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Advice On Making A Minor Injury At Work Claim

Last Updated 21st January 2025. Just because an accident or injury is considered minor, it does not mean that the victim doesn’t suffer painful injuries or that their life is not affected. Put simply, even a small injury can have dire consequences for the victim. That’s why we put together this guide on making a minor injury at work claim.

Below, we look at the process of claiming compensation after a workplace accident. We look at the eligibility criteria and the types of minor injuries you could claim. We also explain how our expert No Win No Fee solicitors can help you with a compensation claim.

If you’d rather speak with someone now about claiming compensation for a minor work injury, you can contact us directly:

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Could I Make A Minor Injury At Work Claim?

Sustaining a minor injury at work can have lasting effects on your day-to-day life. As such, you may be wondering when you could make a personal injury claim for minor accident compensation.

To be entitled to accident-at-work compensation, you must be able to meet the personal injury claims criteria:

  • You were owed a duty of care.
  • This duty of care was not fulfilled.
  • You suffered harm as a result.

Your employer’s duty of care to their employees is set out by the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA). This legislation states that your employer has a responsibility to take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure your safety in the workplace.

If your employer fails to fulfil this duty and you suffer a minor injury as a result, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact our team of advisors today to learn more.

a man holding his arm after suffering a minor injury at work

Do I Need To Report A Minor Injury In The Workplace?

Under legislation known as RIDDOR, your employer must inform the Health and Safety Executive about any reportable incidents in the workplace. They must also keep an internal logbook of health and safety incidents if they employ ten or more staff.

RIDDOR does not cover every cut and scrape. However, it is good practice to keep track of incidents that did or could cause harm.

There are numerous reasons for reporting an accident at work, such as:

  • Ensuring they receive first aid if needed.
  • Highlighting any potential workplace hazards. This could prevent a more serious injury from occurring in the future.
  • Getting the incident noted down in the workplace’s accident book.

You can make your supervisor or line manager aware or seek out someone qualified to administer first aid.

Anyone can record injuries in the accident book, but a qualified first aider should be responsible for checking the entry. You should only sign the accident book entry if you’re happy with what it says. While you can still claim if there was no record in the accident book, this entry could provide vital evidence for your claim.

Don’t hesitate to contact us today if you’d like to learn more about reporting accidents and how this can help you make a minor injury at work claim.

Examples Of Minor Injuries At Work

Minor injuries can be caused by many kinds of accidents and by many hazards. Examples of minor injuries at work include:

  • Head injuries at work caused by being struck by a falling object.
  • Back injuries at work caused by manual handling accidents.
  • Foot injuries at work caused by a slip, trip or fall accident.
  • Minor whiplash injuries caused by a road traffic accident involving a work vehicle.

These are examples of how common accidents can inflict minor injuries on employees. In each case, the employer was to blame for the hazard that caused the accident, and the employee had a basis for a compensation claim.

For information on slip, trip, and fall accidents, please see the next section of our minor injury at work claims guide.

Compensation Payouts In Minor Injury At Work Claims

The amount of compensation that you could receive for a minor injury depends on a number of different factors, including the severity of your initial injury and how long it will take to recover.

There are two heads of compensation you could pursue in your personal injury claim. The first, general damages, focuses on your injuries and the effect they have on your life.

Legal professionals often use the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to value this head of claim. This document offers settlement guidelines for different injuries according to severity and type.

Type of InjurySeverityGuideline Amount
Multiple Minor Injuries Plus Financial LossSignificantUp to £75,000 or more
Brain DamageLess Severe£18,700 to £52,550
ArmSimple Fractures£8,060 to £23,430
AnkleModestUp to £16,770
FootModestUp to £16,770
KneeModerate (ii)Up to £16,770
Head InjuryMinor£2,690 to £15,580
ThumbModerate£11,800 to £15,370
LegSimple Fractures or Soft Tissue InjuriesUp to £14,450
ToeModerateUp to £11,720

The second head of compensation is special damages, which addresses the financial losses you suffer as a result of your injuries. For example, if a fall at work results in a minor concussion, you may be unable to drive while you recover. In this case, special damages could help you recoup the cost of train tickets or taxis to medical appointments.

To learn more about minor injury at work compensation, contact our team today or use our compensation calculator.

a solicitor explaining to a client how a minor injury at work claim works

Can I Make A No Win No Fee Compensation Claim?

A No Win No Fee service is a good way to make a minor injury at work claim without the usual financial risk. Under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), your solicitor won’t charge for their services unless your claim is successful.

If you succeed, your solicitor takes a small and legally capped percentage of any compensation and sends you the rest. There are no solicitors fees to pay before your case begins and none to pay whilst it progresses.

We recommend you speak to one of our advisors on the number below for more information about the claims service we offer.

You may think a minor injury is not worth a compensation claim. This couldn’t be further from the truth. As you can see from the information above, you can seek compensation for a minor injury at work so long as you can prove its effects on your health and finances.

You have nothing to lose by speaking to one of our expert advisors. They can advise whether you have a valid personal injury claim, provide an estimated value, and, if you wish to proceed, connect you to one of our expert solicitors.

Learn More About Making A Minor Injury At Work Claim

These external links all contain information that relates to minor injuries in the workplace:

Below, you can find lots of guides on claiming compensation for a workplace accident:

Thanks for reading our guide to making a minor injury at work claim.