Sciatica at Work – A Guide to Claiming Compensation

Sciatica is a condition that can result in a lot of pain and suffering. Sciatica isn’t a medical condition in its own right but is a symptom linked to other injuries. Therefore, if you are diagnosed with sciatica following an accident at work, you could be entitled to claim compensation. In this guide about sciatica at work claims, we explain when you might be entitled to claim compensation for sciatica at work and how the claims process works.

We’re here to help if you believe you have sciatica because of your employer’s negligence. As part of a free initial assessment of your case, a specialist will answer your questions and offer legal advice about how to proceed. If your claim appears to be feasible, we could connect you with a specialist solicitor from our team. Should your claim proceed, it will be managed from start to finish on a No Win, No Fee basis.

To check if you could claim compensation for sciatica, you can:

• Call us on 0333 241 2519 to speak to an advisor.
• Use our free live chat service to get in touch.

Read on for more about how sciatica claims work but feel free to contact us with any questions that arise.

What is Sciatica?

Sciatica is a condition characterised by pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve, which branches from your lower back through your hips and buttocks and down each leg. Typically, sciatica affects only one side of the body.

Sciatica is most commonly caused by a slipped disc, bone spurs on the spine, or narrowing of the spine (spinal stenosis) compressing part of the nerve.

The main symptoms of sciatica can include:

• Muscle spasms in the back.
• Pain in the lower back.
• Leg pain that can be worse than back pain.
• Leg or foot weakness.
• Change of sensation in the foot or leg.

Symptoms such as pins and needles, burning sensations, numbness, shooting pains and feelings of hot and cold in the feet and legs may also be observed.

If you suspect you are suffering from sciatica pain at work because of your work, it’s important to visit your GP to help confirm your diagnosis and rule out other conditions with similar symptoms.

Can I Make a Sciatica Compensation Claim?

The first thing that needs to be established in a claim for personal injury at work is that the defendant in the case owed you a duty of care. That’s usually no problem in work-related injury claims as all employers owe their staff a duty of care because of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. In general terms, this means employers have to take practical (and reasonable) steps to prevent workplace accidents and injuries.

You might be able to claim compensation for sciatica at work if:

• You were owed a duty of care by your employer.
• Your employer’s negligence led to an accident or incident; and
• That accident or incident can be directly linked to your sciatica diagnosis.

If you believe that the above points can be proven, call our legal advisors for free advice about your options.

What Types of Negligence Could Lead to Sciatica at Work Claims?

Here are some examples of how certain scenarios in the workplace could lead to sciatica at work claims that we can help with:

• Manual Handling Incidents: You could be diagnosed with sciatica because of a back injury at work while moving heavy loads in confined spaces. You might be entitled to sciatica compensation if you have not received adequate manual handling training.
• Slips, Trips and Falls: Sciatica claims might be possible if your condition was caused by a fall in the workplace. For instance, if you injured your back and pelvis when you fell down stairs after tripping on a loose stair nosing.
• Falling from Height. Back injuries are common injuries caused by falls from height and could lead to compensation for sciatica. For instance, you could claim if your back injury and subsequent sciatica diagnosis can be linked to a fall off scaffolding because of an unsecured handrail.

If you’ve had an accident at work that can be linked to your sciatica diagnosis, please call and we’ll assess your claim for free.

What Should I Do If My Work is Causing Sciatica Pain?

If you are worried about your working conditions causing sciatica or you are involved in an accident at work, you should:

• Tell your employer about the accident or why you’re worried about your working conditions – preferably in writing.
• Visit your GP to have any injuries or sciatica symptoms diagnosed.
• Tell your employer about any recommendations your GP has made.
• If you’ve had an accident, make sure it is logged in the accident report book.

By following the steps above, you’ll enable your employer the opportunity to make changes to reduce the risk of you being injured. Similarly, such changes could prevent similar workplace accidents in the future.

What Evidence Can Be Used for a Sciatica Compensation Claim?

Proving that you’ve been diagnosed with sciatica is one thing. Proving that your sciatica pain at work was caused by your employer’s negligence is another. Therefore, you will need as much evidence as possible to support your claim which can include:

• Copies of any correspondence between you and your employer.
• Video footage of your accident and photographs of the accident scene.
• Medical records from your GP or a specialist to help confirm your diagnosis.
• Witness statements to help confirm how the accident happened and when it occurred.
• A copy of an accident report form.

If you claim for work-related sciatica with one of our specialist solicitors, they’ll assess any evidence you can provide and may search for further supporting information as part of their service.

How Long Do I Have to Claim Sciatica Compensation?

According to the Limitation Act 1980, personal injury claims have a 3-year time limit. When claiming sciatica compensation, the time limit will typically start from either:

• The date of the accident at work, or
• The date your sciatica was diagnosed or you became aware it is linked to the accident (your date of knowledge).

Beginning the claims process at the earliest opportunity is normally the best approach. That’s because there are quite a few tasks that your solicitor will need to complete before your claim is filed.

If you’d like to confirm how long you have to make a sciatica compensation claim following an accident at work, please call our legal advisors today.

What Compensation Can I Claim for Work-Related Sciatica?

Compensation payouts for sciatica are generally based on a) the severity of your suffering, b) how long you’ve suffered and c) any financial issues linked to your diagnosis.

To understand how you’ve suffered, your solicitor will use your medical records and a personal statement from you. They will also arrange an independent medical assessment so a specialist can examine you and find out more about how sciatica has impacted your life. Their report will be sent to both parties involved in your claim.

Using all of the evidence above, your solicitor will calculate how much compensation is needed to cover all of your suffering.

If you’ve lost out financially because of work-related sciatica, you could receive special damages as part of the settlement awarded. That means your payout could cover:

• Rehabilitation and medical costs i.e. to cover physiotherapy treatment.
• Lost income (and future loss of earnings).
• The cost of support and care at home.
• The cost of home adaptations and mobility aids.
• Travel expenses.

To find out how much compensation for sciatica you could receive, please get in touch today.

Can I Claim Compensation for Sciatica Caused by Faulty Workplace Equipment?

Your employer must provide tools, machinery and equipment that’s fit for purpose, well maintained and in good working order. This is a requirement of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER).

As such, if you’ve been injured while using faulty equipment at work and this has resulted in sciatica, you could be entitled to claim compensation. For instance, if you’ve suffered a back injury while using a heavy-duty concrete breaker that was vibrating too much due to poor maintenance, you may be entitled to start a sciatica at work claim for any subsequent suffering.

Please get in touch for more information.

Can I Claim if I’m Not a Full-Time Employee?

While you’re at work, you are owed a duty of care towards your health and safety by your employer regardless of the type of employment contract you’re on. That means sciatica at work claims can be made against the employer by contractors, subcontractors, agency workers, consultants, zero-hours workers and the self-employed. Remember, that will only be the case if your injuries can be linked to the employer’s negligence.

If you’d like us to check if you’re entitled to claim work-related sciatica compensation, please call our team today.

Will I Need a Work Injury Solicitor to Make a Sciatica Injury Claim?

It is possible for you to start a sciatica injury claim against your employer without instructing a solicitor. However, the claims process isn’t always easy and your employer’s insurer may contest the claim to limit any compensation you’re awarded.

Working with a specialist solicitor will usually make the claims process easier and, importantly, could improve the likelihood of receiving the right level of sciatica compensation.

If your claim is taken on by an accident-at-work solicitor, some of the services they can offer include:

• Handling the whole claims process on your behalf.
• Make sure that paperwork is filed correctly and on time.
• Use their legal skills to negotiate and fight your corner.
• Ensure you’re kept up to date about how your sciatica claim is progressing.

To alleviate the financial risks often associated with specialist solicitors, those on our team use a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) so that you can benefit from a No Win, No Fee service. If your claim is accepted and you sign a CFA, you:

• Won’t need to pay your solicitor for their work upfront.
• Won’t pay for your solicitor’s efforts if the claim isn’t won.
• Will pay a success fee if your claim is won.

The success fee is a percentage of the settlement in a successful claim. Legally, the maximum percentage that can be deducted from your settlement as a success fee is 25 per cent when using a CFA.

To see if you could make a No Win, No Fee sciatica at work claim, please call our team today.

How Long Do Sciatica Compensation Claims Take?

If you’ve recovered fully from sciatica and your employer accepts that they were to blame for your injuries, you could receive a compensation payout within 6 months or so.

Where liability is contested or if your sciatica symptoms are ongoing, the claims process will take longer. In exceptional circumstances, the claims process might take more than a year.

If your claim is taken on, your solicitor will let you know how long they expect it to take once it has been assessed in full.

Contacting Us About a Sciatica Compensation Claim

Please get in touch if you’d like to check if you could be awarded compensation for sciatica. Our advisors can help if you:

• Call us on 0333 241 2519.
• Use our free online chat service.

In the initial consultation, we offer free advice without any obligation, allowing us to explore your options together. Should a claim seem feasible, we can pass you through to one of our solicitors who will handle your sciatica compensation claim on a No Win, No Fee basis.