Accident at Work Claims UK: Your Rights and Process

Your employer's legal duties

Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, every employer owes you a duty of care. That includes providing a safe place of work, safe equipment, safe systems of work, competent colleagues and adequate training, instruction and supervision. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 add a duty to carry out and act on suitable risk assessments.

If your injury was caused by a breach of any of these duties — for example a missing machine guard, a wet floor with no warning sign, no manual handling training before lifting heavy loads, or faulty PPE — you may have a claim. You do not need to prove the employer acted maliciously, only that they fell below the standard a reasonable employer should meet.

What to do in the first 48 hours

First, get medical attention even for injuries that feel minor. Bruising, soft tissue damage and concussion symptoms can worsen, and a contemporaneous medical record is the single most useful piece of evidence in a claim. Second, make sure the incident is written into the workplace accident book — every UK employer with 10 or more staff must keep one. Take a photo of your entry.

Third, photograph the scene before anything is cleaned up or repaired: the spillage, the broken step, the unguarded machine, the lack of signage. Fourth, get the names and contact details of any witnesses, including agency staff and visitors. Fifth, keep every receipt linked to the injury — taxis, prescriptions, physio, lost overtime — because these become recoverable special damages later.

RIDDOR and what it means for your claim

Certain workplace injuries must be reported by the employer to the Health and Safety Executive under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013, known as RIDDOR. These include any injury causing more than seven days off work, specified injuries such as fractures (other than to fingers, thumbs and toes), amputations, and any injury to a member of the public requiring hospital treatment.

A RIDDOR report is not the same as admitting liability, but it does create an official record of the incident that your solicitor can request. If your employer failed to report a reportable incident, that is itself a regulatory breach and supports your claim narrative.

Time limits and the no-detriment rule

You have three years from the date of the accident, or from the date you first knew an injury was linked to your work, to issue court proceedings. For industrial diseases such as hand-arm vibration syndrome or noise-induced hearing loss, the date of knowledge can be many years after exposure ended.

It is unlawful for your employer to dismiss you, demote you or treat you less favourably because you have brought a personal injury claim. If they do, you may have a separate claim for unfair dismissal or detriment alongside the injury claim itself. Most claims are funded on no win no fee terms, so cost is rarely a barrier.

Typical compensation bands in 2026

Compensation has two parts: general damages for pain, suffering and loss of amenity, and special damages for financial losses. The Judicial College Guidelines provide bands for general damages. As a rough indicator: minor back injuries with full recovery £2,500 to £8,000; moderate hand fractures £6,000 to £15,000; serious knee injuries £15,000 to £30,000; loss of one eye £55,000 to £65,000; severe brain injury can exceed £400,000.

Special damages add lost earnings (past and future), care costs, treatment costs and any equipment or home adaptations you need. For a serious injury that prevents return to your previous role, future loss of earnings often dwarfs the general damages figure.

Frequently asked questions