If you have sustained a mouth injury at work, you may wonder whether you could begin a personal injury claim and seek compensation. This guide will explore the eligibility criteria for making a claim of this nature, including the time limits you need to adhere to and the evidence you could gather to support your case.

Being injured in a workplace accident can have a negative impact on several aspects of your life. We will discuss the settlement that you could be awarded to address the ways you have been affected if your claim succeeds.

Additionally, we will explore the responsibilities your employer has to prevent you from experiencing harm at work and how a failure to uphold these could lead to you becoming injured.

Finally, we will discuss the benefits of working with a No Win No Fee solicitor and the services they could offer you.

For more information, you can get in touch with an advisor via the contact details below:

• Call the number listed at the top of the page 
• Fill out our ‘claim online’ form
• Chat with an advisor via the live chat bubble

Choose A Section 

1. When Are You Eligible To Claim For A Mouth Injury At Work?
2. How Could A Mouth Injury At Work Be Caused By Employer Negligence?
3. What Evidence Do You Need To Claim For Mouth Injuries?
4. Potential Compensation For A Work Injury Claim
5. Make A Work Injury Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis
6. Learn More About Claiming Accident At Work Compensation

When Are You Eligible To Claim For A Mouth Injury At Work?

In order to begin a personal injury claim after sustaining a mouth injury at work, you need to prove that negligence occurred. Negligence involves an employer owing you a duty of care, breaching this duty of care and causing you physical or psychological harm as a result. 

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA) establishes the duty of care your employer owes to take reasonable and practical steps as a way to ensure your health and safety in the workplace. Section 2 of HASAWA provides more details on the steps they can take to prevent employees from experiencing harm at work or while carrying out their work-related duties. For example, they must:

• Provide adequate training
• Maintain a safe work environment
• Ensure equipment is safe and fit for purpose

If an employer fails to do so, you could be eligible to seek work injury compensation. To discuss the specific circumstances of your potential claim, don’t hesitate to get in contact with our team of advisors on the number above.

How Could A Mouth Injury At Work Be Caused By Employer Negligence?

Below is a list of examples of ways that you could have sustained a mouth injury at work:

• You may slip, trip or fall if a wet floor sign was not used to mark a spillage. This could lead to you sustaining a broken jaw when landing on your face.
• You may have fallen down the stairs after your employer failed to fix the faulty handrail within a reasonable timeframe. As a result, you may have fallen on your face and sustained a loss of teeth and subsequent scarring. 
• Your employer may have failed to train another employee to use a forklift truck. This might result in you being struck by a moving object causing you several injuries, including a damaged jaw, head injury and broken arm.

Is There A Time Limit To Making An Accident At Work Claim?

According to The Limitation Act 1980, you generally have 3 years from the date your accident occurred to begin your claim. However, in some circumstances, exceptions can be made to this time limit.

For example, if a claimant is under the age of 18 at the time of their accident, the time limit is paused. They will then have 3 years from the date of turning 18 to begin their claim. Likewise, if the person lacks the mental capacity to make their own claim, the time limit is paused indefinitely. 

In both of these circumstances, it is possible for a court appointed litigation friend to begin the claim on the injured person’s behalf while the time limit is paused. 

For more information on how long you have to begin a personal injury claim and whether the exceptions could apply, please get in touch on the number above. They can also provide further guidance on eligibility.

What Evidence Do You Need To Claim For Mouth Injuries?

Evidence for a personal injury claim can help to prove that negligence on the part of your employer occurred. Examples of the evidence you could gather of your mouth injury at work include:

• CCTV footage of your accident 
• Pictures of the accident site 
• A copy of the incident report from the workplace accident book
• Medical evidence that can highlight the nature and extent of your injuries
• Contact details of witnesses
• A diary detailing your symptoms and treatment

If you require help gathering evidence for your claim, the personal injury solicitors from our panel could assist you. They have experience handling claims relating to accidents at work and can ensure your case is built and presented in full.

Potential Compensation For A Work Injury Claim

After making a successful mouth injury at work claim, you could receive a settlement that comprises compensation for the pain and suffering caused by your injuries. This is awarded under general damages. 

Solicitors can use the Judicial College Guidelines to help them calculate the value of general damages. This is a document that contains guideline award brackets, some of which we have included in the table below.

However, it is important to note that these amounts are not definitive and can be subject to change based on the severity of your injuries and the impact they have had on your quality of life. 

Compensation Table

Injury	Severity	Guideline Compensation Bracket	Further Details
Skeletal Injury	Fracture of Jaw (i)	£30,490 to £45,540	Multiple fractures that are very serious. There is prolonged treatment and permanent consequences such as severe pain, restricted eating and paraesthesia.
Skeletal Injury	Fracture of Jaw (ii)	£17,960 to £30,490	Permanent consequences and trouble opening the mouth/jaw. Damage is serious.
Skeletal Injury	Fracture of Jaw (iii)	£6,460 to £8,730	Simple fracture where immobilisation has been needed but recovery is complete.
Skeletal Injury	Damage to Teeth (i)	£8,730 to £11,410	Loss of or serious damage of several front teeth.
Skeletal Injury	Damage to Teeth (ii)	£4,350 to £7,630	Two front teeth are seriously damaged or lost.
Skeletal Injury	Damage to Teeth (iii)	£2,200 to £3,950	One front tooth is seriously damaged or lost.
Skeletal Injury	Damage to Teeth (v)	£1,090 to £1,710	Back teeth are lost or damaged. The amount is awarded per tooth.
Facial Disfigurement	Significant scarring	£9,110 to £30,090	The worst effects will be reduced by plastic surgery. As a result, there is some cosmetic disability but the psychological reaction has improved.
Facial Disfigurement	Trivial scarring	£1,710 to £3,530	Effects are only minor.

Special Damages In An Accident At Work Claim

You could also receive compensation for the financial losses incurred due to your injuries. This is awarded under special damages. These costs could include: 

• Care costs 
• Transport costs 
• Medical bills 
• Loss of earnings (past and future) 
• The cost of any home adjustment

If you want to seek reimbursement of these financial losses, it is important to provide evidence of these costs. This can be done through collecting receipts, bills, or payslips. 

For more information on the compensation you could be awarded as part of your personal injury settlement after successfully claiming, please get in touch using the details provided above.

Make A Work Injury Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis

If you are looking to make a work injury claim on a No Win No Fee basis, you may benefit from working with a solicitor from our panel. They could offer you a Conditional Fee Agreement which is a kind of No Win No Fee contract.

Entering into this type of agreement means that you will owe your solicitor a success fee if your claim succeeds. The Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013 caps the success fee.

You will not be responsible for paying fees for the services your solicitor provides upfront or as the claim proceeds. You also won’t need to pay these fees if your claim fails.

To find out more about whether a solicitor from our panel can help you seek compensation on this basis, get in touch using the following contact details:

• Call the number listed at the top of the page 
• Fill out our ‘claim online’ form
• Chat with an advisor via the live chat bubble

Learn More About Claiming Accident At Work Compensation

For more of our guides relating to workplace accident claims:

• Injury At Work Claim Calculator
• Everything You Should Know About Making A Workplace Accident Claim
• Building Site Accident Compensation Claims Guide

Additionally, here is a list of external resources that could be helpful to you: 

• Statutory Sick Pay – GOV
• Risk assessments – Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
• Employer’s responsibilities – HSE 

Thank you for reading this guide on when you could be eligible to begin a personal injury claim for a mouth injury at work. If you have any questions, please get in touch using the details provided above.

Writer Reb Rothwell

Editor Meg McConnell