Accident at work claims: how much compensation could you get?
Hurt on the job? Your employer's liability insurance is there for exactly this.
Every UK employer is legally required to hold employers' liability insurance, so if you're injured at work because your employer didn't keep you safe, there's always cover in place to claim against. Workplace injury claims follow their own rules — separate from the car-accident whiplash reforms — and we connect you with a specialist solicitor to pursue what you're owed.
What a workplace injury claim is worth
Awards follow the Judicial College Guidelines: a hand injury affecting function £6,900–£35,400; serious back injuries £15,300–£47,300 (severe cases far higher); loss of sight or amputations reach six figures. On top come lost earnings — often the largest element for serious injuries — plus care, travel and treatment. Your employer’s liability insurance pays, not your employer directly, and dismissing or penalising you for claiming is itself unlawful.
Compulsory insurance means a real defendant
Employers' liability insurance is a legal requirement, so there's almost always a solvent insurer standing behind your claim.
Covers all workplace causes
Slips, trips and falls, falls from height, being struck by moving objects, and manual handling are the most common causes reported to the HSE — each can support a claim.
Lost earnings & rehab
Time off work, reduced hours and the cost of physio or rehabilitation can all be claimed alongside your injury compensation.
Not tariff-capped
Workplace injury claims are not subject to the RTA whiplash tariff, so they're valued on the specific facts of your injury, not a fixed table.
You can't be fairly dismissed for claiming
Raising a genuine injury claim against your employer's insurer is a legal right; it is unlawful for an employer to penalise you for doing so.
Related services
How people actually get hurt at work (2024/25)
The five ways injuries happen most
Employer-reported (RIDDOR) injuries to employees. The true totals are higher — many injuries go unreported.
Highest-risk industries (injury rate per 100,000 workers)
Your employer’s liability insurance exists precisely for workplace injuries — and penalising you for claiming is itself unlawful. Full industry, accident-type and local-authority tables →
Source: HSE RIDDOR statistics tables, 2024/25. Methodology.
Workplace injury compensation estimator
Pick your injury and add your losses — for workplace claims, use the “weeks unable to work” fields (lost earnings are often the biggest element) and skip the vehicle fields. Guideline figures courts and insurers work from; no email, no signup.
Guideline ranges based on Judicial College Guidelines figures as published across the UK legal industry; your actual award depends on the medical evidence. This is an estimate, not legal advice, and injuries to multiple areas are valued together.
Workplace injury compensation amounts
Guideline general-damages ranges for the injuries injured workers most commonly suffer. Bike damage, kit, lost earnings and care costs are recovered on top of these figures.
| Injury | Severity | Guideline range | Typical injuries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head / brain | Minor | £2,690 – £15,580 | Recovery within weeks; award reflects headaches and any brief brain-injury symptoms |
| Moderate | £52,550 – £267,340 | Concentration or personality effects through to significant intellectual deficit | |
| Severe | £267,340 – £493,000 | Life-changing brain injury requiring substantial care | |
| Leg | Minor | £2,000 – £14,450 | Soft tissue, cuts and simple fractures with good recovery |
| Moderate | £33,880 – £66,920 | Multiple or compound fractures, ligament damage, likely arthritis | |
| Severe | £66,920 – £344,150 | The most serious fractures through to amputation | |
| Arm | Mild | £8,060 – £23,430 | Simple forearm fractures |
| Moderate | £23,430 – £47,810 | Significant disability with substantial recovery expected | |
| Severe | £47,810 – £366,100 | Serious permanent disability through to amputation | |
| Wrist / hand | Minor | £4,310 – £9,070 | Undisplaced fractures, recovery within ~2 years |
| Moderate | £15,370 – £35,390 | Permanent stiffness or impaired function; surgery | |
| Severe | £35,390 – £245,900 | Serious permanent loss of function | |
| Shoulder / collarbone | Minor | £2,990 – £9,630 | Soft tissue with full recovery inside 2 years |
| Serious | £15,580 – £23,430 | Clavicle/humerus fractures, rotator cuff surgery | |
| Severe | £23,430 – £58,610 | Brachial plexus involvement, significant disability | |
| Back / spine | Minor | £2,990 – £15,260 | Strains and sprains resolving within 5 years |
| Moderate | £15,260 – £47,320 | Compression fractures, prolapsed discs, surgery | |
| Severe | £47,320 – £196,450 | Spinal cord involvement, lasting disability | |
| Knee | Minor | £2,000 – £16,770 | Twists, bruising, aching after soft-tissue injury |
| Moderate | £18,110 – £31,960 | Dislocation, torn cartilage, ongoing instability | |
| Severe | £31,960 – £117,410 | Serious joint disruption, future surgery likely | |
| Ankle / foot | Minor | £2,000 – £16,770 | Sprains and undisplaced fractures, full recovery |
| Moderate | £16,770 – £61,090 | Fractures needing surgery, walking limitations | |
| Severe | £61,090 – £245,900 | Deformity or amputation-level injury | |
| Facial injury / scarring | Minor | £2,080 – £4,310 | Light scarring, simple fractures with full recovery |
| Serious | £21,920 – £59,090 | Broken jaw or nose, dental damage | |
| Severe | £36,340 – £118,790 | Lasting disfigurement, multiple fractures | |
| PTSD / psychological | Minor | £4,820 – £9,980 | Largely recovered within ~2 years |
| Moderate | £28,250 – £73,050 | Significant effects with a good prognosis | |
| Severe | £73,050 – £122,850 | Permanent effects preventing pre-accident life |
General damages only — financial losses are additional. Based on Judicial College Guidelines figures as published across the UK legal industry; awards depend on medical evidence and individual circumstances.
Common questions.
How much compensation for an accident at work?+
Guideline figures range from about £2,700 for minor injuries with full recovery to £35,000+ for injuries with lasting effects, and six figures for life-changing harm — plus lost earnings, which for serious injuries often exceed the injury award itself. Employers’ liability insurance (a legal requirement) pays the claim.
Can I claim if I'm still employed there?+
Yes. Employers' liability insurance exists precisely so employees can claim without it coming out of the employer's own pocket, and it's unlawful for an employer to dismiss or penalise you for making a genuine claim.
What counts as a workplace accident?+
Any injury caused because your employer failed in its duty to keep you reasonably safe — commonly slips, trips and falls, falls from height, being struck by moving objects, or manual handling injuries. HSE figures show these causes account for the majority of reported workplace injuries.
Does the whiplash tariff apply?+
No — the fixed whiplash tariff only applies to road traffic accidents involving car occupants. Workplace injury claims are valued individually on medical evidence.
What can I claim for?+
General damages for the injury itself, plus lost earnings, rehabilitation and treatment costs, and other out-of-pocket expenses caused by the accident.
Other claim types
Motorbike accident claims
Injured on two wheels? Your claim isn't capped by the car whiplash tariff.
Pedestrian accident claims
Hit by a vehicle while on foot? You're a vulnerable road user with full rights to claim.
HGV & lorry accident claims
Collisions with lorries and HGVs cause disproportionately serious injury — and disproportionately complex claims.
Been in an accident? Let's sort it.
One call starts your claim. Our line is open 24/7, 365 days a year.