Hydraulic Injection Injury Claims

If you have suffered a high-pressure hydraulic injection injury at work, you may be entitled to make a hydraulic injection injury claim.

Hydraulic systems are widely used in various industries, including construction, agriculture, manufacturing and engineering. While essential, they can cause life-changing harm if not properly maintained or safely operated, such as severe tissue damage, infection and even amputation.

Your employer has a legal duty of care to take reasonable steps to prevent hydraulic injection injuries. If your injury was caused by unsafe practices, poor training, or faulty machinery, our team of specialist solicitors can help you to secure compensation for your harm and losses.

To determine if you can proceed with a no win no fee hydraulic injection claim, call 0800 470 0474 today for a free case assessment or use our online contact form to request a call back.

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Table of Contents

• What is a hydraulic injection injury?
• What are the symptoms and risks of high-pressure injuries?
• Am I eligible to make a hydraulic injection injury claim?
• What should I do if I suffer a hydraulic injection injury at work?
• What evidence do I need to support my claim?
• What should employers do to prevent high-pressure injection injuries?
• What types of negligence could lead to a hydraulic pressure injury claim?
• Who is most at risk of injury from hydraulic equipment?
• How much compensation could I receive for workplace hydraulic injuries?
• What is the time limit to claim compensation for a workplace accident?
• Can I make a personal injury claim on a No Win No Fee basis?
• Could I lose my job if I make a compensation claim against my employer?
• Will I need to go to court to settle a claim for a hydraulic injection injury?

What is a hydraulic injection injury?

A hydraulic injection injury is a serious injury that happens when a high-pressure jet of fluid punctures the skin. This tiny puncture wound, although seemingly minor, can inject various substances under the skin, such as oil, water, grease, paint and other chemicals.

Because the fluid is injected into the skin at very high pressure, it can easily travel deep into muscles, nerves, blood vessels and tendons. Although you may feel only minor pain at first, there is an immediate risk of severe complications, including sepsis and tissue necrosis.

If you suffered a hydraulic injection injury in the workplace, you should seek immediate medical treatment. This could involve antibiotics, a tetanus booster, surgical intervention and supportive care.

What are the symptoms and risks of high-pressure injuries?

High-pressure fluid injection injuries initially present as a small puncture wound, causing minimal initial pain. However, this type of injury is a medical emergency. Within a few hours, it can cause:

• Swelling and redness.
• Throbbing pain that does not respond to medication.
• Skin discolouration, blistering and tenderness.
• Numbness, weakness or loss of sensation.
• Restricted movement of the affected area.

The most common sites of injury are the palm, index finger and middle finger of the non-dominant hand. Left untreated, such injuries carry a significant risk of:

• Severe inflammatory reactions.
• Infections and tissue necrosis.
• Blood poisoning and gangrene.
• Nerve damage.
• Compartment syndrome.
• Loss of function in the affected body part.
• Amputation.

In the worst, most severe cases, hydraulic injection injuries can cause fatal systemic effects.

Am I eligible to make a hydraulic injection injury claim?

An experienced personal injury lawyer can let you know within minutes if you can make a claim and seek compensation for your hydraulic injection injury. They will be able to determine whether:

• Your employer owed you a legal duty of care.
• They breached this duty and caused or contributed to your accident.
• Your injury occurred as a direct result of their negligence.
• You are within the legal time limit for starting a claim (usually 3 years).

If these criteria are met, one of the injury lawyers we work with will be able to take on your claim on a no win, no fee basis.

What should I do if I suffer a hydraulic injection injury at work?

You should take the following steps if you sustain an injury caused by high-pressure hydraulic fluid at work:

• Seek prompt medical attention at the nearest A&E department.
• Clean the injured area and keep it immobilised.
• Do not attempt to squeeze or cut the wound.
• Report the injury to your employer and ask them to record it in their accident book.
• Take photos of the faulty equipment that caused your injury.
• Request the contact information of witnesses to the incident.
• Keep a journal of your symptoms and how the injury has affected your daily life.
• Keep all financial documents for related losses and expenses.

What evidence do I need to support my claim?

You will need various types of evidence to claim hydraulic injection injury compensation, which you will be able to collect if you follow the steps above. Your solicitor will help you gather anything else you may need. Useful evidence includes:

• Medical records showing your diagnosis and treatment.
• An independent report for a specialist detailing the long-term impact of your injury.
• A copy of the accident report filed with your employer.
• Workplace training, maintenance and safety records.
• Witness statements from colleagues.
• Photographs of the injury and the unsafe hydraulic machinery that caused it.
• Your detailed testimony about how the injury occurred and how it has affected you.
• Proof of financial losses and expenses, such as receipts and payslips.

What should employers do to prevent high-pressure injection injuries?

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers should take all reasonable measures and precautions to keep employees safe from hydraulic injection injuries, including:

• Conduct regular risk assessments to identify potential dangers.
• Provide proper training on the safe use of hydraulic systems.
• Install protective shields, guards and covers on hydraulic components and equipment.
• Use hydraulic fluids that are less harmful to body tissues.
• Make sure everyone who works with high-pressure hydraulics knows the risks of injection injuries.
• Regularly inspect and maintain machinery, promptly addressing any damage.
• Supply adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves and protective clothing free of charge.
• Make sure that the PPE fits the workers and is used correctly.

If you were injured because of your employer’s negligence, you may be able to make a workplace accident compensation claim.

What types of negligence could lead to a hydraulic pressure injury claim?

A claim for a high-pressure injection injury can result from various types of negligence, including:

• Failing to repair or replace faulty hoses and fittings.
• Not training workers on the dangers of high-pressure equipment.
• Allowing unqualified staff to operate hydraulic machinery.
• Ignoring safety concern reports from employees.
• Not supplying personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Failing to conduct regular inspections of machinery.
• Attempting to locate a leak with bare hands due to a lack of training.
• Not establishing safety lock-off procedures before starting work on a hydraulic system.

Who is most at risk of injury from hydraulic equipment?

There are various types of high-pressure industrial equipment used across many industries. Examples include heavy machinery, hydraulic jacks, air compressors, grease guns, paint spraying devices and hydraulic presses.

When these are faulty or used without adequate training or protection, high-pressure toxic fluids can pierce the outer layer of skin and cause a severe injection injury. The jobs that are most at risk of such injuries include:

• Construction.
• Manufacturing.
• Quarrying and tunnelling.
• Engineering.
• Maintenance and service personnel.
• Aviation and transport.
• Agriculture.

Even experienced workers can suffer injection injuries if equipment is not properly maintained or if safety procedures are ignored. Employers must take all reasonable measures to protect staff from these potentially life-changing injuries.

How much compensation could I receive for workplace hydraulic injuries?

There is no set amount of compensation awarded for hydraulic injection injuries. How much you could receive will depend on the severity of the injury, the circumstances of the accident and the impact on your life.

Two types of damages will be considered when calculating your compensation payment:

• General damages cover your pain, suffering and loss of amenity.
• Special damages cover all your related financial losses and expenses.

According to our personal injury compensation calculator, you could receive:

• £28,310 to £43,710 for the amputation of the thumb.
• Up to £171,920 for the amputation of a hand.
• Up to £56,180 for moderately severe PTSD that causes significant disability.
• Up to £100,000 for severe injuries to internal organs caused by sepsis.
• Up to £300,00 for wrongful death.

What is the time limit to claim compensation for a workplace accident?

The Limitation Act 1980 imposes a three-year time limit to start a claim for an accident at work, including for injuries resulting from hydraulic injection. The few exceptions include:

• If you were under 18 at the time of injury, the three-year limitation period begins to run on your 18th birthday.
• If the injured party is mentally incapacitated, a litigation friend could claim on their behalf at any time.
• If you lost someone following a severe injection injury, you have three years to start a claim from the date of death.

Can I make a personal injury claim on a No Win No Fee basis?

If you are entitled to pursue a compensation claim, the solicitors we partner with will represent you on a no win no fee basis, which means that:

• You do not have to pay anything upfront.
• There are no financial risks, because you don’t pay your solicitor at all if your claim fails.
• If you win, your injury lawyer will deduct a success fee from your compensation, capped at 25% of the amount for general damages and past financial losses.

Could I lose my job if I make a compensation claim against my employer?

No, your employer cannot legally dismiss you, demote you, or treat you unfairly for making a genuine workplace injury claim. If they do, it could amount to unfair or constructive dismissal and give you grounds to take further legal action at an employment tribunal.

The Employment Rights Act 1996 protects your legal entitlement to seek compensation if you have been injured due to your employer’s negligence.

Furthermore, employers are required to hold liability insurance, which covers claims related to workplace accidents. If you are awarded compensation for your injection injury, your employer will not be left out of pocket, as their insurance provider will pay the compensation.

Will I need to go to court to settle a claim for a hydraulic injection injury?

No, it is unlikely you would need to go to court to settle your claim, as more than 96% of all personal injury claims are resolved through negotiations between the two parties. Going to trial before a judge is typically only needed if:

• Your employer denies liability for the accident.
• You cannot agree on how much compensation you should receive.

Even if a court date is set, most cases are still settled before the final hearing, as this is quicker and means fewer expenses and stress for both parties.

To find out if you have a valid hydraulic injection compensation claim, call 0800 470 0474 today for a free, no-obligation consultation or request a call back.

Last edited on 7th Oct 2025

With over 15 years’ experience in the legal sector, Nicholas Tate (LLB Hons, LLM in Health Law) has extensive experience across all areas of personal injury and medical negligence claims.