Last Updated 23rd July 2025. This guide explores how to sue a business for causing your injuries, both as an employee and as a visitor to their premises.
We provide information on the duty of care businesses owe to their workers and the general public, together with some example scenarios of how failures to uphold these duties can cause injuries. We also explain how personal injury compensation is calculated.
You will find guidance on filing your personal injury claim and how our solicitors can support you throughout the claims process. This guide also briefly touches on settling out of court.
The penultimate section of the guide explores the specific No Win No Fee arrangement our solicitors can offer, with particular reference to the benefits of starting your potential claim under these terms with us.
To discuss how to sue a company further or get an assessment of your eligibility to start a claim for free, contact our team of advisors today. You can reach our team 24/7 using the details provided here:
- Call our team on 0800 073 8804.
- Contact us online.
- Click the live chat button on your screen now
Select A Section
- How To Sue A Business For An Injury
- Examples Of Accidents You Could Sue A Business For
- How To File Your Personal Injury Claim
- What Compensation Could You Claim?
- Out Of Court Settlements
- Ask How To Sue A Business With Our Team
- Resources On How To Sue A Business In The UK
How To Sue A Business For An Injury
Legislation is in place to protect you from harm in various circumstances. This includes when you are working or visiting a public place.
While you are working, you are protected by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA). This act means that your employer must take reasonable steps to protect your health, well-being, and safety. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the public body responsible for regulating and providing guidance on health and safety in the workplace.
Additionally, the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 requires businesses to take necessary steps to ensure the reasonable safety of those visiting a public space. For example, an organisation must put up a wet floor sign to prevent people from slipping over and falling.
When suing a business, you must prove that:
- A business had a duty of care towards you (as per the legislation in place)
- There was a failure to fulfil this duty to you
- You resultingly suffered an injury
If you are still unsure how to sue a business, you can contact one of our advisors. They can establish whether you are eligible and find out whether one of our No Win No Fee solicitors can represent you going forward.
How Long Do You Have To Sue A Business?
Personal injury claims have a 3-year time limit in which to be started, as per the Limitation Act 1980. Exceptions to this can be made in cases where the injured person is a minor or is of a reduced mental capacity.
To learn more about how to sue your employer while employed, make a public liability claim or find out more about the time limits, contact our advisors today.
Examples Of Accidents You Could Sue A Business For
Both their workers and members of the public could be injured in an accident if businesses fail to take the necessary steps to protect them. Examples of how you could be injured as a result of a business’s failure to uphold its duty of care include:
- You and a colleague were using a forklift truck to move goods in a warehouse. Your employer had provided inadequate training, yet instructed you and your colleague to use the truck regardless. Your colleague failed to stop the forklift, running you over and causing serious injury to both of your legs.
- When entering a shop, the sign above the door came free from its mountings and hit you in the side of the head. The business was aware of the faulty sign but had not repaired the sign or removed it altogether. You suffered a substantial head injury in the accident.
The above scenarios are just two examples of how a business can fail to uphold its duty of care. To find out how to sue a business in your particular circumstances, contact an advisor via the details given above.
How To File Your Personal Injury Claim
This section provides an overview of how to sue a company in more detail. Your claim will be filed in accordance with the Pre-Action Protocol for personal injury claims.
In order to start your personal injury claim, you will first need to acquire adequate supporting evidence. This may include CCTV footage of the accident taking place, which is useful as it may have captured the hazard that caused the accident, a copy of the report from the company accident book, if a workplace has more than 10 employees, an accident log book is compulsory, training documents and contact information of witnesses who saw the accident occur, statements can be taken later by a solicitor if needed.
As part of the personal injury claims process, you will also be invited to an independent medical assessment. This is so that a medical practitioner can assess the severity of your injuries, state whether they think your injuries align with the circumstances of the accident and provide a prognosis. The report from this assessment will be used in the valuation process of your claim.
Our team of advisors can explain the claims process further, offer guidance on the evidence you can acquire and assess your eligibility to claim free of charge. Contact an advisor today using the details given below
What Compensation Could You Claim?
Now we’ve explained how to sue a business, this section looks at how compensation in personal injury claims is calculated. Compensation can be made up of 2 heads of claim:
- General damages: The physical and psychological effects of your injuries.
- Special damages: Financial losses associated with the injuries you have sustained.
The persons responsible for calculating the potential value of your general damages may refer to your independent medical assessment in conjunction with the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This document, published by the Judicial College, details guideline compensation brackets for a multitude of injuries. We have used a selection of these brackets for our table.
Compensation Table
This table has been included as guidance only, and the top entry is not from the JCG.
| Type of Injury | Severity | Guideline Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Very Severe Injuries and Financial Losses Such As Loss Of Earnings | Very Severe | Up to £1,000,000 and above |
| Brain Damage | Very Severe | £344,150 to £493,000 |
| Paralysis | Paraplegia | £267,340 to £346,890 |
| Epilepsy | Established Grand Mal | £124,470 to £183,190 |
| Leg | Amputation below the knee of one leg | £127,930 to £167,760 |
| Arm Amputation | Loss of One Arm | Not less than £167,380 |
| Hand Injuries | Total/Effective Loss of One Hand | £117,360 to £133,810 |
| Chest Injuries | Traumatic Injury | £80,240 to £122,850 |
| Back Injuries | Moderate (i) | £33,880 to £47,320 |
Special Damages
If you successfully make a claim against a company, you may be able to recover the financial losses that resulted from your injuries. These out-of-pocket costs can be claimed for under a head of loss referred to as special damages. For instance, you might have needed to pay for long-term physiotherapy sessions to support your recovery and improve mobility.
Below, you can see examples of various losses that can be claimed for through special damages:
- Loss of earnings, including missed bonuses, promotions, and overtime pay.
- Medical expenses, such as prescriptions, occupational therapy, and private treatments
- Extra childcare required due to your injuries
- Support from loved ones and professionals with daily tasks like cooking
- Travel to attend medical appointments. These expenses can include fares for public transport and the cost of petrol
- Home modifications to support accessibility. If you have mobility issues, that may include hoists, ramps, and walk-in showers
It’s also important that you support any claimed for loss with evidence, such as receipts, invoices, and bank statements.
Can I Apply For Interim Payments?
Yes, in certain circumstances, you may be able to apply for interim payments. These payments are essentially an advance on your compensation paid out before a claim is settled. They work to help address any emergency costs that may arise during the claims process, ensuring that you won’t be at a financial disadvantage.
In order to apply for interim payments, the defendant will either need to accept liability, or it must be likely that you’ll win the claim. One of our solicitors can help guide you through the process and assist with the application.
To learn more about interim payments and how to sue a business in general, please get in touch with one of our friendly advisors today.
Out Of Court Settlements
An out-of-court settlement could be offered any time up until the case is heard in court. Only a very small percentage of cases will go to court. At any stage, the defendant or their team can offer you a settlement. If you have decided to use a solicitor they can advise you on whether the amount offered is justified. At no time do you ever need to accept the offer if you do not want to.
Most personal injury claims do not go to court, call our advisors now to find out if you are eligible to make a personal injury claim.
Ask How To Sue A Business With Our Team
You can ask our advisors how to sue a business following an accident at any time. Once an advisor has assessed your particular circumstances, they could put you in touch with one of our skilled solicitors.
Our solicitors work under a particular kind of No Win No Fee arrangement called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). Making a personal injury claim with a solicitor under the terms of a CFA presents a number of advantages, including:
- Not having to pay a solicitor’s fee at the start of your claim.
- No solicitor fees to pay as your claim progresses.
- If your claim loses, you will not pay any solicitor fees at all.
If your personal injury claim wins, the solicitor will take a percentage of the compensation as their success fee for the work done on the case. As the maximum percentage that can be charged as a success fee is legally capped, you will keep most of the compensation.
To discuss the claims process further, ask any questions or get an assessment of your eligibility to start a claim for free, contact our team of advisors today. You can contact our team 24/7 using the contact details provided here:
- Call our team on 0800 073 8804.
- Contact us online.
- Click the live chat button on your screen now
Resources On How To Sue A Business In The UK
Read some of our other guides to making personal injury claims against businesses:
- Find out how to claim for a broken ankle at work and how personal injury compensation is calculated.
- Learn about claiming for an accident in a shop here.
- Read who is entitled to claim after a slip, trip or fall at work.
We have also provided these links to some helpful external resources:
- Read this resource on head injury and concussion from the NHS.
- Learn more about litigation friends in claims where the injured person is a minor or lacks mental capacity.
- The HSE has published guidance on training and competence in the workplace.
We’d like to thank you for taking the time to read our guide on how to sue a business.
