How Much Compensation For A Chemical Burn At Work?

You could receive up to £127,930 for extremely severe burns stemming from a workplace accident, per the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG).

The JCG is a legal document that contains potential compensation figures. Apart from the first entry, the table below contains additional JCG compensation figures for injuries that could be caused by a chemical burn accident. You should use this table as a guide only.

TYPE OF INJURY	SEVERITY	GUIDELINE COMPENSATION	NOTES
Multiple Severe Injuries	Severe	Up to £500,000+	Severe injuries with the addition of special damages (such as loss of earnings or medical treatment).
Injuries Affecting the Sight	Total Blindness	In the region of £327,940	Complete blindness in both eyes.
	Loss of Sight in One Eye with Reduced Vision in the Remaining Eye (i)	£117,150 to £219,400	Serious risk of deterioration in the other eye.
	Loss of Sight in One Eye with Reduced Vision in the Remaining Eye (ii)	£78,040 to £129,330	Reduced vision in remaining eye along with problems such as double vision.
	Total Loss of One Eye	£66,920 to £80,210	Compensation in this bracket will depend on cosmetic appearance, psychological damage, and age.
	Complete Loss of Sight in One Eye	£60,130 to £66,920	Risk of sympathetic ophthalmia, potential for scarring within the eye.
Scar and Burn Injuries	Burns Covering 40% or More of the Body	Likely to exceed £127,930	Compensation depends on how much of the body has been burned and the thickness of the burns as well as cosmetic impact and psychological impact.
	A Number of Noticeable Laceration Scars or One Single Disfiguring Scar	£9,560 to £27,740	Either several laceration scars of a single disfiguring scar, usually on the arms, legs, hands, back, or chest.
Dermatitis	a) - Dermatitis of both hands lasting for several years or indefinitely.	£16,770 to £23,430	Ongoing cracking and soreness. Employment and domestic capability are affected and some ps psychological damage is expected.

Questions about compensation or an injury at work? Our advisors are here to help.

How Is Chemical Burn At Work Compensation Determined?

Compensation for chemical burn injuries is determined by general damages and special damages. General damages include the following three aspects:

Pain and suffering.
How your life has been affected, for example, whether you can still go to work or live independently.
Emotional distress, including conditions like depression, anxiety, and general psychological damage.

In addition to general damages, the majority of cases involve special damages. You can read more about special damages below. If you want to find out more about the information in this section, get in touch.

I’ve Been Left Unable To Work, Will Financial Losses Be Covered?

For most claims, yes, you will receive compensation if you can prove that the financial losses were due to the chemical burn. Referred to as special damages, this type of compensation covers other financial losses as well as loss of earnings for being unable to work. For example:

Private medical treatment.
Relevant medical expenses, such as prescriptions or medical aids (such as a compression mask).
Cosmetic treatments or surgeries.
Taxis to and from medical appointments if you are unable to catch public transportation.
At-home care.

You will need to prove any financial losses you claim using bank statements, payslips, and receipts. Our advisors can answer any queries you might have about special damages.

Can I Claim For Chemical Burn At Work Compensation?

You can make a chemical burn compensation claim if:

You were owed a duty of care.
This duty of care was breached.
You suffered harm because of this breach.

For a chemical burn injury claim, your employer is the individual who owes you a duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. This means they must take reasonable steps to ensure your safety while in the workplace.

Examples of carrying this out include:

Providing you with personal protective equipment (PPE) such as eye goggles and a hard hat.
Ensuring you have up-to-date and in-depth training.
Carrying out risk assessments to ensure that dangerous chemicals and hazardous substances are stored properly.

If you suffer a burn at work due to a health and safety breach by your employer, speak to us to find out if you could have a valid compensation claim.

Claiming On Behalf Of Somebody Else

You can claim on behalf of somebody else by becoming a litigation friend, meaning you will represent the claimant (the person claiming). As a litigation friend, you are expected to regularly communicate with the claimant’s solicitor and act in the best interests of the claimant. All litigation friends must be approved by the court.

Usually, litigation friends are used for claimants under 18 or for those lacking the mental capacity to claim themselves.

You can also claim on behalf of a deceased loved one who died from severe chemical burns. For the first six months following the deceased’s death, the estate of the deceased can make a claim for pain, suffering, and financial losses per the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1934.

If the estate does not claim on behalf of the deceased’s dependents, certain relatives of the deceased can claim for losses separately via the Fatal Accidents Act 1974.

Call us, click on the live chat, or choose the contact form if you want to see if you could pursue a chemical injury claim.

How Do I Make A Workplace Chemical Burn Claim?

To make a chemical burn injury claim, you will need to make a claim within 3 years and gather the correct evidence. When you contact our advisors, they will carry out an initial assessment to see if you can claim compensation, supported by a solicitor from our panel.

Evidence

For accident at work claims, the following pieces of evidence are beneficial:

CCTV footage of the accident.
Proof of your training record.
Photos and videos of your injuries and the accident scene.
The contact details of any witnesses.
A copy of the accident book.

Time Limits

Under the Limitation Act 1980, you have 3 years to pursue a chemical burn at work claim. This time limit usually begins on the date of the accident. There are a couple of exceptions to this 3-year limit, namely:

If the claimant is under 18. A minor cannot claim themselves. However, a litigation friend can represent the claimant. Alternatively, the claimant can wait until they turn 18, from when the 3-year time limit begins for them.
If the claimant lacks mental capacity. If a claimant is not considered to be mentally capable of claiming themselves, they can be represented by a litigation friend. It’s important to note that no time limit applies to a claimant who lacks mental capacity unless capacity is regained.

Our advisors can give you more information about whether you’re within the time limit to claim. They can also offer advice about claimants under 18 or who lack mental capacity as well as about time limits and dates in general.

Which Substances Are The Most Common In Workplace Chemical Burn Claims?

Some of the most common substances that lead to employees suffering significant burns include ammonia, sulphuric acid, and phosphoric acid, among others. You can read in more detail about these substances below.

Ammonia

Ammonia is often found in cleaning supplies, but is also sometimes used in the production of fertiliser. While it’s commonplace, it can cause a severe chemical burn if not handled properly.

Sulphuric Acid

This substance usually appears in cleaning supplies as well as car battery fluid. It is highly corrosive and can cause major damage to the skin.

Hydrofluoric Acid

Found in cleaning supplies, pharmaceuticals, and garden supplies like herbicides and pesticides. It is extremely corrosive.

Hydrochloric Acid

Used for the dye manufacturing process as well as in water treatment and some pharmaceuticals, hydrochloric acid is very corrosive. Even short-term exposure can cause inflammation and irritation to the nose and eyes.

Phosphoric Acid

Often found in cleaning disinfectants and detergents, this substance is also used in the rustproofing and textile industries. It can lead to extremely serious eye damage and burns.

Sodium Hydroxide

Otherwise known as lye or caustic soda, this substance is most commonly used in popular cleaning supplies like oven cleaners. While it’s safe to use when directions are followed, it can cause dermatitis and serious injuries.

If you were a victim of a chemical burn accident with a substance not mentioned here, don’t hesitate to get in contact to see if you could still claim.

The Impacts Of Chemical Burns On Your Life

Even if you are only in contact with dangerous chemicals for a few seconds, there can still be a huge impact on your life. Chemicals like the ones listed above can damage your hair, skin, and eyes severely.

Experiencing chemical burns or being exposed to chemicals can also lead to:

Vision loss.
Scarring.
Skin damage.
Shortness of breath and other respiratory issues.

The most severe burns can lead to death. You may need reconstructive surgery or physiotherapy, depending on how your wounds heal and the after-effects. Experiencing a chemical burn at work can be traumatic as well.

Our highly experienced advisors can discuss the next steps to claim compensation and using it to start rebuilding your life.

Get Free Advice From Our Team

Our advisors will not only offer advice or further information on anything mentioned in this guide, but can also let you know if your case is eligible to become a claim. If it is, they can connect you to one of the solicitors from our panel.

Once connected with a solicitor from our panel, they can help your claim via a Conditional Fee Agreement. This is how our panel offer their No Win No Fee services. This type of agreement means:

You pay a success fee only after you receive compensation, and won’t owe anything for your solicitor’s work before or during your claim.
You do not have to pay this fee if you are not awarded compensation.
The highest percentage a success fee can be is 25% of your compensation as per the law.

As you do not have to pay solicitor’s fees before or during your claim, this way of claiming removes some stress from the process.

Contact Us

It can be difficult knowing whether making a chemical injury compensation claim is the right move. However, as well as helping you financially, receiving compensation could also provide closure. Choose your preferred contact method to speak to an advisor for free.

Call on 0800 408 7826.
Click on the live chat.
Fill in our contact form.

More Information

We’ve linked some of our guides that contain additional relevant information.

Read our guide about claiming compensation for multiple injuries.
Discover our factory accident compensation guide.
Find out more about warehouse accident claims compensation.

Find out more information about chemical burns at work and other relevant information from the external links below.

Read about health and safety at work via the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Find out more information about burns and scalds via NHS.UK.
See what to do following a chemical burn via NHS.UK.

Thank you for reading our guide. We hope you now feel confident in knowing, ‘How much compensation for a chemical burn at work?’

Make A No Win No Fee Compensation Claim For A Chemical Burn

Chemical Burn At Work – How Much Compensation?

What You Need To Know

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