Accident and Injury at Work Claims
If you’ve suffered an injury at work, you’re not alone.
Every year, we act for thousands of workers hurt in accidents that could have been avoided. At Thompsons Solicitors, we've been holding employers to account for workplace accidents for more than a century.
We can use our wealth of experience to help you make a claim against your employer and secure the compensation you deserve.
We're here to help you
Our workplace accident experts are on hand to talk through your case and provide free, no-obligation legal advice.
Why choose Thompsons Solicitors?
Our accident at work solicitors have a strong track record of winning work injury compensation claims.
We’ve been standing up for workers for over 100 years. In that time we have never represented an employer or insurer, and we never will.
Our experienced team of work injury lawyers can provide legal advice and help you make a workplace accident claim on a no win, no fee basis – which means you’ll only pay a fee if your claim is successful.
What you need to know about accident and injury at work claims
If you’ve been injured at work and your employer is at fault in some way, you can make a work accident compensation claim.
Your employer has a duty of care to provide you with a safe work environment.
If your employer has failed in their duty of care toward you and an accident has occurred, they can be held legally responsible for any injury you have suffered as a result of, what is known as, their ‘negligence’.
Employers have been found liable to pay work injury compensation where they have failed to:
- Follow health and safety legislation
- Conduct any (or any adequate) risk assessments
- Provide employees with regular, in-depth health and safety training
- Supply sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Ensure equipment and machinery is in safe working order and regularly maintained
- Reduce risk as much as reasonably possible, such as removing trip hazards from the workplace.
If you have sustained an injury at work and believe your employer is responsible, complete our online claim form for us to advise you on your workplace injury claim.
If you are unsure if you can claim, you can request a callback and one of our work accident lawyers will contact you to discuss your case.
You can get in touch with our workplace injury solicitors in any of the following ways:
- Completing our start a claim form with details of the accident and your injuries
- Requesting a callback to discuss your case
- Calling us free on 0800 0 224 224.
Before you get in touch, you should try to collect as much information about the accident and your injuries as possible.
This will help us provide legal advice about whether we think you have a claim, and how much compensation you may be able to secure.
If possible, try to do the following:
- Report the accident and your injuries to your employer. Every workplace should have an accident book and ideally you would fill it in yourself so the incident is reported in your own words
- Take photographs of the place where the accident happened, especially if there are any visible hazards such as loose carpet or unsafe machinery
- Photograph any visible injuries sustained
- Collect the names, home addresses and contact numbers of any witnesses to your accident
- Keep a record of any doctors visited and treatments received
- Keep receipts for any injury-related expenses (including travel).
Generally, the more evidence you collect, the stronger your claim will be.
But don’t worry if you haven’t been able to follow the steps above. You could still be able to make a successful claim for accident at work compensation.
We can provide professional, no obligation advice about whether your injury at work claim has reasonable prospects of success based on the facts you share with us and the evidence you have. Â
There are many different types of workplace injuries that your employer can be held responsible for.
For more than 100 years, our specialist accident at work solicitors have dealt with millions of work injury compensation claims. These include claims for:
- Lacerations and cuts
- Workplace burns
- Musculoskeletal injuries, including back injuries
- Serious injuries, including brain injuries and spinal injuries
- Workplace fatalities.
The amount of compensation you may be entitled to depends on the impact your work injury has had on you.
Generally, the more serious your injury, the greater your compensation award.
If your accident has left you unable to work for any period, we can claim additional compensation for loss of income. This could be short-term or long-term.
When pursuing a workplace accident claim with us, we will charge a 20% success fee which will include the cost of any insurance we advise you take out. Other workplace accident law firms will likely charge a 25% success fee and insurance fees on top of this, as well as any unrecovered fees and disbursements.
Here's how we compare:
For an idea of how much compensation you may be able to claim for your work injury, call us on 0800 0 224 224 or request a call back.
Our friendly team will be in touch to discuss your case and provide an estimate of potential compensation.
The time limit for making most personal injury claims, including accident at work claims, is three years.
The three years begins from the date of the accident, or from the date you first became aware of your injuries if you do not immediately realise you are injured.
For certain types of industrial injuries, such as an asbestos-related disease, it could be many years before you realise that your work has caused you an injury.
There are some very limited exceptions to the three-year rule. For example, if you have suffered a severe brain injury which means you cannot be expected to manage your legal affairs, the rule would not apply. But, our advice is to always get in touch without delay.
There are two main routes to funding your workplace accident claim, depending on whether you are a member of a trade union.
If you are a trade union member:
If you are a member of a trade union, you should be able to get free legal advice and representation as part of your membership, and keep 100% of your accident at work compensation.
We provide legal services for many UK trade unions. To find out more about making a claim through your union, visit our trade union website or contact your trade union representative.
If you are not a trade union member:
If you are not a union member, then you can make an accident at work claim with us on a no win, no fee payment arrangement. This means that you will need to pay a fee if your claim is successful, which will be deducted from your compensation.
Unlike other law firms, we cap work injury claim fees at a maximum of 20% of your compensation, with no additional hidden fees. This means that by choosing to make an accident at work claim with Thompsons Solicitors as a non-trade union member, you will always keep at least 80% of your compensation.
Why choose Thompsons Solicitors?
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At Thompsons, we have been working for over 100 years to improve workplace safety standards and protect workers’ rights. We have more experience standing up for workers than any other UK law firm.
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We believe that everyone deserves to be safe at work and we have a history of campaigning to improve safety in the workplace. We worked alongside UK law makers to draft the Health and Safety at Work Act in 1974, the landmark legislation which has helped protect workers across the UK ever since.
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As well as campaigning to protect workers, we also seek amends for those who have been failed by their employers. We believe all workers have a right to compensation if they have been injured because of their employer’s negligence.
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As a matter of principle, we only ever represent workers – we have never represented employers or their insurers, and we never will.
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Our experienced employer liability lawyers understand the difficulties that people can experience following an accident at work, and they’ll be there to support you every step of the way.
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We will fight on your behalf, seeking to secure the greatest amount of compensation possible in the shortest possible time. Our compassionate team members will also support you through your recovery by putting you in touch with specialists and organisations that can help with your rehabilitation.
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David's story
David was seriously injured at work, suffering severe burns to his hands, face and lungs after an accident occurred at his workplace.
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Thompsons helped him secure the accident at work compensation that he deserved. We also supported him through the recovery process, putting him in touch with specialists to treat his work injuries and help with his rehabilitation.

Robert's story
Frequently asked questions about accident at work compensation claims
Every workplace injury claim is unique. While some accident at work compensation claims are settled within a matter of months, others can take years.
The length of time can depend on many factors, such as the severity of the injury. Usually, very serious and fatal injury cases take longer.
The vast majority of accident at work claims are settled out of court, however, a small percentage go to trial. Cases that go to trial typically take longer. Whether a case goes to trial depends upon a range of factors, including the attitude of the employer and their insurers.
Our specialists will always aim to secure the maximum amount of workplace injury compensation for you in the quickest possible time.
Yes. Our accident at work lawyers will want you to undergo a medical examination with an independent medical expert to support your injury at work claim.
It’s important that you have a medical examination, as this can be used as evidence in your case for compensation. The medical report will enable us to determine the right amount of compensation for your injuries, as well as identifying any further treatment you may need.
The medical examination will be arranged at a time and location convenient for you. Our friendly team will organise everything on your behalf, making the process simple and stress-free for you or your loved one.
Some workers may be hesitant to make an accident at work claim because they worry about the financial impact it will have on their employer.
In reality, you don’t need to be concerned about this because, under UK law, all employers must take out employers’ liability insurance.
This means your employer will be covered for claims made against them by employees or contractors who have suffered a work-related injury or illness.
Employers’ liability insurance covers legal costs and any compensation awarded, so you don’t need to worry about making a claim against your employer – that’s what their insurance is there for.
If you have been injured because of a mistake made by a work colleague, you can still make an accident at work claim.
Some people are put off making a claim in these circumstances, because they don’t want to put their colleague in financial difficulty.Â
But you don’t need to worry – your colleague won’t have to pay towards your compensation.
There is a principle in law called ‘vicarious liability’, which means your employer is liable for the negligence or the actions of their employees, including when they or their actions injure a colleague.
Any compensation you are awarded will come from your employer’s insurer, even if the accident was caused by a fellow worker.
No, the government cannot tax you on your personal injury compensation.
This means any typical personal injury damages such as loss of wages, medical bills, emotional distress, pain and suffering, and any legal fees occurred from your claim are tax-free.
Yes. It doesn’t matter what type of employment contract you have, if you have been injured because of your employer’s negligence, you can make an accident at work compensation claim.
Some people worry that they can’t make an accident at work claim because they agreed to something that caused or contributed to their workplace injury.
For example, if you agreed to move a heavy load without proper training, you might think you can’t make a claim – but this isn’t the case.
When a person is partly to blame for their accident, this is known as contributory negligence. The injured person may be partly at fault for their injury – but importantly, so is their employer. In the example above, the employer is at fault for failing to provide the training.
If you are found to have contributed to your injury, your compensation may be reduced by a percentage, but given your employer contributed to the accident it doesn’t mean you can’t make a claim. They are still liable for your injuries.
Our workplace injury lawyers can provide you with legal advice on whether you can make a claim, and how much compensation you can expect to receive – simply request a callback and we’ll be in touch to discuss your case.
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the most common types of accidents at work are:
- Slips, trips and falls
- Manual handling accidents
- Being hit by a moving object
- Falls from height.
All employers have a responsibility to protect their employees, contractors and visitors from accidents and injuries in the workplace.
The Health and Safety at Work Regulations state that employers are obliged to avoid risks entirely if they can.
If the nature of the business means that eliminating risks entirely is not possible, then employers are expected to minimise the risk of injury at work to the lowest possible level.
This includes ensuring:
- Employees have the necessary machinery and tools to complete their jobs safely
- Machines and tools are regularly maintained and are in safe working order
- The workplace is kept in a safe and tidy condition
- Employees are provided with suitable workstations and chairs
- Floors and corridors are clean and free from hazards
- All employees required to lift heavy objects receive training to show them how to do this safely
- All workers are provided with the safety equipment they need to complete their jobs. This includes goggles, hard hats, ear defenders, dust masks, safety gloves, safety boots or high-visibility jackets.Â
If you have suffered an injury because your employer did not follow appropriate health and safety measures and because they failed to ensure any of the legal requirements listed above, you could be entitled to make a workplace injury compensation claim.
Our workplace injury experts have decades of experience in securing compensation for employees in workplace injury claims and are more than equipped to provide the best information and advice about making a claim. However, there are other organisations that can also provide additional information about workplace injuries and more:
- HSE (The Health and Safety Executive) - Their mission is to protect people's health and safety by ensuring risks in the changing workplace are properly controlled
- GOV.UK - Information on rights and responsibilities related to health and safety, stress, accidents in the workplace, benefits and more.
If you would like to make an accident at work compensation claim, our lawyers are ready to support you. To begin your claim with Thompsons Solicitors, you can either fill out our quick online claim form, request a callback or call 0800 0 224 224 today.
Make an accident at work claim
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If you would like to make an accident at work compensation claim, our specialist, friendly lawyers are ready to support you. To begin your claim with Thompsons Solicitors, you can either fill out our quick online claim form, request a callback or call 0800 0 224 224 today.
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