Accident at Work | Advantage Solicitors

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Accident at Work

ACCIDENT AT WORK

The Law clearly states that you should be provided with suitable and safe workplace equipment. There is also a requirement that you should be trained properly to complete the required tasks and work together with other well trained employees who will not put you at any risk. If in the last three years you have suffered injuries as a result of your employers, managers or other employees failing to follow health and safety rules you are entitled to make a claim. Making a claim will not affect your employment rights.

Your accident at work may have resulted from one of the following in the list below:

  • Dangerous working practice
  • Poor or no risk assessment in place
  • Limited or no protective equipment provided
  • A preventable spillage
  • Falls from height
  • Badly maintained equipment

When can you claim for an accident at work?  

The time limit for work place accidents are 3 years from the date of the accident or of which you were first made aware of your injuries, if you did not realise your injury immediately. In some cases, such as asbestos cases it may take many years before you would realise that the work caused your injuries. In some instances, if a severe brain injury resulted from the workplace accident then as the employer cannot be expected to manage their own legal affairs the three-year rule will not apply. Please contact us if in doubt and we can provide more information.

How is my claim for accident at work funded?

Your claim for accident at work will be funded in the same way as any personal injury claim, namely via a no win no fee agreement basis. There will be no cost incurred by you.

What are the types of accidents at work?

  • Accident in Office

In the past majority of workplace accidents had taken place in industries such as factories and building sites. In recent years more people have been working based in offices, where the work is less physical and the risk of injury tends to be low. Nonetheless, offices can be high risk environments and therefore employers have the responsibility to ensure employees are safe in the workplace. There are many potential dangers that arise in an office. The employer has the duty to assess the risks and to reduce these risks to a minimum.

  • What are the types of work injury?

The various types of work injury we have provided advice and assistance on are; general workplace accidents (sector specific), lacerations, cuts, burns, back injuries, serious injuries, repetitive strain injuries and workplace fatalities.

Slips, Trips and Falls at the office

Advantage Solicitors have a dedicated team who specialise in representing clients who have sustained injury following a slip or trip in supermarkets, restaurants, workplace or on public places. We appreciate the stress and inconvenience caused by such accidents and are here to provide assistance and guidance. We always aim to obtain the maximum amount of compensation for your injuries.

Some common causes of slip and trips are as follows:

  • Defective manhole covers and grates;
  • Poorly maintained public spaces, footpaths and highways;
  • Cables and wires left out in a hazardous way;
  • Rubbish discarded carelessly;
  • Obstruction such as boxes, packaging cables on walkways;
  • Workplace spillages;
  • Poorly maintained workplace; and
  • Inadequate lighting.

If you have suffered a slip or trip accident, as a result of an area which was not reasonably clean and improperly maintained, then please contact us at Advantage Solicitors for legal advice.

  • Forklift truck accidents

A forklift truck by far is a dangerous piece of industrial transport equipment. A forklift truck must be driven with proper care under safe conditions whether used indoors or outside. Forklift trucks are used in close proximity with drivers, customers, warehouse workers and others and therefore can pose a real hazard and danger.  Employers must ensure there are designated traffic routes and pedestrian walkways, with markings on the floor, warning signs, notices and barriers.

  • Ladder accidents and falls from height

Falls from heights can lead to life changing injuries. Such accidents are most likely to cause death or serious injury in the workplace. In 2006 the government introduced new regulations, known as the Worker at Heights (amended Regulations 2007), to improve worker safety. The regulations apply to all work where there is a risk of a person at work falling from height, not just on construction sites but also in offices shops and other premises or workplaces. The regulations focus on how the injuries may be avoided or minimised by the proper use of safety equipment, proper documentation of procedures and proper training so that workers understand and can deal with any particular risks from the task they are carrying out. The safety equipment must be inspected, maintained and repaired and workers have to be trained in its proper use.

  • Use of ladders in the workplace

Ladders are commonly used pieces of equipment at work and their use is popular due to cost efficiency. Ladders should be used where a proper site assessment has been carried out. It is commonly well known that when the ladder is not secured properly from the top and bottom it may cause injuries. As a result, the ladder may slip away from beneath or fall sideways because it is not secured properly. On other occasions workers need a ladder on a roof and these surfaces are not even and can cause slipping and result in serious injury.

If you experienced an injury as a result of your work or on a construction site and suffered a fall from heights, contact our specialist team of lawyers who can advise you on whether or not you are eligible to make a claim for compensation.