If you have been injured in an accident at work, such as by slipping on a wet floor, you may be able to claim compensation. Ordinarily the claim would be against your employer presuming that they own the premises in which the accident occurred. This could differ in certain circumstances. For example if you worked in a council building which let offices out to various companies. Under the terms of the contract your employer is likely to be responsible for the offices which they let. Say for example your accident occurred in the corridor or in the communal kitchen area – this may be an area which the council are responsible for. However if the accident occurred at your place of work and this is your employers own building, any claim would be against your employer.
In terms of slipping on a wet floor at work, we would consider whether there was any warning of the danger. Was there a wet floor sign in place? If a wet floor sign was not in place then it would be more difficult for the Defendant to deny liability. Even if there was a wet floor sign, this does not necessarily mean that you cannot claim. We would query whether the wet floor sign was clearly visible or whether it was obstructed. In law you often hear the phrase “every case is different”. Well this is true and this is the reason you need to speak to a team of experienced and dedicated personal injury lawyers.
It is understandable that people are reluctant to pursue a claim against their employer. However if you have sustained injury in an accident at work which was not your fault, it is your right to claim compensation. Often there are other considerations to think about; say for example you had to take 4 weeks off work following the accident due to the injuries you sustained. This may have been unpaid or you may have only received the basis Statutory Sick Pay. If you did not receive your normal wage then you suffered a loss of income due to the accident. We can attempt to recover for this loss as part of your claim.
In addition we can look to claim other losses as well like damaged clothing/property, care and assistance, medical expenses etc. This is very important as if your income stops suddenly due to an accident people naturally become concerned about providing for themselves and their family, paying the mortgage etc. In some cases we may be able to request and obtain something called an interim payment. This would be a payment made to you before your claim is settled. This can help with things like paying the bills and paying for shopping if you are out of work due to the injuries you sustained in the accident. Any interim payment would be made by the Defendant or the Defendant’s insurers. Naturally an interim payment is more likely to be made in cases involving more serious injuries and in cases where liability is not disputed.
We will assess your claim for free on a no obligation basis. Do not hesitate to contact us today.
