Advice On Making A Minor Injury At Work Claim
By Cat Way. Last Updated 5th March 2024. Just because an accident or injury is classified as being minor does not mean that the victim doesn’t suffer painful injuries, or that their life is not impacted significantly. Put simply, even a small injury can have dire consequences for the victim. That’s why we put together this guide on making a minor injury at work claim.
Below, we look at the process of claiming compensation after a workplace accident. We look at the eligibility criteria and the types of minor injuries you could claim for.
We also explain how our expert No Win No Fee solicitors can help you with a compensation claim.
If you’d rather speak with someone now about claiming for a minor injury at work, then you can call us on 0800 073 8804 or speak with us now via our live chat.
Select A Section:
- Could I Make A Minor Injury At Work Claim?
- Do I Need To Report A Minor Injury At Work?
- Examples Of Minor Injuries At Work
- Compensation Payouts In Minor Injury At Work Claims
- Can I Make A No Win No Fee Compensation Claim?
- Learn More About Making A Minor Injury At Work Claim
Could I Make A Minor Injury At Work Claim?
Sustaining a minor injury at work can have negative consequences and lasting effects on your day-to-day life. As such, you may be wondering when you could make a personal injury claim for minor accident compensation.
To be entitled to accident at work compensation, you must be able to meet the personal injury claims criteria. As such, you need to prove:
- You are owed a duty of care.
- This duty of care is not fulfilled.
- You suffer harm as a result.
Your employer’s duty of care to their employees is set out by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA). This legislation states that your employer has a responsibility to take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure your safety in the workplace.
If your employer fails to fulfil this duty, and you suffer a minor injury as a result, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact our team of advisors today to learn more.
Do I Need To Report A Minor Injury At Work?
The answer to this question is yes, you should report a minor injury at work, even if it leaves a slight bump or bruise, or even if it causes no harm at all.
The reason why it’s important to report an accident at work is so that you can alert your employer to any hazards in the workplace.
For example, if there is a broken step on a stairwell that you come close to falling down, by reporting the accident you can highlight the problem. Your employer should hopefully fix the step. This will then stop anyone else from getting hurt.
So in short, if you report a minor injury at work it could prevent someone from suffering a serious injury or even losing their life in a fatal accident.
How Do I Report An Injury At Work?
It’s simple to report an injury at work. You should let your supervisor or line manager know right away.
If you need first aid, they should be able to help.
They should also have the training and understanding to locate the accident book. They’ll then ask you to complete it. It’s important to complete the book with as much detail as possible. Explain what you think the cause was and what injuries you suffered.
Only sign the accident book if you’re happy with the account of what happened.
Examples Of Minor Injuries At Work
Minor injuries can be caused by many kinds of accidents, and by many hazards. For example, examples of minor injuries at work and their causes could include:
- Head injuries at work caused by being struck by a falling object.
- Back injuries at work caused by manual handling accidents.
- Foot injuries at work caused by a slip, trip or fall accident.
- Minor whiplash injuries caused by a road traffic accident involving a work vehicle.
All of these are examples of how common accidents can result in some form of minor injury to an employee. In each of these examples, if the employer was to blame for the hazard that caused the accident, then the injured employee could have a basis for making a compensation claim.
For information on slip, trip and fall accidents, please see the next section of our minor injury at work claims guide.
Compensation Payouts In Minor Injury At Work Claims
The amount of compensation that you could receive for a minor injury can depend on a number of different factors, including the severity of your initial injury and how long it will take to recover.
There are two heads of compensation you could pursue in your personal injury claim. The first, general damages, is awarded to all successful claimants. This head of claim focuses on your injuries and the effect they have on your life. Often, the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) are used to help legal professionals value this head of the claim, as this document offers guideline settlement awards for different injuries. You can find some examples of the amounts listed in the 16th edition of the JCG below.
| Type of Injury | Severity | Information About the Injury | Compensation Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finger | Minor | Injuries such as minor cuts, torn nails, and trivial soft tissue injuries. | Up to £4,750 |
| Thumb | Severe | Dislocation | £6,340 to £7,780 |
| Wrist | Minor | Injuries such as minor cuts, grazes and bruising, and trivial soft tissue injuries including minor sprains or strains. | £3,530 to £4,740 |
| Arm | Moderate | Simple fractures | £6,610 to £19,200 |
| Toe | Moderate | Injuries such as minor cuts, torn nails, and trivial soft tissue injuries. | Up to £9,600 |
| Foot | Modest | Injuries such as minor cuts, grazes and bruising, and trivial soft tissue injuries. | Up to £13,740 |
| Ankle | Modest | Injuries such as minor cuts, grazes and bruising, and trivial soft tissue injuries including minor sprains or strains. | Up to £13,740 |
| Leg | Minor (iii) | Simple fractures to tibia or soft tissue injuries | Up to £11,840 |
| Neck | Minor (iii) | Recovery within 3 months | Up to £2,450 |
The second head of compensation is special damages, which addresses the financial losses you suffer as a result of your injuries. For example, if a fall at work results in a minor concussion, you may be unable to drive while you recover. In this case, special damages could help you recoup the cost of train tickets or taxis to essential appointments.
To learn more about minor injury at work compensation, contact our team today or use our compensation calculator.
Can I Make A No Win No Fee Compensation Claim?
Using a No Win No Fee claims service is a good option for having minor injury at work claims processed in a way that doesn’t expose you to any financial risk at all. In the case of a No Win No Fee service, your solicitor carries the risk, as they will not charge a fee unless your claim is successful. This means that you won’t be charged for:
- Starting your claim.
- Processing your claim.
- If your claim is unsuccessful.
You will only be liable to pay a fee once your solicitor has received a compensation payment on your behalf. Your solicitor will then take the fee they are owed (a percentage of the settlement that will have been rep-agreed), and then they will give you the rest of the compensation. This is a simplified explanation, and we recommend you speak to one of our advisors on the number below for more information about the claims service we offer.
You may be under the misconception that a minor injury is not worth claiming for. This couldn’t be further from the truth. As you can see from the compensation table we provided farther up this guide, even a minor injury can attract thousands of pounds in compensation.
Therefore, you have nothing to lose by speak to one of our expert advisors on 0800 073 8804, to find out whether you have a valid personal injury claim or not. An advisor will evaluate your claim, and the offer you some free legal advice on how best to proceed.
Learn More About Making A Minor Injury At Work Claim
These external links all contain information that relates to minor injuries in the workplace:
- NHS advice on treatment for minor injuries
- Health & Safety Executive information on trips, slips and falls
- The Occupiers Liability Act of 1984
Below, you can find lots of guides on claiming compensation for a workplace accident:
- Learn more about accident at work claims and find out if you could be entitled to compensation.
- Read our top 10 things to know about accident at work claims and learn more about compensation claims.
- Find out what to do if injured from work activities and if you could claim compensation by using our helpful guide.
Thanks for reading our guide to making a minor injury at work claim.
