If you have been injured in an accident at work, either at your place of work or at some other premises in the course of your employment there are some key things you should do:
• Report the matter as soon as possible to a member of your management team and /or someone in authority
• Ensure an entry in the accident book is made
• If there are any witnesses to what happened get their contact details,; they may leave the company and without their details you will be unable to get in touch with them
• If possible, depending on the nature of your injuries, take photographs of the cause of the accident e.g obstructions on the floor; faulty work equipment etc.
• Make a note of the date and time of the accident (and a description of the accident location, if it is not your usual place of work)
• Obtain medical advice by attending your GP, walk-in-centre or hospital depending on the nature of your injuries and explain fully what happened
Your employer has a duty to provide a safe place and a safe system for their employees to work. Employers cannot predict or prevent absolutely everything, but they can and must carry out regular health and safety risk assessments and put in place measures to limit the risks to employees.
Accidents at work fall under the category of personal injury compensation claims. This is a legal process designed to help victims of preventable accidents in the workplace claim with financial recompense for their injuries and other related losses, such as , loss of earnings, medical expenses.
There are a large number of different workplace accidents you could be involved in ranging from slips; accidents involving defective machinery; falls from scaffolding or ladders; accidents involving manual handling and the lifting of heavy objects to name but a few.
Even a minor accident in a warehouse can cause pain and possibly loss of earnings. Serious accidents can be life changing or even fatal and most can be avoided if safety is taken seriously.
What we must prove to succeed in your claim for compensation is that your employer failed in their duty to provide a safe working environment for all employees. We need to show that your employer failed in their legal obligation to remove or reduce a hazard that caused your accident. If a Court find that the employer could have taken reasonable steps to prevent your accident it is likely that your claim will succeed.
The amount of compensation you receive depends very much on the nature of your accident and the seriousness of the injuries sustained. However, such a claim may include:
• Loss of income, including future losses and losses caused by time off work;
• Changes to your ability to work in the future;
• Adaptions to your home or car
• Medical bills if you are receiving treatment as a result of the accident
• Care you need in order to recover, rehabilitate or live with your injuries
There is a time limit of 3 years to issue court proceedings from the date of your accident and therefore if you have been injured in an accident at work we recommend that you take legal advice as soon as possible.
Give RJT Solicitors a call on 01942 409154 for a free no obligation chat.
