Archives

It is no exaggeration when I tell you that injuries caused by the incorrect lifting of objects, whether it be in the course of your employment or indeed otherwise, are some of the most common and worryingly easy to get.

It is important to understand that it doesn’t matter whether you are the utmost prime condition, or if you are like me, after somewhat overindulging through Christmas, you’re feeling a little snug around the midriff – lifting injuries are not dictated by how fit you are, it is all do to with how you position yourself before and during the process of lifting, and also, which is similarly important, how you place the object down after moving can also have identical repercussions on your back and spine if not carried out correctly.

With this in mind then, and if you have ever been asked to move around objects at work and have done so without ever really giving it a second thought (I know I have before), it is worth understanding that from your employers perspective it is a legal obligation to ensure that, before any carrying of any kind is carried out, a course of sufficient and reasonable training and practice is compulsory to show all employees how to lift in a way which ensures a good centre of gravity over the object at all times, and covers all bases and precautions which must be undertaken before any lifting is attempted.
Read More

Every year, as Christmas draws nearer, my inner child is always awakened with the first fall of snow. Let’s be honest; our country has never been renowned for its white Christmases. Having said this, over recent years Mother Nature has attempted to give us some snowy cheer, and whilst we all love a bit of snow, the harsh reality is that claims for personal injury that are caused directly by snow go on the rise.

In a working environment, it is important to realise that employers are under a legal obligation to provide working conditions which are safe and free form reasonable danger for their employees. Keeping this in mind when thinking of snow, ice, and harsh wintry conditions, from a legal perspective, you have to take in to account employees wading through the snow and bringing water in to the workplace from the soles of their footwear.

Now, your employer has the duty of care to ensure that all walkways are safe and free of hazards; something that needs to be reviewed even more closely during harsh weather conditions. They must ensure that all floors are kept suitable to walk on- cornering off any unsuitable areas with warning signs and deterrents, or perhaps ensue to dry and water or moisture from the floor as quickly as possible. In light of this, if you have had an accident at work as a result of poor weather conditions or otherwise, and you believe that your employer failed to provide adequate warning or deterrent to prevent your accident, there is a high possibility that you may be able to claim for compensation.
Read More

Have you tripped over at work, and ended up injured as a result? If you have, you may have a successful claim for compensation from your employers insurance.

To find out whether you have a claim or not, it is always best to seek advice from a specialist personal injury lawyer as soon as you can. In the meantime, the advice below should help you out a little and give you an insight in to tripping claims at work

Your Employers ARE Responsible
Read More

I’m only in my mid-twenties, yet I have started making that struggling groaning sound whenever I bend my back or get up from a seat! It’s probably more to do with the whiplash injury I’ve been suffering with over summer; but it does make you wonder!

Anyway; our backs are one of the most important areas of our body. At the end of the day, the job of your back is to pretty much carry the rest of you! My understanding is that backache is relatively common, and injuring your back is unfortunately very easy to do. That’s why we must take care when using our backs to ensure we don’t do any damage to them.

In a workplace scenario, there are specific rules and regulations that your employer must abide by to ensure you do not injure your back at work!
Read More

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…
Read More

Site Safety, Protective Equipment, Work Equipment, Private Residences / Small Builders

Building sites are dangerous places – it’s the reason why the health and safety rules and regulations are so tight for people who have to either access them or work on them. The standard “hard hats and safety boots” are usually on signs dotted around various entry points to sites to make sure the basic protection is provided; but there is of course much more to it than that.

Site Safety
Read More

This is one of the most common questions I hear here at The Injury Lawyers – you’ve been injured in an accident through no fault of your own, and you want to know if you have the right to make a claim for compensation.

The answer is simple – find out by calling us today, and we can usually tell you within minutes if you have a claim or not. However, if you are not quite sure about calling us yet (although there’s nothing to worry about – our advice is on a no obligation basis, and we certainly don’t bite!), read this little help article for you below and we may be able to answer some of the questions you have relating to whether you have a claim for compensation of not.

When Can You Make a Claim for Compensation?
Read More

If you have been injured as a result of an accident at work, you may be entitled to claim compensation. The latest government figures for 2010 show that 147 people were killed whilst at work, and over 121,000 other accidents happened at work that were serious enough to need reporting to the governments Health and Safety Executive.

If you are injured whilst you are at work or because of your work, your employer may be responsible for paying you compensation if they have failed to meet their legal responsibility to keep their employees safe.

In the vast majority of cases, the claim will be dealt with by the employer’s insurance company. It is a legal requirement for all employers to have insurance in place to cover the risk of employees being injured at work.
Read More

At The Injury Lawyers we are proud to say we are experts in the field of personal injury law.  We deal only in personal injury law, and we have years and years of experience between our expert injury lawyers.

Each day we get numerous calls with potential new claims and we are extremely happy to look into each potential claim to see if it is something we can help you out with.  Our clients are our lifeblood; they are who we work for, and for each and every one we genuinely fight tooth and nail to get them the maximum compensation they deserve.

Over the years we have had some particularly interesting cases and some particularly unusual ones.  Today, I will be writing about forklift truck and pallet truck accidents; a category of accident claim that I would class as potentially fairly regular…
Read More

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; there really are countless rules and regulations that your employers have to abide by in order to uphold health and safety legislation in the workplace. Ultimately, your employers attitude towards safe workplaces and conditions has a significant impact on someone very important in the firm; you!

Your employer must do everything they can reasonably and practically do to ensure that your workplace and working conditions are safe and hazard-free. This comes down to everything – the floors you walk on, the desks you sit at, the warehouses you carry boxes round, the equipment you use, and the equipment provided to you to assist you to stay safe in your job.

The focus of this blog is the workplace itself.
Read More