Last Updated On 10th June 2025. This case study looks at claiming compensation for a pulled muscle at work. In addition to discussing how the claimant was eligible to claim pulled muscle at work compensation, we examine the accident at work eligibility criteria you must satisfy if you would like to claim a compensation amount for a similar injury.
In this case study, we are going to look at the case of Mr V (whose name we have abbreviated to protect his privacy), who suffered a slip, trip, and fall accident at work which led to a pulled muscle in his back. Mr V worked as a member of the bar team at a local bar, his daily duties included taking deliveries and stocking the fridges as well as stock areas. Towards his end of a shift, he noticed that some of the displays needed restocking. The claimant had been tasked with maintaining the stock in these fridges. Mr V went downstairs to the cellar to collect more stock to replenish the displays. The stock area was downstairs in the cellar and is accessed by a flight of stairs. Unfortunately one of the stairs had some uneven floorboards which had not been maintained. This caused a trip hazard. Unfortunately, when Mr V walked down the stairs to collect more stock items (as he had done before) he caught his foot between the floorboards, causing him to trip and fall onto his back. The claimant also suffered minor injuries to his knee, arms, and head. The claimant immediately filed an accident report with his employer to log the accident occurring and his initial injury symptoms.
How Common are Slips, Trips and Falls in the Workplace
31% of non-fatal employee injuries reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 in 2023/24 were caused by slips, trips or falls on the same level. Under these Regulations, certain workplace accidents must be reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The HSE monitor Great Britain’s workplace health and safety.
What Injuries were Sustained in this Case?
Mr V’s slip, trip, and fall accident caused him to suffer significant pain in several parts of the body, specifically the twisted knee and the pulled muscles in his back. The next day he went to his GP and was prescribed pain relief for a pulled muscle in his back, a common soft tissue injury. Not long after this, Mr V’s pulled muscle in back symptoms worsened and he visited his local hospital’s the A&E department seeking further pulled muscle in back treatment. At this time, the claimant found it difficult to walk and sought advice from an osteoarthritis expert.
Fortunately, Mr V’s pain from his soft tissue injury eventually subsided, but it was not without its consequences. Mr V had to take time off work (using his sick leave to do so), fortunately, he didn’t lose any income in doing this, but it was still an unfortunate situation. During the recovery time, the claimants’ injuries also affected his quality of life outside of work.As he was unable to walk around as much as he was unable to perform household tasks or enjoy activities such as sports which he participated in. Advised and supported by his union, Mr V (the Claimant) sought a muscle damage compensation claim against the Defendant
The Settlement and the Award
Because slip, trip, and fall accidents are sadly common, a good personal injury solicitor will have plenty of experience handling a claim for this type of compensation. In Mr V’s case, it wasn’t hard to prove that the employer had been negligent and his accident would have been avoidable if the stairs had been repaired. It was already reported it was known that the stairs were damaged and needed to be maintained, but they had ignored these complaints, thus being liable for Mr V’s accident.
Mr V’s solicitor’s helped his to establish how much his claim was worth. The average compensation for soft tissue injury is in the thousands of pounds, but to make sure they didn’t underestimate the value of Mr V’s claim, they sought the advice of an orthopedic surgeon who had seen to Mr V’s injuries. The insurance company offered Mr V a lower payout amount. However, his legal team stated that it was too low and rejected it. After further negotiations, Mr V was awarded a total of £10,000 back injury payout, which he accepted. It is common practice for a Defendant’s insurers to purposefully offer a claimant a compensation amount which is too low, to encourage them to drop their case. This is why it is important to hire a qualified personal injury solicitor to represent you, who will value your claim correctly and fight on relentlessly if the Defendant tries to lowball you.
If you are interested in suing for compensation for a pulled muscle injury, and you are wondering how much a soft tissue injury compensation amount is, you can consult our back injury compensation calculator, which will estimate how much compensation you could receive. For a more accurate estimate, call Legal Expert and one of our advisors will be happy to consult you on how large a back injury compensation payout you could receive.
Can I Claim Pulled Muscle At Work Compensation?
Yes, you could be eligible to claim compensation for a pulled muscle at work, even if what happened to cause your injuries is very different to what happened to Mr V. That’s because while you are carrying out your workplace activities, your employer has a legal obligation to ensure your relative safety. This is known as a ‘duty of care’.
While you are at work, your safety is protected by the Health and Safety at Work Etc. Act 1974. This legislation sets out the duty of care you are owed while at work. It states that your employer must take reasonably practicable steps to ensure your health, safety and welfare while at work. The steps they actually take will vary from workplace to workplace, even within the same industry, because different job roles and workplace locations have differing hazards. However, they may start to fulfil their obligations under health and safety legislation by conducting risk assessments to identify these hazards. Once identified, your employer should take reasonable steps to either remove them completely or reduce the risks as much as reasonably possible.
It is when this duty of care is breached and you suffer an injury that you could become eligible to claim pulled muscle at work compensation. You will need to submit evidence that proves:
- You were owed a duty of care at the time you pulled your muscles.
- A breach in this duty of care occurred.
- As a result of this breach, you suffered an injury.
These three points together amount to employer negligence. It is this that must have occurred to have a valid claim for compensation for a pulled muscle injury at work.
If you would like to check whether your accident at work claim is valid, please to speak a member of our advisory team now. They can assess your claim as part of a free consultation. Just click the buttons below to be connected to an advisor instantly.
No Win No Fee Solicitors
Should your claim for compensation for a pulled muscle injury at work prove to be eligible, you could be connected to one of our No Win No Fee solicitors. Our personal injury solicitors provide their services under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). When using a CFA, your solicitor won’t ask for payment for their services:
- When your claim commences.
- As the claim progresses through the various stages.
- If you are not awarded compensation following an unsuccessful claim.
However, as part of the No Win No Fee service, if your accident at work claim is successful, you will be expected to pay a pre-arranged percentage of your compensation. This is called a ‘success fee’. In addition to being pre-arranged, the percentage itself is capped by the legislation.
Contact Legal Expert Today
Have you suffered a pulled muscle in an accident at work? You could be entitled to a back injury compensation pay out. Legal Expert can match you to a solicitor with up to 30 years of experience helping claimants claim compensation for slip, trip and fall accidents. Call us today for your free consultation, we will advise you how to proceed and match you to the right personal injury solicitor to handle your case, at no extra cost to you. So call Legal Expert on 0800 073 8804 now and begin your pulled muscle claim today.
Useful Links:
How To Claim For Back Injuries.
Help and advice for Claimants wishing to claim compensation for a pulled muscle in their back, or another back injury.
A Guide To Accident At Work Claims
Further explore the eligibility for claiming compensation for workplace injuries.
NHS Guide: Sprains and Strains
An NHS guide to the cause, symptoms and treatment of sprains and strains in muscles and other soft tissue.
