How do I make a claim for stress at work?

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Suffering from work-related stress is bad enough in itself, but it may feel like an impossible, uphill battle to seek legal advice regarding it at the same time.

It is more than likely that you will have anxiety, fatigue from sleepless nights, and a feeling of nausea, with a sensation that the world is closing in on you.

Therefore, it is important to put your trust a firm that is adept at dealing with this niche area of personal injury law, as the right case handler will relate to you and your matter in a understanding manner.

Claim for Stress

What should I do next?

It is notoriously difficult to pursue a Stress at Work claim all the way to a successful solution. Before you even consider this, however, there are three things which must have happened before contacting a Solicitor:

Your employer must be aware that you are suffering from work-related stress issues.
You need to have seen a doctor or received a hospital intervention to assess your symptoms.
You must have raised a complaint or formal grievance against your employer.

In short, it is essential that your employer has had ample opportunity to amend any issues which are contributing to your stress.

If your employer is aware of your situation, a grievance has been made and your GP/healthcare practitioner has diagnosed you with stress-related symptoms – this is when you would need to contact a Solicitor to assess your claim.

How much will this cost?

Providing that the law firm you choose offers to run such claims on a ‘no-win, no-fee’ basis, it should cost you nothing. ‘No-win, no fee’ means that there are no upfront payments, and in the event of a claim being unsuccessful, you would have nothing to pay in that event either.

As a result of this, the financial risk falls upon the law firm to succeed for you – meaning that they are forced to pursue the very best outcome for the benefit of both parties.

How long have I got to make a claim?

Claims of this nature are subject to a statute of limitation in England and Wales. In this case, it is three years from the date when you first became aware that you were suffering from a stress-related condition due to work. This is usually from the time you first sought medical intervention, i.e: the initial trip to your GP.

How much compensation could I win?

The outcome is case-specific and dependent on the severity of the overall circumstances. Therefore, compensation can range from £1500 for general psychiatric damage, or up to in excess of £100,000 where it is established that a severe psychiatric injury has been caused.