Accident at Work Claims: What You're Entitled To and How a Claim Works
An accident at work claim is a personal injury claim against your employer's liability insurance for an injury caused by a failure in equipment, training, supervision or the workplace itself; every UK employer is legally required to hold that insurance, the claim must normally start within three years, and National Accident Support Line assesses whether you have a claim and refers it to a specialist solicitor on a no win no fee basis, with a callback within 2 minutes.
Most people who are hurt at work don't claim. They don't want to make a fuss, they're worried about the job, or they assume that because they signed nothing and nobody was at fault it doesn't count. The insurance your employer pays for exists for exactly this. It is there so that when someone is hurt because a guard was missing, a floor wasn't cleared or the training never happened, they are looked after without it coming out of anyone's pocket. Claiming isn't making trouble. It is what the cover is for.
We'll call you back within 2 minutes with a straight answer on where you stand.
What your employer has to do, by law
Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the regulations made under it, your employer has to provide a safe place of work, safe equipment that is maintained and guarded, safe systems of work, proper training and supervision, personal protective equipment where the risk calls for it, and risk assessments that are actually carried out rather than filed. The duty is owed to employees, agency staff, apprentices and, in most workplaces, contractors and visitors too. Where the employer falls short and someone is injured as a result, the employer is liable, and their employers' liability insurance pays.
Two further duties matter for a claim. Every employer with ten or more staff must keep an accident book, and serious injuries, and any injury that keeps a worker off normal duties for more than seven days, must be reported to the Health and Safety Executive under RIDDOR. Those two records date and describe the accident in the employer's own hand, which is why the first thing to do after an accident is make sure it is written down.
What you're entitled to claim for
An injury claim has two parts. The first is the injury itself: the pain, the recovery period, and any lasting effect on your daily life. The second is the money the accident has cost you and will cost you: lost earnings while you were off, including the gap between statutory sick pay and your normal wage; the cost of treatment, physiotherapy and travel to appointments; care given by family while you recovered; and future losses where the injury affects the work you can do. Statutory sick pay is currently paid for up to 28 weeks and is a fraction of most wages; the difference is a recoverable loss, not something you absorb.
Will I lose my job for claiming?
No. Dismissing or penalising someone for making a personal injury claim is unlawful, and an employer who did it would face a second claim for unfair dismissal alongside the first. In practice the claim goes to the insurer, not to your manager's budget, and is handled by the insurer's claims team. Most people who claim carry on working for the same employer. If you are on a zero-hours or agency contract you have the same right to claim; the duty of care follows the work, not the contract type.
Common workplace accidents we see
| Type of accident | Where it usually happens | Who is usually responsible |
|---|---|---|
| Manual handling and lifting injuries | Warehouses, care, construction, retail | Employer (training, equipment, staffing) |
| Slips and trips on site | Any workplace: wet floors, cables, uneven surfaces | Employer or site occupier |
| Machinery and equipment injuries | Factories, workshops, farms, kitchens | Employer (guarding, maintenance, training) |
| Falls from height | Construction, warehousing, maintenance | Employer or principal contractor |
| Struck by moving or falling objects | Warehouses, sites, delivery yards | Employer or site controller |
| Vehicle accidents at work | Forklifts, yards, driving for work | Employer, sometimes a third-party driver |
| Injuries caused by a colleague's mistake | Anywhere | Employer (vicariously liable for staff) |
The workplace pages on this site go into the specific settings: factory accident claims, farm accident claims, and injuries from slips, trips and falls. If you were injured driving for work in a vehicle accident that wasn't your fault, a non-fault car accident claim covers the vehicle side alongside the injury.
We'll call you back within 2 minutes with a straight answer on where you stand.
The situations people describe to us
"It was recorded in the accident book but nothing's happened since"
Good. The accident book entry is the single most useful document in a work claim. Ask for a copy of it, and of the RIDDOR report if one was made. Then see a GP so the injury is on your medical record with a date. From there a claim can be assessed properly.
"My employer says I should have been more careful"
Employers say this often. It is an argument about contributory negligence, and it reduces a claim rather than ending it. If you were partly at fault, the compensation is reduced by your share; if the real cause was missing training, a missing guard or a job that should have been two people, the employer's share is the larger one. It is decided on evidence, not on who says it first.
"I'm self-employed or agency, does this apply to me?"
Usually yes. Agency workers are owed the duty by the business they work in as well as the agency. Genuinely self-employed contractors are owed a duty of care by whoever controls the site or the equipment. The question is who controlled the risk, not what your contract says.
"It was months ago and I didn't report it at the time"
You can still claim, within three years of the accident. Late reporting makes the claim harder, not impossible: GP records, texts to a manager, colleagues who saw it, and payslips showing the time off all rebuild the timeline.
What to do after an accident at work
Get first aid and see a doctor, even for an injury that feels minor; the medical record is the evidence. Make sure the accident is written in the accident book and ask for a copy. Photograph the cause, whether that is the machine, the spillage or the missing guard, and photograph your injuries. Take the names of anyone who saw it. Keep every receipt and a note of every day off and every appointment. Ask whether the accident was reported to the HSE. Don't sign anything from your employer or their insurer about the accident without advice. Then get in touch.
How a work accident claim works with National Accident Support Line
Tell us what happened, by the form, WhatsApp or a call to 0333 212 2730, and web enquiries are called back within 2 minutes during opening hours. We ask the questions that decide these claims: what caused it, whether it was recorded, whether you had training, who saw it. If there is a claim, we refer it to a specialist workplace injury solicitor who runs it on a no win no fee basis: nothing to pay upfront, and the solicitor's fee only applies if the claim succeeds. If there isn't a claim, we tell you straight. National Accident Support Line is an FCA-regulated claims management company, not a law firm, and its wider personal injury claims cover injuries on the road and in public as well as at work.
Frequently asked questions
Can I claim for an accident at work if it was partly my fault?
Yes. The claim is reduced by your share of the fault rather than refused. Where the main cause was a failure by the employer, the reduction is usually small.
How long do I have to make an accident at work claim?
Three years from the date of the accident, or from the date you first knew an injury or illness was linked to work. For an illness that developed over time, the clock starts when you knew.
Can my employer sack me for making a claim?
No. It would be unlawful, and the claim is paid by the employer's insurer rather than by the business itself.
What if my employer doesn't have insurance?
Employers' liability insurance is compulsory for almost every UK employer, with fines for not holding it. Where an employer genuinely has none, a claim can still be made against the business directly.
Do I have to report the accident to the HSE myself?
No, the reporting duty is your employer's. It is worth asking whether it was done, because a RIDDOR report is strong evidence, and a serious injury that was never reported is itself a mark against the employer.
I was injured on my way to work. Does that count?
Not usually, unless you were travelling for work at the time or in a vehicle your employer provided. A commuting accident on the road is a road traffic claim rather than a work claim.
How long does an accident at work claim take?
Claims where the employer's insurer accepts responsibility can settle within months. Disputed claims and serious injuries take longer, because the medical picture has to settle before the claim can be valued.
What does no win no fee mean?
You pay nothing upfront and nothing if the claim fails. If it succeeds, the solicitor's success fee, capped at 25% of the compensation for the injury and past losses and agreed before the claim starts, comes out of the award.
We'll call you back within 2 minutes with a straight answer on where you stand.
National Accident Support Line Ltd is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in respect of regulated claims management activities, registration number 829991.