You may wonder whether you should work with accident at work solicitors near you. This guide will help you understand your options for seeking legal representation, including accessing a solicitor’s services with a No Win No Fee agreement.
Additionally, we explore the benefits of such agreements and how they are financially advantageous when making an accident at work claim.
We also explain when you are able to make a work injury claim and inform you of the criteria you are required to fulfill.
Furthermore, we look into the evidence that will help your personal injury claim and what accident at work compensation you may receive.
To learn more, please read on. Alternatively, you can get in touch with us by:
- Calling us on the number at the top of the page
- Talking to us through our live chat
- Filling out our contact form
Should I Work With Accident At Work Solicitors Near Me?
Do I Need To Use Accident At Work Solicitors Near Me? – A Guide
Whilst you don’t necessarily need a solicitor to claim, using one has many advantages. This guide will highlight its benefits and why you don’t need to rely on accident at work solicitors near you.
You can source solicitors in numerous ways, and restricting your search to your local area will most likely mean that you risk choosing a solicitor who is not suited to your claim.
Instead, you can broaden your search to find a solicitor with experience handling claims similar to your own. Please get in touch for more information.
How Could Accident At Work Solicitors Help Me?
Whilst you do not necessarily need to use the services of a legal professional to claim compensation, there are various benefits to having one after suffering an accident at the workplace.
For example, a solicitor can:
- Take witness statements
- Help you collect evidence
- Calculate the value of your claim
- Build a complete case using their expertise
To locate the best solicitor for your case, there are several methods you could use:
- Online reviews
- Advertisements
- Researching and looking into the kind of solicitors that suit your claim
- Recommendations
Alternatively, you can choose to work with our panel of solicitors. They can assist you in the process of making an accident at work claim. Learn more about their services below.
Why Use Our Panel Of No Win No Fee Solicitors?
Instead of using accident at work solicitors near you, you may find it beneficial to work with a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel.
If you choose to work with a solicitor to work your case on this basis, you could be offered a Conditional Fee Agreement which is a type of No Win No Fee arrangement.
This typically means that if your claim is unsuccessful, you will not be required to pay for your solicitor’s services.
In the event that your claim is successful, your solicitor is likely to take a success fee. This means they will deduct from your compensation. However, this is capped by law.
Please contact an advisor if you have any questions about working with a solicitor from our panel or to discuss your potential claim.
When Are You Able To Make A Work Injury Claim?
Employers owe their employees a duty of care. The Health and Safety at Work Act etc. 1974 outlines this duty and states that employers must take reasonable steps to minimise the risk of employees sustaining harm in the workplace or while performing work-related duties.
If they fail to do so, you could be caused harm. Examples of accidents at work that could occur if an employer’s duty of care is breached include:
- Slips, trips, and falls: You may have slipped on a wet floor that was not properly signposted or fell off a faulty ladder that was not properly maintained by your employer on a construction site. Alternatively, you may have sustained harm by tripping over cables in an office that are not properly secured.
- Inadequate equipment: You may suffer an eye injury due to your employer failing to provide necessary personal protective equipment, such as goggles when working in a factory.
In some instances, you may be able to seek compensation if negligence is demonstrated. This involves showing:
- Your employer had a duty of care
- They breached this duty of care
- This breach was the cause of your injuries.
Having evidence to prove this breach of duty is important when trying to make a successful claim. Learn more about the evidence you could collect in support of your claim in the section below.
How To Make A Work Injury Claim – Potential Evidence When Claiming
After receiving the medical attention you require, you should gather evidence that could help you establish your employer’s negligence. Examples of this include:
- CCTV footage
- Witness contact details
- A diary you kept detailing the mental impact the injuries had on you
- Copies of medical records
- Photographs of your injuries
Instead of being required to work with accident at work solicitors near you, you may find it more beneficial working with a solicitor from our panel. They can help you collect sufficient evidence in support of your claim.
On a related note, when making a work injury claim, the time limit is something to be aware of. The Limitation Act 1980 states that generally, the time limit to start a claim is three years from the date of your accident or the date you became aware of the negligence that caused your injuries.
There are instances in which the time limit would be suspended. These are if:
- A person was under eighteen at the time of the accident. They can claim three years from the date of their eighteenth birthday.
- A person lacks the mental capacity to claim. In the event that they regain their mental capacity, they are able to claim three years from this date.
Before these dates, a suitable adult could apply to act as a litigation friend on the injured person’s behalf. To learn more about the exceptions, please get in touch using the number above.
What Could You Receive From An Accident At The Workplace?
You may be interested in the compensation you could be eligible to receive after making a successful work injury claim. The settlement you receive could consist of two heads.
General damages cover the physical and mental suffering caused by your injuries. The Judicial College Guidelines are used by solicitors to help them value injuries in a claim.
The guidelines contain a list of different injuries with corresponding compensation brackets. We have used these in the table below. However, these are not guaranteed, and your settlement may vary in comparison.
| Injury | Severity | Notes | Guideline Compensation Bracket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neck Injury | Severe (a) (i) | Incomplete paraplegia. | In the region of £148,330 |
| Neck Injury | Moderate (b) (ii) | Soft tissue/wrenching-type injuries. Disc lesion. | £13,740 to £24,990 |
| Brain Injury | Moderate (c) (iii) | Concentration and memory affected. Risk of epilepsy. | £43,060 to £90,720 |
| Hand Injury | Serious (e) | Reduced the hand to half of its working capacity. | £29,000 to £61,910 |
| Arm Injury | Serious (b) | Serious fractures resulting in permanent disability. | £39,170 to £59,860 |
| Psychiatric Damage | Moderately Severe (b) | Significant problems with coping with different areas of life. | £19,070 to £54,830 |
| Shoulder Injury | Severe (a) | Damage to brachial plexus causing significant disability. | £19,200 to £48,030 |
| Back Injury | Moderate (b) (i) | Compression/crush fractures. Prolapsed intervertebral discs. | £27,760 to £38,780 |
| Leg Injury | Less Serious (c) (i) | Fractures when an incomplete recovery is made. | £17,960 to £27,760 |
| Pelvis/Hip Injury | Lesser Injuries (c) (i) | Fracture injuries with complete recovery within two years. | £3,950 to £12,590 |
Could You Also Claim For Special Damages Compensation?
You could also potentially claim special damages. They cover the monetary losses you have suffered due to your injuries. Types of loss include:
- Loss of earnings
- Transportation costs
- Any care or home adaptation costs
When claiming this type of loss, you should have evidence to prove that your employer’s negligence caused this. Evidence can include:
- Bank statements/payslips to show loss of earnings
- Bus/train tickets to show the cost of travel
- Proof of paying for professional care or any adaptations made to your home
To learn more about the compensation for a workplace accident you could receive, please get in touch using the number above.
Contact Us 24/7 For Free Legal Advice
We hope this guide on whether you need to use accident at work solicitors near you has helped. However, if you have any other questions, please get in touch with an advisor.
You can contact them for free to get advice about your potential claim. If you’re eligible, they can put you in contact with a solicitor from our panel.
To reach them, you can:
- Call us on the number at the top of the page
- Talk to us through our live chat
- Fill out our contact form.
Learn More About Claiming With Accident At Work Solicitors
For more information, please take a look at the external resources linked below:
- Managing Risks and Risk Assessments At Work – Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
- Working At Height – HSE
- First Aid – NHS
Thank you for reading our guide on working with accident at work solicitors near you. If you have any other questions, get in touch using the details provided above.
Writer Emily Marrow
Editor Meg Martin