Common causes of arm injuries at work
Work-related arm injuries can occur in wide variety of situations, from lacerations caused by untrained use of dangerous cutting tools, to poor PPE or work practices leading to conditions like Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) or Vibration White Finger.
Even relatively minor arm injuries can prevent a person from working during their recovery.
Your employer has a duty to make sure you are safe at work and that all work equipment is maintained in a safe condition. You should also receive safety training and protective equipment such as gloves where appropriate.
If you can show that the arm injury was caused by your employer's negligence, you will likely have a legitimate claim for compensation.
You may be able to make a claim if your injury or illness happened because of your employer's negligent actions, or their negligent failure to act. Examples of where your employer may have been negligent include:
- Failing to ensure machinery has suitable safety guards
- A lack of regular breaks when using vibrating tools
- Falling objects, such as improperly-stored warehouse contents
- Trips caused by spills, trailing cables etc.
What to do if you injure your arm at work
Get medical records
Even if you have suffered only a minor arm injury, you should still see a doctor. Sprains, shoulder injuries and other soft tissue injuries can lead to chronic symptoms if you don't receive treatment.
If you don’t seek medical attention, or delay in doing so, making a claim could also be more difficult without accurate medical records.
Find out more: Key things you need to do when getting medical help for a work injury
Make notes of your accident and injuries
Even if your manager has made a detailed record of the accident in the company's accident book, you should still keep your own records.
You could keep a diary recording how your arm injury diagnosis and treatment progresses. You should also keep a copy of any paperwork you get regarding the accident.
Find out more: Gathering evidence after a work injury - checklist
Reporting a arm injury at work
When you report the accident, you should give as much information as you can about what happened, and about any injuries you have suffered.If you remember anything about the accident after the report is filed, you should notify your employer in writing (e.g. by email).
Do I have a arm injury claim
If you sustained a arm injury at work in the last three years, you are likely to be able to claim compensation. There are, however, exceptions. See the article below to find out more.
When will I get financial support?
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is normally paid through your employer in the same way as your salary. You should receive SSP weekly or monthly, depending on how you are normally paid.
Other support, such as disablement benefit and injury compensation can take longer to claim. If you urgently need support, your solicitor may be able to arrange for an interim payment to be made to you before your injury claim is settled.
What impact will my job status have on my arm injury claim?
Claims on behalf of temp workers and contractors may sometimes be slightly more complex than for full-time employees, but you could still be entitled to financial compensation.
Find out more:
How much compensation will I get for a arm injury?
There several factors that your solicitor will use to calculate your total compensation. These include:
- What injuries did you suffer?
- How serious were they?
- How has your life been affected by these injuries?
- Were you unable to work after the accident (and so lost wages)?
- Have you, or will you, have to pay for any treatment (e.g. physiotherapy)
- Have you, or will you, incur any travel expenses to attend hospital appointments
- Will you need to pay for any adjustments to your home (e.g. lower shelving if arm movement is permanently restricted)?
Our injury compensation calculator can estimate both the value of your claim and whether you are eligible to make a claim.
No win, no fee arm injury claims
Legal aid is not available when claiming compensation from an employer.
However, you can claim compensation on a "No Win, No Fee" basis. This means that you will have no legal fees to pay if your claim is not successful. If your solicitor does win your claim, they will receive a success fee. The success fee is deducted from the total compensation amount. Under a No Win, No Fee agreement, a solicitor will receive a success fee of up to 25% of a claimant's compensation.
Compensation awards are increased for claimants using a No Win, No Fee agreement. This is to reduce the impact of the success fee on the amount the worker receives.
Our work injury advisors will:
- Offer free, impartial advice
- Explain how No Win, No Fee works
- Recommend the right solicitor