Unable to work and struggling to cope? We’re here to help

What is an accident at work and employers' liability?

An employer's liability claim and an accident at work claim are the same. If you have an accident at work caused by a lapse in your employer's duty of care, it means your employer could be liable and held responsible for the accident.  

If this is the case, your injuries should be compensated for by your employer's insurance to cover financial losses from treatments, time off work, and any travel needed.

How do injuries affect mental health?

For most, a job isn't just work. Your career is part of your identity, providing purpose, responsibility, and a future. An injury can stop you in your tracks leaving you with overwhelming feelings of being lost, defeated, a burden, or guilty about others picking up your workload.  

Without being able to work, your community of colleagues become more distant and you lose that daily human connection and support. Isolation and loneliness are directly linked with poor mental health and significant time away from your team can be detrimental to your wellbeing.  

Alongside emotional overwhelm and social neglect, being unable to work due to injury leaves a financial strain. Taking time away to recover and heal can create a significant loss of income which impacts you and the household. Not only can this cause financial stress in terms of the cost of living, but you may feel limited in what treatment and care you can afford for your injury.  

Poor mental health and injuries at work are directly related. The combination of physical, emotional, social, and financial hardship that a workplace injury can inflict on you takes a huge toll on your mental health. The force of negativity can easily lead to poor mental health and even cause depression, anxiety, and behavioural disorders like substance abuse and alcohol addiction. 

Starting a claim for injury compensation is a way to see some light at the end of the tunnel. With financial compensation, that's one element of the negativity eliminated.  

How do you mentally deal with an injury? 

The first step in mentally coping with an injury is to find support and guidance. Visiting your GP or healthcare provider is a great opportunity to discuss your mental health; they'll then direct or refer you to a suitable NHS service. There also are many mental health charities with facilities, guides, and resources available to help you in a way that is most comfortable for you, including options for remote sessions and self-help methods.  

Mental health self-help. 

We've put together some basic tips you can implement daily to help improve your mental health: 

• Exercise if possible - Keeping your physical health in check is essential for stable mental health and, after an injury, you may be struggling to be active. Try thinking outside of your usual exercise capabilities and focus on what you can do currently. E.g.if you have a leg injury you could sit and curl light weights. Check with your doctor about what exercises are safe. 

• Nurture your social life - Keep your door open to people in your life, invite friends and family over, ask for help when you need it, reach out, or join online social/support groups. Push yourself to maximise the opportunity to socialise and connect where possible - it'll minimise loneliness and isolation. 
• Keep track - Monitor your mood, thoughts, and feelings with journals, apps, and check-ins to understand your mental health better. Mental health improvements take time, understanding, and commitment so it's important to have a physical log to look back through. 

Mental health help in the UK 

Free mental health help: 

The NHS provides a range of free counselling and therapy services for most mental health difficulties. You can access some with a self-referral whilst others will require a referral from your GP or doctor.  

There are also many charities in the UK providing support for people with mental health disorders with services ranging from helplines, visits, support groups, counselling, and resources to name a few.  

Urgent mental health help: 

If at any time you feel extremely low and need some urgent help with your mental health there are 24/7 helplines available across the country; call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans. 

Should I claim after an accident at work? 

We often find that people are worried about claiming and wondering if it's right to claim for their accident at work. Trust us, you have every right to claim against your employer's insurance for an accident that shouldn't have happened - after all, that's what insurance is for.  

Not only, can compensation cover the cost of bills and help speed recovery, but it can also highlight safety problems in your workplace and help to motivate corrections. By claiming, you may be preventing future accidents and saving your colleagues from suffering an injury.  

How can I make a work injury claim?

With National Accident Helpline, our claims process is simple. Start by giving us a call on to talk through your work accident. Our friendly advisors will listen carefully and may ask you some further questions to see if you are eligible to claim. Or, you can also start your claim online if you'd prefer. 

If you have an eligible claim, your advisor will talk you through the next steps before passing you over to our panel of experienced and supportive personal injury solicitors who will handle your case until completion.   

Our helpline team are here for you. If you have any questions, need any help with your claim, or simply need to talk about your accident, don't hesitate to get in touch.