In this guide, we’ll be looking at the process of making burn injury at work claims. If you’ve been involved in an accident at work that left you with a burn, providing you can prove it was caused by a breach of duty of care, you may be able to make a claim.
We’ll explain what a duty of care is and the legislation that upholds this in the workplace. Additionally, we’ll be exploring what employer negligence is and how it could have caused an accident at work. We’ll also be looking at how compensation amounts in successful claims are valued.
If you’re interested in making a burn injury at work claim, then you may benefit from the services of a solicitor. Our panel of solicitors work under a kind of No Win No Fee agreement called a Conditional Fee Agreement. We’ll be exploring what this means for you further down in the guide. Still, you can get in touch with us anytime by using the following information:
- Call us on 020 8050 2736
- Enter your details on our website
- Chat with one of our advisors by using our live chat feature in the corner of our website.
Burn injury at work claims guide
Choose A Section
- A Guide To Burn Injury At Work Claims
- Burn Injury At Work Claims – When Am I Eligible To Claim Compensation?
- What Evidence Could Help Me In A Burn Injury Claim?
- What Compensation Could You Recieve From A Workplace Accident Claim?
- Why Make A No Win No Fee Accident At Work Claim?
- Learn More About Burn Injury At Work Claims
A Guide To Burn Injury At Work Claims
There are many different types of burn injuries that can be sustained and various factors determine how severe such an injury is. For example, the percentage of the skin on your body that has been burned, as well as how many layers of skin have been affected, could dictate how you’re impacted by a burn injury. A more serious injury involving burns can leave permanent scarring that significantly changes the victim’s appearance
Being involved in a burn injury at work can impact your life in a number of different ways. This includes physical and psychological injuries. Providing your claim is successful, an injury’s impact on your life is considered when determining how much compensation you could receive.
In order to make a successful claim, you will need to prove that employer negligence directly led to the accident in which you were injured. To do this, you need to show that:
- Your employer owed you a duty of care when and where the incident occurred.
- This duty of care was breached by them.
- You experienced harm as a result of this.
In order to find out how to make a successful injury at work claim, you can get in touch with us at the number above. Our advisors will be happy to discuss burn injury at work claims.
Burn Injury At Work Claims – When Am I Eligible To Claim Compensation?
Regardless of the occupation, every employer has a duty of care to their employees. This means they need to take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure the safety of those they employ. If an employer fails to do this, this is a breach of duty of care, which could lead to an employee sustaining an injury. This is outlined in The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
Working in certain industries could put you at more risk of experiencing a burn injury at work. These industries include certain construction roles, manufacturing (for example, in a factory where machinery can generate heat), engineering and restaurant work, for example.
You could experience a burn injury in work for the following reasons:
- Not being provided with sufficient Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). For example, you may have been given faulty heatproof gloves.
- Not being trained sufficiently. This could result in accidentally injuring yourself by grabbing or touching something hot.
- Failing to maintain good housekeeping. For example, an employee could slip and fall on a wet floor in a kitchen because of a broken floor tile, causing them to spill the hot oil they were carrying and fall into it, burning themself.
Additionally, you can claim for multiple injuries at the same time, providing that they were all caused by the same act of negligence by your employer. In order to make a successful claim, you’ll have to provide sufficient evidence to support your claim. Find out more about this below.
What Evidence Could Help Me In A Burn Injury Claim?
Firstly, seeking medical attention after being involved in an accident at work is important. This ensures that you’re given the necessary treatment for any injuries that you might have. Furthermore, the records this generates could be used as evidence.
Below is a short list of some of the different types of evidence that could support burn injury at work claims:
- Witness details, so that they can be contacted to request a statement.
- CCTV footage of the accident.
- A report from the accident book.
- Pictures of your injuries and the scene of the accident.
What Is The Time Limit For An Accident At Work Claim?
You may be wondering how long you have to make a claim for an accident at work. In most cases, the standard time limit to make a claim after an accident at work is three years. This can either be from the date of the accident or the date that you connected your injuries with negligence. This is all outlined in The Limitation Act 1980.
Exceptions are made in some circumstances, though. If a person is under eighteen or isn’t mentally capable of making a claim, the courts can appoint a litigation friend to make a claim for them. In this case, there is no time limit while they’re unable to claim themselves. If an injured party becomes capable of making their own claim, they have three years to do so, provided this has not already been done for them.
If you have any further questions about the process of claiming for a burn injury at work, then speak to one of our advisors today using the contact information above.
What Compensation Could You Recieve From A Workplace Accident Claim?
General damages compensation is one of the heads of claim that a claimant could be awarded if they receive compensation. These aim to compensate you for the suffering and pain that you’ve been through as a direct result of your injuries.
Solicitors use the Judicial College Guidelines to help them value claims. This is a document that contains guideline compensation brackets for a variety of different injuries. We’ve created the table below using these guidelines; you can use it to see how much your claim could be worth.
| Injury Type | Compensation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Scarring to Other Parts of the Body | Likely to exceed £104,830 | Where 40% of the body is covered with significant burns, they're likely to fall under this bracket. |
| Scarring to Other Parts of the Body | £22,730 - £7,830 | Awards for a number of visible laceration scars or a single scar that causes disfigurement. |
| Scarring to Other Parts of the Body | £2,370 - £7,830 | A single scar that is apparent, or several superficial scars, with a cosmetic deficit that is not major. |
| Facial Disfigurement | £97,330 - £29,780 | Very Severe Scarring: Where the cosmetic impact causes disfigurement causing a severe mental reaction. |
| Facial Disfigurement | £48,420 - £17,960 | Less Severe Scarring: Disfigurement is substantial and it is accompanied by a psychological reaction. |
| Facial Disfigurement | £13,740 - £3,950 | Less Significant Scarring: Can be one larger scar, or a number of very small scars |
| Moderate Post Traumatic Stress Disorder | £8,180 to £23,150 | Large recovery from symptoms which can include sleep disturbance and hyperarousal. Continuing effects will not cause gross disability. |
| Damage to Hair | £11,020 - £7,340 | Damage to hair including effects such as dermatitis, eczema, or tingling or burning of the scalp. Causes dry, brittle hair which falls out. |
| Damage to Hair | £7,340 - £3,950 | Less serious versions of the above, where symptoms are fewer or minor. The length of time before regrowth will affect the award. |
| Anxiety Disorder | £5,860 - £1,540 | Less Severe: This bracket takes the extent that daily activities and sleep were affected into account when awarding compensation. |
Note that these figures do not necessarily reflect the payout you’ll definitely receive for your injuries following a successful claim. This is due to a wide variety of factors that are considered when calculating the general damages head of your claim.
Special Damages In Burn Injury Claims
The other head of claim that can make up your final settlement are special damages. These aim to compensate you for any financial losses that you might have totalled during or after your recovery from your burn. This can include:
- Cost of care
- Loss of earnings
- Medical expenses, for example, if you need cosmetic surgery to reduce the appearance of permanent scars
- Cost of home adaptations
- Replacement for any damaged items
Similarly to general damages, it’s important to recognize that you’ll have to provide evidence in order to claim special damages. This evidence can include:
- Receipts
- Statements from your bank,
- Invoices
If you’re unaware of what evidencecan be used to support burn injury at work claims, get in touch with our advisors. They could connect you with one of the personal injury solicitors from our panel provided you have a valid claim.
Why Make A No Win No Fee Accident At Work Claim?
Our No Win No Fee solicitors may be able to offer their services under an agreement called a Conditional Fee Agreement. This kind of No Win No Fee agreement means that there are usually no upfront or ongoing fees involved when working with a solicitor. You also won’t typically have to pay for their services at all if your claim is unsuccessful.
If your claim ends up being successful, then you’ll have to pay your solicitor a success fee. This will be taken out of your compensation amount before it reaches you and is subject to a legal cap.
If you have questions about how No Win No Fee lawyers could benefit those making burn injury at work claims, speak with an advisor today.
Contact Us For Free To See If You Can Make A Burn Injury Claim
You can contact us anytime for a free consultation in relation to your potential claim. Providing that our advisors can confirm your claim is legitimate, our panel of solicitors may be able to support you in your claim. Below is a list of ways that you can get in touch with us:
- Call us on 020 8050 2736
- Enter your details on our website
- Chat with one of our advisors by using our live chat feature in the corner of our website.
Learn More About Burn Injury At Work Claims
If you’re interested in learning more about burn injury at work claims, then we’ve provided a few more of our guides below for you to read:
- Using serious injury solicitors to make a claim
- Tips on preventing accidents in the workplace
- Can an employer sack me after an injury at work?
Additionally, there are a few extra external resources that you might find helpful below: