If you have had an accident at work that wasn’t your fault, you may have a potential claim for compensation. This is because whilst you are at work, your employer had a duty of care to ensure that you are not exposed to dangerous working conditions. There should be health and safety measures in place to stop a work related accident from happening.
If you are unsure if you have a valid claim, we suggest you try speaking to an independent firm of personal injury solicitors. A personal Injury solicitor will be able to assess your situation and advise you accordingly as to whether you have a successful claim or not.
If you decide to pursue your claim for compensation, you should in no way feel guilty about doing so. Your employer can’t, by law, treat you any differently or cease your employment as a result of your accident. Your employer will have insurance which covers these types of incidents; the insurance is where the compensation payment comes from, as well as any fees for treatments or expenses you might have had as a result of the accident.
Measures to follow: After your accident there are a number of steps that should have been taken to ensure your accident is dealt with efficiently.
First of all, you should have been attended to by a first aider at your company. Your accident should have been recorded in your company’s accident book. You should have attended hospital or visited your GP so that your injuries can be assessed, and noted in your medical records. When you return to work, ideally you should be asked to discuss the incident with your manager to assess the situations you are working in and to ensure the accident doesn’t happen again. Steps may need to be taken by your employer to ensure your working area is safe.
It’s always a good idea to record exactly what happened in your own words; perhaps make sure that you have taken the names of any colleagues that witnessed the accident. Also, it can be a good idea to take photos of your injuries – they can support your statement when you chose to claim.
Try to keep any receipts or appointment slips of any expenses you have had to pay out for your accident, or for any medical appointments you have attended. These can again be submitted in your claim for compensation.
Your personal injury solicitor will be able to talk you through and guide you when you are making your claim. It is always best to try and choose an independent law firm -that way you know that they won’t have had to pay any referral fees for your claim, which often happens with claims management companies and insurers. Also, independent firms will be able to focus on you rather than having to meet any targets if they are tied to an insurance company, for example. You will also have the peace of mind in knowing that your claim is being dealt with by an expert rather than a claims handler, who really aren’t qualified to deal with personal injury claims.
