We take on a surprising amount of personal injury compensation claims for workers who have been injured whilst on duty in nursing homes. So if this has happened to you, here is a little advice about your rights to claim in common nursing home injury scenarios.
The vast majority of injuries sustained involve manual handling. It’s common for a lot of patients to have severe mobility problems, so a large part of a role in a nursing home is lifting and manoeuvring people in and out and around beds.
Manual handling is a dangerous task, and must be carefully and properly planned by employers to ensure that employees are not injured when undertaking heavy lifting tasks. This for example involves:
- Proper training and supervision to allow any lifting techniques to be conducted safely.
- The use of mechanical assistance where applicable and appropriate – such as hoists.
- Risk assessments so any tasks that are undertaken are being done properly and have enough staff to partake in the action.
If your employer fails to do any of the above, you may have a claim. The common ones are too few people involved in a lifting technique, or inadequate use of hoists or other mechanical equipment. The strain that can be caused to your back from having to lift a person whilst in an awkward position (such as being next to a bed) can cause some serious damage.
Your Rights
All employers must have a policy of insurance to cover you for injuries at work that were preventable. So don’t worry about making a claim – you’re insured and it’s your human right to do so.
Back, neck, and shoulder injuries are the norm in these kinds of scenarios. They are often very painful and debilitating and will normally lead to a considerable period of time off work. In law you can claim for two main things:
- General Damages – for the pain, suffering, and loss of amenity caused by the injury.
- Special Damages – for losses and expenses like lost earnings or medical expenses.
We can arrange for private funding to assist in the rehabilitation of your injuries as well, and we should be able to assist on a fully 100% compensation basis and a genuine No Win, No Fee. Other law firms are now taking up to 25% from your payout and asking for No Win, No Fee insurance so don’t get stung!
Call us now on 0800 634 75 75 and find out if you have a claim for compensation today.
