Form EL2 UK: Employers' Liability Claim Notification

What this document is

Form EL2 is the Claim Notification Form used in employers' liability cases where the accident happened on or after 31 July 2013 and the claim is valued between £1,000 and £25,000. It is submitted electronically through the Official Injury Claim portal (the RTA/EL/PL Claims Portal) by the claimant's solicitor or representative.

Only accident-based claims travel through the EL2 route. Disease claims follow a different form (EL1). The purpose of the form is to give the defendant employer and their insurer a structured summary of the alleged incident, the injuries sustained, and any losses being claimed.

Once the portal serves the EL2 on the insurer, a strict timetable kicks in. The insurer must acknowledge receipt the next business day and decide on liability within a set period. If the defendant admits liability, the claim stays in the streamlined portal process with fixed legal costs.

If liability is disputed, or the claim leaves the portal for any other reason, the matter moves into the standard Pre-Action Protocol and potentially court proceedings.

How to use this document

1. Check who sent the form and why. The EL2 will arrive via your employers' liability insurer rather than directly through the post. Confirm the claimant's name, the accident date, and the circumstances described. If the incident is unfamiliar, cross-check against any accident book entries, RIDDOR reports, or internal records from around that time. 2. Notify your insurer immediately if you have not already. Your employers' liability policy will almost certainly require prompt notification of any claim. Pass the EL2 and all supporting material to your insurer's claims handler without delay. Failing to notify in time can put your cover at risk, and the insurer is the party that will actually respond through the portal. 3. Gather the evidence that supports your position. Pull together the accident book, risk assessments, training records, maintenance logs, CCTV footage, witness contact details, and any relevant policies. The insurer's handler will want this quickly because the liability decision window in the portal is short. Good records now often shape the outcome more than anything that happens later. 4. Work with your insurer on the liability response. Within the portal's deadline, your insurer must respond admitting liability, admitting in part, or disputing it. This decision is commercial as well as legal. Admitting liability keeps the claim in the low-cost portal; disputing it may be justified on the evidence but exits the claim into a more expensive litigation track. 5. Plan for what happens after the liability response. If liability is admitted, the next stage involves medical evidence and negotiation on quantum (the value of the claim). If liability is denied or the claim exits the portal, expect further correspondence, possibly a Letter of Claim under the standard protocol, and in some cases court papers. Either way, keep the evidence file preserved and accessible.

Common questions