How Much Compensation Do You Get for a Work Injury?

We offer free initial support to those who are seeking compensation for an injury at work. One of the questions our team often hears is “How much compensation for a work injury will I receive?”. The truth of the matter is that calculating compensation for a workplace injury involves various steps and, generally, each case is unique. Therefore, in this guide, we’ll answer some common questions regarding compensation amounts and review how settlement amounts are calculated.

If you’d like more specific information about how much compensation you might be entitled to claim, please get in touch. If you do, we’ll offer a no-obligation assessment of your case where your questions will be answered and your options explained. If your case appears to be feasible, you may be connected to one of our work injury solicitors. Using their experience of the claims process, they’ll be able to offer a more personalised compensation estimate after considering your claim in detail. If you both agree to proceed with an accident at work claim, your solicitor will represent you on a No Win, No Fee basis.

Please use either of the following methods to get in touch now:

• Call 0333 241 2519 to speak with a legal advisor.
• Use our free live chat service to ask any questions.

We’ll explain more about how much compensation for an injury at work you could receive throughout this guide but please let us know if you have any questions.

What Compensation Can I Claim for a Work Injury?

If you claim compensation following an accident at work and your case is successful, the settlement you’ll receive will normally be based on:

• General damages to cover your injuries; and
• Special damages for any associated costs.

Compensation payments in personal injury claims are designed to put you back into the position you were in before the accident (or as close as possible). This means your compensation should help you to resolve any physical or psychological suffering and to recoup any out-of-pocket expenses.

Crucially, general and special damages should be calculated based on any suffering that has already happened plus any that might continue in the future.

What Is Covered by General Damages?

The general damages part of any compensation you receive aims to cover any pain and suffering you have dealt with. Importantly, this covers physical injuries and psychological suffering as well.

General damages also cover any loss of amenity caused by your injuries. This is where a value is put on activities or hobbies that have been affected by your injuries. For instance, if your fingers were crushed in a machinery accident in a factory, you could be compensated if you’re unable to enjoy playing the piano as you normally would.

Similarly, if you broke your foot at work, you could claim loss of amenity if your injury prevented you from playing football for a team you’d normally play for.

How are General Damages Calculated for a Work Injury?

If liability for your personal injury at work is agreed upon, you’ll need to prove the extent of your injury, or injuries, to help determine how much compensation to claim.

When solicitors deal with claims, they’ll normally request copies of medical records and also arrange a medical assessment with an independent expert. Together, this evidence should clarify how you’ve suffered.

If you’d like to find out how much compensation for a work injury you could receive, please call our legal advisors.

What Is Covered by Special Damages?

Special damages could be included in your compensation settlement if you have lost out financially because of your injuries.

This means that you could claim compensation to cover:

• Medical expenses which could cover prescription costs, rehabilitation fees or the cost of private medical treatment.
• Lost earnings if your injuries prevent you from working temporarily.
• Travel expenses.
• The cost of a carer at home or any time a loved one spends supporting you while you are injured.
• Replacement property costs if anything you own was damaged in your accident.
• Future loss of earnings if your income will be reduced for the long term because of your injuries.
• The cost of specialist mobility aids, prosthetics or devices if they’ll improve your quality of life more than items provided by the NHS.
• Home or vehicular adaptations to help you deal with any ongoing disabilities.

It is important to consider how much compensation for a work injury you’ll claim before filing your paperwork, otherwise, you could suffer financially in the future. This process should be easier if you work with one of our solicitors as they’ll use their experience to try and ensure all aspects of your suffering are considered.

Any special damages you submit as part of your claim must be supported by relevant financial evidence so please remember to retain any bank statements, receipts, wage slips or invoices that prove your costs and losses.

When Can I Claim Compensation for an Injury at Work?

So, now that we’ve reviewed how much compensation for a work injury could be awarded, it’s worth reviewing how the claims process works and when an accident at work claim might be possible.

One of our solicitors could help you to claim for an injury at work if:

• You can demonstrate that your employer owed you a duty of care; and
• Because that duty was not upheld, you had an accident at work; and
• You have been made ill or sustained an injury in the last three years as a result.

Some of the ways employers might not have upheld their duty of care towards you is if they haven’t:

• Trained you on how to do your job safely (or offered refresher training).
• Conducted regular risk assessments to try and identify hazards.
• Provided you with suitable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for free where needed.
• Maintained workplace machinery and equipment under the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Your employer’s insurer is unlikely to compensate you if you can’t prove all of the points listed above so we’ll explore the types of evidence that you could use to prove your case next.

What’s the Average Payout for Injury at Work?

The average payout for a workplace injury can vary significantly depending on the severity of the injury, the impact on the individual’s life, and the specifics of the case. However, general guidelines provide some insight:

• Minor injuries (e.g., mild strains, sprains) might result in compensation ranging from £1,000 to £10,000.
• Moderate injuries (e.g., fractures, more serious soft tissue injuries) could see payouts between £10,000 and £30,000.
• Severe injuries (e.g., permanent disability, significant loss of function) could result in compensation ranging from £30,000 to over £100,000, depending on the long-term impact on the individual’s life and ability to work.

It’s important to note that these payout amounts are simply estimates, and actual compensation can vary based on the specifics of your case as explained next.

Can Evidence Affect the Payout for a Workplace Injury?

A compensation payout for a workplace injury will generally only be awarded if you can convince your employer’s insurers of how you’ve suffered, the reason your accident happened, and why your employer was responsible.

Additionally, if you’re unable to prove how you’ve been financially affected and how you might be impacted in the future, your payout could be lower than expected. Therefore, it’s crucial to provide as much evidence as possible to support your case, which might include:

• Photographs taken at the accident scene to prove the cause of the incident.
• An accident report form that confirms the accident that caused your injuries.
• Copies of medical records from your GP or a hospital.
• Information about any potential witnesses.
• Video footage of the accident happening.
• Investigation reports and correspondence from your employer about the accident.
• Proof of lost earnings, both current and future.
• Proof of costs related to your work injury.

If you decide to work with a work injury solicitor on our panel, as part of their service they may help you to obtain any important evidence needed to prove your case. So, even if you don’t have everything listed here, please feel free to contact us about your options.

Are There Any Time Limits for Work Injury Claims?

The time limit for personal injury claims in the UK is 3 years as per the rules of the Limitation Act 1980. This law enables the time limit to typically begin from:

• The date that you were involved in an accident at work; or
• The date your condition was recognised or diagnosed (your date of knowledge).

The amount of compensation paid for a workplace injury is generally not affected by when you claim, unless you’re out of time. However, based on our experience, it’s advisable to claim as soon as possible. That’s because there’s plenty to do before your claim is filed such as gathering evidence, arranging witness statements and booking medical assessments. Therefore, the sooner you begin the claims process, the better.

Will a Solicitor Affect How Much Compensation I Receive?

A solicitor who specialises in accident-at-work claims can make your case significantly easier for you. They could also use their negotiation skills and experience in similar cases to try and increase any settlement offers made by your employer’s insurers.

Our solicitors offer a No Win, No Fee service for any workplace injury claims they take on which means you won’t have to pay for their work unless a compensation payment is awarded. Some of the services offered by our solicitors include:

• Collection of evidence and supporting information.
• Filing of claims in the correct format.
• Handling all communication with employers and their representatives.
• Negotiating on behalf of claimants and trying to ensure a fair settlement is awarded.
• Keeping the claimant informed with regular updates.

A Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) will be sent to you before your solicitor can begin working on your case. Within the CFA, you’ll see details of a success fee percentage.

This is the percentage of your compensation that will be deducted if your case is won to pay for your solicitor’s work. Crucially, success fees are capped at 25 per cent for your protection.

To see how much compensation for an injury at work and if you could claim on a No Win, No Fee basis, please call now.

Contacting Us About a Work Injury Compensation Claim

If you’d like to see if you have a feasible workplace injury compensation claim, please get in touch now. You can do so by:

• Calling 0333 241 2519 to discuss your case with a specialist advisor.
• Connecting to our free live chat service (open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week).

An advisor will go through everything with you and answer any questions you might have during a free initial assessment. If their opinion is that you have a feasible claim, they’ll partner you with one of our solicitors.

Your solicitor will assess how much compensation for a work injury you could claim as part of the claims process and you’ll be represented on a No Win, No Fee basis.