Making a claim for a work injury
It is at least twice as likely that you will suffer an injury at work rather than anywhere else. There are several very important factors you will need to look into if you do become injured whilst at work. You should always make sure you report your injury as soon as possible, as this could be a useful reference point if you decide you want to make a claim for compensation against the party that is responsible for the accident.
There are many injuries that commonly occur at the workplace, the more severe injuries tend to happen in the trade and construction industry. This is probably due to the increase in hazards at an industrial workplace, than that of an office workplace. Here are some of the most common types of injuries suffered at work:
A variety of potential risks here, such as falling objects and big vehicles.
These tend to make up the majority of work injuries and can include dangers from working at heights and heavy equipment and machinery.
If you are using dangerous machinery you should have been informed about the risks and given all the relevant training.
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Faulty equipment injuries:
Defective machinery can often cause a work injury.
Injury from work vehicles is highly common and can occur through the negligence of those involved in the accident or insufficient precautions being put in place to prevent accidents.
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Manual handling injuries:
This can cause injuries such as vibration white finger, which is a common injury caused by frequently handling machinery.
Employer liability
If you suffer an injury at work you will be able to bring forward a compensation claim against your employer. If your employer has ensured that all the relevant health and safety precautions are in place, all risk assessments are regularly carried out and that all relevant training has been issued, then your claim will have less of a chance to gain compensation.
But if a work injury occurs and the worker feels that their employer did not make all relevant precautions then the employer can usually be held liable and compensation can be sought. Here are the major areas where an employer could be held liable:
This can be found if there has been a lack of training or the proper advice given for a job. If an injury occurs because of this negligence the employer can be held liable.
The employer has a responsibility to ensure all their employees are health and safety trained, and that all the necessary health and safety precautions are in place to prevent accidents. All equipment will need to have a risk assessment, which specifies the necessary precautions. If an employer neglects any of these areas and someone becomes injured due to this, then they will be liable.
To make a claim against an employer for a work injury you will need to make sure your claim is handled properly by seeking the expert advice of a professional work injury solicitor.