For some people, using a ladder can be a pretty scary thing – fear of heights is a pretty common phobia. For others, working up ladders is your bread and butter; builders, window cleaners, roofers, etc. In reality, we are all probably aware that working up a ladder comes with its inherent dangers. That’s the reason why there is important legalisation in place that is designed to ensure that accidents from ladders do not occur.
According to the HSE, there were around 3,350 major incidents at work that were caused by falls from height; of further concern, there were 46 fatal incidents…
So, what do you do and where do you stand if you have an accident whilst up a ladder at work? Firstly, it’s important to understand the duties your employer has to you to ensure that you are safe from fall from height injuries.
Your employer must avoid, where possible, any working at height tasks. If they cannot be avoided, it is your employers’ duty to provide the necessary equipment and safety equipment to make working at height as safe as possible. The consequences of injuring yourself at height should be minimised as much as possible.
The next thing your employer has to do for any working at height tasks is ensure that the task is done safely and in accordance with the important legislation that’s in place. You should be fully trained in how to use ladders and perform any tasks involving ladders as safely as possible.
Regular re-training is also a must. Risk assessments of any ladder related tasks must always be done; things such as the weather, the stability of the surface, the correct type of ladder, and the quality of the ladder need to be looked at before you go ahead and do your job.
You should be seriously concerned if you use ladders at work, and the above is not familiar to you in any way…
Do You Have a Claim?
If you have an accident at work because your employers have failed in the important duty of care they have for you, you are entitled to make a claim for compensation from your employers’ liability insurance.
It’s the law to have an insurance policy in place to cover you for injuries you sustain at work through no fault of your own. So, first things first – it’s an entirely normal and natural process to claim from the insurance which exists for your to make a claim from. You have a legal right to claim from it, and there is nothing your employers can do to adversely effect your employment in any way shape or form – so fear not, you are fully protected.
All you need to make your ladder injury claim is contact us for some specialist advice as to whether you can make a claim for compensation or not. We will not only provide you with our best advice, but as a firm of specialist personal injury lawyers with experience in ladder injury claims and expertise in all areas of injury law, we will represent you for your claim.
In our experience, the majority of our clients who have been injured in ladder accidents are seriously hurt. Normally, time off work is a given; which means lost earnings and potential financial hardship can occur. We will make sure to try our best to get you an interim payment before the case settles to help you out as much as we can. We will also arrange for any private medical care that you need, at no cost to you (even if the claim loses), to hopefully get you back on your feet and on the road to recovery as quickly as we can.
For us, it’s not just about getting you the maximum amount of compensation we can for you; it’s about getting you better as fast as we can.
