Accidents at Work

Accidents at Work

Your employer owes you a duty of care to keep you safe from harm while you are at work. They are responsible for:

• Carrying out risk assessments to help reduce risks to your health and safety
• Providing you with up-to-date training
• Providing you with personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Providing you with suitable and safe equipment and machinery which are regularly maintained
• Providing safe work systems
• Following and meeting health and safety regulations

If you believe that your employer has failed in their responsibility to keep you safe and you have suffered an injury or illness following an accident or incident, you may be able to make a personal injury claim against them.

Free Initial Discussion

For a no-obligation discussion, call our specialist Personal Injury Solicitors on 01642 247656, email us at info@watsonwoodhouse.co.uk or use our contact form, and we will call you back.

What type of accident or incident can I claim for?

There are many different types of workplace accidents or incidents that can cause you to suffer an injury or illness. Here are some of the most common types of accidents or incidents you can claim for:

• Slip, trip or fall
• Defective or poorly maintained equipment
• Lack of training or personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Defective, faulty or dangerous machinery
• Falls from height
• Falling objects
• Assaults at work

If you have been involved in a workplace accident (even if it is not mentioned above), contact us today to speak to one of our specialist accident at work lawyers at 01642 247656, email us at info@watsonwoodhouse.co.uk or use our contact form, and we will call you back.

What type of injury or illness can I claim for?

If your employer has failed to keep you safe from harm, and you have suffered an injury, you have a right to claim compensation if you have suffered anything from a soft tissue injury to a brain injury. Here are just some examples of the types of injuries you can claim for:

• Soft tissue injuries
• Broken bones
• Damaged ligaments
• Dislocations
• Lacerations/ cuts and bruises
• Scarring
• Psychological injuries/ PTSD/ Anxiety and Depression etc.
• Head and facial injuries
• Dental and jaw injuries
• Eye injuries/ full or partial loss of sight
• Injuries requiring surgical intervention
• Burn and scald injuries
• Work-related dermatitis/ skin conditions
• Spinal injuries
• Brain injuries

How much compensation can I claim?

If you have suffered an injury at work, which was not your fault, you are entitled to claim compensation. Your personal injury claim (also known as general damages claim) comprises your pain, suffering and loss of amenity. The amount of compensation you can claim is dependent on a number of different factors:

• The nature and number of injuries or illnesses
• The severity of your injuries or illness
• Effects on your day-to-day life
• The length of your expected recovery
• If you have suffered a permanent injury
• Whether you have been recommended to undertake treatment to aid your recovery

Our highly experienced personal injury team will assess the value of your personal injury claim using their wealth of knowledge and experience and the ‘Judicial College Guidelines’ which reflect recent cases that have already been assessed by Judges through the Court process. The guidelines provide an extensive list of injuries with differing monetary values for differing severity of injuries. Your personal injury lawyer will refer to the appropriate guidelines, along with established case law when calculating the value of your general damages to ensure that we seek recovery of the appropriate level of compensation you deserve.

Can I claim for financial losses arising out of an ‘Accident at Work’?

You may be able to claim for financial losses you have suffered as a result of an accident or incident at work. Financial losses are often referred to as ‘Special Damages’.

There is a whole range of financial losses that you may have suffered as a result of the accident or incident that you may wish to include as part of your personal injury claim. However, it is important that you make a record of all financial losses that you wish to claim for such as:

• Loss of earnings
• Prescription charges
• Rehabilitation treatment
• Damages belongings or clothing

To enable you to make a successful claim for financial losses, it is vitally important that you keep as much evidence as you can, including but not limited to:

• Wage slips/ contract of employment/ contract of business
• Receipts
• Quotes for treatment
• Quotes for replacement items which were damaged in the accident or incident

As a claimant, you have a duty to ‘mitigate your losses’. This means you must take reasonable action to minimise or reduce the losses you have suffered. Therefore, if you have been recommended treatment by a medical expert, we may be able to ask the Defendant’s representatives to arrange any recommended treatment to aid your recovery. If you fail to mitigate your losses, you may not be able to recover all of the losses you are claiming.

What should I do if I have been involved in an ‘Accident at Work’?

We understand that being injured in an accident or incident at work can be distressing and you may not be sure what to do. However, it is important that you gather as much information as you can at this stage as it can help strengthen your case. Where possible, we would recommend you take the following steps:

• Did anyone witness the accident or incident? If so, collect their personal details. as we may wish to contact them to discuss the accident circumstances.
• If you are aware of any recordings or footage that may have captured the accident or incident taking place such as CCTV footage, doorbell footage, dash cam or body-worn camera footage, request that the footage is retained and ask for a copy.
• Take photographs of where the accident took place. Make sure you photograph the hazard, faulty equipment or machinery that caused the accident or incident.
• Take photographs of your injuries.
• Report the accident or incident and your injuries to your employer.
• Ensure that the accident or incident is recorded in your employer’s accident book.
• Where possible, obtain and retain the information of any staff members, patients or third parties who were involved in the incident which resulted in your injuries. This could include their name and contact details.
• If you need medical assistance, keep a record of any treatment you receive.

We pride ourselves on the service that we offer our clients. We understand how difficult it can be to deal with an employer after an accident or incident that wasn’t your fault. This can be especially difficult if you’ve suffered an injury or illness.

Our dedicated lawyers specialise in representing those who have suffered injuries at work and offer you a free, no-obligation consultation. Contact us today to discuss your accident at work on 01642 247656, email us at info@watsonwoodhouse.co.uk or use our contact form, and we will call you back.