1-in-4 Britons 'too embarrassed' to make accident at work claim

Accident at work claims would not be taken up by a large proportion of Britons due to negative perceptions, new data has revealed.

A study by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers reveals a "staggering quarter" of those experiencing serious harm in a professional environment would not seek the help of compensation lawyers due to embarrassment, or because of the possible stigma.

President of the not-for-profit organisation Muiris Lyons commented: "Many of us may have suffered an injury through no fault of our own at work," noting when it comes to employment, "there seems to be a real reluctance to make a claim in cases of negligence".

With 120,000 reports last year of individuals hurting themselves in such situations, the potential for work injury compensation seems high, with at-risk occupations such as factory jobs and manual labourers potentially among those most affected.

Established 20 years ago, the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers has almost 5,000 members, including compensation solicitors and barristers, whose aim is to improve access to justice for people hurt by someone else's error.

Published by Phil Hammond