Have you tripped and fallen on an uneven pavement? Has this led to you sustaining injuries? If so, you may be eligible to make a public liability personal injury claim. This guide about tripped and fell on uneven pavement claims will explain what steps you should take to claim compensation for your injuries and losses.

We will discuss the eligibility criteria to make a claim and explain how a pavement accident can be caused by negligent conduct. Further, it will explain how long you have to claim, how much compensation you may receive and how to claim on a No Win No Fee basis with the help of our solicitors.

To discuss any aspect of a potential claim, contact one of our advisors today:

• Contact us online
• Call our advisors: 0800 073 8804
• Speak to us on our online web chat

Browse Our Guide

1. Tripped and Fell On Uneven Pavement Claims – How Do They Work? 
2. How Can A Pavement Accident Be Caused By Negligence? 
3. What Should I Do If I Tripped and Fell On Uneven Pavement?
4. How Long Do You Have To Make Tripped And Fell On Uneven Pavement Claims?
5. How Much Compensation In Tripped And Fell On Uneven Pavement Claims? 
6. Make A Pavement Accident Compensation Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis
7. More Resources About Making A Personal Injury Claim

Tripped and Fell On Uneven Pavement Claims – How Do They Work?

If you have tripped and fell on uneven pavement, you may be eligible to make a personal injury compensation claim provided you meet the specific criteria.

To bring a claim, you must be able to prove that your fall and injuries were caused by the conduct of a third party who owed you a duty of care. The specific criteria is as follows:

• You must be owed a duty of care by a third party
• The third party must breach this duty
• This breach must have caused your injuries

Under the Highways Act 1980, local authorities have a duty of care to identify hazards on roads and pavements and ensure they are fixed in a reasonable time. If they fail to do this and you become injured, they will be in breach of their duty, and you may be eligible to claim.

Under the Occupiers Liability Act 1957, anyone in control of a premises has a duty of care to ensure visitors remain reasonably safe. Therefore, they must take any reasonable action to prevent the public from falling or tripping on their premises. If they fail to do this and you become injured, they may be in breach of their duty, and you may be eligible to claim.

If you tripped and fell on uneven pavement and want to make a claim, contact our advisors today.

How Can A Pavement Accident Be Caused By Negligence?

If you tripped and fell over uneven pavement, you may wonder how this can be caused by negligence.

To be eligible to make a personal injury claim, a third party’s breach of duty must result in your injuries. Examples of a breach of duty conduct include:

• Failing to check the condition of the pavements
• Failing to fix pavements if defects are found
• Failing to place warning signs near defects
• Failing to maintain regular inspections

Here is a scenario of how a pavement accident can happen and a claim potential brought:

• The council may have been informed of a raised pavement slab by 3cm.
• They may have failed to place any warnings near it and failed to fix it.
• You may be slowly walking along the pavement and it is covered with leaves, blocking your view of the raised pavement. You trip over the raised slab.
• You may have then fallen onto your hand, which caused a broken finger.
• As this accident was caused by the breach of duty of the council, who failed to address or fix the raised pavement, you may be eligible to claim compensation.

For more information on how a pavement accident can be caused by negligence, contact our advisors today.

What Should I Do If I Tripped and Fell On Uneven Pavement? 

If you have fallen and become injured due to uneven pavement, you may be eligible to make a personal injury compensation claim. However, before you do so, there are a number of tasks you may want to complete to ensure your claim runs smoothly.

• Take photographs of your injuries and the uneven pavement. When taking a photograph of the pavement, it may help to place a ruler or tape measure next to it to show the measurements of the defect.
• Seek medical assistance after sustaining the injury. Visit A&E or your local GP to determine the full extent of your injuries.
• Report the accident. This may be to your local council, authorities or owner of the premises.
• Request CCTV footage of the accident (if possible).
• Keep any contact details of any witnesses who saw you trip and fall. A statement in support of your case can be taken later if it is needed.

Contact our advisors today to discuss tripped and fell on uneven pavement claims further.

How Long Do I Have To Make A Pavement Trip Claim?

In accordance with the Limitation Act 1980, you have three years from the date of the accident to start a personal injury compensation claim. However, for accidents involving children, the three year limitation period may not begin until they reach the age of eighteen.

If you want to make a claim on behalf of the child before they turn 18, this is possible, and you (or someone else who is suitable) must act as a litigation friend and make legal decisions on behalf of the child. A litigation friend is usually a parent or guardian but does not have to be.

A litigation friend can also be used to claim for somebody who lacks the mental capacity to make informed decisions regarding their claim. A person who lacks capacity is defined in section 2 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

For those who lack capacity, the three year time limit to start a claim is paused. It begins to run when capacity is regained and will be three years from that date.

To find out more about the time limit on your claim, contact our advisors today.

How Much Compensation Could I Receive If I Tripped And Fell On Uneven Pavement? 

If you are eligible to make a personal injury claim, you may be able to receive compensation after falling on uneven pavement. There are two forms of compensation: general damages and special damages.

General damages compensate you for any injuries sustained following the breach of duty. This includes both physical and psychological injuries. Those responsible for calculating your compensation may refer to the Judicial College guidelines to value your potential compensation. This contains brackets of compensation suggested for different injuries.

Below is a table of entries from the JCG and their suggested compensation bracket. The JCG are just guidelines, so these figures are not guaranteed. The top row also does not come from the JCG.

Injury	Severity	Compensation Guideline
Multiple Serious Injuries and Financial Losses	Serious	Up to £250,000 plus
Pelvis And Hip Injuries	Severe (i)	£95,680 to £159,770
	Severe (iii)	£47,810 to £64,070
Ankle Injuries	Very Severe	£61,090 to £85,070
Knee Injuries	Moderate (i)	£18,110 to £31,960
Back Injuries	Moderate (ii)	£15,260 to £33,880
Wrist Injuries	Less Severe (c)	£15,370 to £29,900
Hand	Serious Injury to the Thumb	£15,370 to £20,460
	Fracture of Index Finger	£11,120 to £14,930
Arm or Forearm	Simple Fractures	£8,060 to £23,430

Special damages compensate you for any financial losses you have incurred following the accident. However, to be awarded special damages, you must provide evidence of your financial losses. Some examples of special damages include:

• Loss of wages and income.
• Medical bills.
• Travel costs.
• Home adjustments such as, stairlifts, ramps etc.
• Special equipment such as wheelchairs, walking aids etc.

Examples of how you can obtain evidence for special damages include:

• Pay slips
• Bank statements
• Receipts
• Medical bills

For more information about tripped and fell on uneven pavement claims, contact our advisors today.

Make A Pavement Accident Compensation Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis

If you are eligible to claim compensation after tripping or falling on uneven pavement, our solicitors can help. They can use their expertise to help you try and recover compensation for your injuries and losses. Further, they can walk you through your claim, explain any legal terms and help gather evidence.

Importantly, our solicitors work on a No Win, No Fee basis. Therefore, if you are eligible to claim compensation, you may do so through a Conditional Fee Agreement.

This means you will not be required to pay any solicitors fees upfront as the case begins, or as the case moves forward. At the end of the case, and only if you win, your solicitor will deduct a percentage from the compensation to pay their success fee. The size of the percentage is legally capped, meaning you will keep the majority of the compensation should you win. If your case is unsuccessful, there are no solicitors fees to pay.

If you tripped and fell on uneven pavement and want to claim compensation, contact one of our advisors today:

• Contact us online
• Call our advisors: 0800 073 8804
• Speak to our advisors on our online web chat

More Resources About Making A Personal Injury Claim

Here is access to some further information on making a personal injury claim:

• Information on the pavement trip hazard height 
• Further information about public liability claims
• Information on slips and falls at a rented property

References:

• How to find your nearest urgent care centre with this NHS resource.
• Further information on statutory sick pay for time off work after your injury.
• Consider this page from the NHS about what to do if you have a broken arm or wrist.

Thank you for taking the time to read this guide about tripped and fell on uneven pavement claims.

Negligent eye surgery could leave you with life changing injuries. In the most serious cases, it could leave you with sight loss or blindness in both eyes. In this guide, we look at how and when you could make a negligent eye surgery claim.

Our guide provides information on the criteria a clinical or medical negligence claim must meet. We then explore types of surgical negligence before looking at the claims process where we cover how to prove your case and how long you have in which to begin a claim. You can find information on how a compensation claim may be calculated as well as details of how a No Win No Fee solicitor could help you.

If you are ready to begin your claim or want to learn more, contact our team.

• Dial 0800 073 8804 to talk to an advisor.
• Start a claim online by requesting a call back from our team.
• Click on the live chat below for more information.

Browse Our Guide

• Can I Make An Eye Surgery Claim?
• What Types Of Eye Surgery Negligence Can I Claim For?
• How Do I Prove That Medical Negligence Caused My Eye Injury?
• How Long Do I Have To Make An Eye Surgery Claim?
• What Compensation Could I Receive For Eye Surgery Negligence?
• Make A Medical Negligence Compensation Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis
• Learn More About How To Claim For Medical Negligence

Can I Make An Eye Surgery Claim?

If you are undergoing medical treatment, such as laser eye surgery, the medical professional carrying out your treatment owes you a duty of care. Whether you are being treated by the NHS or a private healthcare provider, they must meet expected professional standards. If they fail to do so, causing you harm, you could claim compensation.

In order for your eye surgery claim to be successful, you must meet the following eligibility criteria. These are that,

• A healthcare or medical professional had a duty of care to you. This is automatic if you are under their care.
• This duty of care has been breached. For example, a surgeon failed to properly carry out a surgical procedure on your eyes.
• You sustained unnecessary harm because of this breach. This could include loss of vision or blindness.

Please contact us to find out if your circumstances qualify to make a negligent eye surgery claim.

What Types Of Eye Surgery Negligence Can I Claim For?

There are several different types of eye surgery which patients may undergo. If carried out negligently, any of these could result in an eye injury, such as sight loss or other harm to your vision.

In the following sections, we look at different types of eye surgery, how negligence could occur, and how you could be harmed as a result of this.

Retinal Detachment Surgery Compensation Claims

Retinal detachment surgery involves repositioning the patient’s retina to prevent sight loss. Examples of medical negligence could include:

• Where the medical professional did not fully dilate your pupil to examine the back of your eye. They may miss key symptoms.
• Where medical professionals do not take account of all of your symptoms and misdiagnose you with a different condition.

If left untreated, retinal detachment could lead to life changing injuries, such as loss of sight.

Laser Eye Surgery Compensation Claims

There are several common types of laser eye surgery. These include LASEK, LASIK, PRK surgeries. These direct a laser at the retina and are used to correct long and short-sightedness. Examples of negligence may include:

• Failing to complete safety checks on equipment prior to usage, resulting in the use of defective equipment which causes harm.
• Where you were given poor postoperative care leading to eye injuries, such as an infection.

You may be able to make a laser eye surgery compensation claim if harmed in the circumstances above.

Diabetes Eye Surgery Compensation Claims

Diabetes can cause damage to blood vessels, such as those in your eyes. This can cause harm to your vision.

• Negligent ophthalmic surgery could affect or harm your vision.
• The signs of diabetes were not diagnosed early enough and you suffered sight loss caused by diabetic retinopathy.

Glaucoma Eye Surgery Compensation Claims

Glaucoma surgery is carried out to relieve pressure by removing excess fluid from the eye(s). Negligence could include:

• Delayed diagnosis or treatment which leads to permanent vision loss or blindness.
• Where medical professionals provided incorrect glaucoma treatment. This may cause your condition to become worse, impacting your vision.

Whether you have been harmed by negligent cataract surgery, ophthalmic surgery or another type of surgical error, you could claim compensation. Please get in touch with our team today for more information.

How Do I Prove That Medical Negligence Caused My Eye Injury?

Successful ophthalmic negligence claims require you to provide clear proof that they satisfy the eligibility criteria. This is a key part of the process of claiming for clinical negligence. You could submit the following as evidence of your claim:

• A copy of your medical records. Your records should show your initial symptoms and diagnosis as well as any treatment given. These should also show what further harm you suffered and what treatment was necessary.
• Details of any correspondence between yourself and your healthcare provider. This may include letters from the hospital or your GP surgery.
• Photographs of any visible eye injuries, such as scarring.
• The contact details of anyone who was witness to the negligent treatment.

One of our medical negligence solicitors could help you to collect evidence to prove your eye surgery claim. For more information, please contact our team.

How Long Do I Have To Make An Eye Surgery Claim?

Medical negligence claims, such as an eye surgery claim, must be made within the applicable limitation period. How long you have to claim is set out in the Limitation Act 1980. The standard time limit to begin a claim is three years.

This period could begin either the date on which the medical negligence occurred, or, if later,  the date on which you discovered that you had been harmed by medical negligence (known as the date of knowledge).

There are potential exceptions to this time limit. For example, in the case of a child eye surgery compensation claim, the time limit will not commence till they turn eighteen. Prior to this, an adult may claim on their behalf.

Please get in touch with our team for more information on when and how to claim on behalf of someone else.

What Compensation Could I Receive For Eye Surgery Negligence?

One of the most common queries with any type of medical negligence claim is how much compensation you may be awarded. Each eye surgery claim is individually assessed and valued.

However, we can look at how your compensation payout may be calculated.

Claims for medical negligence may be awarded both general and special damages. General damages may compensate you for any pain and suffering caused. Special damages may be awarded for the financial impact of your eye injury.

Those involved in calculating compensation for negligent eye surgery may use guidelines published by the Judicial College (JCG). These guidelines include those for different types of injury (such as different eye injuries) at different levels of severity. For example, compensation for loss of sight in one eye may differ to loss of sight in both eyes.

Examples Of Eye Injury Compensation

Below, we look at examples of compensation for different types of eye injury.

• Multiple serious (eye) injuries and financial losses – up to £1,000,000 plus. This figure is not taken from the JCG.
• Total blindness and deafness, considered to be among the most devastating injuries – in the region of £493,000.
• Total blindness – in the region of £327,940.
• Loss of sight in one eye with reduced vision in the other. Where there is a serious risk of the remaining eye further deteriorating – £117,150 to £219,400.
• Loss of sight in one eye with reduced vision in the other. Where there are problems such as double vision in the remaining eye – £78,040 to £129,330.
• Total loss of one eye – depending on age, cosmetic effect and psychological reaction – £66,920 to £80,210.
• Complete loss of sight – one eye – £60,130 to £66,920.
• Serious, but not total, loss of sight in one eye with no significant risk of losing sight in the other – £28,900 to £48,040.
• Permanent, but minor, impaired vision in either both or one eye – £11,120 to £25,600.
• Minor eye injuries – £4,820 to £10,660.

Partial or full loss of sight in either one or both eyes could have a serious and life long impact on you. In addition to being compensated for potentially life changing injuries themselves, you could also claim for their financial impact. This may include:

• Medical care and treatment costs.
• The cost of adapting your home or vehicle to cope with any disability suffered.
• The cost of any care in the home necessary.
• Loss of earnings and income.

You will need to submit proof or evidence when claiming for loss of earnings, or any type of special damages. This may include proof of income and invoices for medical care.

Find out what you could claim for negligent eye surgery by contacting our team today.

Make A Medical Negligence Compensation Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis

At Legal Expert, our expert medical negligence solicitors could help you to make an eye surgery claim. They will begin by assessing your case. If they believe that you have a valid claim, they may be able to offer you a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).

A CFA is a way to claim with a No Win No Fee solicitor without worrying about upfront or ongoing payments. Instead, under a CFA, your solicitor will not charge for their services until the end of your claim. They will also only charge for their services if the claim is successful. If your compensation claim was not successful, there is nothing to pay for their services.

If you are charged for their services, you will need to pay a success fee. This is calculated as a set percentage of your compensation. This percentage is limited under law and will be agreed with you in advance.

Please get in contact with us today to learn more about eye surgery claims.

• Call our advisors now on 0800 073 8804.
• Click to claim online by completing our form.
• Get live support by clicking on our online chat below.

Learn More About How To Claim For Medical Negligence

Below, you can find more information related to medical negligence claims and medical professionals responsibility to patients.

• You could claim compensation if you suffered harm because an optometrist did not refer you to a hospital. Read more here.
• If you were harmed by medical negligence in a private hospital you can find out how to claim in this guide.
• Get information about how to make a complaint about medical negligence and claim compensation.

External resources

• You can find the NHS Resolution annual report and accounts for 2023-2024 here.
• The independent professional body, The Royal College of Ophthalmologists, produces standards and guidance for ophthalmologists.
• Find out how to complain about a service or provider with this guide from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

We hope our guide has shown when you could make an eye surgery claim against a negligent medical professional. Please get in touch with our team for further answers to clinical negligence FAQs.

If you have suffered an injury in an accident that was not your fault, you might be able to start a claim for personal injury compensation. In addition to compensation for your injuries, you may also recover damages for financial losses and out of pocket expenses.

There are various ways you could become injured and be owed compensation, and this guide will explain what you need to know to make a successful injury claim.

We will tell you what a personal injury claim is, how to be successful when claiming and how to do so on a No Win No Fee basis.

Our solicitors have years of dedicated experience handling all types of personal injury claims, and you can reach our advisors at any point for a free case assessment by:

• Calling us on 0800 073 8804.
• Contacting us and claim online.
• Using the live chat box on the screen.

Browse Our Guide

• What Is A Personal Injury Claim?
• How Do I Make A Successful Injury Claim? 
• How Do I Make A Successful Injury Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis? 
• Read More About Claiming For Personal Injuries

What Is A Personal Injury Claim

A personal injury claim is a case to recover compensation after you were injured by someone else. The criteria to make a claim are:

• There is a duty of care owed to you by a third party
• This duty is breached
• This breach results in injury

Many different types of accidents can result in a personal injury claim. Let’s look at some examples:

• Car accident claims. Road users owe other road users a duty of care. They must drive in a way that avoids causing harm, and to do this, they should follow the rules in the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Highway Code.  For example, a drunk driver might veer into oncoming traffic, causing a head on collision and a significant brain injury.
• Accident at work claims. Your employer owes you a duty to take reasonable steps to ensure you are safe at work under the Health and Safety at Work Act etc. 1974. This can include performing risk assessments, providing training and maintaining machinery or equipment. For example, you are given a known faulty ladder by your boss, and it breaks when you use it. You suffer a back injury when you land heavily. 
• Accidents in a public place (public liability claim). Those who control public spaces owe visitors a duty to take steps to keep them reasonably safe under The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. For example, management at a restaurant fails to have a defective handrail fixed, and this causes a visitor to fall down the stairs.

Why not call us for a free, no obligation, case assessment to see if you might have a valid claim?

How Do I Make A Successful Injury Claim?

To be successful with your claim for personal injury, you will have to prove your case. This can be done in various ways.

Collecting Evidence

There are many types of evidence that can be used to build your case, for example:

• Photographic evidence e.g., of the location of the accident, images of your injuries, images of any faulty equipment.
• Any CCTV footage that captured your accident (this can include things like dashcam footage).
• Copies of relevant documents such as risk assessments or an accident book entry.
• Relevant reports, for example, a police report if one was filled in after a road traffic accident.
• Medical records.

There are many forms of evidence, and our expert personal injury solicitors can assist you every step of the way which will hopefully lead to a successful injury claim.

Getting witness statements

Whilst not every case will have a witness they can be very useful. It is important to keep the contact details of anyone who potentially witnessed your accident so that a statement can be taken from them at a later time if required.

Getting your injuries assessed

As part of a personal injury claim, you may be invited to an independent medical assessment. This will be at a time and location convenient to you. After the appointment, a medical report is produced, and this can be used to assess the severity of your injuries and also give a prognosis for the future.

This can be a key document to help calculate the value of the compensation for your injuries, which are called general damages.

Assessing Your Financial Losses

In addition to damages for your injuries, you may be able to claim financial losses known as special damages. If your injuries caused the financial loss and you can provide some supporting evidence, these losses could be claimed.

Common special damage items include:

• Past loss of earnings
• Loss of earnings for the future
• Reduced pension entitlement
• Lack of opportunity in the open labour market
• Care costs (friends and family or private providers)
• Rehabilitation costs such as physiotherapy.
• Travel expenses

If you can hang on to supporting documents such as wage slips, invoices or receipts and provide them to your solicitor, then you will increase your chances of recovering special damages. This is not a full list, and there could be other financial losses that could be part of your claim.

To discuss any aspect of starting the claims process, you can reach out to a friendly advisor today.

How Do I Make A Successful Injury Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis?

If your case is strong enough to be accepted, our solicitors could offer you a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This is a type of No Win No Fee contract and has several important advantages that you should be aware of:

• If your case is unsuccessful, there are no solicitors fees to pay
• You do need to pay in advance for any solicitor fees before your case can start
• You will not be asked to pay solicitor fees as the case progresses

At the end of the case, and only if you win, will you pay a success fee. This is a percentage deduction from the compensation. It has a legal cap for the size of the percentage, meaning you will keep the bulk of the compensation. This fee is agreed upon before your case begins, so you know where you stand at all times.

Why not see if you can work with one of our experienced solicitors by:

• Calling us on 0800 073 8804
• Contacting us to claim online
• Using our live chat feature

Read More About Claiming For Personal Injuries

Internal links to help with a personal injury claim:

• How much compensation can be awarded for a slip, trip and fall at work?
• Learn when you can make a food poisoning claim.
• Here are the common causes of manual handling injuries

Further resources below:

• Do you know when you can receive Statutory Sick Pay
• Learn some information about first aid with this helpful NHS resource.
• If you are suffering mentally after an accident, you could consider visiting Mind.org which is a mental health charity

Thank you for considering our guide about making a successful injury claim.

Our Research Into Damp, Mould And Disrepair In Council Houses

Issues of damp, mould and disrepair are in sharp focus across the UK following a report from the Housing Ombudsman released earlier this month which details over 100 severe maladministration cases on damp and mould saying the issue now “dominates half of our casework.”

Richard Blakely of the Housing Ombudsman said: “It is clear that landlords are still struggling with timescales. This is despite policies often setting out a clear sequence of actions and existing obligations requiring reasonable resolution times…

“This is a topic that now dominates half of our casework and one coming into sharp focus given the government’s intention to introduce Awaab’s Law into both the social and private rented sectors.”

Awaab’s Law was first introduced in July 2023 following the tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in Rochdale, Greater Manchester in 2020. 

The two-year-old died as a result of exposure to damp and mould conditions and his death prompted a change in the law which requires landlords to fix hazards that pose a danger to tenants’ health with a strict legal time limit.

As it stands, the law only applies to properties in the social housing sector. However, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner announced in September that the law will be extended to the private sector.

However, with cash-strapped councils fearing imminent bankruptcy, a growing demand for housing and a cost-of-living crisis, it seems hard to fathom how councils can be expected to tackle the issues facing their properties despite new legislation and policy.

Speaking at the Labour Party conference in September, Angela Rayner said: “Many Housing Associations, councils and landlords do good by their tenants and I know how hard they’ve had it after 14 years under the Tories. Which is why I will work in partnership with the sector to deliver the change. I will clamp down on damp and mouldy homes by bringing in Awaab’s Law in the social rented sector this autumn and we’ll extend it to the private rented sector too.”

“We will consult and implement a new Decent Homes Standard for social and privately rented homes, to end the scandal of homes being unfit to live in.”

How Legal Expert Can Help You

If you’re looking for help and advice with a housing disrepair issue, Legal Expert can help. Our team of No Win No Fee solicitors are specialists in all types of housing disrepair claims and they can help you too. To access free advice or to chat with us about your legal options, please get in touch with us on the number at the top of this page.

How We Conducted Our Research Into Damp And Mould In Council Houses

Legal Expert submitted Freedom of Information Requests to 183 councils across the UK. 

These included; metropolitan councils and unitary authorities, all London Boroughs and Welsh and Scottish Councils – to gain a true insight into the current social housing landscape. 

We asked: Between 1 October, 2023 and 1 October, 2024, can you provide the number of complaints the council has had regarding damp, mould and disrepair.

We also asked how much the council had paid out in repairs for each of the issues during the same time period.

The figures relate only to social housing stock that is in the councils’ possession, rather than stock which is run by Housing Associations, but gives a vital snapshot of the challenges being faced. 

Statistics On Damp And Mould In Council Houses

Metropolitan Councils

Doncaster Borough Council

Data provided by Ledge Homes – An Arm’s Length Management Organisation managing approximately 20,000 social housing properties on behalf of the City of Doncaster Council.

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould/Disrepair: 14

Amount paid out on repairs between November 2023 and October 2024

Damp/Mould: £1.03m

Disrepair: £102,785*

*Works issued to contractors only, does not represent the total amount

Gateshead Borough Council 

No. of complaints between October 2023 and October 2024

Damp/Mould: 122

Disrepair: 244

Amount spent on repairs

Disrepairs: £209,395.57

Kirklees Borough Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould: 225

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould: £2,359,689

Disrepair: £115,909

Knowsley Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould: 56

Disrepair: 54

Damp/Mould/Disrepair: 4

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould: £1,209.00

Disrepair: £770.00

Leeds City Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould: 311

Disrepair: 27

Amount spent on repairs

Disrepair: £1,377,587

*This includes additional repairs and improvements, and this is the value within the Disrepair framework.

Manchester City Council

No. of complaints 

Damp: 114

Mould: 110

Disrepair: 8

Amount spent on repairs

Damp: £1,256,991

Mould: £1,256,991

Disrepair: £1m Approx.

Rotherham Borough Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould: 46 (Stage 1 complaints)

Disrepair: 76 (Not formal complaints – these are legal cases)

Amount spent on repairs

Damp: £412,021 (on damp related works during this period)

Mould: £972,436 (on mould related works during this period)

Disrepair: £59,657

South Tyneside Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould:

• 1,038 (Stage 1 Complaints)
• 151 (Stage 2 Complaints)

Stockport Borough Council 

No. of complaints 

Disrepair: 81 (Legal Claims)

Amount spent on repairs

Remedial Repairs: £696,711

Disrepair: £143,000

Wolverhampton City Council 

No. of complaints 

Mould/Damp/Disrepair: 218

Amount spent on repairs

Damp.Mould: £1.2 million

Disrepair: £53,912

Unitary Authorities

Blackpool Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould: 23

Disrepair: 42

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould: £19,478.58

Disrepair: £38,617.97

Cornwall Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould: 210

Disrepair: 131

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould: £1,173,884

Disrepair: £831,464

Darlington Borough Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould: 12

Disrepair: 13

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould: £603.05

Disrepair: £23,518.65

Dorset Council

No. of complaints  

Damp: 144

Mould: 189

Disrepair: 386

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould: £74,875.81

Disrepair: £208,233.96

Herefordshire Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould: 55

Disrepair: 53

Amount spent on repairs in council-owned temporary accommodation

Total: £79,302.00

Hull City Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould: 60

Disrepair: 243

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould: £700,000.00

Disrepair: £112,096.25

Nottingham City Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould: 302

Disrepair: Council does not record complaints about disrepair.

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould: £1,264,024.74

Disrepair: £1,208,118.86

Portsmouth City Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould: 2,444 (Repairs Raised) – 12 (Official Complaints)

Disrepair: 51

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould: £3,537,463.72

Disrepair: £45,623.22

Stoke-on-Trent City Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould: 198

Disrepair: 199

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould: £2,802,344.18

Disrepair: £690,905

London Boroughs

Brent Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould: 1,820

Disrepair: 201

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould: £314,789.36

Disrepair: £866,523.00

Camden Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould/Disrepair: 260

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould: £2,062,017

Disrepair: £2,596,087

Croydon Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould: 20

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould: £2,497,269

Disrepair: £3,909,016

Haringey Council

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould: £1,342,026

Disrepair: £1,282,104

Harlow Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould: 56

Disrepair: 4

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould: £12,801.28

Disrepair: £186,610.03

Southwark Council

No. of complaints 

Damp: 163

Mould: 78

Disrepair: 85

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould/Disrepair: £3,345,259.00

Tower Hamlets Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould: 76

Disrepair: 83

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould/Disrepair: £305,812.19

Welsh Councils

Cardiff Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould: 114

Disrepair: 282

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould: £645,604.85

Disrepair: £186,467.29

Denbighshire Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould: 3

Disrepair: 6

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould/Disrepair: £39,389.42

Powys Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould: 18

Disrepair: 63

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould: £74,853.48

Disrepair: £83,925.65

Scottish Councils

Angus Council

No. of complaints 

Damp: 120

Mould: 56

Other Repair: 19,395

Amount spent on repairs

Damp: £75,475

Mould: £14,176

Other Repair: £3,592,176

Clackmannanshire Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould: 332

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould: £234,184.80

Dundee City Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould: 357

Disrepair: 43,479

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould: £899,382

Disrepair: £6,241,038

East Aryshire Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould: 1,357

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould: £306,343

East Dunbartonshire Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould: 257

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould: £653,231.22

Moray Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould: 30

Disrepair: 57

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould: £191,483.67

Shetland Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould: 125

Disrepair: 2

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould: £44,976.00

South Ayrshire Council

No. of complaints 

Damp/Mould: 727

Amount spent on repairs

Damp/Mould: £1,925,764.85

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you suffered a chop saw injury in the workplace? Were you asked to work with a faulty chop or miter saw in a way that caused you injuries? If so, this guide will explain all the steps involved in making chop saw injury at work claims.

Circular saws can carry a risk of amputation injury, so employers must comply with health and safety standards to protect staff. If their failure to do so results in employee injuries, you could be eligible to seek compensation. So we will define a personal injury claim and determine who might be eligible to start one. We also discuss the prevention of accidents involving chop saws and how employer negligence can be a risk factor. Our case study provides a useful example to help.

We explain the compensation an injured employee could receive and what types of damage it might cover, such as physical injury, emotional harm and financial loss. The guide closes with a detailed explanation of how one of our No Win No Fee solicitors could help.

We offer a free assessment of your personal injury claim for accident at work compensation from your employer. Simply:

• Ring the team on 0800 073 8804
• Contact us and submit a claim online.
• Use the dialogue box below for immediate help after accidents at work.

Select A Section Of Our Guide

1. What Are Chop Saw Injury At Work Claims?
2. How Could A Chop Saw Injury At Work Be Prevented?
3. How Can Employer Negligence Cause A Chop Saw Injury At Work?
4. How Much Compensation For Chop Saw Injury At Work Claims?
5. Claim For Hand Injuries At Work On A No Win No Fee Basis
6. Learn More About Claiming For Accidents At Work

What Are Chop Saw Injury At Work Claims?

All employers owe their staff a duty of care at work. This is set under a law is called the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HASAWA) and states that employers must take practicable and reasonable steps to ensure the safety of employees as they do their jobs.

Also, the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 outline additional responsibilities to protect employees’ well-being while using tools.

Specifically, duty of care might mean ensuring that circular saws and similar work equipment are regularly maintained. Also that staff are properly trained to use them and that necessary personal protective equipment is supplied, such as face shields. With this in mind, employer negligence can be defined as follows:

• A duty of care is applied at the time.
• It was not met properly.
• You suffered injury as a result.

If your employer failed to carry out their legal obligation to protect your safety in some way and you were injured whilst operating a chop saw, you could have a personal injury compensation claim. Call the team if you have any questions so far about chop saw injury at work claims or to find out if you are eligible to make one.

What Injuries Could Be Caused By A Chop Saw?

Certain workplaces need their employees to use circular or chop saws as part of their daily tasks. Similar to a mitre saw, these types of heavy-duty power tools can be fixed to a countertop and used to cut precise lines through wood, steel and plastic. Typically, the spinning blade is 14 inches in diameter and a pivoted lever lowers the blade onto the fixed base holding the material that needs to be cut.

An injury is typically a flesh wound to the hands caused after contact with the blade. Injuries can vary depending on speed and contact, and may result in the following:

• Amputations of the finger(s) or hand.
• Serious soft tissue damage to the fingers and palm.
• Cuts on the face from flying debris.

You may have suffered some other form of injury using a chop saw, so please connect with the team for personalised advice.

How Could A Chop Saw Injury At Work Be Prevented?

Personal protective equipment (PPE) must be supplied when using tools such as chop saws or anything with a circular blade. Additionally, regular risk assessments should be conducted, and if any are identified, the saw should be taken out of use until they can be rectified.

Furthermore, your employer should also have preventative steps and policies against injury in place, such as:

• Wear a face shield and safety glasses.
• Avoid the wearing of loose clothing, jewellery, or dangling objects.
• Tie up any long hair.
• Don’t exceed the maximum cut capacity of the saw.
• Avoid trying to cut materials ‘free hand’ without the item firmly resting against the barrier on the base of the saw.
• Avoid reaching behind or around the saw blade. The hand should be kept on the trigger switch and the blade guard should be lowered fully to completely enclose the blade.
• The chop saw should be kept clean and well-lubricated. This helps the tool run smoothly and aids easier cleaning of dust and debris.
• The blade guard should be inspected before using a chop saw to ensure it is safely fixed in and free of faults.
• Never feed the saw at a rate faster than it can accept.
• When using, always wait for the blade to stop spinning and keep your hands clear.

As a technical piece of machinery, proper training and supervision are also essential ways that an employer can help to prevent injury. If you feel they failed to protect you at work and allowed injuries to occur, speak to us about chop saw injury at work claims.

How Can Employer Negligence Cause A Chop Saw Injury At Work?

Next, we look at some ways that employer negligence could occur and give rise to potential chop saw injury at work claims:

• The employer failed to test and maintain the circular saws on their premises and a saw malfunctioned, amputating a worker’s fingers.
• Inadequate training was given to a new employee and they lost the tip of their finger trying to operate the chop saw.
• An employee was trained incorrectly and lacerated their fingers and hands trying to cut materials in the chop saw ‘free hand’.
• Inadequate lighting resulted in an employee misjudging how low the spinning blade was and cut off their finger.
• Lack of protective goggles exposed a worker to flying sparks and caused them eye injury.
• Employees were not trained to keep their fingers a minimum of four inches from the rotating saw blade.
• Also, the danger of old screws, nails, imperfections or knots in the wood was not described properly. This resulted in sparks causing a facial injury when the blade hit old screws.

An employer’s failure to meet safety standards can cause injury in other ways. If you’d like to discuss yours, please connect with the team.

How Much Compensation For Chop Saw Injury At Work Claims?

If successful, the compensation awarded can consist of two heads of loss – general and special damages. General damages compensate the injured employee for the physical harm and any psychological consequences. Under this head of loss, the damage to the person’s life quality (such as a permanent disability) can also be considered.

To work out a suitable amount for general damages, those who calculate damages might look at medical evidence and publications that issue compensation guidelines like the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). Below is a table made up of entries for hand injuries from the JCG. As all claims are assessed on their own merits, our table is only intended as a guide. Also please note that the first line amount does not come from this publication.

Compensation Guidelines

Injury Area	Severity	Award Guidelines
Multiple types of severe injury and special damages payment for lost earnings, care costs and medical expenses.	Severe	Up to £350,000 plus.
Hand Injuries	(a) Total or effective loss of both hands.	£171,680 up to £245,900
	(c) Total/effective loss of one hand.	£117,360 up to £133,810
	(d) Amputation affecting index, middle and/or ring fingers.	£75,550 up to £110,750
	(b) Serious damage affecting both hands.	£68,070 up to £103,200
	(e) Serious	£35,390 up to £75,550
	(r) Loss of thumb.	£43,350 up to £66,920
	(p) Amputation of ring and little fingers.	In region of £26,620
	(i) Total/Partial loss of index fnger.	£14,850 up to £22,870
	(m) Amputation of little finger.	£10,550 up to £14,940
	(h) Moderate	£6,910 up to £16,200

Can Loss Of Earnings Make Up Part Of My Accident At Work Compensation?

Financial losses can also be reimbursed under special damages. You are required to submit documented proof of financial expenses or losses caused by the injury to claim for this. Therefore, it is important to retain anything you feel demonstrates how the injury impacted you, such as:

• Payslips that show a reduction or loss in your earnings after the injury.
• Medical costs for private doctors or specialists.
• Receipts that show you needed to travel to vital appointments.
• Over-the-counter painkillers or prescription costs.
• Estimates or invoices for any adaptations required in your home or car to deal with your new disability after serious hand injuries.

Please speak to one of our advisors if you’d like more guidance on general and special damages or any aspect of chop saw injury at work claims.

Claim For Hand Injuries At Work On A No Win No Fee Basis

In the aftermath of a serious hand injury with a circular saw, it’s understandable that you want to concentrate on your recovery. With this in mind, one of our personal injury solicitors could take care of your compensation claim for you.

Our solicitors have extensive expertise in helping clients get exactly what they are owed from negligent employers and can handle each stage of the claims process with you. This includes collecting statements and chasing up supporting evidence. As well as fulfilling the essential Pre-Action Protocol steps that usually apply in personal injury claims.

With their help, you could submit a much stronger and more professional claim for compensation. They offer a specific type of No Win No Fee contract called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), through which you can expect the following advantages:

• No upfront fees for solicitors to start work.
• No solicitor’s fees as the claim goes ahead.
• Nothing to pay for finished services if the claim is unsuccessful.
• Only a small percentage is deducted from the compensation if the claim wins. A legal cap applies to this ‘success fee’ so the person claiming receives almost all of their compensation.

If you’re interested in seeing whether you could start an accident at work claim in this way, or to discuss anything related to chop saw injury at work claims, reach out to our advisors. You can:

• Ring the team on 0800 073 8804
• Contact us and submit a claim online.
• Use the dialogue box below for immediate help after accidents at work.

Learn More About Claiming For Accidents At Work

In addition to this guide on chop saw injury at work claims, here is more help:

• This guide looks at partial finger amputation claims.
• Here we explore compensation for a broken thumb.
• More information on a crushed hand claim for damages.

External resources:

• This resource looks at a typical risk assessment for circular saw use.
• Read when to call 999 from the NHS.
• Also, you can read about first aid after an accident occurred.

In conclusion, we value your interest in our guide about chop saw injury at work claims. For any further free guidance and information, connect with our advisory team.

Amidst growing pressures on the NHS as well as government funding cuts, thousands of NHS staff across the country have had to take absences due to mental health problems.

Pressures inside the NHS have become so severe that the equivalent of a week off work was taken by every single one of the health service’s 350k nurses last year due to stress, anxiety and depression, analysis of new NHS England data shows.

Due to ongoing staffing problems, many workers are pushed beyond their mental and physical limits due to long, intensive hours.

To gain a true understanding of the number of NHS staff suffering with mental health problems, Legal Expert set out to investigate.

How Legal Expert Can Help

If you’ve suffered mental health problems while working for the NHS and believe the working practices should have been different or the organisation should have done much to support you, get in touch. Here at Legal Expert, our team can advise you on your legal options and give advice on what you can do, such as making a compensation claim, all free of charge.

How We Conducted Our Research Into Mental Health Issues Among NHS Staff

We sent Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to every NHS Trust in the UK asking how many NHS Staff have taken at least one day off work due to mental health issues in the past three years. (Broken down by years 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24)

We also asked if these figures could be broken down into specific mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and stress during the same three-year period.

Statistics On NHS Staff Mental Health Issues

According to a recent poll conducted by NHS Charities, three out of four NHS staff have experienced poor mental health in the past year, suggesting that issues around pay and workload have resulted in a number of mental challenges.

Legal Expert also obtained the figures on the specific mental health reasons that staff members gave for their absence.

Based on figures gathered from NHS Trusts across the country, the most common mental health issues that NHS staff face are anxiety, depression and stress.

Swindon

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 621

2022/23 | 550

2023/24 | 589

Total | 1,760

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 36

Depression | 63

Stress | 150

Hull

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 786

2022/23 | 730

2023/24 | 713

Total | 2,229

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 183

Depression | 33

Stress | 197

Cornwall

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 918

2022/23 | 882

2023/24 | 1032

Total | 2,832

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 637

Depression | 258

Stress | 1289

Newcastle

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 1104

2022/23 | 1192

2023/24 | 1468

Total | 3,764

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 313

Depression | 105

Stress | 488

Morecambe

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 769

2022/23 | 776

2023/24 | 848

Total | 2,393

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 392

Depression | 170

Stress | 686

York and Scarborough

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 1247

2022/23 | 1182

2023/24 | 1207

Total | 3,636

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 92

Depression | 24

Stress | 151

Lancashire

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 1336

2022/23 | 1255

2023/24 | 1398

Total | 3,989

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 866

Depression | 220

Stress | 1015

Doncaster

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 1791

2022/23 | 1089

2023/24 | 1131

Total | 4,011

North West Anglia

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 745

2022/23 | 718

2023/24 | 819

Total | 2,282

Northampton

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 600

2022/23 | 565

2023/24 | 560

Total | 1,725

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 88

Depression | 34

Stress | 145

Berkshire

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 478

2022/23 | 454

2023/24 | 437

Total | 1,369

Somerset

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 1307

2022/23 | 1249

2023/24 | 1499

Total | 4,055

Salisbury

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 423

2022/23 | 430

2023/24 | 522

Total | 1,375

Barnsley

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 517

2022/23 | 647

2023/24 | 757

Total | 1,921

Herefordshire

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 679

2022/23 | 646

2023/24 | 638

Total | 1,963

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 545

Depression | 180

Stress | 493

Shrewsbury and Telford

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 870

2022/23 | 800

2023/24 | 906

Total | 2,576

Hampshire

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 1743

2022/23 | 1689

2023/24 | 1652

Total | 5,084

Cambridge

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 1515

2022/23 | 1457

2023/24 | 1619

Total | 4,591

County Durham and Darlington

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 960

2022/23 | 1023

2023/24 | 1108

Total | 3,091

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 191

Depression | 78

Stress | 256

Cumbria

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 897

2022/23 | 878

2023/24 | 1056

Total | 2,831

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 288

Depression | 111

Stress | 556

Isle of Wight

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 495

2022/23 | 573

2023/24 | 658

Total | 1,726

Liverpool

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 1458

2022/23 | 1453

2023/24 | 1807

Total | 4,718

Blackpool

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 1287

2022/23 | 1326

2023/24 | 1484

Total | 4,097

Milton Keynes

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 572

2022/23 | 543

2023/24 | 611

Total | 1,726

Plymouth

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 2076

2022/23 | 2004

2023/24 | 2148

Total | 6,228

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 859

2022/23 | 850

2023/24 | 880

Total | 2,589

Devon

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 864

2022/23 | 1013

2023/24 | 1265

Total | 3,142

North Midlands

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 1643

2022/23 | 1505

2023/24 | 1539

Total | 4,687

Bradford

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 966

2022/23 | 946

2023/24 | 809

Total | 2,721

Warrington and Halton

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 544

2022/23 | 504

2023/24 | 583

Total | 1,631

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 176

Depression | 33

Stress | 237

Leeds

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 2419

2022/23 | 2459

2023/24 | 2587

Total | 7,465

Hertfordshire

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 1068

2022/23 | 979

2023/24 | 1001

Total | 3,048

North Tees and Hartlepool

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 676

2022/23 | 603

2023/24 | 715

Total | 1,994

Derby and Burton

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 2346

2022/23 | 2326

2023/24 | 2617

Total | 7,289

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 1095

Depression | 327

Stress | 1572

South West Yorkshire

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 597

2022/23 | 579

2023/24 | 589

Total | 1,765

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 109

Depression | 35

Stress | 178

Kent

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 1158

2022/23 | 1116

2023/24 | 1259

Total | 3,533

Birmingham

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 2613

2022/23 | 2618

2023/24 | 2826

Total | 8,057

Bedfordshire

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 1025

2022/23 | 1062

2023/24 | 1173

Total | 3,260

Buckinghamshire

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 311

2022/23 | 273

2023/24 | 418

Total | 1,002

Dorset

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 1138

2022/23 | 1156

2023/24 | 1278

Total | 3,572

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 208

Depression | 97

Stress | 439

Essex

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 2604

2022/23 | 2366

2023/24 | 2645

Total | 7,615

Sussex

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 2634

2022/23 | 2616

2023/24 | 2799

Total | 8,049

Gloucestershire

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 1721

2022/23 | 1578

2023/24 | 1857

Total | 5,156

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 64

Depression | 19

Stress | 80

East Lancashire

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 1210

2022/23 | 1257

2023/24 | 1314

Total | 3,781

Worcestershire

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 863

2022/23 | 891

2023/24 | 1006

Total | 2,760

Norfolk and Norwich

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 1108

2022/23 | 1018

2023/24 | 1014

Total | 3,140

Northern Care Alliance (Greater Manchester)

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 2659

2022/23 | 2490

2023/24 | 2922

Total | 8,071

Sheffield

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 2232

2022/23 | 2147

2023/24 | 2298

Total | 6,677

Frimley Health

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 764

2022/23 | 710

2023/24 | 765

Total | 2,239

Cheshire

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 678

2022/23 | 472

2023/24 | 438

Total | 1,588

Bath

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 661

2022/23 | 695

2023/24 | 819

Total | 2,175

Princess Alexandra (West Essex and East Hertfordshire)

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 392

2022/23 | 378

2023/24 | 421

Total | 1,191

Tameside and Glossop

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 535

2022/23 | 542

2023/24 | 613

Total | 1,690

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 151

Depression | 41

Stress | 161

Croydon

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 335

2022/23 | 295

2023/24 | 325

Total | 955

Midlands

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 5014

2022/23 | 5010

2023/24 | 5525

Total | 15549

Lincolnshire

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 1121

2022/23 | 1192

2023/24 | 1259

Total | 3572

Hillingdon

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 221

2022/23 | 209

2023/24 | 211

Total | 641

Middlesex

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 216

2022/23 | 275

2023/24 | 324

Total | 815

Barking, Havering and Redbridge

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 488

2022/23 | 504

2023/24 | 551

Total | 1,543

George Eliot Hospital (Warwickshire, Leicestershire and Coventry)

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 497

2022/23 | 440

2023/24 | 541

Total | 1,478

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 147

Depression | 62

Stress | 197

Lewisham and Greenwich

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 497

2022/23 | 440

2023/24 | 541

Total | 1,478

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 90

Depression | 48

Stress | 182

Lancashire and South Cumbria

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 1320

2022/23 | 1339

2023/24 | 1459

Total | 4118

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 138

Depression | 49

Stress | 272

James Paget (Norfolk)

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 312

2022/23 | 361

2023/24 | 519

Total | 1,192

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 189

Depression | 36

Stress | 221

Airedale

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 470

2022/23 | 403

2023/24 | 461

Total | 1,334

Gateshead

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 768

2022/23 | 753

2023/24 | 859

Total | 2,380

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 133

Depression | 52

Stress | 189

Lincolnshire and Goole

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 1049

2022/23 | 998

2023/24 | 1090

Total | 3,137

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 191

Depression | 77

Stress | 274

Sherwood Forest Hospitals

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 602

2022/23 | 621

2023/24 | 710

Total | 1,933

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 178

Depression | 54

Stress | 185

Chesterfield

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 557

2022/23 | 583

2023/24 | 671

Total | 1,811

Medway

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 1076

2022/23 | 977

2023/24 | 1107

Total | 3,160

South Warwickshire

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 809

2022/23 | 734

2023/24 | 939

Total | 2,482

Torbay and South Devon

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 1310

2022/23 | 1248

2023/24 | 1281

Total | 3,839

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 254

Depression | 93

Stress | 340

Clatterbridge Cancer Centre

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 269

2022/23 | 287

2023/24 | 344

Total | 900

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 202

Depression | 44

Stress | 251

Kettering

No. of staff absent due to mental health reasons

2021/22 | 879

2022/23 | 803

2023/24 | 760

Total | 2442

No. of absences due to anxiety, depression or stress (2021-2024)

Anxiety | 65

Depression | 23

Stress | 137

If police misconduct has caused harm to you or a loved one, you could be eligible to claim compensation. The roles of police officers are often varied and may include going into unknown and potentially dangerous situations. However, you should be able to expect that police officers behave in a professional manner. In this guide, we look at when you could make a police negligence compensation claim.

This guide looks at the process of claiming compensation. We start by looking at what such claims are and what police negligence is. Then, our guide looks at the role of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) before looking at how to prove your claim. Having an idea of possible compensation settlements is helpful, so our guide also includes a section on how to calculate them. Finally, at the end of the guide, you can find information on how to claim on a No Win No Fee basis.

For further information about making a personal injury compensation claim, please:

• Call us on 0800 073 8804.
• Click ‘claim online’ and complete our contact form.
• Use the live support below.

Browse Our Guide

• Can I Claim Police Negligence Compensation?
• What Is Considered Police Negligence?
• What Is The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)?
• What Evidence Could Help Me Claim For Police Negligence?
• How Long Do I Have To Claim For An Injury Caused By Police Negligence?
• How Much Police Negligence Compensation Could I Receive?
• Make A Personal Injury Claim Against The Police On A No Win No Fee Basis
• More Resources About Making A Personal Injury Claim

Can I Claim Police Negligence Compensation?

You or a loved one may claim compensation if harmed because of police misconduct. The police must follow professional standards of behaviour, such as those set out in the Police (Conduct) Regulations 1999.

In order to be able to make a personal injury compensation claim against the police, you must demonstrate that negligence occurred. Negligence occurs when a third party owes a duty of care in which they breach, and this leads to a person suffering harm.

In specific circumstances, the police owe a duty of care. These include:

• If a person is detained in police detention or custody.
• If a member of the public has received police advice that they have relied on.

As per the courts, the police do not have a general duty of care to protect the public. However, there are some exceptions:

• The police have taken responsibility to protect a specific member of the public from coming to harm via another person.
• In circumstances where the police have created a duty to act.

Call an advisor to discuss police negligence compensation eligibility.

What Is Considered Police Negligence?

There are a wide range of circumstances in which a police officer could cause avoidable physical or emotional harm. Below, we look at some examples of these. Please note, this is not an exclusive list of circumstances in which you could claim for misconduct by police officers.

• A police officer may misuse a weapon during an arrest. You may sustain a head injury if struck by a baton.
• Police officers use unnecessary physical violence during an interaction, such as an arrest.
• You were unnecessarily restrained or assaulted by a police officer.
•  A detainee is showing signs of self-harm and is not adequately monitored and commits suicide.

In order to claim compensation in any of these (or other circumstances), you must show that the police acted negligently. Later in this guide we discuss the types of evidence which could help you to do so.

People contact our team for more information on what may be considered police negligence.

What Is The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)?

The IOPC is an independent, non-departmental public body. It is independent of the police and the government and presides over the system for police complaints made in England and Wales.

In most instances, allegations of police misconduct will be investigated by the individual force’s professional standards department. The IOPC will still oversee such investigations, and it will directly investigate in the most serious instances, as well as sensitive matters.

If a member of the public either sustains serious injuries or dies following contact with the police a mandatory referral will be made to the IOPC. Examples of incidents which may be referred to the IOPC could include fatal road traffic accidents, police shootings or deaths in police custody.

Members of the public may submit a complaint through the IOPC. This complaint will be sent to the relevant police force. Any investigation carried out either by the individual force or the IOPC may uncover evidence which can be used in your claim.

Please contact our team to learn more about police negligence compensation claims and making a complaint against a force.

What Evidence Could Help Me Claim For Police Negligence?

In order to make a police negligence compensation claim, you will need to submit a strong body of evidence. Such evidence must clearly show that the officer or force in question has acted negligently.

Vital evidence may include:

• CCTV footage or other video footage – the incident in which you were harmed may have been recorded on CCTV or other video.
• Photographs – you may take photos of any visible injuries.
• Medical records and reports – your medical records may be used to show your injuries. In addition, you may be asked to attend an independent medical exam. This assessment may help to establish whether your injuries are consistent with the alleged incident.
• Witness contact details – statements from anyone who was witness to the accident in question can also help to highlight exactly what happened. If you collect their contact details, these statements can be collected later in the claims process.

Please contact our team today for advice on how to prove your case.

How Long Do I Have To Claim For An Injury Caused By Police Negligence?

Whether your claim is against the police or another party, all claims must be made within the relevant time limit. For personal injury claims, this time limit is three years. However, there are exceptions to this. For example:

• Where the person harmed is under the age of eighteen. Children are not able to make a claim on their own behalf. Instead, a suitable adult may act as a litigation friend. This person may begin the claim at any point before the child turns eighteen. Once they reach 18, if no claim has been made, the standard limit will apply.
• Similarly, where the injured person lacks the mental capacity to claim on their own behalf a litigation friend may act for them. However, the standard three year time limit applies if they regain this capacity. It starts from the date it was deemed their mental capacity had recovered.

Please get in contact with our team to find out more about how to claim on-behalf of someone else.

How Much Police Negligence Compensation Could I Receive?

At this point, having read how to claim, you may wonder how your police negligence compensation could be awarded should your case prove successful. Each claim is individually assessed on its own merits.

In many instances, compensation claims are made up of two heads of claim. These are general damages and special damages. The Judicial College Guidelines (JCG)  may be used to help value general damages (those for your pain and suffering).

We look at some figures from the JCG in the table below. Please note that the top figure is not taken from the JCG. This simply illustrates how your settlement could include compensation for multiple, very severe injuries and related costs. Please only use this table as a guide.

Injury	Severity	Guideline Compensation
Multiple (serious) injuries, plus special damages.	Serious or severe	Up to £1,000,000 or over
Brain damage	Very severe - a	£344,150 to £493,000
Leg injury	Severe - b (i)	£117,460 to £165,860
Hip or pelvic injuries	Severe - a (ii)	£75,550 to £95,680
Back injuries	Severe - a (iii)	£47,320 to £85,100
Elbow injuries	Severe and disabling - a	£47,810 to £66,920
Shoulder injury	Severe - a	£23,430 to £58,610
Skeletal injuries	Fractures of jaws - e (i)	£37,210 to £55,570
Skeletal injuries	Le fort fracture of frontal facial bones - a	£29,060 to £44,840
Skeletal injuries	Multiple fractures of facial bones - B	£18,180 to £29,220

Can I Claim For Loss of Earnings In Police Negligence Claims?

As touched on above, police negligence claims could also include special damages. These are damages which may be awarded for financial losses related to your injury. Below, we look at some examples of special damages:

• Medical expenses – this may include the cost of medical care and treatment, prescription medication and physiotherapy.
• Care costs – this may include the cost of care in a specialist facility or the home.
• Travel expenses – such as the cost of travelling to a medical appointment.
• Loss of earnings and income – this may include income lost whilst you are recovering from your injuries.

You will need to provide additional evidence which proves such losses. Evidence may include wage slips showing reduced income or invoices for medical care.

Please contact us to find out how a No Win No Fee solicitor could help you.

Make A Personal Injury Claim Against The Police On A No Win No Fee Basis

Making a personal injury claim against a police force could be a complex process.  Whilst you can make a claim against the police without a solicitor, we believe that you could benefit from working with one of our solicitors.

The benefits of working with a solicitor can include their help in gathering important evidence, their knowledge of the claims process and help explaining complex legal terminology and processes.

We understand that many people may be concerned about the cost of taking legal action. This is why our solicitors are able to handle claims under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). A CFA may more commonly be called a No Win No Fee agreement. It allows a solicitor to work on a claim without you having to make any payments until your claim is resolved successfully.

At this point, if you make a successful claim, you will need to pay a success fee. This fee is charged as a percentage of awarded compensation and there is a legal limit on how much may be charged. If your claim isn’t successful, there is nothing to pay.

Please contact us to discuss police negligence compensation or to find out how we may be able to help you.

• Phone 0800 073 8804.
• Fill in our contact form by clicking ‘claim online’.
• Use the live support on this page.

More Resources About Making A Personal Injury Claim

Finally, here you can find additional resources which could help with your claim.

• Find out more about the personal injury claims process in this guide.
  Learn more about personal injury solicitors here.
  Here, you can find out how to get more money from a personal injury claim.

External references:

• Learn more about the IOPC in this UK government resource.
• Here you can learn how to request CCTV footage of yourself.
• Learn more about first aid in this NHS guide.

Thank you for reading our guide to making a police negligence compensation claim. Please contact our team for further information on personal injury claims.

Have you been injured during a swim at your local gym? Were you hurt while working as a lifeguard? This guide will show you how to go from swimming pool accident to claim with a breakdown of everything you need to begin.

If you have been injured due to poorly maintained swimming pool facilities, you could be owed personal injury compensation. To help you understand if you have good grounds to launch a swimming pool injury claim, we look at different incidents that can occur in or near a swimming pool. Additionally, this guide provides examples of evidence you could gather to support your compensation claim. You may also want to know how much compensation you could get for a successful swimming pool injury claim. We break down how a settlement could be awarded before explaining how a solicitor could support your claim on a No Win No Fee basis.

Contact us today if you believe you have a valid reason to claim swimming pool accident compensation:

• Call us anytime 24/7 on 0800 073 8804.
• Use this form to make a claim online.
• Use the instant chat feature at the bottom of this page.

Select A Section

• Can I Claim For A Swimming Pool Accident? 
• What Accidents Could Lead To A Swimming Pool Accident Claim? 
• Can I Claim For A Swimming Pool Accident As An Employee? 
• Can I Claim For A Swimming Pool Accident On Behalf Of My Child?
• What Do I Need To Make A Swimming Pool Accident Claim?
• How Much Swimming Pool Accident Compensation Could I Receive? 
• Claim For A Swimming Pool Injury On A No Win No Fee Basis
• Learn More About How To Make Personal Injury Claims

Can I Claim For A Swimming Pool Accident?

You can make a swimming pool accident claim if you can prove negligence occurred.

Negligence is when:

• You were owed a duty of care.
• Someone breached that duty.
• That breach caused your injuries.

The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 places a duty of care on anyone who controls a public space. They must, within reason, make sure everyone in that space is safe.

In other words, someone who owns or controls a swimming pool must keep you safe in or around that pool. If you are injured for reasons that could have been avoided, they are likely negligent. In that case, you can make a public liability claim.

To claim for a swimming pool accident, contact our team today using the details at the top of this guide.

What Accidents Could Lead To A Swimming Pool Accident Claim?

As discussed above, if the individual or organisation in charge of the swimming pool facilities were negligent, you could claim compensation. Here are a few examples of swimming pool accidents that could lead to a claim:

• A pool manager cleans the water without measuring the chlorine and uses too much. You swim in the water and suffer chemical burns.
• Your local pool is partly drained for maintenance, making the water too shallow for diving. No warning sign is put out. You perform a high dive and receive a serious neck injury.
• A child spills a drink next to the pool. Staff do not clean this within a reasonable time, and you slip and fall and fracture a forearm.
• A broken tile catches your leg as you get into the pool, incurring significant laceration and scarring.
• A large ceiling light has not been properly installed. It falls on you as you swim, causing a minor injury to your back.

To know if your accident could lead to a swimming pool accident claim, get in touch via the details above.

Can I Claim For A Swimming Pool Accident As An Employee?

You can make a swimming pool accident claim as an employee if the accident was caused by a negligent employer.

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 places a duty of care on employers to take reasonable and practicable steps to keep their staff safe. There are various ways in which an employer can be negligent, including failing to provide correct oversight, training, or Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

• You are the only lifeguard on duty, yet your employer insists that you teach a swimming class. You fall and fracture your skull with no one around to help.
• You are hired to fix a pool vent, but your supervisor does not update you that the whole pump system needs replacing. Your hand gets caught in the faulty machinery, requiring partial finger amputation.

If you are unsure if your accident was the fault of your employer, our advisors can help. Get in touch with the details at the top of the page.

Can I Claim For A Swimming Pool Accident On Behalf Of My Child?

If your child has been injured in a swimming pool accident, you have two options.

• Wait until they turn eighteen, at which point they can make their own claim.
• Request that you be appointed their litigation friend. A litigation friend is a trusted parent or guardian who claims on behalf of a child.

Both actions trigger a three-year time limit under The Limitation Act 1980. After those three years, the claim will become time-barred. This means you cannot claim anymore.

If you make a swimming pool accident claim on your own behalf, your three years start from the date of your accident.

Contact us if you’re not sure whether you still claim. Our advisors are available 24/7 via the details at the top of this guide.

What Do I Need To Make A Swimming Pool Accident Claim?

A swimming pool accident claim requires evidence of negligence. This will usually include:

• Media – The Data Protection Act 2018 allows you to request any CCTV or phone recordings of the accident, so long as you appear in them.
• Witness Contact Details – inform your solicitor if anyone saw your accident happen, as they can help to support the facts of your case.
• Medical Reports – GP notes, rehab records, or the statement of a relevant expert can link your injuries to the incident in question.
• Expert Opinion – someone with provable expertise can speak to factual questions such as what duty of care you were owed.
• Incident Reports – anyone who employs ten staff or more must keep a record of workplace accidents under The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR).

Our solicitors can gather this evidence for you. To know how, call us today. You can find our phone number at the top of this page.

How Much Swimming Pool Accident Compensation Could I Receive?

Damages are paid to a person who successfully makes a swimming pool accident claim. There are two types of damages:

• General damages are paid to compensate for pain and suffering caused by the swimming pool accident.
• Special damages are paid to restore material loss caused by your swimming injuries.

General damages will depend on the type and severity of your injuries. The Judicial College sets out compensation for different injuries in the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). The table below provides some examples.

Please note that the top figure is for demonstration and is not a JCG figure. This table is only intended to act as a guide.

Injury	Compensation Guideline
Multiple severe injuries plus special damages	Up to £1,000,000 or more
Very severe brain injury needing full time nursing care	£344,150 to £493,000
Severe (ii) neck injuries usually involving cervical damage and that cause permanent disability	£80,240 to £159,770
Moderate (i) neck injuries that cause severe symptoms and may need spinal fusion	£30,500 to £46,970
Burns to 40% or more of the body	Likely more than £127,930
Several lacerations or one disfiguring scar	£9,560 to £27,740
Severe (iii) back injuries including vertebral damage that leaves disabilities that cannot be fixed with treatment	£47,320 to £85,100
Arm injuries causing permanent disability	£47,810 to £73,050
Less severe but more than simple arm injuries	£23,430 to £47,810
Poisoning severe (i) enough to negatively affect life and work in the long-term	£46,900 to £64,070

Can I Claim For Loss of Earnings Caused By A Swimming Accident?

Special damages recover material losses caused by the injuries. So long as you can prove the loss and show your injuries are the cause, you can claim for special damages.

You prove loss of earnings by providing payslips, sick notes, pension letters, or other relevant documents. Other examples of special damages are:

• Wages for a carer or other domestic help.
• The cost of installing a ramp or other accessibility adjustments.
• Private medical expenses or related travel costs.

As with loss of earnings, each of these would require invoices, quotations, or other proof.

Ask our advisors if we can help you with loss of earnings via the methods listed above.

Claim For A Swimming Pool Injury On A No Win No Fee Basis

You could have the right after a swimming pool accident to claim compensation, and our solicitors are here to help. They are ready to assist with expertise that can only be built over decades of success, providing:

• High quality advice for your unique situation.
• Guidance on the latest legal know-how.
• Resources to gather the strongest evidence possible.
• The best possible chance of success.

Don’t worry if you can’t pay upfront. Our solicitors can work for you on a No Win No Fee basis if you sign a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). With this method, you:

• Pay an agreed and legally capped percentage of the compensation awarded if you win.
• Pay nothing if you lose.
• Enjoy peace of mind knowing there are no upfront or ongoing costs for your claim.

This way, you have nothing to lose. Get in touch. Claim the compensation you deserve.

• Call us anytime 24/7 on 0800 073 8804.
• Use this form to make a claim online.
• Use the instant chat feature at the bottom of this page.

Learn More About How To Make Personal Injury Claims

Here are some further resources from us you may find helpful:

• Accident at Work Claims – our guide on what you can do wherever you work.
• Holiday Accident Claims – have you been injured in a pool accident in Spain?
• Supermarket Accident Claims – how public liability works in shops.

Here is some more reading from around the web:

• Guidance on RIDDOR  from the Health and Safety Executive for reporting accidents.
• Water Safety in Residential Swimming Pools – advice from the Royal Life Saving Society UK.
• Swimming Pool Safety – a useful legal summary by the Isle of Wight local authority.

Thank you for reading our guide on how to make a swimming pool accident claim.

If you have broken your neck or back in an accident that wasn’t your fault, you could get help with your fractured vertebrae through compensation.

You may think you don’t have the time or resources to make a claim, especially if you are dealing with the effects of such profound injuries.

According to The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, traumatic spinal fractures can take 3-6 months to heal, with full recovery taking as long as 2 years or more. In that time, you may be unable to work or pay for vital physiotherapy.

This detailed yet simple guide will explain what a personal injury claim could do to change that. It will explain who is eligible to take action and break down how much compensation you could receive. Finally, it will explain what we can do for you.

You have rights. You are not alone.

Contact us today.

• Call us anytime on 0800 073 8804.
• Make a claim online if you would prefer us to contact you.
• Use the live Support chat on the bottom of this page.

Select A Section

• What Is A Fractured Vertebrae?
• What Are Fractured Vertebrae Compensation Claims?
• How Long Do I Have To Claim For Spinal Fractures? 
• What Evidence Can Help Me Claim Fractured Vertebrae Compensation? 
• How Much Compensation For A Fractured Vertebrae? 
• Claim For A Spinal Fracture Using A No Win No Fee Solicitor
• More Useful Resources About Making Personal Injury Claims

What Is A Fractured Vertebrae?

A fractured vertebrae is a break to any of the 33 small bones between your skull and pelvis. This group of bones makes up your spine, which is why these injuries are sometimes called spinal fractures.

There are three types of spinal fractures:

• Chance – vertebrae are suddenly pulled apart.
• Burst – vertebrae are suddenly pressed together.
• Compression – vertebrae are damaged over time by wastage or wear.

If you have experienced any of these, you may be eligible to claim fractured vertebrae compensation. Contact our advisors using the details at the top of this guide to discuss your particular case.

What Are Fractured Vertebrae Compensation Claims?

You can seek fractured vertebrae compensation if you suffered spinal cord injuries as a result of a third party’s actions or inactions. However, to do so, you must prove that:

• That party owed you a duty of care.
• That party breached their duty of care.
• That breach caused your injuries.

A duty of care is an obligation to maintain a certain standard of care. Different relationships involve different duties. We look at a few life scenarios in which you are owed a duty of care in the following subsections.

Accidents At Work

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 places a duty of care on employers to take reasonably practicable steps to ensure the safety of their staff while at work. They must make sure everyone is protected from harm by providing proper training, supervision, and, if needed, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). If you were injured because of any failure to do so, they would be liable.

• Your employer fails to train you in proper manual handling. As a result, you sustain a back injury.
• Your employer does not supervise a trainee who causes a scaffolding accident. It falls and breaks your neck.
• You are repairing roads at night, and your supervisor has not provided you with high-visibility clothes. This causes a car to crash into you, fracturing your lower vertebrae.

Accidents in a Public Place

The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 places a duty of care on anyone who controls a public space to keep everyone within that space reasonably safe. If someone controls a public space in which someone is injured, they may be negligent if, within reason, they could have prevented that injury.

• A council takes too long to repair a broken pavement. You trip on this pavement and hit your head on a parked car, breaking your neck in two places.
• Your local gym fails to carry out maintenance on equipment which collapses while you are using it. Your back is severely damaged.
• A cafe does not place a warning sign over a spillage. You slip and suffer a fractured neck in three places.

Road Traffic Accidents

Road users owe a collective duty of care to one another to avoid endangering anyone else. This entails adhering to The Road Traffic Act 1988 and The Highway Code.

• While looking at their phone, a driver misses you slowing down at a junction. They crash into you, causing a lumbar fracture.
• A motorcyclist changes lanes without indicating, causing you to brake suddenly. Your car spins and crashes into a reservation, and you sustain a serious spine injury.
• You are crossing the road as a pedestrian. A driver hits you while driving 20 mph over the speed limit, breaking your neck and back.

Negligence on the road is often a criminal offence. This does not prevent a personal injury claim. If you are unsure of your case, our advisors are available via the information at the top of this page.

How Long Do I Have To Claim For Spinal Fractures?

The Limitation Act 1980 allows you to claim fractured vertebrae compensation for three years after the accident that caused your injury. On the third anniversary and after, you are time-barred and cannot make a personal injury claim anymore.

There are exceptions:

• Children must wait until they turn eighteen or the courts can appoint a litigation friend to help them, at which point their three years will begin. A litigation friend is a trusted parent or guardian who can ensure the claim is in their best interests.
• A person who lacks the mental capacity to act in their own best interest must appoint a litigation friend. This can be any trusted person in their life. They can also claim themselves if they regain this capacity. If this occurs, they will have three years to claim.

Contact our team if you believe this may apply to you. Their details are at the start of this guide.

What Evidence Can Help Me Claim Fractured Vertebrae Compensation?

To claim fractured vertebrae compensation, you will need evidence that proves liability for your injury.

• Incident Reports – The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) requires that organisations of ten staff or more keep a record of healthy and safety incidents.
• Media – Article 15 of UK General Data Protection Regulation gives you the right to request documents, photos, or videos in which you or your data appear.
• Medical Reports – You must have been diagnosed with fractured vertebrae by a medical professional to claim. GP and physiotherapy records can also help.
• Expert Report – A relevant professional can link your injuries to the accident that caused them. For example, a civil engineer could advise on the likelihood that it was the construction company’s fault that a roof collapsed on you.
• Witness Contact Details – our solicitors can work with anyone who saw your accident to establish the facts in support of your claim.

Our solicitors can help you gather all of this evidence. If you would like to talk about a particular piece of evidence you believe may help, our contact details are at the top of this page.

How Much Compensation For A Fractured Vertebrae?

There are two types of damages in a fractured vertebrae claim:

• Compensation for your pain and suffering caused by the incident (general damages).
• Recovery of material losses caused by your injury (special damages).

The table below provides guideline compensation figures that could be awarded for spinal fractures. They are taken from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), which provides guideline compensation brackets that could be awarded for various types of injuries.

Please note that the top figure is not from the JCG. Furthermore, as all successful claims are awarded fractured vertebrae compensation based on their own merits, this table is only intended to provide guidance.

Injury and Severity	Compensation Guideline
Multiple Injuries Plus Multiple Damages	Up to £500,000 or more
Severe (i) damage to the spinal cord and nerve roots resulting in partial paralysis or impaired bodily function	£111,150 to £196,450
Severe (ii) back injuries affecting the spinal cord and causing loss of sensation, movement, or bodily function	£90,510 to £107,910
Severe (iii) spinal lesions or soft tissue damage leading to chronic conditions that treatment or surgery cannot resolve	£47,320 to £85,100
Moderate (ii) back injuries that prolong or worsen a pre-existing condition	£33,880 to £47,320
Minor (i) back injuries that, though painful, can heal to minimal or zero effect within 2-5 years	£9,630 to £15,260
Severe (i) neck injuries including partial paraplegia or other long-term and intractable symptoms	In the region of £181,020
Severe (ii) neck injuries including serious fractures or cervical disc damage	£80,240 to £159,770
Severe (iii) neck injuries leading to chronic conditions and permanent disability	£55,500 to £68,330
Moderate (i) neck injures that, while serious, may not require disc fusion	£30,500 to £46,970

Can I Claim For The Long Term Impact Of A Vertebral Fracture?

So long as you have evidence, you can recover material losses caused by your injuries. These are known as special damages and include:

• Loss of earnings – recent payslips would prove this, as would a letter from your employer confirming any likely career progression.
• Loss of other benefits – you can show this with a letter from your pension provider listing your entitlement and contributions.
• Medical expenses – invoices or quotes are the best evidence, depending on your stage of rehabilitation.
• Costs of adjusting your home – recommendations from a medical expert would demonstrate this and invoices from builders could prove how much you spent.

Our advisors are available 24/7 via the details at the top of this guide if you have any particular losses you would like to discuss.

Claim For A Spinal Fracture Using A No Win No Fee Solicitor

Our personal injury solicitors understand how life changing spinal fractures can be, and they have decades of experience helping people get the compensation they deserve.

They can provide:

• Industry-leading expertise.
• Advice tailored to your particular situation.
• Time and resources to gather your evidence.
• Cutting-edge professional knowledge.

They also understand that many people cannot pay for their services outright.

By signing a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) with our solicitors, they will be able to work for you on a No Win No Fee basis. With this document comes piece of mind:

• No direct fees, upfront or otherwise.
• Pay a small capped percentage of the compensation awarded to you only if you win.
• Pay absolutely nothing if you lose.

If you think you have a claim, contact our advisors today for a free initial consultation. There’s no obligation. Just the help you need.

• Call us anytime on 0800 073 8804.
• Make a claim online to have us contact you.
• Use the live Support chat on the bottom of this page.

More Useful Resources About Making Personal Injury Claims

More help from us:

• Case Study – £200,000 compensation awarded for a fractured spine.
• Fatal Accident Claims – what do if a family has died in an accident at work.
• Public Liability – our guide on how to handle your council and local authority.

Useful links from the rest of the Internet:

• Spinal Bracing Aftercare – recovery advice from Hull University Hospital NHS Trust.
• Government guidance on claiming Statutory Sick Pay, including eligibility and information on the rate.
• Training and Safety Helmets – a case study by the Health and Safety Executive on lower vertebrae fractures.

Thank you for reading our guide on fracture vertebrae compensation. If you need any further information, please get in touch.

You should expect the food you buy to be safe to eat. Sadly, this is not always the case. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) estimates there are 2.4 million cases of foodborne illnesses each year in the UK. If you suffered an illness from contaminated food due to someone else’s negligence, you could make a food poisoning claim.

We begin this guide by looking at what food poisoning is. Then we look at what a compensation claim is. Next, we look at whether you could claim for food poisoning caught on holiday. We subsequently cover the claims process. Our guide also looks at how food poisoning compensation payouts may be calculated. Finally, we look at how a No Win No Fee solicitor could help you make a personal injury compensation claim.

Please read our guide below for more information on food poisoning compensation claims. When you are ready to start your claim, contact us by:

• Phoning us on 0800 073 8804
• Beginning your claim online.
• Using the live support chat below.

Jump To A Section

• What Is Food Poisoning?
• What Is A Food Poisoning Claim?
• Can I Claim For Food Poisoning When On Holiday?
• How Do I Make A Food Poisoning Claim?
• What Is The Time Limit For Food Poisoning Claims?
• Food Poisoning Compensation Payouts
• How Long Does A Food Poisoning Claim Take?
• Can I Claim Food Poisoning Compensation On A No Win No Fee Basis?
• More Useful Resources About Personal Injury Claims

What Is Food Poisoning?

Before we look at what a food poisoning claim is, we will first look at what food-related illnesses are. Food poisoning is an illness which is caused by eating food which has been poorly prepared, improperly stored or cooked or which has been contaminated in some way.

According to the NHS, food poisoning is rarely serious. In most cases, it will get better in a week or so. However, severe food poisoning may result in hospitalisation. Common symptoms of food poisoning may include

• Stomach cramps.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Diarrhoea.
• A high temperature (38c or higher).

The most common cause of a food poisoning illness is campylobacter bacteria. Other bacteria that can induce food poisoning include:

• Escherichia coli (e-coli).
• Salmonella bacteria.

In addition to harmful bacteria, food related illnesses could be caused by viruses such as norovirus or rotavirus. Please contact our team if you have suffered a foodborne illness.

What Is A Food Poisoning Claim?

All businesses supplying food for public consumption must adhere to legislation such as the Food Safety Act 1990 and the Food Standards Act 1999. Such legislation applies to all stages of food production, preparation and service.

The Food Safety Act sets out the main responsibilities of food businesses, whilst the Food Standards Act established the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The FSA regulates food systems in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

If you suffered food poisoning due to a liable party, such as a restaurant, failing to adhere to relevant food safety legislation, you may be able to claim compensation. However, you will need to prove that you satisfy the eligibility criteria. To make a food poisoning compensation claim you need to show that:

1. The food supplier owed you a duty of care as set by the Food Safety Act.
2. They failed to meet this duty of care. For example, they may have practised poor food hygiene.
3. This breach caused you to suffer food poisoning.

Please contact our team to discuss the circumstances of your illness and find out if you have good grounds to start a food poisoning claim.

Can I Claim For Food Poisoning When On Holiday?

You may be able to claim compensation if you contracted food poisoning whilst on holiday. Unfortunately, this is relatively common. You could contract food poisoning due to poor hygiene or due to food being stored or cooked improperly.

If you suffered food poisoning whilst on a package holiday, your holiday provider may be at fault. This is because under The Package and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, they owe you a duty of care.

In order to make a holiday accident claim for food poisoning, you must show that the provider owed a duty of care. The food must have been served by a provider who was part of the package. For example, this may include airline food or that served at an all inclusive hotel. However, it would not include a meal eaten in a restaurant that was not part of the package holiday.

Please contact our team for more information on holiday accident claims. They can advise on whether you could be eligible to make a food poisoning claim for a meal or snack eaten on a holiday abroad.

How Do I Make A Food Poisoning Claim?

The first step you should take if you suffer from food poisoning is to get any medical care necessary. In addition to looking after your health, doing so starts to create a body of evidence for your claim. For example, you can request a copy of your medical records that may be submitted as part of the food poisoning claims process.

Further types of evidence you could collect that could help your food poisoning claim may include:

• Your receipt. This may show the time and date the food was purchased on. If you dined at a restaurant, it may also show what food you ate.
• The details of any witnesses.
• A diary or list of what you ate prior to becoming sick.
• Any packaging the food came in, such as that from a supermarket or food delivery.

One of our No Win No Fee solicitors could help you gather relevant evidence to support your claim. Please contact us for more information on how to claim.

What Is The Time Limit For Food Poisoning Claims?

The personal injury claim time limit applies whether you are claiming for a restaurant accident or for severe food poisoning. Your claim may not be settled within this time, but you must start the claims process.

In most instances, the limitation period is three years from the day you suffered food poisoning. This is set out in the Limitation Act 1980. There are also instances in which the time limit may either be paused or suspended.

For instance, if the person harmed was under the age of eighteen they could not claim compensation on their own behalf. Instead, a litigation friend may claim for them. The litigation friend is a suitable adult, such as a parent or guardian, who acts on behalf of the child. They may claim at any point prior to the child turning eighteen. The three-year time limit will then apply if a litigation friend did not launch a food poisoning claim for them.

If the claimant lacks the mental capacity to claim, the time limit is suspended indefinitely. It will only be applicable if the claimant regains their mental capacity, giving them three years from the date it was deemed this recovery took place. A litigation friend may claim at any point on behalf of the person harmed.

Please contact our team for more information on how to claim on behalf of someone else.

Food Poisoning Compensation Payouts

The first thing we should note in this section is that there are no standard food poisoning compensation amounts. Each claim is unique. Your case will be individually assessed. Food poisoning compensation payouts may take account of medical evidence and look at what pain and suffering you experienced.

In addition, your settlement may also take loss of earnings and other financial expenses into consideration. These are called special damages.

The Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) may be used as a reference when calculating damages for the physical pain and emotional suffering caused by food poisoning. The JCG contains guideline compensation amounts for different forms of injury and illness. In the following table, we look at a few of these figures. Note that the first row does not come from the JCG.

Injury	Severity	Compensation Guidelines
Multiple serious injuries and special damages.	Serious or severe	Up to £500,000 (or more)
Bowel Injury	A - Double incontinence.	Up to £224,790
Bladder injury	C - Serious impairment of control.	£78,080 to £97,540
Bladder injury	D - Almost complete recovery from long-term interference.	£28,570 to £38,210
Kidney injury	B - Significant risk of a future urinary tract infection or loss of natural function.	Up to £78,080
Illness (such as from food poisoning)	B - (i) Severe toxicosis.	£46,900 to £64,070
Illness (such as from food poisoning)	B - (ii) Serious, short-lasting food poisoning.	£11,640 to £23,430
Illness (such as from food poisoning)	B - (iii) Food poisoning or allergic reaction.	£4,820 to £11,640
Illness (such as from food poisoning)	B - (iv) Disabling pain and cramps.	£1,110 to £4,820
Spleen	Loss of spleen with continued infection risk.	£25,380 to £32,090

Additionally, you could be compensated for financial losses such as medical bills under special damages. Special damages could compensate for:

• Medical bills, medication and related expenses.
• The cost of attending medical appointments, such as transport, etc.
• Lost earnings and income.

For food poisoning compensation claims to include special damages, you must present evidence of such losses. Proof could include copies of your bank statements, wage slips or invoices.

Please contact our team for an assessment of your food poisoning claim.

How Long Does A Food Poisoning Claim Take?

Whilst your claim will follow the general personal injury claims process, each claim is unique. This means it can be difficult to estimate how long your food poisoning claim will take.

There are several factors which could affect how long compensation takes to come through. These may include:

• Whether the other party accepts their liability for your illness. If they do, the claim may progress much quicker.
• What evidence is needed to support your claim and how easy it is to acquire.
• If your claim is straightforward, or if your prognosis is difficult to assess could also affect how long it takes.

Please contact our team for a full assessment of your claim for food poisoning compensation.

Can I Claim Food Poisoning Compensation On A No Win No Fee Basis?

Whilst it is possible to make a food poisoning claim without a solicitor, there are many benefits to instructing one. Our specialist solicitors are experts in helping people to make successful compensation claims.

If you choose to work with one of our solicitors they could help to guide you through the claims process. To help you claim compensation, they could handle your case on a No Win No Fee basis by using a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).

Through a CFA, a solicitor can help you to claim compensation without you having to make upfront payments. You would also not need to pay for the solicitor’s services whilst the claim is underway. If your claim is successful, you will pay a success fee. The law limits this percentage. Should your food poisoning claim fail, you won’t have to pay for your solicitor’s work.

Get in touch with our team to be connected to a No Win No Fee solicitor:

• Call 0800 073 8804 to speak to our team.
• Start your claim online.
• Use our live support chat.

More Useful Resources About Personal Injury Claims

The final part of our guide looks at where you can learn more about food poisoning and personal injury claims.

Here are a few more of our guides:

• Find out how to make a food allergy compensation claim in this guide.
• Here we look at how to sue a restaurant for an allergic reaction.
• Check how to claim for an allergic reaction after eating at a cafe in this guide.

Resources from across the web that might be useful.

• You can read more about Campylobacter, a common cause of food related illnesses, in this Government resource.
• Find out how to report a food crime in this guide from the FSA.
• Check how Statutory Sick Pay works in this government resource.

Thank you for reading our guide. We hope we helped you understand when you could make a food poisoning claim. Please contact our team for more information on how personal injury solicitors could help you.