Needlestick Injury Claims – How Much Compensation Can You Claim?

If you’ve been pricked by a needle as a result of somebody else’s negligence, you may be eligible to make a needlestick injury claim for compensation.

Our team can help if you’ve suffered a needle stick injury at work or due to medical negligence. We offer a no-obligation consultation where your claim will be reviewed and legal advice will be offered. If your claim is strong enough, we may refer you to a personal injury solicitor on our team. If they offer you legal representation, you’ll benefit from their No Win No Fee service, which can make the process much less stressful.

If you or a loved one has been affected by a needlestick injury, please call 0800 6524 881 today for expert advice on your options.

What Is A Needlestick Injury?

Needlestick injuries occur when you are cut or pricked by a dirty or contaminated object, such as a scalpel or needle. For that reason, needlestick injuries are often referred to as sharps injuries. In most cases, the injury itself will be minor. However, the more serious concern is that blood viruses such as hepatitis or HIV can be spread by needlestick injuries if the object involved has cut the skin of another person as well.

What Conditions Can Needlestick Injuries Cause?

There are a variety of blood-borne viruses that you could contract following a needlestick injury. The most serious viruses include:

• Hepatitis B.
• Hepatitis C.
• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

The transmission of viruses from needlestick injuries will be dependent on the injured party’s immune system and many other factors. Importantly, not all needlestick injuries will cause problems, and according to the Health and Safety Executive, the ratio of injuries to infections causing serious illness is very low.

However, even if you are not made ill by the needlestick injury, you may still have grounds to claim for psychological injuries caused while awaiting your test results.

Am I Eligible To Make A Needlestick Injury Claim?

Anybody who has suffered a needlestick injury could be eligible to claim compensation if the injury was caused by negligence. This can include NHS staff, cleaners, refuse collectors, tattoo artists, or even members of the public exposed to discarded needles.

To make a successful needlestick injury claim, you’ll typically need evidence to prove:

• The defendant in the claim owed you a legal duty of care; and
• That duty of care was breached through negligence; and
• You suffered a needlestick injury as a result.

As many needlestick claims are made following accidents at work, the main law that could be used to establish a legal duty of care is the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Your solicitor will verify which law applies in your case.

Common Causes Of Needlestick Injuries At Work

As mentioned above, employers have a duty of care to protect staff safety in the workplace. If they are negligent and that leads to an accident where you suffer a needlestick injury, you may be able to make an accident at work claim against them.

Some common causes of workplace needlestick injuries include:

• Failure of staff to dispose of needles and sharps safely.
• Not providing the correct protective equipment, such as heavy-duty gloves.
• Failing to follow proper procedures or safety guidelines.
• Not giving staff adequate training to reduce the risk of injuries.

If your employer’s negligence led to a needlestick injury at work, please let us know what happened, and we’ll explain your options for free.

How Much Compensation For A Needlestick Injury Could I Claim?

If you do decide to make a needlestick injury compensation claim, you’ll need to base the settlement you ask for on your suffering (general damages) and any expenses that resulted from your injuries (special damages).

Therefore, if you win compensation for a needlestick injury, it could cover:

• Any physical pain caused by the injury, and during any illness.
• The anxiety, distress or trauma while waiting for a diagnosis.
• The impact any illness has had on your hobbies and social life.
• Care costs if you needed support while you were ill.
• Travel costs.
• Medical expenses.
• Loss of earnings compensation.
• Future loss of earnings for longer-term suffering.

A solicitor from our team will take the time to fully understand how your needlestick injury has affected you before filing your claim. They’ll then work tirelessly on your behalf to secure the compensation you deserve.

Needlestick Injury Compensation Calculator

Your needlestick injury claim is likely to be completely different to anybody else’s. Therefore, at this stage, it’s not possible to say what settlement you might be entitled to. Instead, our needlestick injury compensation calculator gives a rough compensation estimate for several related injuries:

If your claim is taken on, an independent medical assessment will be arranged. This will usually happen locally with a specialist. They’ll examine you, check your medical records and discuss how the needlestick injury has impacted your life. The specialist’s report will allow your solicitor to offer a more personalised compensation estimate.

Evidence To Support A Needlestick Injury Claim

Whether you are suing the NHS or an employer following a needlestick injury, you will need evidence to show how the accident occurred, whose negligence caused it, and the extent of your suffering.

The types of evidence that might help include:

• Camera recordings. If your accident was captured on CCTV or a bodycam, you are entitled to ask for a copy of any relevant footage. This should be done quickly, as data isn’t usually stored for longer than a month.
• Medical records. Your solicitor can ask for copies of your medical records to help prove the extent of your needlestick injuries. This could include notes from when you were treated and also any test results following treatment.
• Witness details. Witness statements can be useful if the defendant denies liability for your needlestick injury. Therefore, you should provide your solicitor the contact details of anybody who saw what happened and is happy to act as a witness.
• Accident report forms. If you’ve been pricked by a needle at work, you should report the incident as soon as possible. Your copy of the accident report form can be used as supporting evidence during your claim.
• Photographs. If you can, you should take photographs of the cause of your needlestick injury. Additionally, you should take pictures of any visible injuries.

We are happy to review any evidence you have collected already or provide advice on how to secure evidence for a needlestick injury claim if you’re struggling to do so. Please call today for more information.

Time Limits For Claiming Needlestick Compensation

There is usually a 3-year time limit for work injury claims and medical negligence claims. This will often start on the date of the needlestick injury, or from a later date of knowledge if that applies. A later starting point may be relevant where the needlestick injury led to an illness that developed over time.

If your claim is filed after the cut-off date, you could miss out on any compensation that might be due. Therefore, we’d suggest that you begin the claims process as soon as you can. Your solicitor will then have plenty of time to investigate, collect evidence and arrange for medical reports.

If your child has suffered a needlestick injury, the 3-year time limit will not apply. Here, you can claim on your child’s behalf at any point before they turn 18 years of age. If you don’t, they’ll need to claim themselves before they are 21 years old.

Starting The Needlestick Injury Claims Process

The easiest way to start a needlestick injury claim today is to call 0800 6524 881. As part of our initial consultation, you’ll be given free legal advice, and your chances of being compensated will be explained.

If a personal injury solicitor on our team takes your needlestick claim on, they’ll manage all communication on your behalf, fight your corner and make sure that any settlement offer is fair. Importantly, you won’t pay their legal fees if compensation isn’t won, as they’ll represent you on a No Win No Fee basis.

To discuss the process of filing a needlestick injury claim right away, you can call us for free or connect to an advisor via our live chat.