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The Department for Work and Pensions Accident At Work Claims Guide

The Department for Work and Pensions employs a great number of people in various offices and job centres.  They operate the welfare system, benefit system and the state pension amongst other things. Employees of the Department for Work and Pensions are often situated in office environments. In this guide we are going to look into accidents leading to injuries and illnesses that could happen within an office environment.

Legal Expert are personal injury specialists who could help with accident claims that have happened in office space. All the claims that are taken on by Legal Expert are done so using a No Win No Fee agreement.  If you’d like to begin a claim today, please call us free on 0800 073 8804.  One of our specially trained advisors will work with you and assess your claim.

If you’d like to learn more first, then carry on reading this guide about how to make a claim for a work accident that has occurred while working for the Department for Work and Pensions.

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A Guide To Accident At Work Claims When Working For The Department for Work and Pensions

Department of work and pensions accidentThe Department for Work and Pensions is the largest of all the UK government departments and operates across a number of different functions.  They operate a number of departments:

  • Jobcentre Plus – which covers Jobseeker’s allowance and ESA)
  • Child Maintenance Group – responsible for the Child Support Agency and Child Maintenance Service.
  • The Pension Service – responsible for the basic state pension.
  • The Disability and Carers Service.

With such vast range of services, they have a number of offices and employ a large number of staff.  Which such a large number of employees across different areas it is vital that health and safety is part of the driving force of the department to ensure staff are safe at work.

This guide will explain examples of accidents that could occur within an office environment, types of injuries employee could possibly suffer and whether they are eligible to make a compensation claim.  It will also explain the amounts of compensation available, the damages that could be awarded and how no win no fee claims actually work.

If, after you’ve read this guide, you still have questions about your right to claim, please call an advisor for specific free legal advice.

What Is A Department for Work and Pensions Accident At Work?

An accident at any place of work can be an unpredictable incident that leads to an injury. An accident at work doesn’t automatically qualify as one that could lead to a compensation claim.  There are a number of aspects that a personal injury solicitor will assess prior to agreeing to take on a case.  These are:

  • Did the defendant in the case owe the claimant a duty of care?
  • Did they breach that duty of care (whether accidentally, negligently or intentionally)?
  • And was the breach of duty the reason the accident occurred and caused an injury?

Sometimes in personal injury cases it is not always clear who owed the claimant a duty of care and how this duty was breached. That is why we always recommend using an accident at work solicitor.

At Legal Expert we have the knowledge and experience to make successful personal injury claims.  So call us today and take advantage of our free legal consultation.

What Is The Civil Service Pensions Injury Benefits Scheme?

Members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) have the option, in some cases, to claim for Civil Service Injury Benefit Scheme if they are injured while at work.

It is not compensation but a benefit that is paid if the employee is injured and loses some of their salary while they are off from work. There are terms and conditions. Employees must qualify to a stringent criteria.

If you go on to win compensation through a personal injury claim, you will have to pay back any benefits you’ve received under the scheme.

It’s important to note that the scheme has its own criteria for claiming and, just because they accept you on to the scheme does not mean that you will automatically be eligible to make a compensation claim.

Accidents That Could Potentially Happen At Jobcentre Plus?

Jobcentre Plus offices are a different working environment where DWP employees often provide face to face services in away to the public. They could be considered as the front-line operation for the DWP where staff help clients with benefit inquiries , job applications and training.

Unlike the old Job Centres, Jobcentre Plus offices are open plan environments. There are no security screens separating staff from clients and, in general, are much more relaxed than the older environment. Due to this more open plan environment it opens up the risk that staff could be attacked more easily. Security staff are used at Jobcentre Plus so protect and reduce the risk to staff if a visitor becomes abusive or violent.  

Examples of other accidents that could potentially happen in office environments include;

  • Trips due to damages carpets or wires that have not been fixed down.
  • Laceration due to sharp damaged furniture that has not been repaired or replaced.
  • Slips due to wet or mopped floor with no warning signs.
  • Repetitive strain or other injuries due to an inadequate work station
  • Injuries due to a damaged chair collapse.

Please call a member of our team to discuss if you have suffered an injury while working for the JobCentre Plus. We will listen to your case and offer some free legal advice with no obligation.

I Was Injured At A Jobcentre Plus Appointment, Could I Claim Compensation?

If you are visiting the Jobcentre Plus and you suffer an accident that leads to an injury you may be eligible to pursue a personal injury claim if it can be proven that the Jobcentre Plus or a member of the staff caused your accident through negligence.

Examples of accidents and injuries that could potentially occur;

  • Injuries caused by broken or damaged furniture that has not been repaired or replaced.
  • Tripping or slipping. In some situations, such as tripping on a vacuum cleaner lead or slipping on a damaged flooring.
  • Falling because a stair handrail was damaged or missing. If this happens, you should try to photograph the damage to provide evidence.

If you are involved in an accident while attending an appointment at a Jobcentre Plus, call Legal Expert to see if you could make a personal injury claim for an injury suffered. If you are unsure whether the DWP is responsible we could help you in discovering who is liable.

Examples Of Office Accidents Which Could Happen

In any office, there are any number of accidents that could potentially happen. Some examples  include:

  • Slips, trips and falls injuries.
  • Manual handling or lifting related injuries.
  • Repetitive strain injuries.
  • Electric shocks or burn injuries.

If you have suffered any of these accidents or injuries while working for the Department for Work and Pensions remember they must have been caused through negligence or error of your employer or another member of staff to have the basis for a compensation claim.

Office Health And Safety – Employers Duty Of Care

All employers have a duty of care towards their employees. This duty of care may cover the following;

  • Ensure workers (and visitors) are protected from harm while at work.
  • Carry out risk assessments on tasks in the workplace and work stations.
  • Let employees know about any risks and provide suitable training.
  • Provide safety equipment where necessary to reduce risk of harm.

Duty of care is a major entity when discussing personal injury cases. If a person is owed a duty of care, and this duty of care is breached causing an injury or illness this could be the basis of any personal injury claim.

I Had An Accident Working For The Department Of Work And Pensions, What Are My Rights?

If you have an accident in your work place it is vital that any incident is logged in an accident book or digital form.  You should let a supervisor or manager know about the accident as soon as possible.  If they don’t record it, send an email or letter with details and keep a copy for yourself.

If you suffer an injury or illness at work due to the negligence of your employer you have the right to seek legal advice and possibly go on to pursue a claim for damages. Every employee has the right to a safe and hygienic working environment one that is potentially risk free unless advised about and all health and safety precautions are being taken.

It is important to note that personal injury claims in the UK need to commence within 3 years of the accident occurring or date of knowledge of the injury. You should contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible following your accident to allow them enough time to research your case and prepare fully.

What To Do After An Accident At Work As A Civil Servant?

Following an accident at work, your first thought is unlikely to be about starting a compensation claim.  However, if you follow some of the steps below, your chances of winning a claim could be improved.  The steps you could take include:

  • Seek medical attention from a doctor or at the accident and emergency department of your local hospital. This will ensure your injuries are treated correctly.  It will also provide evidence, by way of medical records, of how serious your injuries were and what treatment you had to receive.
  • Report the accident to a manager or supervisor. Under health and safety rules, all accidents at work should be recorded (and some reported to the HSE).  You can ask for a copy of the accident report to be used as further supporting evidence.
  • Ask any colleagues or other witnesses for their contact details.  Also, if they have time, ask for a witness statement from them detailing what they saw.
  • If you’re able to, photograph the scene of the accident. Try to do so before anything is removed from the scene of the accident and try to capture as much detail as possible.
  • If you have any visible injuries, take photographs of them. Do the same again if they change over time.
  • Write down what happened including where and when. This will help you later as it can be quite easy to forget details after a period of time.
  • Keep a note of any financial losses you incur because of the accident. Try to keep receipts and notes about why you had to spend the money.

These steps will mean that, when you contact us at Legal Expert, you’ll have plenty of evidence to support your claim.  Remember that we can offer no win no fee claims if we take your case on.

What Could My DWP Compensation Claim Recover?

There are many parts of a compensation claim that a personal injury lawyer will use to ensure clients aren’t worse off following an accident.

The main parts of a claim (or ‘Heads of loss’ in legal terms) are:

  • General Damages: This compensation is awarded to cover the pain and suffering that was inflicted on the claimant by the injuries.  There are pre-agreed amounts for different injuries that solicitors, courts and insurers work from (see the next section for examples).  The more severe the injury, the higher the compensation amount.
  • Medical Expenses: Because we have the NHS in the UK, medical expenses are limited. That said, if you have to pay out for multiple prescriptions because of your injuries, you could still claim the cost back.  It’s also possible that private healthcare may be required in some cases (speak to a solicitor first) and it is sometimes possible for this to be claimed back too.
  • Care Costs: In some cases, injuries prevent the claimant from carrying out everyday tasks while they are recovering. In these cases, professional care may be required, and this could be included in a claim.
  • Lost Income: There are occasions, where injuries cause the claimant to have to stop working or change jobs. If you have to change to a lower paid job, or lose income altogether, we could include loss of income and future lost income in your claim.

There are many other costs that could be claimed for. If you believe you’re out of pocket because of your accident, let your solicitor know.  Try to provide evidence by way of receipts or statements.

Personal Injury Calculator For Accident Claims

There are many things clients ask of us when they begin a claim and one of the most asked questions is “How much compensation will I receive?”.  The honest answer is, until we’ve heard all of the details about your claim, it’s difficult to say.

There are many parts to a compensation claim that may be relevant in your case, so calculating the compensation is easier when we understand your claim fully.  For now, we’ve provided the table below which shows the compensation that could be paid for different types of injury.  Remember, this is only one part of the claim, so your claim could be far more.

Edit
Accident Type Amounts Injury Information
Moderately Severe Psychiatric Injury £16,720 to £48,080 Significant issues with a person being able to cope with life, work and education, possible future issues. Cases of work related stress that results in long term or permanent disability preventing a return to work.
Less Severe Psychiatric Injury £1,350 to £5,130 The length of the disability is key here and how much daily life and sleep is disturbed. Cases falling specifically short of a diagnosis.
Moderate PTSD £7,170 to £20,290 The brackets include a person who will largely recover from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and any lasting effects will not be particularly disabling.
Less Severe PTSD £3,460 to £7,170 Only minor symptoms persist and a full recovery will be made in one to two years.
Minor Neck Injuries Up to £2,150 All symptoms will recover within three months.
Minor Back Injury £6,920 to £10,970 A full recovery or a recover with nuisance symptoms without surgery will take place in two to five years.
Less Severe Arm Injury. £16,830 to £34,340 A significant degree of disability is present but a large amount of recovery is achievable.
Work-Related Upper Limb Disorders £7,580 to £9,430 Injuries such as carpal tunnel, constriction with the nerves in the wrist and issues with surrounding tissue that makes a full recovery within three years.
Minor Hip Issues Up to £3,460 Minor soft tissue injuries with a full recovery expected.
Leg Fractures Up to £10,380 Simple fractures to the tibia and fibula or possibly soft tissue injuries.
Moderate Achilles Tendon Injury £11,040 to £18,480 Partial rupture or significant damage to the tendon. The different levels will be awarded in regards to disability, length of injury, function and ongoing pain.

The range of compensation in each injury is associated with how severe it is.  Your solicitor will provide evidence, such as medical records, to try and prove the exact nature of your injuries.  This is an attempt to ensure you receive the correct level of compensation.

If you can’t see your injury listed, don’t worry – we could still help.  This is just a sample, listing every injury would be a long list!  If you’d like to know more about how much compensation you could receive, please contact us.

No Win No Fee Accident At Work Claims Against The Department For Work And Pensions

At Legal Expert, we’ve got many years’ experience helping clients with their claims.  We know that one thing that puts them off from claiming is the worry of how much it will cost.

This is why we offer no win no fee agreements for all cases we take on.  But what does no win no fee really mean?  Let’s look at the different scenarios that could happen when claiming:

Scenario 1: You hire a no win no fee solicitor

This means that you don’t have to pay your solicitor any fees up front.  They provide you with an agreement which states, if they win, that they’ll retain a success fee (a percentage of your compensation, limited to 25%) before sending the rest of the compensation straight to you.  If they lose, you don’t pay them at all.  You used to be able to retain 100% of the compensation under no win no fee rules and your solicitor was paid by the defendant but that was stopped some years ago.

Scenario 2: You hire a traditional solicitor

This means you have to pay your solicitor an hourly rate.  They’ll usually want this paid up front or in stages.  The main advantage of this scenario is, that if they win the case, you retain 100% of your compensation.  The main risk is that, if they lose the case, you’ve already paid them for their service – which could equate to a large sum of money.

Following feedback from our clients, we know that scenario 1 is the least stressful and much less risky, which is why we offer no win no fee on all claims.

Speak To Our Experts Today

Legal Expert are personal injury specialists who can help with accident claims that have happened anywhere in the UK.  We offer a no win no fee service for all cases we take on.

Now that you’ve read this guide about accidents at work working for the Department for Work and Pensions, we hope you’d like to use us to begin your claim today.  If so, you are able to contact us using any of these methods:

  • Telephone: This is the easiest way to begin your claim.  Call free on 0800 073 8804 and speak with an advisor right away.
  • Live Chat: Use the chat facility for free legal advice from any page on our site. It’s available 7 days a week.
  • Email: Send a message to info@legalexpert.co.uk and we’ll call you back when it’s convenient.
  • Online: Fill in our online claim form to begin.

When you reach out to us, we’ll offer you a free initial consultation.  You’re under no obligation to proceed but we’ll assess your claim, your injuries and the impact it had on you.  Then, if we agree you have a good chance of winning compensation, we’ll offer you a no win no fee agreement.  When you’re happy, we’ll start your compensation claim.

Resources For Employees Injured At Work

Office Accident Claims – an article about accidents in offices and the compensation that could be awarded.

Slips, trips and falls – information about the types of injuries that could occur from falling or slipping over.

Other Guides You Can Read

Thank you for taking the time to read this guide.  If you require any further information, please feel free to contact us to speak to an advisor.

Edited By Melissa.