Serious accidents in the workplace are happening too frequently, causing devastating injuries and potentially long-term difficulties for the victims.
A particular challenge for many injured workers is trying to cope with unexpected financial hardship while on the lengthy path of recovery. Thankfully, in some cases an injured worker can access interim compensation payments to help with their immediate financial needs.
The latest accident figures released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) make for grim reading. In the year to 2025, more than 739,200 non-fatal work injuries were reported to the HSE, including 59,219 serious injuries subject to mandatory reporting under RIDDOR. This equates to at least 227 serious work-related injuries every single working day in the UK.
Yet most could have been avoided if the employers complied with their duties to ensure the safety of their work force.
Serious injuries
The most serious, life-changing injuries can lead to significant compensation awards. Recently, for example, a female worker won a 7-figure payout for the catastrophic injuries she suffered when her ponytail became entangled in a power drill in September 2019. Her scalp and part of her ear were torn off.
The employer (an engineering company) was earlier fined £62,334 (plus costs) after admitting health and safety breaches. The HSE found that the rotating parts of the drill were not properly guarded, even though a risk assessment identified a guard was necessary.
The claimant has reportedly undergone several operations and her rehabilitation has been lengthy. If you or a family member has been badly injured at work and facing a lengthy recovery, get in touch with us as soon as you can. We may be able to secure interim compensation payments before a final settlement is reached.
In serious and complex cases, it will probably be too early to suggest how much compensation you may eventually be entitled to. However, lawyers refer to the official Judicial College Guidelines when calculating compensation and we will discuss this with you when we have enough information.
Interim compensation
If you have urgent immediate and short-term financial needs as a result of your accident, we might be able to ask the employer’s insurer for interim compensation payments.
As personal injury compensation claims can take years to conclude, it’s only fair that those responsible for what happened provide deserving claimants with short-term financial support.
Interim compensation payments are paid out before a final settlement and it enables you to cover your immediate medical and other expenses while your claim is ongoing. Examples of what interim compensation can be helpful for include:
- The costs of surgery and other medical treatment and therapies.
- The cost of prosthetics, if you’ve lost a limb.
- Purchasing a new vehicle if you’re using a wheelchair.
- Paying for adaptations at home.
- Funding additional care costs.
- Funding psychological/psychiatric support.
However, it is important to note that we can only seek interim payments if your employer accepts liability for what happened. Therefore, if your employer does not admit fault at the outset, we will do our utmost to build a robust case that puts as much pressure on them to accept liability.
Assuming they do accept liability, we can start to negotiate an appropriate level of interim compensation on your behalf. Any interim compensation you receive will be deducted from the final amount you receive.
How we can help
In the event you were involved in an accident at work, please contact us whereupon we will provide you with expert advice in relation to your claim under a no win no fee. Please contact David Lydon at david.lydon@mfgsolicitors.com, or on telephone number 0121 236 7388.