Accident at Work Claims — UK Compensation Guide
Check if you have a claim
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- Protected by law from being dismissed for claiming
- Paid by your employer's Employers' Liability insurer
- No win no fee — no upfront cost
- Three-year time limit from the accident date
- Covers physical injury, repetitive strain, and industrial disease
- Applies to full-time, part-time, agency and zero-hours workers
Your employer's duty of care
UK employers must, so far as reasonably practicable:
- Provide a safe place of work and safe access to it
- Provide safe equipment and machinery, properly maintained
- Provide adequate training and supervision
- Carry out risk assessments and act on the findings
- Provide appropriate PPE free of charge
- Have valid Employers' Liability insurance (legally required for almost every employer)
These duties come from the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, PUWER 1998, the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, and the Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 1992.
Common accident at work claims
- Slips, trips and falls on wet floors, in walkways or from height
- Manual handling injuries — back, shoulder and knee injuries from lifting, pushing or pulling
- Machinery accidents — crush injuries, cuts, amputations from defective or unguarded equipment
- Falls from height — ladders, scaffolding, mezzanines, loading bays
- Falling objects — stock from shelves or pallets, tools dropped from height
- Repetitive strain injuries — carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis from repetitive tasks
- Vehicle accidents on site — forklift trucks, delivery vehicles, pallet trucks
- Occupational disease — noise-induced hearing loss, vibration white finger, asbestos exposure
Can I be sacked for claiming against my employer?
No. Dismissing or disciplining you for bringing a personal injury claim is automatically unfair dismissal under the Employment Rights Act 1996, and could also amount to victimisation under the Equality Act 2010 in some cases. Your employer's insurer — not your employer personally — pays your compensation, and they expect claims to be made.
If you experience any retaliation after claiming, that can become a separate employment tribunal claim with its own remedies.
Evidence you need
- Accident book entry (employers with 10+ staff must keep one — request a copy)
- RIDDOR report if the accident was serious (your employer must report it to the HSE)
- Photographs of the hazard, the scene and your injuries
- Witness statements from colleagues
- Risk assessments and training records (obtained through disclosure)
- Medical records and treatment notes
- Payslips proving lost earnings
How much compensation for an accident at work?
Like all UK personal injury claims, your compensation has two parts: general damages (for the injury, using Judicial College Guidelines) and special damages (financial losses including lost earnings, treatment costs, care and adapted equipment). Typical ranges:
- The severity of the injury and the length of recovery
- Whether you can return to the same work, and on the same hours
- The financial losses that followed, including future loss of earnings
Estimate yours using the compensation calculator.
Time limits
You have three years from the date of the accident (or from the date of knowledge for industrial disease and repetitive strain claims) to issue court proceedings. Report the accident in the workplace accident book on the same day and seek medical attention promptly — both are vital to a strong claim.