Work Related Injury News:

Work related Accidents

Claiming compensation for a work-related injury

To make a claim for a work related injury you will need to provide evidence that your injuries are the result of a preventable accident or incorrect working practice in your workplace.

Although employers have a duty to ensure your safety at work, simply having an accident in the workplace does not necessarily entitle you to compensation.
Employees also have a responsibility to ensure their own safety at work and abide by appropriate health and safety practices in the workplace.

If you do have an accident at work, or suffer from work-related health problems, it is important to seek professional legal advice as soon as possible.

To prove the case in court, your lawyer may need statements from witnesses, employers logs and details of previous similar work accidents.

It will need to be proven that the injuries were the liability of the employer and, as part of the process, you may have to give evidence against your employer.

Naturally many people are reluctant to do this but, as health and safety has become an increasingly important business issue, this is not usually as bad as it once was. In most cases business are eager to learn from the case to shape their working practices to avoid larger cases in the future.

That said, it is understandable that there is some trepidation over claiming against your own boss but a solicitor will be willing to discuss the possible repercussions before you make a final decision on whether to claim.Common injuries in the workplace

Common injuries that sometime result in compensation claims for workplace accidents include:

Back problems
Hernia
Injuries to hands, such as broken or lost fingers
Eye injuries
Broken limbs
Industrial diseases such as vibration white finger
Injuries resulting from falls
Crush injuries

Cases involving common injuries are normally easier to settle as the compensation levels will already be well known and accepted by both sides.

Problems, and therefore delays, occur when one side disagrees on the compensatory amount to be awarded - which may depend on the severity of injuries and the circumstances of the accident - or when an employer contests their liability for the accident.