If a spillage injury has set you back, we'll help you move forward
If your life, or the life of a loved one, has been affected by a spillage accident, we can help. You can make a No Win, No Fee compensation claim with the help and support of a specialist solicitor.
1/3 or work injuries are from slips and trips - you are not alone
Slips, trips and falls on the same level account for 32% of injuries in the workplace (hse.gov.uk).
Oil spills are also a cause of road traffic accident claims, particularly motorcycle accident claims. Department of Transport (gov.uk) figures suggest that motorcyclists are twice as likely to be seriously hurt by diesel spillages on the road than other road users.
If you decide to make a spillage injury claim, your work injury 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 spillage accident?
The compensation you can claim for a spillage accident will be determined by:
- the nature and severity of your illness,
- the limitations your illness imposes on your daily life and work,
- the costs or financial losses you?ve experienced due to your illness.
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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 are awarded to compensate you for any costs or losses you've incurred or might incur as a result of your accident. These costs might include loss of earnings, including potential lost commission, bonuses or promotions, or any other out of pocket expenses.
Special damages may also be awarded for medical treatments or procedures that you might need to treat your spillage injury, including pain medication and psychological support.
Read more:
A complete list of recoverable losses in a personal injury claim
How is compensation calculated if I have multiple injuries?
Average spillage injury general damages compensation table
The following spillage 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).
Ankle injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) | Minor fractures, sprains, and ligament injuries with full recovery | Up to £15,250 |
| Moderate | A fracture or ligament injury with mild ongoing symptoms | £15,250 to £29,500 |
| Severe | Lengthy treatment required, and your ability to walk has been permanently affected | £34,740 to £55,540 |
Dermatitis
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Short-term dermatitis | Affecting hands or other parts of the body (other than your face and scalp), where symptoms resolve with treatment, or short term aggravation of an existing condition | £1,890 to £4,380 |
| Longer-term dermatitis | Affecting hands or other parts of the body (other than your face and scalp), where symptoms take several months or years to resolve with treatment | £9,590 to £12,660 |
| Dermatitis lasting years or indefinitely | Symptoms that last indefinitely, and that affect your daily life and ability to work | £15,250 to £21,300 |
Elbow injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery within 18 months | Simple fractures, cuts or injuries (e.g. tennis elbow) with no permanent symptoms | Up to £3,920 |
| Recovery between 18 to 36 months | Simple fractures, cuts or injuries (e.g. tennis elbow) with no permanent symptoms | Up to £7,210 |
| Recovery after 36 months | Simple fractures, cuts or injuries (e.g. tennis elbow) with no permanent symptoms or damage | Up to £13,970 |
Finger injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Relatively minor injury | Finger fractures that recover in under 6 months, and/or injuries with tenderness, pain in cold weather, or scarring | Up to £5,270 |
| Index finger fracture | Fracture fully heals, but with ongoing pain, disability and an increased risk of osteoarthritis | £10,110 to £13,570 |
| Finger fractures | Fractures that cause deformity, affect sensation, and/or have a long term affect on your grip and ability to use your hand | Up to £40,760 |
Hand injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) injuries to one or both hands | A fracture or break recovering within 6 months, and/or with scarring, tenderness and pain in cold weather | Up to £5,270 |
| Moderate injuries to one or both hands | Moderate crush injuries, penetrating wounds, or deep cuts | £6,280 to £14,730 |
| Moderate/serious injuries to one or both hands | Serious crush injury that causes impaired function andthat cannot be resolved with surgery | £16,040 to £32,170 |
Knee injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) | E.g. dislocation, torn cartilage or meniscus, that could cause future symptoms or weakness, or that exacerbated an existing injury | Up to £15,250 |
| Moderate | More serious knee injuries with a greater risk of future symptoms, pain and weakness | £16,460 to £29,050 |
| Serious | E.g. a leg fracture that extends to the knee joint, or injuries that cause constant pain and restricted movement, and/or a risk of osteoarthritis or future knee surgery | £29,050 to £48,210 |
Leg injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Simple femur fracture | Simple femur fracture with no damage to articular surfaces | £10,110 to £15,620 |
| More serious fractures | Incomplete fracture recovery with ongoing symptoms | £19,930 to £30,800 |
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 |
Wrist injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lesser | Relatively minor soft tissue injury or displaced fracture, with a full recovery within 12 months | £3,920 to £5,260 |
| Moderate | Uncomplicated Colles' fracture | Around £8,250 |
| Moderate | Fracture or soft tissue injury with complete recovery | £6,750 to £11,480 |
Can I claim for PTSD or other psychological trauma?
Although psychiatric injuries are less obvious than physical injuries and illness, mental health conditions can be no less debilitating.
Our 2024 Personal Injury Claimant Survey found that 29.03% of claimants reported a psychological injury, with 70.97% of these relating to a physical injury.
Spillage injuries can lead to heightened anxiety about safety in similar environments and a possible phobia of re-injury.
Your solicitor will help ensure that any psychological harm you have suffered as the result of another party's negligence is recognised and included in the calculation of your compensation award or settlement. In addition, you can also claim for mental health treatment costs that may not be readily available on the NHS.
Our compensation calculator can estimate your compensation for psychological injuries. Or you can call us on 0800 376 1001 to speak to a specialist advisor.
Do I qualify for spillage injury compensation?
You will usually be eligible to claim compensation if you have been injured in the following circumstances:
- in the last 3 years,
- by someone elses actions or negligence, and
- they owed you a duty of care.
Find out online if you can claim with our injury claim calculator. Alternatively, you can speak to a claims advisor on 0800 376 1001 and find out if you have a claim in minutes.
Compensation claims with shared fault
It's not unusual for personal injury claims to involve fault on both sides.
In our 2024 Work Injury Claimant Survey, we found that 26.02% of injured workers felt they had at least some responsibility for the injuries they sustained.
Even if you think you might be partly liable, you could still be eligible to make a claim. With workplace injuries, it's possible to claim compensation from your employer, regardless of whether your own actions or those of a colleague contributed to your injury.
Read more:
Can I claim if I feel I was partly responsible for my accident?
How long do I have to make a spillage injury claim?
For most injury claims, you have up to 3 years from the date of your injury to start the claims process.
If you were injured due to someone else's negligence but didn't realise it at the time, you may have longer to make a claim. Typically, you have three years from the date you either received a diagnosis or became aware of the negligence (known as the 'date of knowledge') to start your claim.
Identifying who is responsible for a spillage
Spills at work
The party responsible for a spillage accident is dependent on the location and circumstances of what has happened. If you have been injured as the result of a spill at work, your employer may be responsible.
This is particularly relevant if the employer has failed to follow health and safety procedures, such as responding promptly to reports of a hazard.
Spills in public areas
If your injury occurred while you were visiting commercial premises, the organisation responsible for those premises may be to blame for what has happened.
For example, if you slipped in a supermarket, the owner of the shop could be at fault. This is more likely to be the case if the people in charge have failed to erect warning signs around an area that is being cleaned, or to promptly eradicate spillages caused by other factors.
See also:
Spills on the road
If you have been in a road accident as the result of an oil spill, another road user could be responsible. If you are not able to identify the road user, compensation can be claimed through the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB).
It is also possible that local authorities can be held responsible for injuries caused by diesel spills, if it can be shown that they failed to clean the area to make it safe for road users.
Improving your chances of a successful claim
Whether the spill occurred on the road, in a shop or in the workplace, you can improve the likelihood of winning your claim by gathering as much evidence as possible.
- If you are able, you should take a photograph of the spill at the scene of the accident, noting the time.
- If you have been hurt because of an oil or diesel spill on the road, you should also report the details to the police.
- If the incident occurred in a shop, you should ask for a written record to be noted in the accident book. This evidence could support an allegation that either the premises owner or occupier knew of the spill but failed to take prompt action to clean it up, or failed to carry out reasonably regular inspections.
What led to your spillage injury?
Claiming compensation depends on the cause of your spillage injury. Click the icons below for read more:
Can I make a no win, no fee spillage injury claim?
Yes. With no win, no fee, you can claim spillage 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 an injury specialist about your claim?
- Calls are FREE
- Confidential consultation
- No obligation to claim
- No Win No Fee solicitors
Call 0800 376 1001
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or arrange a callbackAuthor:
Gaynor Haliday, Legal researcher
About the author
Gaynor Haliday is an experienced legal researcher and published author. She has had numerous articles published in the press and is a legal industry commentator.