Claim compensation for an office accident

How much compensation can I claim if I have had an accident in the office?

There are no pre-set compensation amounts for office injury claims. Rather, our experienced solicitors will assess your case depending on:

• Your general pain and suffering
• Any loss of earnings such as time off work
• Any costs incurred such as medical expenses
• Any long-term effects on your life

Generally, the more severe the injury, the higher your accident at work compensation will be. We’ll take into account long-term changes such as modifications needed in your car or home, or changes to your current job. As a guideline, the Judicial Board has calculated compensation amounts based on previous cases:

• Minor injuries can range from £500 to £2,000
• Leg and feet injuries range from £5,000 to £76,000
• Neck and back injuries range from £1,000 to £100,000

You can also use our accident at work calculator, but please be advised this is a guide only. Our expert solicitors will be able to tell you more.

Office accident claims – what are your employer’s responsibilities?

UK employers have responsibilities to their staff, and are obliged to create a safe working environment for their employees. As part of UK health and safety law your employer is required to take all necessary precautions to ensure you are protected from unnecessary risks such as loose cables trailing across walkways.

Your employer is also required to provide training on safety procedures, such as the proper method for lifting and carrying, and appropriate safety equipment.

If you feel that your employer has failed in any of their duties, and this has resulted in an office accident, a period spent out of work and loss of earnings on your part, you may be entitled to claim financial compensation.

Common office accidents you can claim for

Office accidents tend to occur due to inadequate training in health and safety procedures, a lack of supervision or the lack of a comprehensive risk assessment. Though less hazardous than environments such as construction sites or warehouses, offices can still be dangerous if standard Health and Safety laws are not followed.  Common office accidents include:

• lifting and carrying injuries
• trips due to loose cables and misplaced boxes
• slips on improperly signed wet floors
• repetitive strain injury
• carbon monoxide poisoning due to broken appliances
• electric shocks caused by faulty wiring
• objects falling from height

Of all these office accident types, the most common is slips, trips, and falls.  They make up 35% of all office injuries according to the Health and Safety Executive.

Much of this can be avoided with simple risk assessments. For example, a manager may be able to identify the risks of repetitive strain at a desk, and provide an ergonomic keyboard. Likewise, managers should conduct regular training to avoid hazards.

Health and Safety guidelines for office workers

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, your employer has a duty of care to keep you safe. This includes carrying out the following tasks at work:

• Conducting risk assessments to spot hazards such as trailing cables
• Offering proper training for equipment and manual handling
• Providing safety equipment where necessary, for example, giving cleaners rubber gloves and aprons to protect against chemical damage
• Making reasonable changes to equipment to prevent injury or the potential to make an existing injury worse, such as installing ergonomic keyboard
• Recording all accidents in a workplace accident book
• Keeping records of staff training and providing refresher training where appropriate
• Removing all risks where possible, such as keeping offices free from trip hazards.

Is my employer liable for my office accident?

You may be able to claim accident at work compensation if you can prove that your employer breached any of the regulations as listed above. At Express Solicitors, our trained lawyers can help you to provide evidence to support this, for example:

• Finding records of requests to HR for modified equipment (which were ignored)
• Photographs of potential trip hazards, exposed wiring or other safety hazards
• Using workplace documentation such as training records to prove you had not been trained
• Asking other colleagues to make witness statements.

All of this can help to support your claim. When you make office injury claims, you need to be able to prove that you were harmed, and that your employer was at fault. Even if the injury was caused by another employee, your employer has a responsibility to supervise and make sure everybody behaves safely.

You can also claim for office injury compensation if your role made an existing injury worse. If your employer failed to provide you with equipment or training to prevent this, you could make a claim.

What to do following an office accident

If you have an accident at work, you should take the following steps to get back on your feet and start an office injury claim:

1. Make sure you are well enough to take action – for example, that you can stand unaided and that there is no bleeding or head injury. Remove any hazards that could cause further accidents.
2. Write a report of what happened in your company logbook. If you do not have one, write a report and give it to the HR team or supervisor. Make sure the report is signed.
3. Seek medical help and keep a record of any medical diagnoses and prescriptions. You should also have notes on any tests you may have taken as these can support your case.
4. Keep all your receipts for medical expenses, transport and any other loss of earnings.
5. Ask any colleagues who witnessed the incident so that they can prepare to speak on your behalf.
6. Contact the Express Solicitors team and our expert personal injury lawyers will start your claim.

Why choose Express Solicitors?

At Express Solicitors, we have more than 25 years’ experience handling office accident claims just like yours. We specialise in taking on the claims that other solicitors will not, and we have secured millions of pounds in compensation as a result.

Our qualified office injury solicitors will listen to your case sensitively and take every aspect of it into account. We may even be able to help you with early compensation payments while you’re waiting. We handle most of our claims on a no win, no fee basis, which means you won’t be financially liable. Get in touch with us today to start your office injury claim and get the compensation you deserve.