By Daniel Archer. Last Updated 12th December 2024. At Legal Expert, we can help current and former firefighters make a firefighter accident at work claim and get the compensation they deserve.
We are experts in the legal world and can help claimants from across the country to make a No Win No Fee claim for a firefighter injury. Whilst firefighters can expect to face a wide variety of risks as part of their job, these risks which are associated with their duties need to be appropriately assessed and managed.
This is to ensure that firefighters and other emergency service personnel are not exposed to unnecessary risk or injury. Firefighters and members of the Fire Brigades Union can make firefighter accident at work claims for incidents, accidents and injuries which were not their fault, i.e., where another party is liable for the accident. Due to the potentially dangerous work environment, as well as the extreme stresses of the job, firefighter injuries can be physical, emotional and psychological. The expert legal solicitors we work with across the country can help firefighters get the help and compensation they are entitled to.
In this guide, we will provide readers with information and advice on some of the leading causes of accidents suffered by firefighters in the UK, as well as the types of injuries firefighters may suffer. We will also advise firefighters on how to claim the compensation they deserve.
Select A Section
- A Guide To Firefighter Accident At Work Claims
- Can Firefighters Claim For Injuries In The Line Of Duty?
- Causes of Firefighter Accident At Work Claims
- Types of Firefighter Injury Claims
- What Is The Firefighters’ Compensation Scheme?
- What Role Does The Fire Brigades Union Have?
- Firefighter Accident Claims – Compensation Examples
- How To Make A Firefighter Accident At Work Claim
- Make A Firefighter Accident Claim With Our No Win No Fee Solicitors
- Useful Links
A Guide To Firefighter Accident At Work Claims
Across the country, firefighters and UK Fire and Rescue Service Personnel face a wide range of hazards on a daily basis as they carry out their highly important role. Each day, firefighters risk personal injury as well as their lives in the course of their duties, saving thousands of lives per year.
Firefighter accident at work claims can vary in severity as well as the nature of the injuries and accidents. As with many types of accident at work claims, they can vary widely. In this guide, we will some of the most common as well as the most severe injuries firefighters can sustain at work.
Can Firefighters Claim For Injuries In The Line Of Duty?
One question asked by firefighters of solicitors is whether or not a firefighter can bring a claim against another party for an injury suffered in the course of their duty. Any claim has to show that a legal duty of care was breached, and that this breach led to the firefighter suffering harm in an accident.
The duty of care in the workplace, as laid out in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA), is that employees must take all reasonable and practicable steps to keep employees safe while working.
Therefore, firefighter accident at work claims can be brought against an employer if their negligence meant a firefighter sustained injuries while at work. However, they cannot claim if the employer couldn’t have reasonably prevented an accident from taking place.
Otherwise, firefighters who sustain injuries whilst attending road traffic accidents, such as vehicle crashes, could be entitled to make a compensation claim against the insurers of the driver who was responsible for the crash.
Similarly, if a fire engine or other fire service vehicle is involved in a road traffic accident with a third party, and the accident was the fault of the other driver, the fire services driver and passengers may be able to bring a personal injury claim against the insurers of the driver responsible for the crash.
Where an injury was sustained as a result of a fire that was caused by negligence, firefighters may be able to bring a claim against the insurers of the owner/occupier.
Causes of Firefighter Accident At Work Claims
If you were injured at work as a firefighter, it could have been for one of many different reasons. Below, we look at some common situations that could lead to injuries and explain when a claim could be made.
Firefighter Injury Claims For Operational Incidents
It’s understood that injury is an occupational hazard for firefighters. However, someone would have a valid claim if a breached duty of care caused an accident during an operation that could have been prevented if reasonable steps were taken.
- For example: While cutting someone free from a car, a firefighter is injured because faulty cutting gear snaps and damages their hand.
Claims For Firefighter Training Injuries
You don’t have to have been attending an incident to make a firefighter accident at work claim. The employer’s duty under HASAWA extends to training exercises and day-to-day activities in the workplace. This means they need to take steps to ensure training is reasonably safe.
- Example: An employer does not check the equipment it is using for training purposes, and a broken ladder is used for exercises. An employee is halfway up the ladder when it snaps, causing them to fall and suffer a broken ankle.
Accidents And Incidents Involving Fire Service Vehicles
An accident could occur on the way to or from an incident. If that happens, and it was caused by another road user failing to navigate the roads in a manner that keeps everyone safe, an injured party could claim against the at-fault driver.
- For example: A fire engine is on the way to an incident with its sirens and lights on. All cars move out of the way for it to pass, but one driver who was looking at their phone suddenly cuts across the engine’s path, causing the driver to swerve and crash the vehicle. This leads to the firefighters in the vehicle suffering injuries, including a broken rib, a forearm fracture, and a concussion.
Firefighter PTSD Compensation
Incidents have the potential to be extremely traumatic, especially when lives are lost or injuries are severe. A firefighter could sue a party that was at fault for the incident that caused mental conditions, including anxiety, depression or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In many cases, serious mental illness can prevent a person from going back to work, which is likely to be accounted for in a settlement.
- For example, if negligence causes a deadly fire, which firefighters then attend and are traumatised by, they could sue the party at fault for the impact on their lives.
These are just some of the common causes of firefighter accident compensation claims. Regardless of whether your experience matches anything we’ve discussed above, you can call us for free now to find out if you can make a claim.
Types of Firefighter Injury Claims
Firefighter accident at work claims can be made for pain and suffering such as:
- Minor injuries, such as sprains, strains, and scalds as well as minor burns.
- Serious injuries in the workplace such as crush injuries, fractures, and scarring as well as lacerations and impairments to hearing or sight.
- Life-changing or catastrophic injuries, such as to the head, brain or injuries resulting in amputation or paraplegia.
- Severe burns, such as full thickness burns that cause massive skin, nerve and even organ damage.
- Psychological injuries in the workplace, such as stress, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other mental health conditions.
What Is The Firefighters’ Compensation Scheme?
The firefighters’ compensation scheme is an initiative to cover and provide compensation for injuries suffered by firefighters. The following people are covered in some way by the scheme, full and part-time regular firefighters as well as volunteer firefighters, those firefighters who are carrying out their regular duties, certain other employees of the fire and rescue services, surviving dependents (such as a spouse). Cover provided under the firefighters’ compensation scheme is also provided for those called up for reserve forces service.
What Role Does The Fire Brigades Union Have?
The Fire Brigades Union acts as a union body to represent an protect the interests of firefighters across the country. They can provide advice and representation to firefighters who have been injured in the UK, whether in the line of duty or through a disease. They will offer injured firefighters or the dependents of firefighters who suffered a fatal injury advice and support after an injury. Their website provides a variety of resources for firefighters and can even help firefighters with post-traumatic stress disorders as well as other firefighters mental health issues. They can help you to calculate the amount of compensation for your firefighter accident at work claims and prove your loss of earnings.
Firefighter Accident Claims – Compensation Examples
Firefighter accident at work compensation can be made up of two heads of loss, namely general and special damages.
General damages compensate you for the injuries suffered. Factors that increase the level of this compensation include the severity of the injury, how long it lasted and what the prognosis is for the future.
To calculate injury damages, you might be invited to see an independent medical doctor so a report can be produced. This, along with the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), can be used to calculate potential injury compensation. The JCG contains a list of injuries and suggested compensation brackets for them.
Below is a table of injuries from the JCG and their compensation brackets. Please bear in mind that they are only guidelines and compensation will vary from case to case. The top line figure does not come from the JCG.
| Injury | Severity | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Serious Injuries | Serious | Up to £1,000,000+ |
| Brain Injury | Very Severe | £344,150 to £493,000 |
| Moderate (i) | £183,190 to £267,340 | |
| Scarring to Other Parts of the Body | Burns Covering 40% or More of the Body | Likely to exceed £127,930 |
| Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder | Severe | £73,050 to £122,850 |
| Moderately Severe | £28,250 to £73,050 | |
| Facial Disfigurement | Very Severe Scarring | £36,340 to £118,790 |
| Back Injuries | Severe (ii) | £90,510 to £107,910 |
| Severe (iii) | £47,320 to £85,100 | |
| Shoulder | Severe | £23,430 to £58,610 |
Your firefighter accident at work claim might also include special damages. They compensate for the financial loss that your injury has caused. Examples of special damages include:
- Loss of earnings
- Rehabilitation costs
- Home or vehicle adaptations
- Medical treatments
- Travel costs
You can learn more by using our compensation calculator or by contacting an advisor to discuss your firefighter accident.
How To Make A Firefighter Accident At Work Claim
Making a firefighter accident at work claim for compensation after a work injury may not be an easy process without a dedicated and professional team of solicitors to offer help and guidance. Even if your accident or resulting injuries were not too serious, or if you were not in a great deal of pain as a result, the claims process can still take a long time to complete. The professional personal injury solicitors we work with at Legal Expert will try to make the process as smooth and easy as is possible for you
The first step of your firefighter claim or any personal injury claims process is getting the best legal advice you can. At Legal Expert, our specialist solicitors are here seven days a week to help start your claim and are ready to work together on a No Win No Fee basis.
We will start by offering you a no obligation advice consultation. In this, we will advise you on how to move forward with your claim, walking you through your claims case and starting the process of establishing the liability of the part the claim will be made against. Once this is established, a specialist personal injury solicitor could offer you their services and formally start working on your case.
Make A Firefighter Accident Claim With Our No Win No Fee Solicitors
A No Win No Fee solicitor could help you make a successful firefighter injury claim. Using their experience, they’ll touch all bases of your claim to ensure it is submitted in full. As they’ll offer you a type of contract called a Conditional Fee Agreement, you won’t have to pay your solicitor if your claim fails.
Other benefits that usually come with a No Win No Fee agreement include:
- No solicitor fees upfront
- Solicitor fees covered during the claims process
- No surprise charges or hidden fees as you’ll discuss the terms and conditions of your agreement with your solicitor before agreeing to work with them
If your accident at work claim succeeds, a legally capped percentage of your compensation is taken by your solicitor. This is referred to as a success fee and is restricted under the Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013 to avoid the risk of you being overcharged.
So if you’re a firefighter that was hurt in an accident at work and would like to hire a No Win No Fee solicitor, we can help. Our advisors are on hand to answer your queries and assess your claim.
Below are a few of the ways to contact us:
- Ring for free on 0800 073 8804
- Complete our online claim form for a free callback
- Use our free 24/7 live chat function
Useful Links
Below, you can find lots of guides on claiming compensation for a workplace accident:
- Learn more about accident at work claims
- How to claim for a minor injury at work
- 10 things to know about accident at work claims
- What to do if injured from work activities
- Agency worker accident at work claims
- Night shift accidents
- Emergency service worker accidents
- Part-time worker accidents
- Accidents caused by inadequate protective equipment
- Paralysis injury claims
- Work accidents caused by tools
- Office accident claims
- Injuries caused by dangerous machinery at work
- Workplace accident claims
- Can you make an injury claim against a colleague?
- Agency worker accident claims
- Forklift truck accidents
- Can I be sacked for making a workplace accident claim?
- Do I get sick pay after an accident at work?
- Steps to take when injured at work
- Manual handling claims
- One person and two-person lifting and handling cases
- How to claim for a ladder accident
- How to get compensation for a cut finger at work
- Scaffolding accident claims
- Warehouse accident claims
- Defective work equipment cases
- Industrial deafness claims
- Our accident at work claims FAQs page
Thank you for reading our guide about firefighter accident at work claims.
