If you were working as zero hour contract staff and had an accident at work which caused you harm, you might be eligible to claim compensation if your employer was at fault. This guide provides information about the process of making a personal injury claim, including the eligibility criteria that must be met in order to do so.
Who Could Claim For A Zero Hour Contract Staff Accident At Work?
We will also discuss the duty of care that employers owe to all their employees, regardless of whether they are zero hour, full-time or part-time staff. Furthermore, we will provide examples of how a breach of this could cause an accident at work.
Additionally, we will examine how compensation is calculated for this particular kind of personal injury claim.
Finally, we will discuss the ways our panel of personal injury solicitors could give your claim the best chance of success. These professionals generally offer to work with their clients under the terms of a No Win No Fee agreement, meaning that you may not have to pay for their services if your claim fails.
Our team of advisors are available 24/7 if you have questions about the merits of your potential claim. As well as answering questions you may have, they may be able to put you in touch with one of the solicitors on our panel. You can contact our team by:
- Calling on 0800 408 7825
- Chatting with an advisor using the live support box
- Filling out our contact form
Select A Section
- Who Could Claim For A Zero Hour Contract Staff Accident At Work?
- What Is A Zero Hour Contract?
- How To Show Your Employer Acted Negligently
- What Could I Claim If Injured Working On A Zero Hour Contract?
- Why Choose Us For Your No Win No Fee Zero Hour Contract Staff Accident At Work Claim?
- Find Out More About Zero Hour Worker Injury Claims
Who Could Claim For A Zero Hour Contract Staff Accident At Work?
Despite your status as a zero hour worker, you are afforded the same rights as any other worker to be kept safe in the workplace. As set out in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, employers must take reasonable steps to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of their employees.
Under this piece of health and safety legislation, your employer must:
- Give employees proper training to perform their duties
- Respond promptly to reports of hazards
- Carry out regular maintenance of equipment and machinery
If your employer breaches the duty of care they owe you and, as a result of this breach, you sustain an injury, this is negligence. If you have evidence that negligence occurred, you may be eligible to start a personal injury claim for an accident at work.
Later in the article, we’ll discuss how to prove your personal injury occurred due to an employer’s negligence. However, if you have any questions whilst reading, you can contact one of our advisors today using the contact details above.
How Long After Being Injured At Work Do You Have To Claim?
In general, you have three years from the day you were injured to make an accident at work claim. This limitation is set out in the Limitation Act 1980.
There are exceptions to this rule. For example, if an individual is under eighteen, the time limit is paused till they turn 18. Whilst it is paused, a suitable adult can apply to act as a litigation friend and start the claim on the child’s behalf. If this is not done, the claimant can begin their claim from the date they turn 18.
Similarly, if the injured person’s mental capacity to represent themselves is reduced, the time limit will be halted until they recover the required capacity. While it’s paused, an appointed litigation friend can claim on their behalf.
Contact one of our advisors today to learn how long you have to claim for an accident at work.
What Is A Zero Hour Contract?
Zero hour contract work is usually for ‘piece’ or ‘on-call’ work. This can differ from full- or part-time employment because:
- Zero hour workers are on call to work when they are needed
- They do not have to accept work from their employer
- Their employer is not contracted to give them work
Despite these differences, your employer still owes a duty of care as outlined above. If you have suffered an injury in an accident at work and can show that your employer was at fault, speak to our advisors. They can shed light on the merits of your potential claim.
How To Show Your Employer Acted Negligently
When beginning a personal injury claim for an accident at work, gathering evidence is an important aspect of the claims process. Steps you could take to do this could include:
- Requesting any CCTV footage that shows your accident occurring
- Taking pictures of your injuries
- Ensuring you report the accident and fill out the accident book
- Seeking medical care and asking for copies of the records
- Recording any witness contact details
Solicitors can help locate evidence to support a potential claim. If you would like more information about this service, get in touch with our team of advisors. They may be able to put you in contact with one of the solicitors on our panel.
What Could I Claim If Injured Working On A Zero Hour Contract?
If your claim succeeds, you will receive compensation for up to two aspects of the harm you experience. General damages are intended to compensate you for the physical and psychological pain caused by your injuries. For instance, this could include the suffering caused by sustaining a head injury or knee injury.
In order to calculate how much your injuries are worth, solicitors can use the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to help them. This document consists of various guideline compensation brackets for different forms of injury.
We’ve provided a table below showing some of the JCG’s compensation brackets. However, these are not guaranteed figures. This is because any compensation you are awarded will account for the specific circumstances surrounding your zero hour contact staff accident at work.
JCG Compensation Brackets
Injury | Severity | Guideline Compensation Bracket | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Brain Injuries | Moderately Severe (b) | £219,070 to £282,010 | The individual experiences a substantial level of dependence upon others, due to a very serious cognitive or physical disability caused by the injury. |
Hip and Pelvis Injuries | Severe (a) (i) | £78,400 to £130,930 | Pelvis fractures that are extensive and involve a low back joint dislocation as well as a ruptured bladder. |
Hip and Pelvis Injuries | Moderate (b) (i) | £26,590 to £39,170 | A significant injury to the pelvis or hip. Any future disability will not be major. |
Knee Injuries | Severe (a) (i) | £69,730 to £96,210 | An injury involving disruption of the joint. Also present are factors such as lengthy treatment period, considerable pain, and loss of function. |
Knee Injuries | Severe (a) (ii) | £52,120 to £69,730 | Fracture of the leg that extends into the knee joint, causing movement limitation or impaired agility. |
Other Arm Injuries | Permanent and Substantial Disablement (b) | £39,170 to £59,860 | There will be substantial and permanent residual disability from serious fractures to one or both forearms. |
Other Arm Injuries | Simple Fractures of the Forearm (d) | £6,610 to £19,200 | Fractures that are simple in nature. |
Elbow Injuries | Severely Disabling (a) | £39,170 to £54,830 | The injury will be severely disabling in nature. |
Leg Injuries | Severe (b) (iii) | £39,200 to £54,830 | Compound or comminuted fractures that are serious in nature. This bracket may also include injuries to the joints or ligaments that cause instability and a near certainty of arthritis forming. |
Wrist Injuries | Significant Permanent Disability (b) | £24,500 to £39,170 | An injury resulting in significant permanent disability. However, some useful movement does remain. |
Calculating Special Damages Payouts
Special damages are intended as a way for you to recoup financial costs you have had to cover because of your injury. This award should return you to your financial state before your injuries occurred. Specifically, special damages may be a way for you to reclaim:
- The cost of travelling to your medical appointments
- Costs of medical care you have received
- Any current or future lost wages
To find out more about how compensation awards are calculated, contact one of our advisors today. Our team can also provide you with a more personalised estimate of your potential award.
Why Choose Us For Your No Win No Fee Zero Hour Contract Staff Accident At Work Claim?
Our panel of personal injury lawyers have experience handling a variety of claims, including those for an accident at work. If you meet the criteria to claim and wish to proceed, the solicitors on our panel may offer to work your claim under a type of No Win No Fee agreement called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).
Under the terms of this agreement:
- Throughout the claims process, you don’t have to pay ongoing or upfront fees for your solicitor’s services.
- If your claim fails, you typically wouldn’t have to pay for the solicitor’s services.
If, on the other hand, your claim succeeds, your solicitor takes a small success fee from your compensation. However, how much solicitors can take in this way is capped legislatively. Therefore, you can receive the majority of your compensation.
Speak To An Advisor
Our advisors are here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to give advice with no cost or obligation to start a claim. Find out more about the merits of your potential claim by:
- Calling on 0800 408 7825
- Chatting with an advisor using the live support box
- Filling out our contact form
Find Out More About Zero Hour Worker Injury Claims
More of our personal injury guides:
- Do I Get Full Pay If I Am Injured At Work?
- Workplace Accident Compensation
- I Tripped And Fell In The Workplace – Could I Claim?
Some external resources:
- How To Claim Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) – GOV
- Employer’s Responsibilities – Health And Safety Executive (HSE)
- When To Go To A&E – NHS
To learn more about claiming for a zero hour contract staff accident at work, contact one of our advisors today. You can get a free consultation using any of the methods described above.
Article by RR
Publisher OI/EI