What to consider when making a firefighter injury claim
- Compensation claims often stem from inadequate safety measures, defective equipment, or employer negligence.
- An employer liability claim is still possible if you were partly at fault.
- Claims must be started within 3-years of the injury date.
- You can claim on a no win, no fee basis.
- The amount of compensation you can claim depends on the severity of your injury and your financial losses. Use our compensation calculator to find out more.
- Your cannot be fired for pursuing a claim.
If a firefighter injury has set you back, we'll help you move forward
If you have been inured when working as a firefighter, we are here to help. If your injuries resulted from negligence by your employer or a co-worker, you could be entitled to compensation.
With the support of a personal injury solicitor, you can make a No Win, No Fee claim to get the compensation you deserve.
You are not alone - Around 2,000 UK firefighters are injured each year
Firefighters face unique risks daily, facing the risk of injury from exposure to extreme heat, smoke inhalation, defective equipment, and potential building collapses. Injuries can include burns, lung damage, or trauma from emergency response activities.
Although the past decade has seen a general downward trend in the number of injuries sustained by firefighters at work, accidents still occur. According to figures compiled by UK fire and rescue authorities, there were 2,424 injuries sustained in by firefighters in 2022/33.
There were 2,776 incidents involving fire and rescue service vehicles (fire engines, cars and vans). Although the majority caused vehicle damage only, the accidents resulted in injury to 104 service personnel and 27 non-service personnel.
Over half the injuries occurred when the vehicles were not responding to an emergency.
According to UK government statistics, there were 2,424 firefighter injuries in 2022-23 (gov.uk).
If you decide to make a firefighter injury claim, your work accident solicitor will take you through every step of the claims process. Your solicitor will be with you until you win your claim and get the compensation you need to move forward.
How much compensation can I claim for a firefighter injury?
The compensation you're eligible to claim for an injury working as a firefighter depends on:
- the nature and severity of your injury,
- how your injury interferes with your daily activities and job,
- any financial impacts or losses resulting from your injury.
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General damages are awarded for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA). Awards for general damages are set by the Judicial College (judiciary.uk) and published in their guidelines for personal injury awards.
Special damages will be awarded for any lost earnings, loss of commission or bonuses, and loss of pension contributions. It may also be possible to claim for loss of future earnings, if the medical prognosis establishes that you won't be able to work for any period in the future.
These damages will also cover the cost of any medical procedures you might need to treat or recover from your injury such as emergency care, burn care, physical therapy and inhalation treatment.
Read more:
A complete list of recoverable losses in a personal injury claim
How is compensation calculated if I have multiple injuries?
Average firefighter injury general damages compensation table
The following firefighter injury payouts refer to the Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases, 17th Edition by the Judicial College (oup.com).
These tables are used by solicitors or by the courts as a starting point when calculating your compensation.
Please note: these average figures represent general damages only, and do not include any element of special damages (e.g. lost wages).
Chest injuries
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Toxic fume or smoke inhalation | Some lung damage, but lung function is not affected | £5,910 to £13,970 |
Eye injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Short-term eye injury | Complete recovery within a few weeks | £2,450 to £4,380 |
| Minor eye injury | Pain and temporary interference with vision during your recovery | £4,380 to £9,690 |
| Minor but permanent loss of some vision | Symptoms affecting one or both eyes, including double vision, blurred vision, or sensitivity to light | £10,110 to £23,270 |
| Moderate loss of some vision in one or eye | Serious but incomplete loss of vision in one or both eyes, or blurred vision and light sensitivity in both eyes | £26,270 to £43,670 |
| Loss of sight in one eye | £54,660 to £60,840 | |
| Loss of one eye | £60,840 to £72,920 | |
| Loss of sight in one eye & reduced vision in the other | £70,950 to £199,450 |
Facial scarring
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) | A hardly noticeable scar (or scars) | £1,890 to £3,920 |
| Moderate | A single scar that can be camouflaged with makeup, or multiple small scars that don't markedly affect your appearance | £4,380 to £15,250 |
| Significant | Significant scarring where the worst affects are reduced by cosmetic surgery, and/or with causing a psychological impact | £10,110 to £33,380 |
| Serious | Substantial disfigurement and/or a significant psychological impact | £19,930 to £53,720 |
| Severe | A younger person (under 30) with substantial disfigurement and/or a significant psychological impact | £33,040 to £107,990 |
Lung disease
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary aggravation of bronchitis | Temporary aggravation of existing bronchitis or other chest problems, with recovery in a few months | £2,450 to £5,910 |
| Slight breathlessness | Slight breathlessness with no effect on your working life, with full recovery expected within a few years likely | £11,810 to £23,070 |
| Bronchitis and wheezing | Bronchitis and wheezing with little or no impact on your work or social life | £23,070 to £34,740 |
| Breathing difficulties | Breathing difficulties and/or asthma that requires frequent use of an inhaler, and that affects your daily life and ability to work | £34,740 to £60,840 |
| Lung disease | Emphysema and other lung conditions with symptoms including difficulty breathing and impaired lung function that affects your life and work | £60,810 to £77,690 |
| Lung cancer | Typically in an older person, causing severe pain, reduced lung function and lower quality of life | £77,690 to £107,990 |
Non-facial body scars
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor | Burns with scarring and ongoing pain | £2,630 to £8,690 |
| Moderate | Scarring such as an exploratory laparotomy scar | Around £9,590 |
| Serious | A noticeable laceration scar or single disfiguring scar | £8,690 to £25,220 |
| Severe | Severe burns with continuing pain and psychological injury | Up to £116,300 |
Post-traumatic stress
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) | Full, or near full, recovery within 1 to 2 years | £4,380 to £9,070 |
| Moderate | Mostly complete recovery | £9,070 to £25,680 |
| Serious | Significant impact on your life and work, and permanent effects but with a likelihood of improvement with professional support and treatment | £25,680 to £66,410 |
| Severe | A permanent and significant impact on your daily life and work, with a lower likelihood of improvement with treatment | £66,410 to £111,680 |
Tinnitus & Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Slight tinnitus or slight NIHL | Up to £7,780 | |
| Slight or occasional tinnitus with slight NIHL | £8,080 to £13,970 | |
| Mild tinnitus or mild NIHL | Around £13,000 | |
| Mild tinnitus and NIHL | £13,970 to £16,530 | |
| Moderate tinnitus and NIHL | £16,530 to £32,960 | |
| Severe tinnitus and NIHL | £32,960 to £50,520 |
Am I eligible for firefighter injury compensation?
You can claim compensation for a firefighter injury, if:
- you were injured in the last 3 years, and;
- another person was to blame, and;
- that person had a legal duty of care to safeguard you from harm.
Find out online if you can claim with our injury claim calculator. Or you can call 0800 376 1001 to speak to a specialist advisor. Find out in minutes if you have a claim.
Can I claim compensation if I was partly at fault?
The law concerning liability (or blame) for an accident is complex, and varies depending on the situation.
In our 2024 Work Injury Claimant Survey, 26.02% of injured workers believed they were partly responsible for their injuries, or were uncertain.
A claim could still be possible if your actions contributed to your injury or illness. If you were injured at work, you can claim compensation from your employer even if you or a co-worker caused your injury or illness.
Read more:
Can I claim if I feel I was partly responsible for my accident?
How long after a firefighter injury do I have to start a claim?
In most cases, you have up to 3 years from the date of your accident or injury to start a claim.
If you were injured due to someone else's negligence but didn't realise it at the time, the clock starts ticking from the 'date of knowledge' - the day you become aware of your injury.
Training and routine activity injuries
Firefighters sustain more injuries when carrying out training and routine activities than they do through attending operational incidents.
Training exercises, which are intended to be as close to real-life situations as possible, were the cause of 32.5% of all injuries sustained. This may have been due to insufficient planning, preparation and risk assessment, leading to the exercises not being carried out safely.
23.6% of the injuries were incurred during routine activities. These workplace injuries may have mainly been caused by slips, trips and falls due to spillages or poorly maintained premises.
48 of those injuries sustained during training or routine operations were classed as 'major injuries' by RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations).
Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022
The Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022, effective from April 6, 2022, require employers to provide free PPE to all workers, including self-employed and zero-hours contract workers. This expands from the previous 1992 regulations that mandated PPE only for formally contracted employees.
For firefighters, this includes helmets, masks, fire-resistant gloves, boots, and respiratory protective equipment (RPE) to minimize injury risks from various hazards.
Inadequate PPE provision can lead to injuries, potentially resulting in compensation claims. Despite a general decline in major injuries over the past decade, there was a 15% increase last year in injuries during operational incidents.
The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 requires Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRAs) to fully train workers and to ensure they fully understand the practices and procedures necessary to work as safely as possible.
Read more:
Claiming if injured in the line of duty
If a firefighter sustains injury whilst carrying out his work - whether during training, at an incident, or travelling to and from an incident he may be entitled to claim for compensation from his employer.
A firefighter who sustains an injury whilst in attendance at a road accident may be able to bring a claim through the insurers of the driver responsible for the crash, depending on the circumstances.
Where a firefighting vehicle is involved in an accident with another vehicle, the fire vehicle's driver and passengers may be able to bring a personal injury claim against the negligent drivers insurers.
Employers' liability for firefighter injury claims
Work accident claims, or employers' liability claims, differ from other types of claim. Click on the icons below to read more about claiming:
Can I make a no win, no fee firefighter injury claim?
Yes. With no win, no fee, you can claim firefighter injury compensation without financial risk. If your claim isn't successful, you pay nothing. If you win, you only pay a pre-agreed percentage of your compensation.
Get expert advice now
Interested in talking to a work accident specialist about your claim?
- Calls are FREE
- Confidential consultation
- No obligation to claim
- No Win No Fee solicitors
Call 0800 376 1001
We are open until 9pm this evening.
or arrange a callbackSources
Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 (reviewed: 01/08/2024)
Fire and rescue workforce and pensions statistics: England, April 2021 to March 2022 - GOV.UK (reviewed: 02/08/2024)
Author:
Chris Salmon, Director
About the author
Chris Salmon is a co-founder and Director of Quittance Injury Claims. Chris has played key roles in the shaping and scaling of a number of legal services brands and is a regular commentator in the legal press.