Your rights when making an accident at work claim

Five Fantastic Lawyers™
November 23, 2012

Guest post regarding making an accident at work claim.

At work, you want to feel safe when doing your job. Your employer is legally obliged to guarantee the safety of you and your colleagues at all times, meaning that anything that happens to any employee will affect them if they’re to blame, but what if you were to have an accident at work? What can you do?

Workplace accidents happen from time to time. In the UK in 2009/10, there were over 26,000 non-fatal but major injuries which afflicted people at work. Just over 95,000 minor injuries were sustained in the same period, which suggest that injuries suffered while working are more common than they should be. After a workplace accident, it can be hard to know what’s coming next.

Consequences of workplace accidents

If injured at work, it could mean dramatic changes for you. There’s a strong possibility that you may have to leave your job for a few months at least while you recover, which may mean you have little or no income besides statutory pay to speak of. Also, you might find even the most basic household chores impossible to do; meaning the only thing you can do is rest.

In many cases, workplace accidents are caused by such things as:

A lack of safety wear such as goggles and protective clothes when using machinery
A poorly-maintained/dirty office
Faulty equipment such as shelving or flimsy ladders
A lack of safety signs alerting workers to dangers in and around their workplace

When having an accident at work, knowing what to do is important. Getting medical help is the first step, but then there’s your financial predicament to worry about. Not having much income will make paying the bills even harder, which can be incredibly distressing if you know for sure that you’re not to blame.

Take action against your boss

If you can prove your employer is to blame for your accident on the job, you could take action against them. Recording the time and date of your accident will help, as well getting any evidence of your injury such as medical records or proof from any colleagues present during the incident leading to your injury.

Making a claim for compensation could help to recoup your losses from not being able to work. Your employer cannot fire you for doing so, meaning you have nothing to lose in going down that avenue. Firms like first4lawyers offer accident at work advice if you’re unsure of how to try and claim compensation.

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