Accidents at Work

Being involved in an accident at work can be quite upsetting, particularly if you have been seriously injured in the accident. Initially, you will be in pain and trying to recover from the injuries you have suffered and in addition, there is likely to be an investigation into the accident by the Health and Safety Executive, if the incident was a serious one, or just by your employer, for a less serious accident.

This will help your employer to understand what caused the accident and take action to avoid anyone else being injured in the same way. Where your employer has responsibility for the accident, you could make a compensation claim, due to their failure to keep you safe whilst you were at work.

All employers have responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to keep their employees safe, and this means that there is the potential to make a claim against them. An element of some responsibility for the accident may lie with you. For example, if you did not wear the Personal Protective Equipment, known as PPE, given to you by your employer, although, in these circumstances, there would be a deduction made from the compensation award.

You may feel uncomfortable with the idea of making a claim against your employer and you may worry that your employer could treat you differently as a result. However, they have to have insurance in place to cover these sorts of work accident claims and they are not allowed by law to treat you differently as a result of a work accident or compensation claim.

If you decide to make a compensation claim, there are a number of elements that make up your claim. The first is compensation for your injuries. The more serious your injuries, the higher the levels of compensation will be and if your injuries are life-changing, you will receive compensation for your continued care for the rest of your life. In addition to this, if your employer does not pay your sick pay for your time off, this will be included in your claim. Where you need treatment, rehabilitation, physiotherapy or any special equipment or adaptations to your home or car as a result of your accident and injuries, this will also be added in.

A work accident can have serious repercussions on your life, so think carefully about making a compensation claim and take advice from a specialist solicitor.

If you would like to find out more about an accident at work compensation, please call Julian Cole now on 01264 325805 or email: jcole@bsandi.co.uk  and he will be happy to discuss making an accident at work claim with you.