If you’ve slipped at work and hurt your back, you may be wondering if you could be eligible to claim accident at-work compensation. This guide will tell you what you need to know about filing a work injury claim and the compensation you may be entitled to.
We will detail the accident at work claims process and provide examples of evidence that you could use to help strengthen your claim. This guide will also outline the eligibility criteria for claiming if you have sustained a back injury at work.
However, you may still have questions about the claims process that this guide doesn’t answer. In this case, our team of expert advisors are on hand 24/7 to help. They can answer any questions you may have, and they can also offer you free legal advice. If you would like to find out whether or not your claim could be valid, get in touch with our team today:
- Call the number at the top of this page
- Contact us online
- Use the live chat feature for more help
Slipped at work and hurt your back claims guide
I Slipped At Work And Hurt My Back, Am I Able To Claim? – A Guide
All employers owe their employees a duty of care which is set out in the Health and Safety At Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA). This means that your employer has to take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure that you are safe in the workplace.
There are other pieces of legislation that outline the steps your employer is expected to make. For example, under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, your employer is responsible for conducting risk assessments in the workplace. This can help them identify and reduce, if not completely remove, any identified risks to you or other employees.
If you are injured as a result of your employer failing to fulfil their duty of care, this is known as negligence, and you may be able to make a claim.
Our advisors are available 24/7, so please get in touch with us about how to make a work injury claim; you can do so in the ways listed at the top and bottom of this guide.
When Are You Eligible To Claim For An Accident At Work?
As mentioned in the section above, you may be able to make a claim for compensation if you slipped at work and hurt your back. However, in order to make a valid claim, you must be able to prove that:
- Your employer owed you a duty of care
- They breached this duty
- This breach directly caused your back injury
For example, you may be able to claim for:
- Slips, trips, and falls: You could claim for slipping on a wet floor if it wasn’t signposted or cleaned up in an appropriate timeframe.
- Insufficient personal protective equipment (PPE): For example, if you’re not given a high-visibility vest, then another employee may not see you and could collide with you in a workplace vehicle, resulting in a construction accident.
- Lack of training in manual handling: You could slip and hurt your back after being asked to lift an object if your employer has failed to provide you with adequate training.
To find out if you could be eligible to claim after you slipped at work and hurt your back, get in touch with our advisors today. If you do have a valid case, you could be connected with a No Win No Fee solicitor.
Potential Evidence In A Work Injury Claim
You may wonder, “what evidence will I need to claim if I’ve slipped at work and hurt my back?”. There are a number of different kinds of evidence that you could collect in order to help support your claim. This could be gathered alone or with the help of a solicitor.
Some examples of evidence that could help support your claim include:
- CCTV footage: CCTV footage showing the accident or the circumstances that led to your injuries could be used to help support your claim.
- Accident at work book: Logging your accident in the accident at work book creates a record of what happened. Any workplace with ten or more employees must have an accident at work book.
- Medical evidence: Photographs of your injuries, as well as notes or reports from a doctor or GP, can also be helpful in proving your claim. Similarly, a solicitor could arrange an independent medical assessment to confirm your injuries.
A solicitor from our panel could help you strengthen your claim if you slipped at work and hurt your back.
Potential Compensation If You Slipped At Work And Hurt Your Back
There are two heads of claim that you could potentially receive in a personal injury claim. One of the heads of claim is general damages. This covers the pain and suffering caused by your back injury.
The Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) provide legal professionals with guideline compensation brackets for varying injuries. These can help with calculating compensation for a workplace accident claim. You can find some examples of these figures in the table below.
| Injury | Severity | Notes | Bracket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back Injuries | (a) (i) Severe | Damage to the spinal cord and nerve roots. Incomplete paralysis and impaired bowels, bladder and sexual function. | £91,090 to £160,980 |
| Back Injuries | (a) (ii) Severe | Orthopaedic injury and nerve root damage. Loss of sensation and mobility. Unsightly scarring. | £74,160 to £88,430 |
| Back Injuries | (a) (iii) Severe | Disc fractures and lesions are considered here along with chronic soft tissue injuries, with disability remaining after treatment. | £38,780 to £69,730 |
| Back Injuries | (b) (i) Moderate | This bracket could contain compression/crush lumbar vertebrae fractures, with a risk of osteoarthritis. Prolapsed discs and nerve root irritation could also be included in this bracket. | £27,760 to £38,780 |
| Back Injuries | (b) (ii) Moderate | Disturbance of ligaments and backache. Repeated relapses of prolapsed discs. Consideration will also be given to the level of pain and its impact on day-to-day life. | £12,510 to £27,760 |
| Back Injuries | (c) (i) Minor | Full recovery or recovery to a nuisance level takes place between two to five years without any surgery. | £7,890 to £12,510 |
| Back Injuries | (c) (ii) Minor | Recovery without surgery takes place within one to two years. This bracket also covers short-term acceleration or exacerbation injuries. | £4,350 to £7,890 |
| Back Injuries | (c) (iii) Minor | Full recovery without surgery between three months and a year. | £2,450 to £4,350 |
| Back Injuries | (c) (iv) Minor | Within three months, a full recovery is made. | Up to £2,450 |
| Neck Injuries | (a) (i) Severe | Incomplete paraplegia, permanent spastic quadriparesis. Little or no movement in the neck. | In the region of £148,330 |
However, please note that these figures are only guidelines. They are not guaranteed, and the actual amount of compensation that you could receive may differ.
Could Special Damages Make Up Part Of My Accident At Work Compensation?
You may also be entitled to special damages for the monetary losses you suffered or will suffer in the future because of your injuries. For example, special damages could cover:
- Transportation costs from travelling to appointments
- Loss of earnings due to missing work because of your injuries
- Cost of professional care or medications
- Adaptations you have had to make to your home to cope with a disability
Our advisors can provide you with a free consultation of what your claim could be worth when you get in touch. Furthermore, they could connect you with a No Win No Fee lawyer from our panel if you have a valid claim.
Why Make A No Win No Fee Accident At Work Claim?
If you choose to hire an accident at work solicitor to help you with your back injury claim, you could be offered a No Win No Fee agreement. A solicitor from our panel may be able to represent you with a kind of No Win No Fee arrangement in place called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).
This typically means that if your claim is unsuccessful, you will not have to pay for your solicitor’s services. You also won’t need to make a payment in order for them to start work on your case.
In the event that your claim is successful, your solicitor will usually take a deduction from your award as their success fee. This fee is capped by law and is taken as a percentage.
Contact Us For Free To See If You Could Claim For An Accident At The Workplace
Our advisors can offer free legal advice, as well as a free consultation in which they can identify whether or not you have a valid claim. To learn more:
- Call the number at the top of this page
- Contact us online
- Use the live chat feature for more help
Our panel of solicitors have years of expertise that can help you with your claim for your accident at work, so please don’t hesitate to contact an advisor today.
Learn More About Claiming If You Slipped At Work And Hurt Your Back
Thank you for reading our guide on claims for back injuries as a result of slipping at work. If you found our guide useful and want to read more, please read below:
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