the compensation will remain with you.
Should you have any questions about chemical injury claims and how the legal process works, don’t hesitate to speak with our advisors. They can explain anything you are unsure of and possibly connect you with one of our accident at work solicitors. By simply getting touch, you could find yourself one step closer towards getting the compensation you deserve.
Read our other guides using the links below:
External resources
Thank you for taking the time to read this guide on chemical injury claims.
