Hand Injury at Work Compensation

Can I Bring a Hand Injury at Work Compensation Claim?

There’s no doubt if you are looking to know all about bringing a Hand Injury at Work Compensation Claim you’ve arrived at the right place, with our specialist accident at work lawyers on hand and ready to get you the compensation you deserve.

We know only too well that Hand injuries can have a huge impact upon your everyday tasks and sense of well-being.

At the end of the day we are all reliant upon our hands to carry out all sorts of daily activities and once they are injured there is a real sense of being lost and being unable to carry on with ordinary daily life.

• Hand injuries are extremely common in the working environment and accidents at work can happen for a wide variety of reasons which may or may not give rise to a claim.
• All claims involving the hand are unique and when considering whether a potential accident at work claim is likely to succeed it needs to be assessed carefully on its own facts.
• In general terms if you have suffered a hand injury at work which was not your fault then the chances are you will be able to bring a successful claim.
• It is true to say that not every single hand injury accident which occurs in the workplace can be avoided but in many cases the employer is at fault for failing to have proper systems or training in place to reduce the risk of injury.
• The main question to be addressed by you and your solicitor in the first instance is whether the hand injury at work was your employer’s or colleague’s responsibility.
• In some instances this will be answered without having to think too hard and it will be obvious your hand injury has occurred as a result of somebody else’s fault. If this is the case then you can call our team for a quick assessment and the option to start progress your claim.
• In other situations it might not be as straightforward and the best thing to do is to contact your solicitor so that all the relevant facts can be considered and an informed opinion in relation to liability can be made.

---

Can I Claim? First of All Three Important Questions:

Legal practitioners look at three main questions when addressing whether a particular accident at work claim is likely to succeed:

First of all: Did the Defendant owe the Claimant a “duty of care”?

There will always be an established duty of care situation which exists in relation to an employer/employee relationship so in the context of a broken hand at work where an employee suffers injury this duty will be made out.

The next question is: Whether the duty of care was breached as a result of a negligent act or omission?

Negligence involves failing to take reasonable care so that any injury or loss can be avoided. This basically means looking at whether the defendant’s action (or inaction) was a reasonable or sensible thing to have done.

Finally: Did the Defendant’s negligence actually cause the Hand Injury?

So, in some instances the Claimant with the injury to their hand may well be able to prove the existence of a duty of care and a negligent act. However if the defendant’s negligence didn’t actually cause the hand injury then the accident at work claim for damages will fail.

In the end this is a question of fact which ultimately needs to be considered by the court if agreement cannot be reached during the personal injury claims process or between the parties.

---

How Do I Start my Hand Injury at Work Compensation Claim?

• There is no substitute for speaking with a specialist solicitor who deals with hand injury claims each and every day.
• They will be able to advise in relation to all aspects of the personal injury claim including how much compensation is likely to be payable in the event of a successful claim.
• Your chosen solicitor should also be in a position to make suggestions that could protect your position in terms of liability so the sooner you seek professional advice the better.
• We specialise in hand injury at work claims and we can let you know the prospects of success and if you are able to claim.
• If you are thinking of making a claim then you have arrived at the right place.

---

What are the common types of Hand Injury suffered at Work?

Lacerations or Cuts

Work place injuries involving the hand often result in cuts and lacerations which might be not too serious and can be treated quickly and effectively without any long-term implications.

However if the hand injury means that the nerves or tendons are severed or you have a broken hand then this is clearly a much more serious proposition with possibly permanent consequences.

Cuts and lacerations to the hand can often follow if there are breaches in the health and safety in the working environment. For example a lack of guards on machines exposing sharp blades can be a real risk of injury. There may be poor lighting coupled with a disorganised working environment which again leads to a risk of injury.

It’s easy to see how if someone suffers a fall or makes contact with exposed machinery parts or fails to wear the appropriate protective gloves how hand injuries can occur.

The employer needs to risk assess all jobs and activities to ensure that where there is a risk of lacerations or cuts then the correct type of safety glove is provided to ensure a good level of protection in the event of an accident.

Crush Injuries to the Hand

Crush injuries happen when the hands are caught in between two objects and there is a sudden compression causing injury, such as an injury from a faulty door closing on you.

Crushing injuries are particularly prevalent in the context of working in the construction or manufacturing industries as well as in farming where it is common for there to be moving machinery which can be unguarded.

This type of personal injury can often result in a broken hand bones and severe hand injuries may follow leading to extremely painful and disabling conditions which can be long-term.

We can of course provide you with our opinion in relation to your broken hand at work compensation claim – just contact us and we’re sure you’ll be glad you did….

Employers should have course put in place health and safety procedures to eliminate, as far as possible, the risk of injury but on occasions the employer fails to put into practice appropriate safeguards and personal injury accidents occur. In some instances these accidents are caused by the negligence of colleagues for whom the employer is responsible.

Soft Tissue Hand Injuries

Probably the most common type of soft tissue hand injuries at work is a strain, which can happen when there is an over-stretching or overuse of the muscles, tendons, or ligaments in the hand.

Soft tissue injuries can occur after lifting something particularly heavy, or following a fall when personal injury is sustained as a result of landing on outstretched hands.

RSI or repetitive stress injuries are also common workplace injury where performing a task over and over again puts stress on the tissues in the hand.

Other common types of soft tissue hand injuries include contusions, tears in the ligaments, and inflammation of the tendons.

Burn Hand Injury Claims

Burn injuries are renowned for being particularly painful and this is certainly the case when the burn is to the sensitive area of the hands.

Compensation claims from burns to the hands can arise from many different working environments and situations including exposure to hot liquids, fire, electricity or chemicals.

Electrical burns can occur when an electrical current travels through the body and when this happens the electrical current can damage the skin, skin tissues and internal organs. The resulting damage can be either mild or severe and can even be fatal as a result of the electrical current on the heart.

If the severity of the personal injury is extreme then the burn can lead to permanent irreparable damage to the skin and tissue and in the most serious of cases can actually lead to amputation.

---

Seek Legal Advice and get in Touch with Us…….

For all these types of injury it is important that you seek advice from a specialist personal injury solicitor who will be able to advise you in relation to all aspects of hand injury claims.

• Contact us now to ask any questions about your claim and voice any concerns and we will be delighted to help you in any way that we can.
• Making a claim can be a daunting prospect especially if you are looking to claim against your employer but we have years of experience in dealing with accidents at work and will always have your best interests in mind when advising you on the way forward.
• Call our team and receive free legal advice so you can claim compensation.
• Decide your next step and whether you wish to make a hand injury compensation claim.

 

---

Hand Injury Compensation Amounts?

It’s clear that hand injury compensation claims can be worth a very significant amount.

After all a hand injury can have a devastating impact on somebody’s life especially if the claim for compensation involves a permanent loss of function.

Types of hand injuries vary enormously and the value of the claim is to a very large extent unique to the individual.

Each injury needs to be carefully assessed and consideration given to the severity of the hand injury, the effect upon the individuals ability to work and enjoy life, as well as any prognosis for the future.

It follows the best way to establish how much your hand injury claim is worth is to contact a personal injury solicitor specialising in the this field of compensation.

If you call us then we can offer you a free initial assessment using all our experience and expertise in dealing with hand injury compensation claims.

The causes of hand injuries can be numerous but if we believe your claim has reasonable prospects of succeeding then we will be delighted to accept your claim on a no win no fee basis (also known as a conditional fee agreement). This means that if your hand injury claim fails for any reason there are no legal fees for you to pay.

---

Heads of Loss for Your Hand Injury Compensation Claim

Hand injury claims are broken down into different “heads of loss” depending upon the seriousness and complexity of the claim.

General Damages and Hand Injury Compensation

General damages are awarded by the court to compensate you for the pain and suffering arising out of your hand injury.

Once you have appointed your solicitor then arrangements will be then made for you to be examined by an independent expert who will prepare a report dealing with the nature and extent of the hand injuries and the prognosis for the future.

The medical evidence that is obtained in relation to your claim will form the basis upon which the parties assess the value of the general damages head of loss.

In terms of the more severe hand injuries it may well be necessary for a variety of different medical experts who specialise in different disciplines to be instructed so that a comprehensive medical picture can be obtained.

General damages not only cover the physical effects of the accident and the way the injuries impact upon everyday tasks but if there is an adverse psychological reaction, an amount of compensation will also be included within the general damages award to cover this aspect of your claim.

Special Damages

The amount of compensation for your hand injury claim will also take into account special damages which are the quantifiable financial losses that you may have suffered arising out of the accident.

This includes for example any loss of income as a result of not being able to return to work and will also cover any medical treatment costs as well as incidental losses that arise.

In general terms the court will allow you to recover any losses that you suffer provided they are reasonable and necessary. Your solicitor will be able to advise you about what items you are able to recover in relation to your hand at work compensation.

Always remember to keep all the receipts and any other documents to support your financial losses so that these can be produced to the other side and the court as necessary.

In the absence of documentation in support the defendant is not going to be in a position to agree them so it is a good idea to get into the routine of saving the documentary evidence as you go along.

Your solicitor will be able to guide you through all the possible financial losses so you can make a claim on the best footing.

---

How to Win Your Hand Injury Claim

If you have suffered an injury at work and wish to claim compensation then it is important that you give yourself the best possible chances of success.

There are number of things that you need to think about once you have decided that you would like to proceed with your accident claim for compensation.

• If you take time to consider what evidence will help your accident claim and gather together what is available then you will be in a position to instruct your solicitor with everything that is needed to assess the compensation claim and move matters forward.
• It is particularly important that the gathering of evidence takes place as soon after the accident as possible and when peoples memories and recollections are fresh. The longer matters are left the more difficult it is for people to remember and when this happens this can cloud the issues and make it much more difficult for you to succeed with your hand injury claim.
• Of course if you contact your solicitor in the early days following the hand injury to discuss the circumstances of the accident claim then no doubt your solicitor will be able to guide you through exactly what is needed thereby maximising your chances of success.

In the meantime here’s a list of items that might be relevant when gathering together evidence in support of your claim for compensation:

Photographs or CCTV Footage of the Accident Location

This is a very good starting place and it goes without saying that if you have photographic or video evidence showing the scene of the hand injury accident and in particular showing what has gone wrong this is extremely helpful evidence.

Photographs that are taken sometime after the accident can be helpful in terms of understanding how the hand injury accident happened and the reasons why the hand injury occurred.

If there was CCTV recording in the area then it is of extreme importance that this footage is preserved and retained.

Make sure that the relevant personnel are notified about the hand injury and that the footage is saved and not destroyed. A written request as well as an oral one is certainly recommended.

Witnesses?

Witness evidence can be crucial in the context of a liability disputed claim.

If there were witnesses to the hand injury accident then it is important to establish what they saw and whether they are prepared to support your claim.

Any account from an independent witness will be given real significance by the court so it is useful to know straight away whether the available witness evidence is going to be supportive or potentially hostile.

If it is unhelpful then there may be good reasons why. For example the witness may have an honest but mistaken belief about what happened. The witness may not be truly impartial for some reason and it is also possible that a witnesses account is unreliable for various reasons.

Your solicitor will be able to scrutinise the available witness evidence and see to what extent this has an impact on your hand injury compensation claim.

If there are a number of witnesses it will be for your solicitor to assess how they are likely to come across at any final court hearing and whether the weight of evidence is likely to be in your favour.

Medical records

Medical records are always incredibly important in the context of bringing a personal injury claim. The records often contain a contemporaneous account of the nature and extent of the injuries and what actually happened.

There can sometimes be issues about the reliability and accuracy of medical records and very often the defendant’s solicitor will do their best to highlight any inaccuracies between the claimant’s independent medical experts account and what was said to the treating medical expert(s). In this way they seek to undermine the credibility of the claimant’s evidence and on occasions this tactic will work.

Accident Report Form

This is generally one of the most important evidential documents when looking at liability issues in an accident claim for hand injury compensation.

The accident report form, depending on the severity of the injury, is normally either written or approved by the injured employee.

It is crucial that the form is checked very carefully for any inconsistencies or factual inaccuracies and only signed when its full contents are agreed.

We know from our experience that on occasions our clients have approved the contents of the accident report form only to realise that certain important factual matters were incorrect.

It can be difficult to explain away discrepancies which might well have the effect of undermining the prospects of success. Although on occasions it is clear the employer has seemingly prepared the form with their own agenda in mind and in an effort to demonstrate that the accident was not their responsibility. Even where this occurs it can be possible to discredit the information which is contained in the accident report and then the veracity of the accident claim can remain intact.

---

Let’s Start Your Claim for Compensation Right Now!

Wherever you have suffered your hand injury, whether that is at work or elsewhere it is important that you place your accident claim on the best possible footing so that you can give yourself the best chances of succeeding and recovering compensation for your injuries.

If you start out on the wrong footing, don’t obtain or preserve the right evidence and don’t find out if there are witnesses who can help support your version of events then the prospects of success will be diminished.

It will be necessary for you to instruct a personal injury solicitor and we recommend that you appoint a firm that has a proven track record, has fantastic reviews and are experts in the field.

• We pride ourselves in providing a truly excellent service for all of our clients and make sure that we do everything we can to maximise the level of compensation.
• We also recognise that a central part of what we do is to treat our client’s with compassion and when dealing with hand injury claims, as well as any personal injury claim, we are sensitive and sympathetic to our client’s situation and always work hard to bring about the very best outcome.
• We offer a truly personal service and we would be delighted to take up your fight if you would like us to? We will let you know if you are able to claim whatever hand injuries you have sustained.
• Contact us now and make a broken hand at work claim.

 

---

No Win No Fee Hand Injury Compensation

• When looking around for a solicitor to deal with your hand injury compensation claim it makes sense for you to choose a firm that offers a genuine “no win no fee” service.
• It follows that if your claim is accepted by your chosen solicitor and for whatever reason the claim fails then there is no fee payable to your solicitor.
• This can be a great relief and reassurance for those who are in two minds about whether to claim or not. It is a real shame if people are put off claiming compensation for the hand injuries they have suffered through the carelessness of others in circumstances where they are worried about being saddled with legal fees.
• If you are interested in pursuing a hand injury compensation claim and after speaking with us we believe your claim is likely to succeed then we will be only too pleased to offer you a no win no fee agreement. By entering into a no win no fee agreement you will be able to relax and be reassured there will be no legal costs for you to pay in the event that your compensation claim is lost.
• We have spent many years specialising purely on personal injury compensation claims and can help you to recover the compensation you deserve arising out of your hand injury claim.
• Make a claim today – if you choose the right claims solicitor making a compensation claim will be streamlined and simple.
• Claim compensation on a No Win No Fee basis and with our help you’ll be making a claim whatever type of injury you have suffered.

 

---

FAQ About Hand Injury Claims

Hand Injury Claim Amounts?

The amount of compensation that is payable will be based on the severity of the hand injury. If the injury is minor and results in only limited pain and suffering and any compensation will be much lower compared to a serious injury that results in long-term pain, disability and an adverse psychological reaction.

In addition to the claim for pain and suffering other damages can also be recovered including medical expenses, loss of earnings and other expenses arising out of the hand injury accident.

In view of the wide range of different types of hand injury and the varying valuations this means every individual’s injury is unique and needs to be assessed on its own and on a case-by-case basis.

If you would like to find out what your hand injury is worth then please call us and we will be delighted to provide you with our thoughts in relation to the quantification of your claim.

What are the most common Causes of Hand Injuries?

Statistics show that tripping and slipping accidents in the workplace are particularly common and these types of accidents are quite often caused by slippery or wet floors, cluttered working areas insufficient lighting and incorrect footwear.

It’s easy to see that when people fall they can often end up landing on their outstretched hands resulting in potentially serious hand injuries.

It’s not at all uncommon for people working in an office environment to find themselves tripping over leads in and around the office which have not been rooted safely or have been disturbed over time,. The loose wires represent an obvious and avoidable risk of injury and usually these types of hand injuries are easy liability winners for the Claimant.

If you have suffered hand injuries and want to start a claim then contact us as soon as possible for free legal advice.

We can help you decide your next steps and discuss your rights and options.

How long does a hand Injury Compensation Claim take?

In general terms the more serious the injury the longer it is likely to take to resolve the compensation claim.

In the first instance if the hand injuries are serious then a number of medical reports may be required involving different types of expert. This evidence will take time to obtain and collate. Your solicitor should not be looking at settling your claim until such time the medical evidence has been finalised.

It’s also worth remembering that if a claim is a high value one then the defendant’s insurers are more likely to do their best to challenge the claim and dispute liability. This will mean there is a higher likelihood of legal proceedings being necessary and the claim continuing much further along the hand injury claims process.

It follows that if the hand injuries are of a minor nature that take only a few weeks to heal then your solicitor will be in a position to settle a claim on the basis of just one medical report and with less chance of the defendants insurers disputing matters.

For simple claims involving minor injuries and where liability is not disputed it is possible to settle the claim and receive compensation in a matter of weeks.

---

We’re Here for You

Whatever hand injuries you have suffered whether it be a broken index finger, severe fractures to fingers, broken bones in the hand or even damage to both hands we can look at the prospects of success and make a claim for you.

If you make a claim for compensation then we can seek medical treatment costs, seek to recover any loss of income and look at all potential compensation heads of claim.

Hand injury compensation amounts will vary according to the type of accident and the extent of any loss of function. No doubt lots of solicitors could help you but the trick will be to choose a hand injury claims solicitor who has a wealth of experience as well as the commitment to fight for you and your compensation claim.

Whatever type of accident and how ever much compensation is involved we can help you make a hand injury claim 🙂