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Hernia Injury Claims & Compensation Amounts

By Ian Morris | Updated September 7th, 2023

36 questions have been answered on this subject - ask us your question

Hernias are widely accepted as restricting mobility and known to cause ongoing pain, impairing the ability to work as normal and partake in usual activities.

A claim for hernia injury compensation can be pursued by any person who has sustained the injury as a result of the negligence of someone else. This could be an employer (for example, due to insufficient manual handling training), or any other third party negligence.

At Direct2Compensation our expert staff will be able to help you identify whether or not the cause of your hernia injury is something that you could seek to claim compensation for.

What is a hernia and how is it caused?
Claiming for hernia injuries at work
Hernia compensation amounts
How to start your claim today
Comments – your questions answered

What is a hernia and how is it caused?

Hernia injuries occur when internal tissues within the body push through a weakness in a muscle or surrounding tissue wall. They most commonly develop between the chest and hips. Although some people suffer no pain at all, for many a painful lump will develop, along with a noticeable weakness and moderate to severe pain when moving or sitting for long periods.

Although hernia injuries can develop as a result of ageing, childbirth or illness the most common cause of a hernia injury is as a result of a physical trauma in the workplace. In most cases the hernia is sustained from incorrect lifting techniques due to a lack of manual handling training from the employer. In such cases, the hernia injury is usually within the groin or abdomen area.

The most common hernia is known as an inguinal hernia. This happens when fatty tissue or part of the bowel pokes through into the groin at the top of the inner thigh. Inguinal hernias mainly affects men and can be associated with repeated strain on the abdomen.

Other types of abdominal hernia linked to physical stress include:

Umbilical
Femoral
Hiatus
Epigastric
Spigelian

Another type of injury that is regularly at the heart of such compensation claims is a herniated disc or hernia of the spine. This condition is also known as a slipped disc injury and can lead to debilitating and severe sciatica, with extreme lower back and leg pain.

Medical therapies used to treat hernia injuries can include physiotherapy and other hands on treatments (osteopathy) but in more serious cases surgery can be required.

Claiming for hernia injuries at work

Hernia injuries at work are commonly caused through lifting within incorrect manual handling techniques. Any person who undertakes regular lifting or works in a demanding physical role is risking a hernia injury if they do not lift safely.

All employers face an obligation to ensure that their workers are provided with adequate training and guidance to ensure that they know how to lift safely, and identify items of excessive weight that cannot be lifted manually. Employers are obliged to follow Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 and also the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

Any employer who fails to follow the regulations and adequately train staff has failed to provide a workplace where the risk of hernia injury is minimised, and may face a claim if one occurs.

As with any workplace injury, the details of an injury should be reported to the employer and medical attention should be sought in order to obtain a diagnosis and treatment plan for the injury.

To give you the best chance of succeeding with your claim for hernia injury compensation, it is important to make sure that the details of your hernia injury are recorded within an accident book at your employer, or whoever else may be responsible, and that medical attention has been sought regarding the injury. Don’t worry if you haven’t done so already, we can help.

Hernia compensation amounts

As with all claims for compensation, the value of a hernia settlement will vary depending on the severity of the injury, the length of time that the symptoms have been present, and how it has affected your day-to-day living.

The value will increase if the injury is a double hernia, or if the injury forced you to resign from work or left you unable to work, and if you will require ongoing treatment.

For hernias which result in continuing pain and/or limitation on work or physical activities, compensation amounts range between £11,000 and £20,000.

In a slightly lower bracket, where there is some risk of recurrence of the hernia, amounts fall between around £5,000 and £8,000.

For uncomplicated hernias that recover without further issue, settlement values are between £2,500 and £6,000.

The following figures are from the Judicial College guide to how much compensation you might expect for a hernia injury, your final settlement could be a lot more when other costs are taken into account.

Severity of injury	Compensation amount
Continuing pain and/or limitation on physical activities, sport or employment	£11,300 - £20,210
Direct inguinal hernia, with some risk of recurrence	£5,325 - £7,620
Uncomplicated indirect inguinal hernia, possibly repaired, with no other associated injury	£2,575 - £6,050

At Direct2Compensation our expert solicitors will ensure that the value appropriated to your claim is maximised. The figures above are for the injury itself, but we’ll also ensure that you can recover any lost income and costs incurred as a result of your hernia by way of the special damages element of your claim.

How to start your hernia claim today

To find out more about your compensation rights or to start your hernia injury claim today, call us on 01225 430285 or if you prefer, .

In just a few minutes on the telephone with you, we’ll obtain the initial information needed for our solicitors to commence a claim. We offer a guaranteed No Win No Fee claims service that will enable you to pursue your claim for hernia injury compensation without having to pay anything should your claim fail.

36 questions have been answered on this subject - ask us your question

Comments & Questions

Read on for questions and advice about claiming, plus hernia claim examples...

I had a hernia operation in my groin over 7 years ago , I’m in continuous pain since ranging from ache to acute pain , can I claim compensation?

As your surgery was 7 years ago, you would be out of limitation to make a claim for the hernia injury itself. As you’re probably aware, statute of limitations in personal injury claims within the UK require that a claim for an injury must be made within 3 years of the incident date.

As such, your only potential claim route (as far as we can see) would be a clinical negligence claim. However, a claim would need to be made within 3 years of the date at which you became aware, or should have been aware that the surgery or medical treatment was negligent. You mention that you’ve been in continuous pain since the surgery, so you may be out of limitation for that too.

Have you ever been informed that there was a mistake or a problem with the way the surgery was undertaken initially? If so, when was that?

Got belly button hernia and very large chest hernia lost my job through this

When a hernia is caused through lifting and handling at work, it may well be the case that the injured employee is able to successfully pursue a claim for compensation. To succeed with a personal injury claim for hernia injury compensation, a claimant must demonstrate that their hernia can be attributed to their employment and employer negligence within the workplace. When employers are tasking staff with heavy and repetitive lifting, they must ensure that the employees are adequately trained and that items of excessive weight are moved with the appropriate equipment and that the right personal protective equipment is provided.

If your hernia’s were caused at work, we would be able to assist you with making a claim. For further help, please call us on 01225430285 or use our start a claim form so that we can contact you to offer you the advice and help you need.

I have just been signed off work until after surgery for Bilateral Inguinal Hernias caused by lifting items in contrary to H&S at work act and risk assessments by the hse. I have spent several years complaining and trying to get the firm I work for, as a delivery driver of substantial timber building supplies, to follow the HSE rules but they simply wont and as a result I am now in a very bad way. It is likely to be several months before surgery and then another 1 or 2 in recovery. There is no way I can survive on SSP. Do you think I have a valid compensation claim?

We do believe that your injuries could be attributed to employer negligence, which would enable you to pursue a claim for personal injury compensation and recovery of lost income. If you would like to find out more about your rights and how we could help you or to proceed with a claim on a No Win No Fee basis, please call us on 01225430285 or email us at justice@direct2compensation.co.uk

I got a inguinal hernia as a result of man handling rolls of flooring up to 100 kg. I told my employer the day it happened and went to the doctors to confirm the injury. All that we are given is a sack truck for moving the rolls or flooring, but this is only any use after manhandling them off the wagon. Can I claim?

It would seem that your employer has been negligent in expecting you to lift and move an item of 100kgs in weight and we feel that you can pursue a claim in this scenario. We’d love to speak with you to take this further and our Solicitors can assist you on a No Win No Fee basis. You can seek compensation for the injury you have sustained and recover any lost income or costs you have incurred because of your workplace injury.

Can you claim for hernias self employed but working for someone? I had no manual handling training at all and developed an inguinal hernia doing utility work. I have been informed by another solicitor that it would be hard to prove that I suffered the injury at work, so did not bother pursuing a claim as she thought the claim would fail.

It is not impossible to pursue a claim in the scenario you describe, but as the previous Solicitor has suggested, the defendants will seek to make you prove that the injury happened as a result of the work that you were doing and not due to any other lifestyle activities or accidents. As such, pursuing the claim on a No Win No Fee basis may not be attractive to a Solicitor as there are clearly risks that the claim would fail.

My employer Asda service crew was constantly understaffed and almost all of my shifts I was doing the work on my own , I was told there was a ratio of 6 pickers to one service crew, most of the time I was the only one for 12-14 pickers and at Xmas I was on my own with 18-22 pickers, this resulted in me getting an Inguinal hernia, even after I told them the doctors diagnosis I wasn’t offered any help etc, I have now had to leave my employment , is there anything I can do?

Our specialist Solicitors can help you in this matter as you may well have valid grounds to pursue a claim against your employer for negligence as the cause of your hernia and loss of your job.

Your employer had a duty of care towards your health and safety at work and the fact that despite receipt of a Doctors diagnosis of an inguinal hernia the employer continued to offer no adjustment or assistance indicates that there are questions to be asked of them.

You can get further help from us by calling 01225430285 or by providing more information via the form on the start your claim page of our website.

I was trying to release a jammed cupboard door which had been reported several times to the company, when I sustained an injury in my groin which gave me immense pain. After being examined by my GP I had sustained a hernia which I am now about to have repaired. Am I entitled to compensation.

As your employer has failed to act on the previous reports of a fault with the cupboard and not had the item repaired, replaced or cordoned off, they have been negligent and failed to ensure that the risk of injury in the workplace was minimised. As such, you have a valid claim for accident at work compensation and should contact us immediately on 01225430285.

Our specialist Solicitors will act for you on a No Win No Fee basis ensuring that your rights are upheld and that you are appropriately compensated for your injuries and any associated costs or losses including recovery of any lost income caused by the hernia or time off after surgery.

I have been working for almost 3 years in my job and I have now got a hernia from the lifting. I want to know what I can do?

As your hernia appears to have been caused through your work, there is certainly a potential to pursue a claim for compensation. On the assumption that your job involves the lifting and moving of items, we need to consider whether your employer has provided the appropriate manual handling training and equipment to move items of weight around the workplace. If the employer hasn’t provided the appropriate manual handling training or if the working environment makes it impossible to lift and move items safely, we can establish employer negligence and pursue a claim for you.

Can I claim for a hernia from my work place as the work I am doing on my own as caused this hernia?

If you believe that your employer has been negligent and that the hernia you are now suffering with could have been avoided if the employer had taken appropriate action, you can pursue a claim for compensation.

If your work involves lifting and moving of items or is particularly physical, the employer needs to have provided appropriate and regular manual handling training and the appropriate equipment and tools to enable you to work safely. If your employer hasn’t taken these appropriate steps, they have been negligent.

Please call us on 01225430285 so that we can discuss your situation, your work and the injury you now have. We can then advise you as to any potential claim for compensation.

Hi Ian, I had bi lateral hernia surgery in December 2020 using laprosopic technique using mesh on the NHS . Both the hernias reoccurred within 2 weeks of the operation dispite me resting in bed. However on the pre op waver I signed had reoccurrence on it? Does this leave me without a claim.
I’m in pain and discomfort everyday and this has effected my work and personal life massively. Thanks for your time.

You are within the 3 year claim limitation period (that will expire in December 2023), so we can look in to this. Whether or not a claim can proceed will depend on the judgement of a specialist in Clinical Negligence compensation as the failure of the surgery needs to be considered as to whether that was down to negligence or simple misfortune.

If you would like our clinical negligence specialists to consider this matter in full and advise you accordingly (which is by way of a No Win No Fee service), please use the form on our website to provide further detailed information and we’ll get you the advise that you need.

I have three hernias. My Doctor has said that this has happened due to hard work. I have been in this job for 8 years pulling fibreglass showers lifting & pulling the moulds and also cleaning fibreglass off the carts and throwing fibreglass in to hoppers.

I worked in my previous job that was very physical with no hernias before starting at this workplace.

UK law affords you the right to make a claim against your employer if you can demonstrate that they failed to do all that they should have to prevent such injuries occurring.

To make a claim, you’ll need to act within 3 years of the onset of any symptoms.

I suffered a strangulated hernia while at work dealing with a client in a wheel chair . The wheelchair didn’t have foot plates and seemed too small for the client and the room to get him into was narrow, not allowing full manoeuvring of the wheel chair without the need to jump it around. A risk assessment was apparently made on the client but it is inadequate. Carers are boxed in and not enough movement given. I’ve been off work since November 18 recovering. I wish to make a claim for loss of earnings against my employer.

Please call us on 01225430285 so that we can help you pursue your claim for the pain and discomfort caused by your injury, and also recover any loss of wages or costs you have incurred.

The scenario you describe would indicate that there is a valid claim as the employer may not have done all that they should to minimise the risk of injury, which is employer negligence. Our staff look forward to helping you.

My husband works in an engineering company he has to deliver metal components to have a companies but the way they pack the product and he’s having to lift it over 25 kg sometimes, has now caused him to have a hernia and has now got to have an operation, is he entitled to compensation?

If the employer is regularly expecting him to lift items exceeding 25kgs and they have not provided adequate training or equipment to move the items safely, they have been negligent and a claim for personal injury compensation could follow.

We suggest that your Husband phones our team on 01225430285 so that we can discuss his situation and his work in order to advise further regarding his potential claim.

Accident occurred on a job 26 yrs ago. I went to a doctor told me had a hernia, ventral hernia. Went to work told supervisor, I was terminated, still have doctor’s paper work. Every job I’ve had have trouble with hernia, grown larger, interferes with activities, hurting all the time. And in my fifties what can I do? I had there lifting sacks of cement powered up to eighty pounds or more.

UK personal injury law prescribes a very strict 3 year claim limitation period in which any claim for personal injury compensation must be made. Once that 3 year period has passed, there is nothing you can do and no claim can be started.

I work for a supermarket at nights doing delivery, since working there I have developed a hernia problem, I have had to have a few bit of time of work, my employer paid me the first 3 weeks full pay, but then started to pressure me to come back to work. Even when I went back there was not enough staff so I was still over working.

My groin went again and this time I only got paid ssp, and when I did come back to work they tried to investigate me for being off which caused me stress thinking I would lose my job.

The employer has a legal right to ensure that any absences are reasonable and they will have an absences policy that they will work against with regards to handling your attendance at work. As such, whilst it was clearly unfair, I don’t think you would have a valid claim against them for stress or anxiety.

However, you may have a valid claim for the hernia injury and subsequent loss of income. The prospects of making such a claim successfully will rest on the nature of your work and what training and equipment the employer has provided you with to minimise the risk of such injury. We think it would be wise for us to speak with you so that we can find out more about your situation and then advise you as to whether or not your situation would merit a claim against your employer.

Hi I am a fireman and had a hiatus hernia operation carried out 12 months ago and made a full recovery. I recently injured myself carrying out a heavy lifting procedure in work in an awkward position. I was told to do this by a manager and he watched me do it. The strain injury was to the hiatus hernia I had repaired 12 months ago. I am now off work with all the symptoms back of hiatus hernia The investigation is ongoing as I write but I need some outside advice. Thanks.

You could seek to make a claim for compensation for the injury sustained if the employer has been negligent towards your health and safety at work. In your case, your employer must ensure that you have received adequate manual handling training and that you are not made to lift incorrectly. Also, the employer should take in to account your level of fitness and consider any pre-existing injuries or noted issues that may impact on your ability to lift safely.

Of course, in the role you fulfil, there are risks to safety that cannot be totally avoided, but the standard obligations for the Fire Service to adhere to the requirements of the Health & Safety at work act remain in place.

Hi Ian, I was at work on a renovation project and I had an Inguinal Hernia but was still ok to work.As I was carrying out a particular operation it involved me stretching slightly. I was immediately in intense pain and ceased work as I didn’t know what exactly was wrong I rang my G.P. who said I should attend the surgery asap. I could not locate the Site Manager and a workmate said he would inform him that I had to leave immediately.I was examined by my G.P. who said that the Hernia had become strangulated and I must to go to hospital straight away.She gave me a letter and rang the hospital to say I was on my way. My wife drove me to the hospital and when I was seen by the consultant he said the Hernia had “popped out”. He then pushed it back in and I then had to wait to see if it stayed in.Luckily it did and I was able to return to work the following day on light duties whilst awaiting corrective surgery.This was carried out approx. 6 weeks later and I am at present off work for post operative recovery. I am in a position to return to work albeit on light duties for approx. 3 more weeks but my employer has none for me at present. I am only in receipt of SPP. and when I asked if the original incident was in the accident book was told no. To further complicate matters the Site Manager at the time has since left the company. Can I reclaim anything re loss of wages etc?

Clearly, the incident you describe is an exacerbation of a pre-existing condition rather than a new injury.

The worsening of a pre-existing health condition or injury as a result of working practices is something that can lead to a successful claim for personal injury compensation if certain criteria can be met. In order to make sure that they have done all they can to give you a safe environment, your employer must provide training with regards to lifting and moving of items and ensure that all staff are properly trained to use any machinery that they are tasked to use and provided with the required tools and equipment to perform their duties safely.

In your case, you need to consider what work you do, what training you have been given or not given and whether or not your injury and the exacerbation of the injury can be linked directly to any negligence on behalf of your employer. If so, you could then seek to claim compensation for the injuries sustained and any subsequent loss of income or expense. I would be very happy to discuss your working environment, conditions, training and injuries with you as this may well enable me to find an avenue that we could pursue to seek damages and lost income for you.

With regards to the lack of an accident book entry, you should write to your employer – either by email or recorded delivery – to the HR department to advise them of the lack of a report of the initial incident where you had to leave work and seek medical attention. You should cite what happened, how you verbally reported things and were told that it would be reported.