How To Claim Compensation For A Finger Injury At Work

By Danielle Coleman. Last Updated 7th June 2024. If you’ve suffered a finger injury at work because of your employer’s negligence, you might be eligible to pursue compensation. Finger injuries can range from cuts and sprains, all the way up to full amputations and can have a large impact on your life.

Through this guide, you can find out how to make a claim after an accident at work, and what proof you might need to proceed. We will also look at how compensation awards are calculated. 

If you have any more questions, get in touch with our advisors today by:

  • Clicking the live chat button at the bottom of the screen
  • Contacting us online
  • Calling us at the number above

Black and white image of someone holding their hand in pain.

Choose A Section

  1. Could I Claim Compensation For A Finger Injury At Work?
  2. Finger Injury Accident Scenarios
  3. How Could I React To A Finger Accident At Work?
  4. How Long Do I Have To Claim For A Finger Injury At Work?
  5. Finger Injury Compensation Amounts (UK)
  6. Positives Of Using No Win No Fee Lawyers
  7. Discover More About Finger Injury At Work Claims

Could I Claim Compensation For A Finger Injury At Work?

If you’ve sustained a finger injury at work and your employer is at fault, you may be eligible to claim compensation. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA) outlines how an employer must go about creating a reasonably safe workplace for their employees. The responsibility that your employer has to ensure your safety is also known as a duty of care. 

If you can prove that your employer has breached their duty of care, resulting in your injury, then you may be awarded compensation. For example, if your employer did not carry out the appropriate risk assessments before asking you to complete a task, and you fractured your finger as a result, they may be found at fault. As a result, you might be entitled to claim. 

There is a time limit for when you can make a claim. Generally, the personal injury claims time limit is three years beginning on the date of your injury. However, exceptions can apply; find out more by speaking with our team. 

Get in touch today to see if you have a valid claim. 

Frequency Of Injuries In Work

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) is a piece of legislation that states what types of injuries must be reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) by employers.

According to their 2020/21 statistics, there were 18,988 injuries to upper limb locations. Of these, 5,181 were to one or more fingers or thumbs. 

For more information on making a claim for a finger injury at work caused by negligence, speak with one of our advisors today.

Finger Injury Accident Scenarios

There are many ways you could sustain a finger injury at work. As mentioned above, HASAWA outlines your employer’s duty of care. If they breach this duty of care, they could be found at fault for any injuries you subsequently sustain.

In this case, you could be able to claim compensation. See below for some common examples of how an n accident could happen as the result of negligence. 

  • Poor housekeeping: Walkways should be kept clear of clutter and obstructions, and spillages should be cleaned up or marked appropriately to prevent slips and trips. For example, if you are walking through your office and trip on a cluster of loose wires, you could fracture your finger as you fall. 
  • Inadequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): For some job roles, PPE is essential. Your employer must provide free PPE and ensure it is inadequate working order to prevent injuries in the workplace. An example of this is if you aren’t provided with protective gloves while you work with an electric saw, your fingers are at risk of deep lacerations.
  • Lack of training: Employers must provide free training relevant to your job role to help reduce the risk of injury. For example, if you work in a factory but are not properly trained in how to use the machinery, you could suffer crush injuries to your fingers.

These are just a few examples of how some finger injuries could occur as a result of negligence. For more information, contact our team of expert advisors today.

How Could I React To A Finger Accident At Work?

If you sustain a finger injury at work and wish to make a claim, you might wonder what evidence is needed to prove your claim. To make a successful personal injury claim, you must be able to prove that:

  • Your employer owed a duty of care to you
  • They breached this duty of care
  • You were injured as a result of this breach

There is a variety of different types of evidence you could gather after your finger injury to strengthen your claim. For example:

  • Medical notes or records: Seek medical attention as soon as possible after your injury. This will ensure you get the help you need, and will also create documentation of the injuries you have sustained. You may be invited to an independent medical assessment later on in your claim to verify that your injury is consistent with the reported accident.
  • CCTV footage: If your workplace has CCTV, you can request footage of the accident from your employer. If this footage shows them acting negligently, this could support your claim. 
  • Witness statements: Contact details from witnesses could enable a statement to be taken later on in the claims process. 

Collecting evidence is an important part of the personal injury claims process. You can hire a No Win No Fee lawyer to help you. Contact our advisors now to see if a personal injury solicitor from our panel could help you make your claim.

How Long Do I Have To Claim For A Finger Injury At Work?

Accident at work claims are subject to the personal injury claims time limit. Usually, you are given three years from the date of the accident or date of knowledge to start your finger injury at work claim as set by the Limitation Act 1980. However, some circumstances will suspend the time limit.

These circumstances include:

  • If someone under the age of 18 were to suffer a finger injury at work, they could not start a claim prior to their 18th However, a litigation friend could be appointed to seek finger injury compensation on their behalf during the time limit’s suspension. If a litigation friend has not claimed on their behalf, then the injured party will have three years from the date in which they turn 18 to start their claim.
  • Those who lack mental capacity also may be unable to represent themselves in accident at work claims. A litigation friend could be appointed to act on their behalf. However, if a claim is not started on their behalf and they regain capacity, they will have three years to start a claim.

Call our advisors to discuss finger injury compensation amounts.

Finger Injury Compensation Amounts (UK)

If you successfully claim for a finger injury suffered at work, you could receive compensation for its effects. A payout can be formed of up to two heads of loss, which are:

  • Special damages. This covers financial loss caused by injuries, such as a loss of earnings or medical fees, so keep any documents that show how your workplace finger injury caused you to lose or miss out financially.
  • General damages, the main head of claim. It aims to account for physical damage and emotional suffering brought on by your injuries.

Those working out finger injury compensation amounts might look at the guideline award figures found in the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) for help in making a decision. This is because the JCG lists compensation guidelines for various injuries at differing severities. We have used some of the JCG figures relating to hand and finger injuries below.

All lines except the top one come from the JCG, but it is worth bearing in mind that all figures are simply a guide.

Injury TypeCompensation BracketNotes
Multiple Severe Injuries Plus Special DamagesUp to £150,000+Compensation for suffering multiple severe injuries and their financial losses such as lost earnings and medical expenses.
Serious Damage to Both Hands£68,070 to £103,200Injuries that have given rise to permanent disability and significant loss of function.
Severe Fractures to FingersUp to £44,840These may lead to partial amputations and will result in deformity, impaired grip, and disturbed sensation.
Less Serious Hand Injury£17,640 to £35,390Severe crush injury causing impaired function regardless of treatment.
Serious Injury to Ring or Middle Fingers£12,590 to £19,940Fractures or serious injury to tendons causing stiffness, deformity or permanent loss of grip/dexterity.
Moderate Hand Injury£6,910 to £16,200Penetrating wounds, crush injuries and deep lacerations.
Fracture of Index Finger£11,120 to £14,930Injuries where recovery has been made, but grip remains weak and osteoarthritis is expected.
Serious Injury to Little FingerIn the region of £7,320A fracture that requires surgery and time in plaster.
Minor Hand, Finger and Thumb InjuriesUp to £5,800Fractures that recover in less than six months, along with scarring, tenderness, and reaction to cold.

How Much Compensation Could I Receive For A Thumb Injury?

It is worth noting that as much attention is paid to the thumb as it is to fingers. The JCG recommends a range of different thumb injury compensation amounts. You can see these amounts in the table below.

InjuryCompensation GuidelinesNotes
Very Serious injury to Thumb£23,920 to £42,720Thumb has been severed at the base and grafted back leaving a deformed and useless digit.
Serious Injury to Thumb£15,370 to £20,460Injuries include the tip being amputated, nerve damage or a fracture.
Moderate Injuries to the Thumb£11,800 to £15,370Injuries necessitating arthrodesis of the interphalangeal joint.
Severe Dislocation or Soft Tissue Injury of the Thumb£7,740 to £9,490Involving permanent minor loss of function.

Compensation Awards For The Loss Of A Finger

As the table above shows, the JCG also recommends different amounts of loss of finger compensation. You can see these compensation guidelines within the following table.

InjuryCompensation GuidelinesNotes
Total or Effective Loss of One Hand£117,360 to £133,810The hand was crushed and all fingers and most of the palm has been traumatically amputated.
Amputation of Index and Middle and/or Ring Fingers£75,550 to £110,750The hand will be rendered of very little use.
Serious Hand Injuries£35,390 to £75,550The hand will have been reduced to 50% capacity and several fingers have been amputated but rejoined leaving the hand clawed.
Loss of Thumb£43,350 to £66,920Complete loss.
Amputation of the Terminal Phalanges of the Index and Middle FingersIn the region of £30,500There will be a restriction of movement, scarring and impairment of grip.
Amputation of Ring and Little FingersIn the region of £26,620Complete loss.
Total and Partial Loss of Index Finger£14,850 to £22,870A complete loss if applicable to the higher end of this bracket.
Amputation of Little Finger£10,550 to £14,940Complete loss.
Loss of Terminal Phalanx of the Ring or Middle Fingers£4,820 to £9,610Complete loss.
Loss of Part of Little Finger£4,820 to £7,150The remaining tip is sensitive.

If you’d like to know more about different types of compensation for a finger injury at work, just call our free helpline today.

Positives Of Using No Win No Fee Lawyers

You do not need to hire legal representation to make a finger injury at work claim. But, a No Win No Fee lawyer can make the process feel much less daunting. 

When you enter into a No Win No Fee agreement, this means that you do not have to pay any upfront fees to your No Win No Fee lawyer. If your claim succeeds, they will take a success fee from your compensation. This percentage is capped by law to ensure you receive the majority amount of your award.

However, if your claim fails, you will not have to pay this. For more information on the benefits of a No Win No Fee agreement, speak with one of our advisors today. 

Speak To Us About Making A Finger Injury At Work Claim

Our team of expert advisors are available 24/7 to help you with your claim, and can put you in touch with our panel of personal injury lawyers to work on your finger injury at work claim. Contact us today by:

  • Clicking the live chat button at the bottom of the screen
  • Contacting us online
  • Calling us at the number above

Discover More About Finger Injury At Work Claims

For more information on making a finger injury at work claim, follow the information above. Alternatively, see below for more helpful resources.

NHS – How to know if you’ve broken a bone

GOV.UK – Information on Statutory Sick Pay

HSE – Information on workers’ health and safety

Written by Ham

Published by Sto