Workplace Accident Claims – Injury Compensation

Your Employer’s Duty of Care

It’s your employer’s duty to provide a safe workplace for you. If they don’t do this, they may be in breach of the law, as it’s a legal obligation for all employers to ensure a duty of care by managing and carrying out work safely on their premises and in accordance with their policies. A work accident usually involves faulty equipment or substandard conditions of the premises or the working environment. These kinds of incidents should ideally be avoided or prevented. 

It is an employer’s duty to protect staff and inform them about health and safety procedures such as.

• Employers must carry out regular risk assessments in the workplace, inside and out.
• They must ensure the health and safety of employees and visitors.
• First aid equipment and facilities must be available for use.
• Employees must also take reasonable care over their own health and safety.

Am I entitled to be paid if I was injured at work?

Reporting the Accident

Employers have a legal responsibility to report certain accidents and incidents, and in some instances pay the employee statutory sick pay or contractual sick pay and give them time off because of the work related accident. If you’ve been involved in a work related accident it’s a good idea to make sure the accident has been reported too. Your employer must report any injury that prevents an employee from doing their normal work for more than three days.

At Synnott Lawline ourteam of dedicated, experienced solicitors specialise in helping people to bring a claim for injuries and illnesses that have happened at work. We endeavour to make sure you get the best legal advice possible and given access to the appropriate support services to recover from your injuries or ill-health. We aim to give you good, solid advice in plain English throughout your claim, so you will always know what’s happening. Talk to us today, we will help you start your claim

5 Tips – What to do if you’ve been injured at work

1. Report your workplace injury

   However apprehensive you may feel, the first thing to do if you’ve been injured at work is to notify your management team/employer of the incident. Ensure you report where and how the accident occurred, with as much detail and accuracy as possible.

2. Seek medical attention as soon as possible

   If If you’ve had any type of injury at work, seek medical attention as soon as possible to ensure your injuries are properly addressed. Keep an accurate record of all medical receipts and reports. At your first GP or hospital visit, make sure you provide as much detail as possible about the accident and how it occurred. These medical records are often requested by defendants while the case is ongoing.

3. Keep medical record from when the injury occurred

   Where keep a diary of events from the date of the accident and any related sequence of events. This diary may include dates and expenses for GP/doctor visits due to the injuries sustained in the accident. Also keep a record of any other expenses, such as loss of income or travel expenses.

4. Keep a record of any evidence from where the accident occurred

   Keep take photos of the scene of the accident and/or your injuries. Maintain contact details of any witnesses or co-workers who were present or involved in the accident. Your solicitor may need to contact parties present or involved at a later stage, as the defence often request this.

5. Find out if you are entitled to Statutory Sick Pay

   In some instances an employer will give the employee time off work to recover and pay the statutory sick pay or contractual sick pay.

Work related accidents that an employer must report

What type of workplace accident can I claim For?

There are a large number of different workplace accidents you could be involved in, ranging from minor to catastrophic and sometimes fatal. Workplace industry sectors and environments where accidents commonly occur include the following but is not exclusive to: