You may be eligible to make an office accident claim for personal injury compensation if you’ve been injured at work due to your employer’s negligence. In such a claim, you could be compensated for your injuries as well as any financial losses that you’ve incurred.

In our office accident claims guide we will take a look at the different types of scenarios that could lead to an injury in your place of work, explain why you might be entitled to compensation, and provide some example compensation figures.

We are fortunate to have a team of personal injury solicitors with up to 30 years of experience processing claims on behalf of clients. They work on a No Win No Fee basis for compensation claims they take on and will always strive to achieve the maximum compensation possible in all cases.

When you’ve read our guide on office accident claims, please don’t hesitate to call and speak to our specialists for advice on your options on 0800 6524 881.

Am I Eligible To Make An Office Accident Claim?

Some accidents in the office unfortunately just happen. In these cases where there is nobody else at fault, it might not be possible for you to claim compensation. To claim compensation for an office-based accident, you’ll need to show that:

• You were owed a duty of care (this is always the case in employer/employee relationships); and
• Your employer caused an office accident because they were negligent; and
• You sustained an injury or were made ill as a result of that accident.

Whatever type of accident you’re involved with (we’ll provide some examples next), you’ll need evidence to support an office accident claim, as detailed in a later section.

Common Causes Of Injuries From Accidents In Offices

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers need to risk assess workplaces regularly and try to reduce any dangers that are identified in their offices. If they fail to do so, then you could be compensated for any injuries caused by their negligence. The types of negligence that could lead to office accident claims include:

• Slipping and falling on a wet floor where warning signs were not used.
• Repetitive strain injuries caused by poor desk layouts.
• Electric shock at work from poorly installed equipment.
• Objects falling from height because of overloaded bookshelves or damaged racking.
• Being hurt from tripping on cables that have been laid across a walkway.
• Falling down a set of stairs because of a broken handrail.
• Being trapped in a lift due to poor maintenance.
• Workplace back injuries due to lifting heavy objects without any help or sitting for long periods without adequate rest breaks.

This list is not conclusive as there are too many scenarios to list here. However, we can help you claim compensation if you’re injured in an office so long as you can show how it was caused by somebody else’s negligence.

How Much Compensation For An Accident In An Office Could I Claim?

There are many elements that make up an office accident claim. As such, it’s not possible to explain exactly what compensation you’ll be paid in this guide. However, if your case is taken on, your solicitor will explain how much they’ll be able to request on your behalf after they have assessed everything in detail. The types of compensation you could include in your claim are:

• General damages – to cover your pain, suffering, and loss of amenity.
• Special damages – costs, financial losses or expenses incurred because of the office accident. These might include travel costs, medical expenses, lost earnings, and care costs.

The amount awarded for general damages is partly based on the severity of your injuries. To help prove this, you may need an independent medical assessment. Your solicitor will look to book this locally with an independent medical expert so that you won’t have to travel very far. More in-depth information of these damages can be found on this page.

We are happy to review any office accident claim for free so please contact us today and let us know what happened in your case.

Office Accident Claims Compensation Calculator

In this section, it’s time to consider what amount of compensation might be payable for injuries sustained in an office accident for general damages. As mentioned above, settlement amounts will vary from case to case. However, we have provided a compensation calculator with a wide range of injuries below. The data displayed is based upon the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) as this is something personal injury solicitors can use when calculating compensation for an office accident claim.

Unfortunately, it’s not possible to include every single injury in our calculator so don’t worry if you don’t see yours listed. When you speak with an advisor, they may be able to let you know the relevant figures from the Judicial College that relate to your injuries. Please be aware that if you win your office accident claim, there isn’t any guarantee that you’ll receive the amounts listed. Therefore, please use them as guidelines only.

We can check whether your claim is eligible for our No Win No Fee service when you call our team. If it is, we’ll appoint a solicitor to represent you right away.

Evidence To Support An Office Accident Claim

If you are injured in an accident in your office, we’d advise you to do the following (if possible) to help support your claim:

• Seek medical attention right away, even if the injury seems minor. This will help you to get the care you need and establish a record of your injury.
• Take pictures or videos of the office and accident scene as soon as possible (preferably before anything is moved or repaired).
• Write down the names and contact details of all witnesses.
• Visit A&E, a minor injuries unit, or a GP practice to have your injuries treated (don’t rely solely on first aid).
• Report what happened so that your accident is recorded in an accident report book.
• Ask for copies of any CCTV footage covering the office.
• Keep photographs of any visible injuries throughout your recovery.
• Keep financial records and receipts, invoices etc of any expenses or losses you’ve had due to the office accident.

Medical records and accident reports are really useful pieces of evidence in office accident claims. They can make it very difficult for an employer to deny that the accident took place and that you were injured. If you’d like us to take a look at what evidence you have already obtained, please call our advisors today.

Office Accident Claims Time Limits

All personal injury claims are bound by time limits. That means, in most cases, you’ll need to claim within 3-years of your accident occurring. We think it’s a lot easier if your office accident claim is submitted sooner rather than later. By doing so, you should find it easier to recall what happened. Also, your solicitor needs sufficient time to gather evidence such as medical records and witness statements to back up your claim.

In some cases, the 3-year time limit will not start until your date of knowledge. This is the day that your injuries have been diagnosed by a doctor. For example, if you were to claim compensation for RSI, you wouldn’t necessarily know why you were suffering symptoms for some time. Therefore, you could claim from when your doctor told you about your condition and how it was linked to your job.

If your employer admits liability for your office accident and your injuries, it is possible for claims to be resolved within a few months. Where objections are raised or further evidence is required to prove who was to blame, the claims process can take longer.

If you would like us to check how long you have to make an office accident claim, please do call our team today. You’ll be provided a free consultation and given advice on what to do next.

Will My Employer Sack Me For Filing An Office Accident Claim?

Importantly, you should not worry about claiming compensation against your employer for a preventable accident in an office. Firstly, they should have an Employers’ Liability Insurance in place so your claim won’t affect company profits. Secondly, it is illegal for you to be demoted, dismissed, or treated differently because you’ve made a legitimate claim.

Starting The Office Accident Claims Process

We hope that we have explained when it might be possible for you to seek compensation for injuries sustained in an office. It’s important to realise that your employer won’t typically deal with the claim themselves. Instead, it will almost certainly be passed to an insurance company. That’s important because insurers won’t want to pay anything unless there is clear evidence to show how their client was responsible for both the office accident and your injuries. We believe the best chance of achieving a successful outcome to your claim is to have specialist legal representation.

If you’re ready to start the office accident claims process and we agree to represent you on a No Win No fee basis (explained further here), your solicitor will use their legal acumen to present a clear and concise claim on your behalf. Where needed, they’ll try to counter any objections by providing supplementary evidence. You will be updated regularly about any progress and have the ability to ask any questions.

If you would like to see whether we could help you claim compensation for an office accident why not call us on 0800 6524 881. Remember, we provide a No Win No Fee service for all accepted office accident claims, so you won’t pay any solicitor’s fees unless you are compensated.