By Cat Way. Last Updated 13th January 2025. This guide tells you how to sue a company for negligence if you have been injured either as an employee or in a public place. When at work or while out in public, you are owed a duty of care. If this duty is breached and you suffer an injury, this is known as negligence in tort law. Negligence is the foundation of any personal injury claim.
By looking at the personal injury claim eligibility criteria for accidents in public places and accidents at work, we highlight who may have a valid claim. We also provide examples of how accidents in these settings could happen due to an employer or occupier being negligent.
As you continue through this guide, you will see what types of evidence would be handy to collect to strengthen your claim and how personal injury compensation is calculated.
You will also learn how making a claim with a solicitor who offers a No Win No Fee type of contract benefits claimants. All of our solicitors offer a No Win No Fee service. You could be connected with an experienced personal injury solicitor to help with claiming compensation. Get in touch with us today. You can contact us by:
- Calling 0800 073 8804.
- Sending a message in our live chat box.
- Completing our Claim Online form.
Browse Our Guide
- How To Sue A Company For Negligence
- What Could You Sue A Company For In A Personal Injury Claim?
- How Do You Sue A Company For Negligence In The UK?
- How Much Compensation Could You Get From Suing A Company For Negligence?
- How To Sue A Company For Negligence On A No Win No Fee Basis
- Learn More About Claiming Compensation Against A Company
How To Sue A Company For Negligence
You may be wondering, ‘How do you sue a company for negligence?’ If you want to make a personal injury claim against a company, you must be able to prove that:
- They owed you a legal duty of care under the relevant legislation.
- This duty was breached. For example, the company failed to follow health and safety regulations.
- Because of this breach, an accident occurred and caused you physical and/or psychological harm.
The duty of care differs slightly, and is covered by different legislation, depending on where the accident happened. Continue reading to learn more about workplace accident and public accident claims.
Accident At Work Claims
Employers must heed Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, which sets out a legal duty to take all reasonably practicable steps that can help ensure employee safety.
These steps could include:
- Conducting regular risk assessments.
- Regularly checking equipment, and repairing or replacing old and faulty equipment when necessary.
- Keeping work areas clean and free of obstacles.
- Responding quickly to any reported hazards.
- Training employees on working safely and using machinery properly.
A failure to uphold this duty could lead to an accident. Should an employee be injured, they could then sue the company for its role in the accident.
Sue For A Public Accident
If you’re visiting a public space, whether it’s owned by a local authority, private organisation or an individual, you are owed a duty of care. Whoever manages that space must follow the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 by taking any measures that keep visitors reasonably safe.
If they do not uphold this duty, someone on their premises could suffer injuries that could have been avoided if the correct preventative steps were taken.
Suing a company for negligence could then be possible if they can prove a connection between the breached duty of care and their injuries.
If you have any questions about how to sue a company for negligence, just call our free helpline and an advisor will be there to provide answers.
Is There A Time Limit For Personal Injury Claims?
Now that you know more about how to sue a company for negligence, let’s talk about the time limits in place for starting a claim. Generally, you’ll have three years to sue a company for a personal injury, starting on the date that you were injured.
You don’t need to complete the claim during this time; you just need to start proceedings. This is outlined in the Limitation Act 1980, which also outlines the exceptions in place.
For example, under 18s can’t claim for themselves. Because of this, the time limit doesn’t begin until their 18th birthday, after which they’ll have three years to start their own claim. Before this time, a litigation friend can start a claim on their behalf. The time limit does not apply to litigation friends.
Likewise, those who lack the mental capacity to make their own claim aren’t bound by the time limit. A litigation friend can sue a company on their behalf at any time, unless they recover the needed capacity. In this case, the time limit is reinstated, and they will have three years from the date of their recovery to make their own claim.
To find out if you are within the time limit to make a claim against a company, contact our team of advisors today.
What Could You Sue A Company For In A Personal Injury Claim?
These accidents could happen in a public place or workspace due to a breach of the legal duty of care:
- Slips, trips and falls. E.g. you could be in a supermarket where there is a spillage, but, no wet floor sign has been displayed despite the workers being aware of the spill. Falling from a slip could lead to complicated breaks and fractures of bones.
- Falls from a height. E.g. you have been asked to use a ladder at work on a construction site by your employer, but they have not checked the condition of the ladder recently. The ladder actually has damaged/worn feet. So, when you are working from the top of the ladder, the broken ladder topples, leading to serious injuries as you land. Such injuries that could be sustained by falling from a height include paralysis and brain damage.
- Allergic reactions. E.g. you are eating in a chain restaurant and disclose a food allergy you have upon arrival. Despite this, the server still gives you a meal that has traces of that allergen in it, causing you to suffer anaphylaxis.
- Being hit by a moving object. E.g. you work in a warehouse and your colleague has been asked to use a forklift truck for the first time. However, the employer has given them inadequate training on how to operate a forklift. This leads to your colleague losing control of the forklift and running you over, creating severe crushing injuries to your limbs.
If you are seeking compensation after suffering an injury, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us today. Since many types of accidents could happen due to an employer or occupier breaching their duty of care, it is not possible to list all types here, call today for a free case assessment.
How Do You Sue A Company For Negligence In The UK?
How do you sue a company for negligence after being injured either at work or as a visitor? Having explained the relevant legislation, this section examines how you can prove the company was responsible for your injuries.
Examples of evidence that could be useful can include:
- Medical evidence such as copies of any scans, test results, doctor’s notes and prescription letters.
- It is also worth keeping a diary during your treatment, listing what symptoms you have and the effects these had on you.
- You can request CCTV footage of the accident taking place.
- Photographs of your injuries, the scene of the accident and what caused it.
- For an accident at work, you can copy your incident report from the accident book.
- Those who saw the accident occur could provide a witness statement. Make sure you have their contact information so they can be interviewed during the claims process.
To ask our advisors, “how do you sue a company?” and to potentially get assistance from one of our solicitors when gathering evidence, get in touch for a free eligibility assessment today.
How Much Compensation Could You Get From Suing A Company For Negligence?
When you successfully sue a company for a personal injury, you’ll receive general damages. This is the first of two potential types of compensation, and it covers the pain and suffering you’ve experienced as a result of your injuries.
When this head of compensation is calculated, the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) can be used to help. This document provides guideline compensation brackets for different injuries, and is often used for reference in claims made in England and Wales.
In the table below, you can see some of the guideline brackets from the JCG displayed beneath an overall potential figure that hasn’t been taken from the JCG. Keep in mind that these figures aren’t guaranteed.
| Injury | Severity | Guideline compensation bracket |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple serious injuries plus special damages. | Serious | Up to £1,000,000+ |
| Paralysis | Tetraplegia (a) | £396,140 to £493,000 |
| Paraplegia (b) | £267,340 to £346,890 | |
| Brain damage | Very severe (a) | £344,150 to £493,000 |
| Moderately severe (b) | £267,340 to £344,150 | |
| Moderate (c) (ii) | £110,720 to £183,190 | |
| Leg | Amputations (a) (iv) | £119,570 to £162,290 |
| Arm | Severe injuries (a) | £117,360 to £159,770 |
| Back | Severe (a) (i) | £111,150 to £196,450 |
| Severe (a) (ii) | £90,510 to £107,910 |
After suing a company for negligence, you might also receive special damages. If you suffer financial losses because of your injuries, special damages can help you recoup them. For example, if you can’t work anymore after your accident, special damages can help you claim back any lost earnings.
This heading can also help cover the cost of:
- Childcare.
- Travel.
- Home adaptations.
- Mobility aids.
- Professional care.
- Help with cleaning or cooking.
Evidence will need to be provided of these financial losses with documents such as invoices, payslips or receipts.
To learn more about how to sue a company in the UK, or to find out how much compensation you could potentially receive, contact our team today.
How To Sue A Company For Negligence On A No Win No Fee Basis
Making a personal injury claim at times can be a complicated process, so we advise seeking professional advice from a legal representative. If you have an eligible injury claim, one of our solicitors could offer you a No Win No Fee agreement. More specifically, our solicitors offer their claimants Conditional Fee Agreements (CFAs).
CFAs allow anyone to instruct a solicitor for their personal injury claim, no matter their circumstance, as long as their case is valid. When claiming under a CFA, there are no solicitor’s fees for the work your solicitor does before or during the claims process. This is also the case if your claim is not successful.
If you successfully sue, however, solicitors can take a percentage of your awarded payout before you receive it. This percentage for what solicitors can take has a maximum cap set by the law and is called the success fee.
Speak To Us About Your Case
Speak to us about your case for free. We will answer any of your questions and assess whether you can proceed with legal action. Our solicitors work hard to deliver their services at the best level. Here are the different ways you can contact us, all available to use 24/7:
- Call 0800 073 8804.
- Send a message in our live chat box.
- Complete our Claim Online form.
Learn More About Claiming Compensation Against A Company
Here are some extra resources which may inform you further if you have been injured as a member of the public or as an employee and are looking to claim compensation.
Internal:
- Here is our guide on how to sue a company for an injury, but specifically as an employee.
- Find out whether it is difficult to sue your employer while you are still working for them.
- See how much compensation may possibly be awarded if you have been injured after an accident in a shop.
External:
- Gov.UK – if your injury has caused you to have time off work, see if you are entitled to receive Statutory Sick Pay.
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – an overview of managing risks at work.
- NHS – a guide on head injury and concussion.
We want to thank you for reading our guide today on how to sue a company for negligence. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you require more information on how to sue for compensation.
