13 of 13 terms shown
- Causation
- The legal link between the employer's breach of duty and your injury. To win a claim, you must show that 'but for' the breach, you would not have been injured.
- Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA)
- A funding agreement, often called 'no win, no fee', under which your solicitor only charges you a fee if your claim succeeds. A success fee is then deducted from your damages, capped at 25% of certain heads of loss. Read our no win no fee guide →
- Contributory negligence
- A finding that you partly caused or worsened your own injury — for example, by ignoring a safety procedure. It does not stop you claiming, but reduces your compensation by a percentage.
- Duty of care
- The legal obligation an employer owes to take reasonable steps to protect employees from foreseeable harm at work, including providing a safe place of work, safe equipment and proper training. Employer responsibilities →
- Employer's liability
- The legal responsibility an employer has for injuries suffered by employees in the course of their work. Employers in the UK are required by law to hold Employer's Liability Compulsory Insurance.
- General damages
- Compensation for the pain, suffering and loss of amenity caused by an injury. Calculated by reference to the Judicial College Guidelines and comparable case law. How compensation is calculated →
- Interim payment
- A part-payment of compensation made before your claim is fully settled, typically once liability is admitted. Used to cover urgent treatment costs or lost income.
- Limitation period
- The legal deadline for starting court proceedings. For most accident at work claims it is three years from the date of the accident or from the date you knew the injury was linked to work. Time limits explained →
- No win, no fee
- Common term for a Conditional Fee Agreement. If your claim is unsuccessful, you do not pay your solicitor's fees. If it succeeds, a capped success fee is deducted from your compensation. No win no fee explained →
- Pre-action protocol
- Court rules setting out the steps the parties should take before issuing proceedings — including the Letter of Claim and a defined period for the defendant to respond. The claims process step by step →
- Quantum
- The value of a claim — i.e., how much compensation should be paid. Quantum is calculated separately from liability and depends on medical evidence, financial losses and case law.
- RIDDOR
- The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013. Requires employers to report certain workplace injuries and incidents to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Accident book & RIDDOR →
- Special damages
- Compensation for financial losses caused by your injury, such as lost earnings, medical expenses, travel costs, care costs and damaged property. Must be supported by evidence such as receipts and payslips. Heads of loss in detail →