Can I Be Sacked for Having an Accident at Work? — Your Rights, Your Compensation
Quick Answer: No. Dismissing or victimising you for having a workplace accident or claiming compensation is automatically unlawful under the Employment Rights Act 1996 — and unlike ordinary unfair dismissal, there is no minimum length of service required. This protection applies from your very first day. Critical deadline: you have just 3 months to bring an employment tribunal claim — far shorter than the 3-year personal injury limit. Many people miss this. You may also claim £1,000–£150,000+ for the injury itself, simultaneously. Takes 2 minutes to check — no obligation.
You may have two simultaneous claims if:
- You were sacked, demoted, or treated worse after reporting a workplace accident or starting a compensation claim (automatic unfair dismissal — no service minimum, uncapped compensation)
- Your hours were cut, your shifts worsened, or your employer has made your working life difficult since your accident (Section 44 detriment — also unlawful, even without dismissal)
- You believe the stated reason for dismissal — redundancy, performance, restructure — is a cover for your claim (tribunals examine timing carefully)
- You were injured at work through your employer’s negligence, regardless of what happened afterwards (personal injury: £1,000–£150,000+ typical)
⚖️ Day One Protection (no service minimum)
📱 Direct Mobile Access
💷 Uncapped Tribunal Award
Workplace Accident & Dismissal Claims — No Win No Fee Since 2007
Check Your Claim Value Now — Takes 2 Minutes:
Just Two Senior Solicitors — Chris Carter (Managing Solicitor, qualified 1993) & David Healey (Senior Solicitor, qualified 2005)
No win, no fee — We’ll tell you honestly if you have a claim worth pursuing
Personal Injury Solicitors Since 2007 — England & Wales Only
Workplace Accident Claims: You CAN Claim Compensation If:
- Your employer dismissed or penalised you for reporting a workplace accident or claiming compensation — this is automatic unfair dismissal under Section 100, Employment Rights Act 1996. No minimum service required. Protection applies from day one.
- Your employer is making your working life difficult without dismissing you — reduced hours, worse shifts, being passed over, a hostile atmosphere — this is Section 44 detriment and is also unlawful.
- You were injured at work through your employer’s negligence — faulty equipment, inadequate training, unsafe premises, or failure to follow health and safety law.
- You’re still working there — you can claim and keep your job. The law specifically protects you from retaliation. Your employer cannot lawfully dismiss you for claiming.
- You’ve only been employed there a short time — even days — the 2-year qualifying period that applies to ordinary unfair dismissal does NOT apply here. Section 100 protection is immediate.
- Your employer says it was redundancy, performance, or a restructure — tribunals look at the timing, circumstances, and evidence. A dismissal that closely follows a workplace injury claim raises serious questions.
Employment tribunal claim: 3 months from the date of dismissal or last act of detriment. This is a hard deadline. Missing it means losing the tribunal claim entirely, regardless of how strong your case is.
Personal injury claim: 3 years from the date of the accident. Do not let the longer PI deadline lull you — the tribunal deadline arrives first and moves fast.
England & Wales only | Different rules apply in Scotland
Compensation Guide: What Can You Claim?
This page involves two separate, simultaneous claims. Both can run at once.
Based on Judicial College Guidelines and Employment Rights Act 1996 | Every claim assessed individually
PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM
£1,000 – £150,000+
Compensation for the injury itself — pain, suffering, lost earnings, medical costs. Paid by your employer’s compulsory liability insurance (Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969). Your employer’s pocket is not affected.
AUTOMATIC UNFAIR DISMISSAL CLAIM
Uncapped
Under Section 100, ERA 1996, the standard £118,223 compensatory cap does NOT apply. Basic award plus uncapped compensatory award. No minimum service required. The more an employer retaliates, the larger the case against them becomes.
Your compensation considers:
- Your specific injuries and recovery — from minor soft tissue to serious long-term conditions
- Lost earnings, both past and future (including if dismissal reduced your income)
- Medical expenses, rehabilitation, and care costs
- Career impact — if dismissal has affected your employment prospects
- Psychological effects — including the stress of ongoing workplace retaliation
- Any failure by your employer to follow proper disciplinary or redundancy procedures
Tribunal Deadline
No Final Court Hearing
Senior Solicitors Only
Protection — No Service Needed
Check Your Specific Claim Value →
Takes 2 minutes | No obligation | We’ll tell you honestly if the 3-month deadline is still in time
Direct mobile access | No handoffs | Same solicitor throughout | England & Wales only
How Long Does a Workplace Injury Compensation Claim Take?
Most straightforward workplace injury claims complete in 3–6 months, with 99% not proceeding to a final court hearing. If your employer has also dismissed or penalised you, the tribunal claim runs alongside — but carries a strict 3-month deadline. Just four steps, with your senior solicitor handling everything:
- Day 1 — Free Assessment: Speak directly to Chris or David. Know within 24 hours if you have a PI claim, a tribunal claim, or both. 80% approved. The 3-month tribunal deadline is checked immediately.
- Weeks 1–4 — We Secure Evidence: Accident books. CCTV before it’s deleted. Witnesses before they’re pressured. Your dismissal or redundancy paperwork examined. You do nothing.
- Months 2–5 — Expert Negotiation: Your senior solicitor versus their insurers. 50+ years’ combined experience working. We know their tactics. We know when to push back. Most claims resolve at this stage.
- Month 3–6 — You Get Paid: Money in your account 14–28 days after agreement. PI compensation plus, where applicable, uncapped tribunal award. 99% don’t reach a final court hearing.
⚠️ Why Delay Hurts Your Claim — Your Employer Is Already Preparing Their Defence
Earlier contact = stronger claim = better compensation. Your solicitor’s direct mobile means instant action — not next week’s callback.
Your Claim — Simple as 1-2-3-4
TODAYFree Check
2 mins
WEEK 1–4Evidence
We do it
MONTH 2–5Negotiation
In progress
MONTH 3–6You’re Paid
14–28 days
99% no final court hearing | Just 2 senior solicitors | Your solicitor’s mobile from day 1
Start Your Claim Today — Your Employer Already Has Solicitors Working
Free assessment | No obligation | Direct to senior solicitor
Common Questions About Workplace Injury Claims
How much does Carter & Carter charge?
We operate on a No Win No Fee basis. If your claim isn’t successful, you pay us nothing.
If your claim succeeds, our fee depends on the work and risk involved:
Most firms charge 25% of your compensation. The maximum allowed. Whether your claim took five hours or fifty. Whether it settled in weeks or dragged on for years. Same percentage.
We’ve never thought that was fair.
When your claim settles without us needing to issue court proceedings — meaning less work and less risk for us — we charge less. Significantly less. Just 10% of your compensation.
About After The Event (ATE) insurance: Since the 2013 rule changes stopped ATE premiums being recoverable from defendants, we’ve steered clear of recommending it for straightforward personal injury claims. Why? Because it’s an unnecessary expense that comes straight out of your compensation. There’s a place for ATE in certain special circumstances, but for most workplace accidents and occupiers’ liability claims, you simply don’t need it. We explain the true position honestly and only advise ATE when genuinely necessary.
Before you instruct us, we’ll explain exactly what you’ll pay in different scenarios. No surprises. No hidden costs. No maximum fees when minimum risk exists. See our full fee breakdown →
Will I lose my job if I make a claim?
Note: Carter & Carter specialise in the personal injury claim. For the employment tribunal element, you should seek advice from a specialist employment solicitor.
What if I don’t have evidence or witnesses?
Can I claim if it was partly my fault?
How long will my claim take?
How much compensation could I receive?
People Also Ask
Can my employer sack me for claiming compensation after a workplace accident?
What is Section 100 of the Employment Rights Act 1996?
Do I need a solicitor for a workplace accident compensation claim?
How do I choose the right solicitor for my workplace accident claim?
Still unsure? Here’s our promise.
Free assessment. Honest advice. If you don’t have a claim, we’ll tell you immediately — on your first call, at no cost.
Chris Carter (Managing Solicitor, qualified 1993) or David Healey (Senior Solicitor, qualified 2005) — not juniors, not call centres.
Why People Choose Carter & Carter
Three things that matter when you’ve been hurt at work and need the right solicitor.
Direct Access
Chris or David handles your claim personally. Their direct mobile from day one — not a call centre, not a junior, not “your handler”.
Workplace Safety Law
We know Health & Safety law, HSWA 1974, ELCIA 1969, and ERA 1996. We handle your personal injury claim and advise on your employment rights — ensuring you understand both before deciding your next steps.
248 Five-Star Reviews
248 verified Google reviews since 2007. Real clients. Real names. Real outcomes. No cherry-picking — every review earned claim by claim.
Nationwide Service: Based in Derbyshire, we handle workplace accident claims across England & Wales | Video consultations | Home visits available | 99% no final court hearing | Call: 01663 761890
Related Claims We Handle
If your situation doesn’t fit the description above, one of these may be a closer match.
Accident at Work Claims
All workplace accidents across England and Wales — factories, warehouses, offices, retail. If you were hurt at work, you may have a claim regardless of industry or employment type.
Winning Your Accident at Work Claim
What makes a strong workplace claim. Evidence, liability, contributory negligence, and the steps that maximise your compensation explained.
Slip, Trip & Fall at Work
Slips and trips on poorly maintained or hazardous workplace surfaces. Employers are legally responsible for keeping workplaces safe underfoot.
Faulty Equipment at Work
Injuries from defective, unguarded, or poorly maintained tools and machinery. PUWER 1998 places strict duties on employers regardless of who owns the equipment.
Falling from Height Claims
Falls from scaffolding, ladders, roofs, and elevated platforms. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 place strict duties on those in control of the workplace and site.
Do I Get Paid After an Accident at Work?
Statutory sick pay, employer sick pay, and what happens to your income while you recover. What you’re entitled to and when compensation makes the difference.
Our Fees — Published Upfront
We charge 10% when claims settle without court proceedings. Most firms charge 25%. See exactly what you’ll pay before you pick up the phone.
248 Clients. Real Words. No Editing.
We could tell you we’re different. Or you could hear it from the clients who’ve been exactly where you are now — worried, uncertain, and glad they called.
Not Sure Which Category Fits Your Situation?
Tell us what happened — we’ll identify the right claim type, and whether you also have an employment claim running alongside. Free assessment. England & Wales only.
Your Solicitor
David Healey
Senior Solicitor | Qualified 2005
David has handled workplace injury claims since 2005, including many where the claimant was still employed by the same employer and deeply worried about losing their job by making a claim. He has detailed knowledge of Section 100, Employment Rights Act 1996 — the protection that applies from day one, with no minimum service period and uncapped compensation. He knows how employer insurers respond when dismissal follows an injury claim, the arguments they use to make it look like coincidence, and exactly how to dismantle those arguments. For clients navigating both a personal injury claim and the fear of what their employer might do next, David handles both dimensions simultaneously — protecting your claim and your employment position from the first call.
Direct Line: 01663 761892
Email: dhealey@candcsolicitors.co.uk
Your Workplace Accident & Dismissal Claim: Final Facts
| PI Compensation | £1,000 to £150,000+ typical — injury, lost earnings, care costs |
| Tribunal Award | Uncapped — if dismissed or penalised for claiming, this stacks on top |
| Time to Complete | PI claim: 3–6 months typically | Tribunal: must file within 3 months |
| Success Rate | 99% don’t proceed to a final court hearing |
| Your Risk | Zero — No Win No Fee throughout both claims |
| Time Limits | 3 months — tribunal deadline (running now, cannot be extended) 3 years — personal injury claim |
Here’s Our Promise to You:
Chris Carter (Managing Solicitor, qualified 1993) or David Healey (Senior Solicitor, qualified 2005) will personally handle your claim. Not a junior. Not a call centre. A senior solicitor with decades of experience.
We’ll tell you honestly if you can claim. If you can, we’ll fight properly. If you can’t, we’ll explain why.
No Win No Fee. No pressure. No nonsense. Just two solicitors who do things right.
That’s why we have 248 five-star reviews and zero complaints.
Right Now, They’re Preparing Their Defence. And Your 3-Month Deadline Is Running.
CCTV deleted in 30 days — often sooner once they know a claim is coming.
Accident books get “amended.” Witnesses pressured or move on and become harder to find.
The 3-month tribunal deadline runs from the act of dismissal or detriment — not from when you first contact a solicitor.
Or speak directly to a senior solicitor now:
Chris Carter: 01663 761891 | David Healey: 01663 761892
Free assessment • No obligation • Evidence secured within 48 hours
“My case was taken on even though another solicitor said I had no case, and thanks to Carter & Carter Solicitors I did win compensation for my injury at work.
Mr Farrington