HEALTH & SAFETY :: WORK ACCIDENT COMPENSATION

If you have suffered injury at work as a result of negligence by another person including co-workers, sub-contractors or your employer you are entitled to make a work accident compensation claim for damages for personal injury and other financial losses. In certain circumstances it is not necessary to prove that an employer has been negligent to claim compensation for a work accident if there has been a breach of statutory duty which ensures that liability is attributed to an employer in the absence of negligence or where there has been negligence that is difficult to prove.

SOLICITORS HELPLINE 0870 174 0140

Our specialist personal injury solicitors deal with work accident compensation claims using the risk free no win no fee scheme. Compensation for a work accident is paid in full with no deductions. Win or lose there is no charge. Our solicitors are all members of both the Solicitors Regulation Authority panel of personal injury experts and of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) ensuring that you have a highly experienced representative acting on your behalf. We offer free advice with no further obligation on work accident compensation claims. To make contact with us just use the helpline or complete the contact form.

SOLICITORS HELPLINE 0870 174 0140

The main principle that applies to work accident compensation claims relates to the fact that an employer must provide his employees with a ‘safe system of work’. Any deviation from this principle will ensure that the employer is negligent and liable to pay the employee compensation for any injury sustained in a work accident. The main question arising in these matters relates to exactly what a safe system of work amounts to. This question has been answered in a variety of ways including previously decided court cases and legislation, the majority of it recently emanating from the EU, which governs health and safety in the workplace. There are now separate Statutes and Statutory Instruments that cover almost all working environments with the overriding principles being encompassed in the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 which is the primary legislation covering occupational health and safety in the United Kingdom. The Health and Safety Executive is responsible for enforcing the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 together with other Acts and Statutory Instruments relevant to the working environment.

SOLICITORS HELPLINE 0870 174 0140

The amount awarded in work accident compensation claims includes damages for any financial losses together with a sum for the pain and suffering caused by the injury. The amount of compensation for personal injury incurred in a work accident depends on the extent of the injuries, the length of time taken to recover and whether or not there are any long term consequences or disabilities. This sum is assessed by a judge based on his own legal experience, previously decided cases and government guidelines recommended by the Judicial Studies Board. In addition damages can be claimed for changes in lifestyle, loss of future opportunities and all estimated future losses including wages.

SOLICITORS HELPLINE 0870 174 0140

Most serious injuries that occur in the workplace result from falls from height, moving vehicle collisions, falling objects, powered mechanical presses and entanglement in rotating cogs and shafts. Industries particularly involved in these incidents include manufacturing, construction and agriculture. The most common industrial injury relates to back pain which accounts for more days off work than all other workplace injuries added together and is often the result of employers failing to carry out adequate and legally required risk assessments. The next most common injury relates to trips, slips and falls most often caused by an employer failing to abide by specific statutory requirements to keep workplaces and corridors free from debris. Some of the most severe injuries arise from collisions with internal vehicles particularly fork lift trucks which are frequently driven carelessly or recklessly by inadequately trained employees.