Accident at Work Claims Advice

You could make a work injury claim

Everybody has the right to feel safe while they’re at work. When you’re getting on with your day-to-day job, the last thing you expect is to be injured because of your employer’s negligence.

All employers are legally required to make sure the environment in which you work is as safe as possible. As part of this, they should provide you with the training and safety equipment you need for your role and they should also carry out regular risk assessments and take steps to avoid accidents from happening.

If you’ve suffered from a work injury which was somebody else’s fault, then you shouldn’t be left to deal with the financial and emotional consequences on your own.

You could make a work injury claim so that you can get compensation to cover the costs of your accident, as well as the effects it’s had on your social and family life, as well as your mental well-being.

To find out whether you could claim, you can speak to our advisors for free on 0800 234 6438.

Employers should follow health and safety laws

Accidents can happen in almost any industry – from office workers, to lorry drivers, to police officers – so, unfortunately, while you may feel safe in your workplace, there’s always some risk of an injury.

But some jobs carry more risk than others, which is why there are laws and procedures in place which are specifically designed to help keep people safe while they’re at work.

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 sets out rules which employers should follow to reduce the chances of accidents happening. For example, the very basics of this includes:

• Regular PAT testing of any electrical equipment you might use while at work
• Maintaining fire exists and escape routes
• Keeping on-site first aid equipment, and appointing first aiders

If you’ve suffered an accident at work because your employer hasn’t followed these regulations, then it’s likely we can help you make a claim.

Does claiming put your job at risk?

Making a claim against your employer can be daunting, but there are laws in place to protect you from being unfairly dismissed or treated differently, such as the Employment Rights Act 1996.

Quite simply, it’s illegal for you to be fired or disciplined for making a claim against the company you work for. But in the unlikely event that you do lose your job, you’ll be able to take legal action against your employer.

By making a claim for an accident at work, you might also reduce the chances of the one of your colleagues being injured in the same way, as it’s likely your employer will make safety changes to avoid the same thing happening again.

Will my employer be left out-of-pocket?

You might be worried that you’ll put your employer under financial pressure because of your claim – but that’s not true.

All businesses should have “liability insurance”, which covers them if an employee is injured while at work. This means your compensation will be paid by their insurance company, not by your employer personally.

This also means that you may still be able to make a claim if the company which caused your injury no longer exists – so long as the insurance company can be tracked down, then you can still make your claim.

What should you do if you’re injured at work?

Every workplace, in every industry, should have a procedure in place for when somebody is injured – this protects both the employers and employees.

In the shock of an accident, it can be difficult to remember what to do. If you have the chance, taking the steps below can help when it comes to making a compensation claim:

• Filling in the accident book – after an accident, the details of your injury (e.g. time, place, your contact details and a description) should be written in the accident book. If you can, we recommend that you get a copy of the page
• CCTV footage – depending on where your accident happened, your employer may have a CCTV camera. It’s best to get a copy of any footage of the accident if possible
• Collect witness accounts – unless you work remotely, it’s likely that one of your colleagues will have seen your accident. It might be helpful for your claim if you can get a statement from them as proof of what happened
• Take photos – if you can, take photographs of whatever caused your accident, as well as of the injury itself

Your compensation can cover lost earnings

It’s likely you’ve had to take time off work after suffering from your injury. On top of everything else, this probably means you’ve received a reduced wage, or maybe even no pay at all.

In some cases, you might have had to find a new job altogether because of your injuries, especially if your accident was particularly serious.

Our specialist solicitors will take all the financial impacts of your injury into consideration when making your work accident claim. As well as recovering your lost earnings, they’ll also look to cover:

• The cost of medical treatment
• Transport and accommodation costs
• Any alterations to your home or vehicle
• The future impact your injury might have on your career prospects

For more information, you can speak to an advisors for free on 0800 234 6438, or fill out your details into one of our secure forms at the top and bottom of this page.