Accidents at Work

Your employer’s responsibilities

Employers must take reasonable care for the health and safety of their employees. That includes providing a safe place of work, safe equipment, adequate training and supervision, and safe systems of work. These duties come from the common law and from health and safety legislation.

Most employers in Great Britain are required by law to hold employers’ liability insurance. This means a claim for a workplace injury is normally paid by the employer’s insurer, not by the business directly.

Many people worry about how a claim might affect their job. It is a reasonable concern, and one we are happy to talk through with you at the outset.

Common situations

• Injuries from lifting or carrying without proper training or equipment
• Falls from ladders, scaffolding or other work at height
• Injuries caused by faulty or poorly maintained machinery
• Slips and trips on wet or cluttered floors at work
• Injuries from a lack of suitable protective equipment
• Conditions that develop over time, such as some repetitive strain, hearing or respiratory conditions

Your options and next steps

If you have had an accident at work, report it and make sure it is recorded in the accident book or your employer’s reporting system. Certain serious workplace injuries must also be reported by the employer to the Health and Safety Executive under the RIDDOR regulations.

A claim usually involves showing what happened, what your employer should have done to prevent it, and how the injury has affected you. Your employer’s records, risk assessments and training records can be important.

If you are self-employed, an agency worker or a contractor, who is responsible can be less straightforward. We can help you work out who the claim should be made against.

Documents and evidence that may help

You do not need to have everything before you contact us, but the following can help us understand your situation more quickly:

• A copy of the accident book entry or incident report
• Names of colleagues who saw the accident
• Photographs of the location, equipment or hazard involved
• Details of any training you received for the task
• Medical records and details of time off work
• Payslips showing earnings before and after the accident
• Any correspondence with your employer about the accident

How we assess your enquiry

1. Tell us what happened. Use the enquiry form, call or email with a short summary.
2. We review the details. We may ask a few questions or request key documents.
3. We explain your options. Including whether your matter is one we can help with.
4. You decide. Nothing goes further until you have agreed the scope of any work and any fees, confirmed in writing.

Frequently asked questions

Please note: this page gives general information based on the law of England and Wales. Different rules can apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is not legal advice and should not be relied on for your particular situation. Every matter depends on its own facts, and no outcome or level of compensation can be guaranteed.