Psychological/Psychiatric Injury at Work - Compensation Claims

Claim compensation for psychological or psychiatric injury at work

Some people suffer psychological or psychiatric injury as a result of experiencing an accident at work. They may suffer a psychiatric reaction in conjunction with physical injuries sustained but this may not necessarily be the case.

Claims for psychiatric injury can include diagnoses of anxiety, depression, post traumatic stress disorder or chronic pain syndrome.

The level of injury may affect the person's ability to work, their relationship with family and friends and the extent to which they can participate in hobbies and activities.

Defendants have to take the injured person as they find them and therefore a predisposition to a psychiatric injury or exacerbation of a pre-existing condition does not prevent a claim for damages being pursued.

Interim payments may be available to obtain recommended treatment on a private basis or insurers may be willing to fund such treatment to assist in maximising recovery.

Click here to fill in our online enquiry form and receive free legal advice on your claim >

Our work with psychiatric injury claims

Successful claims have been pursued on behalf of a number of people who suffered psychiatric reaction after being involved at an explosion at an oil refinery.

The amount of the awards varied depending on the severity of the symptoms suffered.

In one case, a hospital housekeeping assistant pricked his finger on a discarded needle that was not properly disposed of. As a result, he developed psychological trauma, lasting four months, from the worry of potential infection. This case settled for £3000 compensation.

Case studies: psychiatric injury claims

A woman has received £17,500 in compensation after a workplace accident caused injury which led to back pain and psychological problems.

Ms X sustained an injury to her back but this also led to her developing a major depressive episode which made her anxious on leaving the house, disturbed her sleep and changed her day-to-day attitude towards life often leaving her weepy and emotional.

What we'll do for you as specialist work injury solicitors

More than anything, we aim to keep things clear, simple and as straightforward as possible for our clients, so there's no need for you to worry at any point about the legal complexities or technicalities of your workplace injury. You'll be kept informed throughout the claims process which, put simply, looks like this:

• Your free initial consultation gives us a clear understanding of your claim.
• If you have a case we assign our best legal team with the expertise to handle your claim.
• The legal team will investigate and build evidence to back up your case.
• We keep in touch with you throughout, so you’re always informed.
• Finally, with your approval, we arrive at the best compensation settlement possible.

Contact a solicitor as soon as you can

It's important to speak to us as soon as possible about any work related psychological injury – time limitation periods apply and investigating your claim is often easier if you begin proceedings quickly. Your initial consultation with us is free, and we'll tell you then whether or not your case is worth pursuing. If it is, we’ll carry out our investigation of the case free of charge too.

Can I make a compensation claim? Complete our personal injury claim form to see how we can help you.