I Hurt Myself At Work, What Should I Do? | Step-By-Step Guide
By Stephen Hudson. Last Updated 3rd July 2024. Welcome to our claims guide where we’ll attempt to answer “I injured myself at work, what should I do?”.
At Legal Expert we often get questions from members of the public who have been injured at work, about what they should do, and whether or not they can claim compensation for their injuries. “I injured myself at work, what should I do?” is one of the questions that our advisors may be asked, as well as, “I injured myself at work can I sue?”, “I injured myself and can’t work, what should I do?” and “Do I get paid if I get injured at work?”, amongst other questions.
If you have been injured at work because of an accident that was caused by negligence on the part of your employer, or the part of another party then you could be entitled to make an accident at work claim for personal injury compensation. We will always fight to get you the maximum amount of compensation that you are owed, and may give you the option to make a no win no fee claim for compensation.
If you have been injured at work because of an accident that was not your fault, call Legal Expert today. Tell us your “I injured myself at work” story and if you are entitled to claim, we can provide you with an excellent personal injury solicitor to handle your claim.
Our advisors are also trained to answer other questions you may have, such as “What are my injury at work rights?”, “What should I do after an accident at work?” and “can I be dismissed after accident at work?” Call Legal Expert today on 0800 073 8804 to learn more.
Select A Section:
- What Is The Procedure I Should Follow After Hurting Myself At Work?
- Reporting That You Injured Yourself At Work
- Collecting Evidence Of Your Accident And Injuries
- I Hurt Myself At Work, What Compensation Could I Claim?
- I Hurt Myself At Work – Can I Claim With A No Win No Fee Solicitor?
- Recommended Reference Materials
What Is The Procedure I Should Follow After Hurting Myself At Work?
You may be asking yourself as an employee, what should you do if you have a work related incident? If you are hurt at work by an accident, then we recommend taking the following steps:
- Seek medical attention as soon as possible.
- Make sure the accident is reported to your manager or whoever else at work it may be appropriate to contact.
- Report the incident in the work accident book or, if necessary, get a work colleague to do this for you.
- If you intend to start a compensation claim for the accident, then you should start gathering evidence once you have sufficiently recovered from your injuries. As part of this process, this could include the contact details of any witnesses who saw the work accident. You could also take photos of the accident scene and any visual injuries you have because of the incident. A copy of the report in the work accident book could also serve as evidence.
- You could contact an accident at work solicitor about your potential case and discuss evidence and other parts of the claiming process with them.
You can contact our advisors for free today if you would like to ask them questions such as “I hurt myself at work, can I claim compensation?”
Reporting That You Injured Yourself At Work
If you’re wondering “I hurt myself at work what should I do?”, this section will highlight the importance of reporting accidents in the workplace.
Reporting an injury at work, should be part of any business or organisation’s accident at work procedure. According to RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, 2013), any accident at work defined as a “reportable accident” should be reported to the Health and Safety Executive.
If your accident is not a reportable accident, you still need to report your accident to your place of work. This will count as evidence to support your claim. It is also important that your place of work knows what happened, so they can make any adjustments that need to be made to your working environment or how employees carry out their activities that will better protect you and your colleagues from accidents in the future.
Completing An Accident Report Book
You should make a formal report in the accident log book as soon as you possibly can. Make sure the details of your accident, as well as the date, time and place are accurately recorded, before you sign.
Collecting Evidence Of Your Accident And Injuries
One of the other things you can do if you’re wondering “I hurt myself at work what should I do?” is collect any evidence you can. You can take photographs and use CCTV to support your claim.
Collect CCTV And Video Evidence
You may be able to submit video evidence of the accident, or the circumstances that led up to it, as evidence in your claim. If you choose to hire a solicitor, they may also request copies of CCTV tapes if they are available, to support your claim.
Take Photos
You can collect visual evidence to support your compensation claim by taking photos of your injuries, the hazard that caused your injuries and anything else that might help your case. Include a date stamp if possible.
Speak To Colleagues Who Witnessed Your Injury
One of the other things you can do if you’re wondering “I hurt myself at work what should I do?” is collect witnesses’ contact details.
Unfortunately, unscrupulous employers sometimes conduct an investigation into what happened when the employee who was injured is still in hospital or on sick leave. This can be in order to bend the truth to make the business or organisation look less culpable. Speak to a trustworthy colleague, and ask them to speak up on your behalf as the investigation takes place, reporting any wrongdoing back to your and your solicitor if necessary.
To learn more about your injury at work rights, contact our team of advisors. They can offer free legal advice.
I Hurt Myself At Work, What Compensation Could I Claim?
When seeking workers’ injury compensation, there are two types of damages that could be included in your claim. In a successful claim, you would receive general damages, which aim to compensate for any pain, suffering or loss of amenity caused by your injuries. You may also be eligible to claim special damages, which relate to any financial losses or expenses caused by your injuries.
Although we cannot give you a completely accurate estimate of the final settlement figure you could receive, we are able to use the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to work out estimates for general damages. The JCG, is used by solicitors, alongside medical evidence, to value general damages in personal injury claims.
| Type of injury | Severity | Compensation amount |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple serious injuries with special damages | Serious | Up to £250,000+ |
| Neck injury | Severe (i) | In the region of £181,020 |
| Neck injury | Moderate (i) | £30,500 to £46,970 |
| Back injury | Severe (ii) | £90,510 to £107,910 |
| Back injury | Moderate (i) | £33,880 to £47,320 |
| Wrist injury | (b) Significant permanent disability | £29,900 to £47,810 |
| Wrist injury | (c) Some permanent disability | £15,370 to £29,900 |
| Knee injury | Moderate (i) | £18,110 to £31,960 |
| Knee injury | Moderate (ii) | Up to £16,770 |
| Hand injury | Moderate | £6,910 to £16,200 |
The above figures were taken from the JCG, except for the first row. This top row is included to show you how you could be compensated for multiple injuries plus related expenses.
Special damages could include costs and losses such as:
- Loss of earnings
- Medical expenses
- Travel costs
It’s important to provide evidence of any damages you make a claim for. For example, to prove special damages such as a loss of earnings due to time off work, you could use payslips or bank statements.
Get in touch with an advisor to find out if you could be eligible to claim for a work related injury or about compensation at work.
I Hurt Myself At Work – Can I Claim With A No Win No Fee Solicitor?
You may be wondering how to claim for an injury at work. A solicitor could help you navigate the legal process. Your claim could be supported by a No Win No Fee solicitor. They may provide their legal services under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This is a type of No Win No Fee arrangement.
If you would like to claim because you suffered an injury at work and decide to use the services
of a No Win No Fee solicitor, you usually won’t be charged upfront for your solicitor’s support. They typically won’t ask you to pay ongoing fees either. Should your solicitor successfully recover back injury at work compensation, they will take a legally capped success fee from your award. However, if they fail to secure a payout, they usually will not ask you to pay their solicitors fee.
If you have any questions about what steps you could take to start the legal process, call our advisors. The advice they give is free. Additionally, they can assess the chances of your claim succeeding. If it seems like you could successfully recover compensation, they could put you in touch with our solicitors. If you hurt yourself due to employer negligence, get in touch today.
To speak to an advisor:
- Start your claim online.
- Call 0800 073 8804.
- Use the live chat.
Recommended Reference Materials
Reporting Accidents And Incidents At Work
RIDDOR – Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013
I’ve Had A Slip Or Trip Accident At Work – What Happens Now?
Below, you can find a list of guides which may tell you more about accident at work claims:
- Discover more answers to your queries on our accident at work FAQs page
- Can I claim compensation if I’ve left the company?
- Can you lose your job if you claim against your employer?
- Injured due to tiredness or fatigue – can I claim?
- I hurt myself at work, can I make a claim?
- What to do if you cut off your finger at work
- I suffered a burn injury at work, how much could I claim in compensation?
- How to claim compensation for industrial dermatitis
- I was injured at work – what are my rights?
- Is my employer liable for an accident at work?
- Who pays my medical bills if I’m injured at work?
- Can I make a claim if injured in my probation period?
- Who pays damages in an accident at work claim?
- I slipped on water at work, can I make a claim?
- Does my employer pay my medical bills if I’m injured at work?
- Can you still claim compensation f you didn’t take time off work?
- Do you have to be an employee to make a workplace injury claim?
- I am a new employee, can I make a claim?
- How do you prove an accident at work claim?
- Do you need to be an employee to make a workplace accident claim?
- What happens if you do not report an injury or accident?
- Can I make a claim if I’m an agency worker?
- I was dismissed after an accident at work, what should I do?
- If I was partly at fault for an accident can I still make a claim?
- I am self-employed and had an accident at work, can I make a claim?
- I had an accident at work due to no safety boots – can I make a claim?
- Can an apprentice make an accident at work claim?
- I suffered a head injury due to no helmet – can I make a claim?
- Can I claim if injured because of no safety goggles?
- What is the time limit for an accident at work claim?
- What are my employers’ responsibilities after an accident at work?
- Will suing my employer create problems?
- How to make a claim for inadequate tools and equipment
- What is the maximum weight I can lift at work?
- I had an accident at work, what are my rights?
- Who has the overall responsibility for recording injuries at work?
- How long after an injury at work can I make a claim?
- I fell down the stair at work, can I make a claim?
- Learn more about accident at work claims here
- Learn how to claim for an injury caused by a scaffolding collapse. Get more information on the accident at work claims process.
Thanks for reading our claims guide addressing the question of “I hurt myself at work what should I do?”.
