Acts of Violence at Work Claims

You may have grounds to bring a claim if you suffered injury or psychological harm because your employer failed to take reasonable steps to protect you from violence at work. Whether you are eligible to claim will depend on the circumstances of the incident, including what risks were known, what precautions were in place, and whether the incident happened within the relevant time limits.

Premier Legal Assist is an FCA-regulated claims management firm that works with experienced solicitors specialising in workplace accident claims, including those involving violence, threats and assaults in work-related settings. 

To begin the process, complete our short online form explaining what happened and the injuries or trauma you suffered. Once your enquiry has been reviewed, you will be contacted for a free, no-obligation consultation.

If your claim is eligible, you may be referred to one of our panel solicitors who specialise in workplace accident claims. If they agree to act for you, they will handle the claims process, including gathering evidence, contacting your employer and their insurers, and seeking compensation on a no-win, no-fee basis. 

Compensation varies from case to case and there is no fixed figure that applies to every claim. The amount usually depends on how serious the injury or trauma is, how long recovery takes, and how much it has affected your everyday life and ability to work.

Compensation is generally divided into two parts. General Damages relate to your pain, suffering and loss of amenity. Special Damages relate to financial losses caused by the incident, such as lost earnings, medical expenses, counselling costs, rehabilitation costs and care needs.

Some claims may be worth a few thousand pounds, while more serious or long-term injuries can lead to much higher awards. If your claim is eligible, your solicitor will usually rely on medical and financial evidence to assess what your case may be worth.

Acts of violence at work can lead to a wide range of physical and psychological injuries depending on the nature of the incident and its impact on the victim.

Examples include:

• Bruising and soft tissue injuries
• Cuts and lacerations
• Fractures
• Head and facial injuries
• Back and neck injuries
• Dental injuries
• Psychological trauma
• Anxiety
• PTSD
• Depression

In some cases, the psychological effects can last much longer than the physical injuries. If a solicitor takes on your case, they will usually arrange medical evidence to assess the full impact of the harm you have suffered.

Potentially, yes. Workplace safety duties are not limited to permanent full-time employees. Depending on the circumstances, protection may also extend to part-time workers, temporary staff, agency workers, self-employed contractors and visitors lawfully on site.

If you were harmed because the risks of violence at work were not properly managed, you may still have grounds to bring a claim. 

In most cases, an adult has three years from the date of the incident to begin a personal injury claim. If the injured person was under 18 at the time of the incident, the usual three-year period generally starts on their 18th birthday.

Good evidence can be very important in showing what happened and why the employer may be responsible. Depending on the case, useful evidence may include:

• Accident or incident book entries
• Witness details and statements
• CCTV footage
• Medical records and reports
• Emails or messages reporting threats or previous incidents
• Risk assessments
• Staffing records
• Security logs or incident reports
• Training records
• Payslips and evidence of financial losses

A solicitor acting for you would normally help gather the evidence needed to support both liability and the value of your claim. 

An employer should not dismiss, victimise or penalise a worker simply for bringing a genuine workplace injury compensation claim. If an employee is treated unfairly because they have exercised that right, there may be grounds for a separate employment-related complaint or claim.

It is also worth remembering that successful workplace accident claims are usually paid through the employer’s liability insurance rather than directly by the employer personally. 

Usually not. Most workplace injury claims of this kind are resolved without a full Court hearing, often through negotiations between the injured person’s solicitor and the employer’s insurer.

If responsibility for the incident or the value of the claim cannot be agreed, Court proceedings may become necessary. If that happens, the Court will consider the evidence, decide who was responsible and, where appropriate, determine the compensation payable. A solicitor acting for you will manage that process on your behalf. 

In many cases, no. Our panel solicitors commonly deal with eligible workplace accident claims on a no-win, no-fee basis. That means there is usually nothing to pay at the outset, and if the claim does not succeed, you would not usually be responsible for your solicitor’s fees.

If your claim is successful, an agreed success fee may be deducted from your compensation. That fee is capped by law, and your solicitor will explain the arrangement clearly before your case begins.

You may be charged cancellation fees by the legal service we introduce you to if you cancel your agreement after any applicable cooling-off period and before the claim is concluded.