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A self-employed accident at work claim allows you to seek compensation if you were injured because the person or organisation responsible for your safety failed to take reasonable steps to protect you. Whether you can claim depends on who was responsible for managing safety, not simply on the fact that you were self-employed. If you were working on a client’s business premises, another organisation’s site or under its supervision or control, that organisation may still have legal responsibilities for your safety. Compensation can cover your injuries, lost earnings, medical expenses and other financial losses. Accident Claims’ specialist solicitors can assess who was legally responsible and, where appropriate, pursue your claim on a No Win No Fee basis.
Being self employed and injured can affect both your health and your livelihood. Many people wrongly believe they cannot claim because they do not have an employer. In reality, self-employed accident claims often depend on identifying who controlled the work, the site and the relevant safety arrangements. Identifying those responsibilities is often central to building a successful claim.
Accident Claims’ trusted specialists have decades of combined experience and have secured over £100 million in compensation for injured clients. Our solicitors begin by finding out exactly how your injury happened and who was responsible for managing safety. They then review the available evidence before assessing liability and valuing your claim to reflect both your injuries and the financial impact the accident has had on you.
If you’re unsure whether you have grounds to make an accident at work claim, contact Accident Claims for a free consultation. We’ll explain your legal options clearly, answer your questions and help you understand who may have been responsible, allowing you to make an informed decision about what to do next.
4.8Yes, a self-employed person can make an accident at work claim if they were injured because reasonable steps were not taken to keep them safe while they were working. Being self-employed does not prevent you from claiming compensation; the most important question is whether your injury could have been avoided if appropriate safety measures had been in place.
Every self-employed accident at work claim begins by establishing how the accident happened and who was responsible for managing safety. Our solicitors take the time to understand the circumstances of your accident before advising whether you have grounds to claim compensation. This enables us to give clear, practical advice tailored to the facts of your case from the outset.
When assessing your claim, we’ll consider:
Many people contact us because they simply want to know whether they have grounds to make a self-employed accident at work claim. We’ll explain your legal options in straightforward language, answer any questions you have and guide you through the next steps, allowing you to decide how you’d like to proceed.
Responsibility for a self-employed workplace accident depends on who was responsible for overseeing safety when the accident happened, not simply who paid you or hired you. Self-employed workers are protected by the same health and safety laws as employees, including duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 alongside the common law duty to take reasonable care. This means that, depending on the circumstances, those who controlled the work or workplace may still have a legal responsibility to take reasonable steps to protect your safety.
Unlike many accident at work claims, responsibility is not always limited to one organisation because different businesses may control different aspects of the work, workplace or safety arrangements.
If you were working for a client or as part of a larger project, responsibility may rest with the organisation that planned, supervised or controlled the work rather than simply the business that hired you. Our solicitors examine how the work was organised, what safety measures should have been in place and whether any failures contributed to the accident before advising how those findings may affect your claim.
Where an accident happens on business premises, responsibility may also extend to the occupier or site owner if avoidable hazards were not properly managed. Depending on the circumstances, liability may also involve labour agencies, local authorities, equipment suppliers, manufacturers or other contractors whose actions or omissions contributed to the accident.
Many self-employed accidents involve several organisations working together, each responsible for different aspects of workplace safety. Rather than expecting you to identify the correct defendant, our solicitors carry out a thorough investigation to establish how safety responsibilities were shared before advising on the most appropriate way to pursue your claim.
Because several organisations can share responsibility on the same site, identifying the correct defendant is often one of the most important parts of a self-employed accident at work claim. Our solicitors investigate these arrangements before advising how your claim should proceed.
Self-employed accident at work claims arise across many industries. Although construction is one of the most common sectors because several businesses often share responsibility for workplace safety, claims can arise in almost any occupation where reasonable steps were not taken to protect you. The industry you work in is less important than how the accident happened and whether it could have been prevented.
Some of the industries where self-employed workers commonly make claims include:
These are only examples. Our solicitors assess how the accident happened and who was responsible for managing safety, regardless of the industry you work in.
Self-employed accident at work claims arise in many different ways because every working environment presents its own risks. The examples below show the types of situations where compensation may be available and why identifying who was responsible for managing safety is often the starting point of a successful claim.
If you’ve suffered an injury at work while self-employed, our specialist solicitors will investigate how the accident happened, explain your legal rights and advise whether a self-employed accident at work claim is likely to succeed before you decide what to do next.
Self-employed workplace accidents can cause anything from relatively minor injuries to life-changing harm. Whether your injury happens on a building site, factory floor or client’s business premises, the physical and financial impact can be significant. Serious injuries often require medical treatment and time away from work, placing additional pressure on both your business and household finances.
Some of the most common injuries include:
Two people with the same injury may experience very different consequences depending on the work they do. That’s why the severity of your injuries and their effect on your livelihood are both considered when compensation is assessed.
If your injuries have affected your ability to continue working or earning a living, our solicitors can explain whether you have grounds to make a self-employed accident at work claim and what steps to take next.
The amount of compensation you could receive following a self-employed workplace accident depends on the severity of your injuries, how they affect your ability to earn a living and the financial impact the accident has had on you. Our solicitors assess how the accident has affected you before calculating what your claim may be worth. Every claim is assessed on its own facts, using medical and financial evidence to build a complete picture of your losses.
When valuing a self-employed accident at work claim, our solicitors will:
When assessing compensation for pain, suffering and loss of amenity, legal professionals often refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), which provide guideline compensation brackets for different types of injuries.
The table below contains guideline compensation figures taken from the JCG. These figures are intended as guidance only, and the first entry has not been taken from the JCG.
| Injury | Severity | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Various Very Severe Injuries + Financial Losses | Very Severe - a number of very severe injuries and financial losses such as damaged work equipment, lost income or medical expenses | Up to £1,000,000+ |
| Head/Brain | Very Severe - little, if any remaining evidence of meaningful response to environment | £372,570 to £533,720 |
| Moderately Severe - the injured person will be seriously disabled, with a substantial dependence on others | £289,420 to £372,570 | |
| Back | Severe (i) - most serious back injuries, involving spinal cord damage and nerve root damage | £120,340 to £212,670 |
| Neck | Severe (i) - neck injury associated with incomplete paralysis or resulting in permanent spastic quadriparesis | In the region of £195,970 |
| Bodily scarring | Burns Covering 40% or More of the Body - factors taken into account will include whether burns are full thickness and the percentage of body area affected by the burns | Likely to exceed £138,490 |
| Leg | Severe (iii) Serious - compound or comminuted fractures or injures to ligaments or joints resulting in instability | £51,790 to £72,440 |
| Hand | Severe Fractures to Fingers - these fractures may lead to partial amputations and result in deformity | Up to £48,540 |
| Shoulder | Serious - dislocation of the shoulder and damage to the lower brachial plexus | £16,870 to £25,370 |
| Arm | Simple Fractures of the Forearm | £8,730 to £25,370 |
Yes, a self-employed accident at work claim can recover financial losses where your injuries have reduced your income or created additional expenses because you were unable to work. Unlike employees, many self-employed people have no contractual sick pay, making it important to understand the full financial impact the accident has had on your business and livelihood.
Rather than applying standard amounts, our solicitors build a detailed picture of how the accident has affected your business, your income and your future earning capacity. We review the available financial and medical evidence to identify every recoverable loss and ensure your claim reflects the full impact the accident has had on your livelihood. Depending on your circumstances, this may include:
You can contact us to learn more about how our solicitors can help you with claiming compensation.
4.8The self-employed accident at work claims process begins by establishing how the accident happened, who was responsible for managing safety and how your injuries have affected your livelihood. Although every claim is different, the process typically follows these key stages:
Typically, self-employed accident at work claims must be started within the 3-year time limit, although exceptions apply. If you’re unsure how the limitation period applies to your circumstances, our solicitors can explain your options and advise on the next steps.
A self-employed accident at work claim can be supported by evidence such as medical records, accident reports and CCTV footage, although the exact evidence required will depend on the circumstances of your accident. This information helps establish how the accident happened, who was responsible for managing safety and the impact your injuries have had on your ability to work.
Every claim is different, so our solicitors identify the evidence that is most relevant to your circumstances rather than relying on a standard checklist. We’ll explain what information is available, obtain additional evidence where needed and use it to build the strongest possible claim on your behalf.
Our solicitors at Accident Claims will help support your claim by:
Many people contact us before they know what evidence is available. Our solicitors will explain what information is relevant to your circumstances, help obtain further evidence where needed and build the strongest possible self-employed accident at work claim on your behalf.
Self-employed accident at work claims often involve identifying who was responsible for managing safety, investigating how the accident happened and assessing the financial impact on your work and income. Accident Claims’ specialist solicitors manage every stage of the investigation, building the strongest possible claim while guiding you through the process from start to finish.
Claiming with Accident Claims following a workplace injury while self employed means that your case is handled by specialist solicitors who prepare and present a claim that reflects both your injuries and the wider impact the accident has had on your work, finances and future.
Throughout your claim, our solicitors will:
At Accident Claims, our solicitors handle eligible self-employed accident at work claims on a No Win No Fee basis under a Conditional Fee Agreement.
This allows you to pursue compensation without paying any solicitor’s service fees upfront, or while your claim is ongoing. You also won’t pay your solicitor’s service fees if your claim is unsuccessful.
If your claim succeeds, a legally capped success fee is deducted from your compensation, and we’ll explain exactly how this works before your claim begins.
If you’re unsure who was responsible for your safety, speaking to our solicitors sooner allows us to begin reviewing contracts, site arrangements and other evidence while it’s still readily available. We’ll explain your options clearly and advise whether you have grounds to pursue compensation.
If you still have questions about making a self-employed accident at work claim, the answers below address some of the issues we’re most commonly asked by self-employed workers.
Yes, if your client was responsible for managing your safety and failed to take reasonable steps to protect you, you may be able to claim compensation for your injuries and related financial losses.
Yes, being paid through the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) does not prevent you from making a self-employed accident at work claim. Our solicitors will assess who was responsible for managing safety and how the work was organised before advising whether you have grounds to claim.
Making a legitimate compensation claim should not prevent you from accepting future contracts or working with other clients. If you have concerns about your individual circumstances, our solicitors can explain what to expect.
You may still be able to claim compensation. If you were partly responsible for the accident, your compensation may be reduced to reflect your share of responsibility.
Yes, you could still claim even if you didn’t have a written contract. Our solicitors will assess who controlled the work, who was responsible for managing safety and whether another person or organisation may be legally responsible for your injuries.
Yes, using your own tools does not automatically prevent you from claiming if another person or organisation was responsible for managing safety when the accident happened.
You could claim if defective equipment contributed to your injuries, as responsibility may rest with the manufacturer, supplier, employer, client or another organisation, depending on the circumstances.
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