How Much Compensation for a Broken Hand at Work?

A broken hand can be debilitating, painful and frustrating. It is the type of injury that can have a significant impact on your life and prevent you from operating normally. As a result of this type of suffering, you may decide to try and claim compensation for a broken hand at work. This may be possible if negligence by your employer caused your accident and this is something we concentrate on in this guide. You’ll also read about the steps you typically need to take to claim for a broken hand and how much compensation you might be entitled to.

We offer a no-obligation initial consultation for anyone interested in claiming compensation for a broken hand following an accident at work. During the call, a specialist will consider the merits of your case and offer free legal advice about how to proceed. If it looks like your claim is suitable, we could partner you with a solicitor to represent you on a No Win, No Fee basis if your claim proceeds.

To learn more about how we can help you claim compensation for a broken hand at work, you can:

• Speak with a specialist by dialling 0333 241 2519.
• Use our online chat service at any time of day or night.

Please get in touch with any questions on broken hand claims or carry on reading for more information.

What Types of Broken Hands Can We Help With?

When any of the bones in the hand suffer a traumatic injury, you may be left with a broken hand, which can be painful, swollen, and difficult to move.

Some of the types of broken hand injuries we can help with include:

• Metacarpal fractures.
• Phalangeal fractures.
• Open (compound) fractures.
• Displaced fractures.
• Non-displaced fractures.

If you suspect a broken hand at work, you should seek medical attention immediately. Failing to get proper treatment could lead to long-term issues such as stiffness, nerve damage, or reduced grip strength.

Treatment for a broken hand depends on the severity of the fracture. Simple fractures may require a splint or cast, while more serious injuries might need realignment or surgery to ensure proper healing.

Can I Make a Broken Hand at Work Claim?

While you’re working, your employer must take reasonable steps to try and keep you safe. For instance, they should:

• Provide you with adequate safety training,
• Ensure all workplace equipment is safe to use
• Provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) where it is needed.

As such, you may have grounds to pursue a broken hand compensation claim following an accident at work if you can show that:

• At the time you were injured, your employer owed you a duty of care.
• The accident happened as a direct result of your employer’s negligence.
• Your hand was broken during the accident.

Proving a duty of care existed when you were injured is not usually difficult because of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 which applies to all employers.

Importantly, broken hand claims cover wrist fractures and broken finger injuries so please get in touch if you’d like to claim for any such injury.

What Types of Negligence Can Lead to a Broken Hand at Work Claim?

Here are a few examples of workplace accidents that could result in a broken hand injury claim:

• An office worker tripped on a torn carpet in a corridor and broke his hand during the fall.
• An engineer suffered multiple bone fractures in her hand and wrist because a poorly maintained piece of machinery failed to stop operating even after the emergency button had been pressed.
• Due to a forklift being used in a pedestrian-only area of a warehouse, a worker’s hand and arm were fractured during a collision.
• A supermarket worker suffered a broken hand after items fell onto them after damaged shelving gave way.

If you’ve broken your hand at work and want to know whether you’re entitled to compensation, call our legal advisors to get free advice now.

What Should I Do If I Sustain a Fractured Hand at Work?

Following an accident in which you fractured a hand, it is important that you:

• Seek advice from a medical professional because broken hand injuries cannot be diagnosed by first-aiders.
• Report the incident to your employer as soon as you can.
• Ask for the incident to be logged in the company’s accident book.

These steps are likely to help you fulfil your own health and safety obligations at work and they could help your employer to try and prevent similar accidents in the future.

What Evidence Can Be Used for Broken Hand Compensation Claims?

Evidence is vital in proving why you broke your hand at work, who caused your accident and how severe your fracture is. Without it, you could miss out on being compensated or you might receive less damages than you deserve.

The types of evidence that could support a broken hand compensation claim include:

• Photographs of your hand to show any visible injuries or deformities.
• Details of any witnesses to your accident.
• X-rays, scans and other forms of medical records.
• A copy of an accident report form to prove when and where you were injured.
• CCTV footage and accident scene photographs to help prove the cause of the incident.

You needn’t collect witness statements yourself as your solicitor will normally only collect them if your employer denies liability for the accident or your injuries after the claim has been filed.  At this early stage in the claims process, you should simply collect contact information from any potential witnesses.

How Long Do I Have to Claim Broken Hand Compensation?

The legal time limit for accident at work claims is 3 years as defined by the Limitation Act 1980. Usually, for broken hand claims, this time limit begins on the date the break occurred.

Crucially, if you claim outside of the allowable time limit, you could miss out on any compensation due because your claim could become statute-barred. As such, we always suggest that it’s best to start a broken hand claim as soon as possible.

If you’d like to see if you have time to claim for a broken hand at work, please get in touch with one of our specialists today.

How Much Compensation for a Broken Hand at Work?

As you might expect, compensation amounts in successful broken hand claims are usually higher for more complex injuries.

Settlements are based on general damages (to compensate for the pain you’ve endured and any loss of amenity) and special damages (to help recoup any financial losses linked to your fractured hand).

To help put a value on general damages, your solicitor will usually ask an independent medical expert to examine your injuries and provide a written report about your prognosis.

They may then compare your injuries with those listed in the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) which lists compensation ranges for many different types of injuries.

Although JCG figures are not guaranteed (because all claims are different), we’ve listed some in our broken hand compensation table below for reference:

• A minor metacarpal fracture at work could be worth up to £16,200 in compensation.
• A more serious metacarpal fracture affecting grip strength could see compensation in the region of £17,640 – £35,390.
• A severe hand fracture with long-term loss of dexterity might fall within the range of £35,390 – £75,550 in compensation.
• Multiple fractures or a crushed hand injury that leads to reduced function could result in £68,070 – £103,200.
• Severe fractures leading to permanent deformity or significant disability could attract compensation of up to £133,810.

Special damages could also contribute to any settlement you receive for a broken hand at work. They can cover:

• Rehabilitation and medical costs.
• Transport costs e.g., fuel and parking costs for hospital appointments.
• Loss of earnings.
• Support costs.
• The cost of specialist devices that could help at home e.g., devices that help you to pick things up if your grip has been reduced.
• Future loss of earnings if your broken hand injury reduces your ability to earn the same amount as previously.

If your broken hand claim is dealt with by one of our solicitors, they’ll ensure that all aspects of your suffering are considered before agreeing to settle your claim.

Can I Claim for a Broken Hand at Work if I’m Not Employed Full-Time?

If you’ve suffered a fractured hand at work, your employment status doesn’t prevent you from making a claim. Zero-hours workers, agency staff, subcontractors, part-time workers, the self-employed, and temps all have the same right to a safe working environment.

As long as you can prove that your broken hand was caused by employer negligence, such as lack of training, faulty equipment, or unsafe working conditions, you could be entitled to compensation.

For more advice on claiming compensation for a broken hand at work, please contact our team now.

Do You Need a Solicitor to Make a Broken Hand Claim?

Personal injury claims against employers are normally handled by insurance companies who deal with claims daily. Therefore, taking on legal representation from a specialist accident-at-work solicitor should make it easier for you to fight your claim and could result in a higher settlement than the insurer might otherwise have offered.

If your broken hand claim is managed by one of our solicitors, they will:

• Deal with all communications from your employer or their insurers on your behalf.
• Ensure that your claim is properly put together and filed on time.
• Handle all negotiations and try to counter any objections raised.
• Send you regular updates about how your claim is progressing.
• Aim to secure the maximum level of compensation possible.

Another important point to note is that our solicitors provide a No Win, No Fee service for any broken hand claim they take on.

This means that after you have signed a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), your solicitor won’t be paid anything for their work unless they win compensation for you.

Should that happen, your solicitor will deduct a percentage of your settlement (capped legally at 25%) to cover their success fee.

Why not call today to see if you could claim for a broken hand at work on a No Win, No Fee basis?

Will There Be Any Negative Consequences If I Claim For A Broken Hand At Work?

Taking legal action against your employer can be quite worrying. Many workers fear they’ll face disciplinary action or even be fired for starting a personal injury claim.

However, you have the right to claim compensation following an accident at work and, so long as your claim is honest, you are protected from facing any negative consequences for doing so.

In fact, if you were to face such actions, you could have grounds to also claim for constructive or unfair dismissal. If you’ve broken your hand at work and feel you’ve been unfairly treated, please speak to a member of our team today.

How Long Do Personal Injury at Work Claims Take?

The time you’ll need to wait for a personal injury at work claim to be processed varies from case to case and is determined by several factors.

For instance, if you suffered a minor break that healed without complications in a short amount of time, compensation could be awarded and paid in as little as 5 to 6 months (so long as there are no arguments about liability for the accident).

However, more serious broken hand injuries such as those that require complex surgery and result in a disability could take a year or more to be settled. In these cases, though, interim compensation could be paid before the claim has settled once liability has been agreed by both parties.

Contacting Us About a Broken Hand at Work Compensation Claim

We’re here to help if you’d like to know whether you could claim compensation for a broken hand at work. To arrange a free initial consultation with one of our specialists, you can:

• Call our legal advisors on 0333 241 2519.
• Connect to our live chat service for 24/7 support.

If your claim is feasible and accepted by one of our accident-at-work solicitors, your broken hand claim will be managed on a No Win, No Fee basis.