Accident at Work Solicitors UK: Making a Claim

Accidents can happen almost anywhere. Accidents, such as slips, trips and falls are very common and can sometimes lead to severe life-changing injuries. 

Your employers have a duty of care to provide a safe working environment where employees should feel at ease to work. One of your employer’s main duties is to prevent injury at work and ensure all employees are safe in the workplace. Your employer is under an obligation to provide a safe place to work under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The workplace (Health, Safety, and Welfare) Regulations (1992) and The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 impose a duty on your employer to ensure that the work environment is always clean and maintained to a high safety standard.

 

Accident at work Solicitors UK: Common Causes Of Accidents At Work

 

There are so many different types of jobs in which you can get injured and sustain various injuries that weren’t your fault. Employees should be properly trained and should always be warned of any potential risks involved with carrying out their duties. There are many causes of accidents in the workplace, all varying from minor to severe injuries. 

Below are some accidents at work claims that our clients have come to us with: 

· Slips, Trips and Falls-These types of accidents either happen because the workplace has uneven floors, slippery surfaces or simply due to poor housekeeping. Slips, trips and falls commonly cause minor and severe injuries, depending on what part of your body you land on and how hard your fall was. Failure to warn employees of these hazards and failure to remove a hazard within a reasonable period can amount to employers’ negligence as they will have breached their duty to protect their employees and their safety. 

Repetitive Activities:  If your job is a desk job, and it consists of you typing on a keyboard all day, or if you need to use specific machinery repeatedly, you may be at risk of sustaining a ‘repetitive strain injury’. As part of your employer’s duty, they should minimise these injuries by offering more breaks or swapping employees doing the hand manual jobs every so often. If the risks of getting these injuries are not dealt with straight away, long-term conditions such as ‘Vibration White Finger’ can develop. 

· Falls From Heights- Falling from a height can lead to several severe injuries, including shoulder or arm injuries. Therefore, your employer must minimise your risks when you are required to work at height. Common causes of accidents when working at height include defective ladders or poorly constructed scaffolding. 

· Road Traffic Accidents- If your job involves making deliveries or driving, you may be provided with a company vehicle. If you were involved in a car accident, you might suffer from an injury due to a vehicle defect. In these circumstances, you may be able to claim compensation for your damage against your employer or the car manufacturer/leasing company. If another driver caused your accident, you would make your claim against the other driver’s insurance company. 

· Improper Manual Handling-If, your job role involves picking up and carrying heavy objects. An appropriate amount of detailed training should have been provided by your employer to ensure you know how to carry out your job safely. Your employer should also provide proper lifting equipment if required. Lifting objects incorrectly, repetitively, or items that are too heavy may cause you to damage your back and shoulders. 

Building Site Accidents: Building sites are prone to accidents and injuries due to construction sites’ dangerous nature. Lack of safety and precaution on sites can lead to employees sustaining severe injuries. Common types of accidents on building sites include trips and falls over tools or rubble left on walkways, falls from poorly constructed scaffolding etc. 

· Accidents Caused By Colleagues – Fellow Colleagues can also be negligent, as they may make mistakes, such as leaving equipment or spillages on the floor, leading to slip and trip accidents. Your fellow employees may act dangerously in the workplace and not follow safety rules. They may operate machinery unsafely, drive workplace vehicles such as cranes, tractors, or forklift trucks without care for other colleagues, or drive company cars negligently. This negligence can cause multiple injuries and will make work an unsafe place. 

If you have been injured at work as the result of someone else’s negligence, contact Beacon Law to find out if you could make a claim.

 

 Types Of Injuries You Can Sustain From an Accident At Work

 

 Accidents at work can affect any part of your body. Injuries can vary from minor to severe depending on the accident. Accidents that involve falling or heavy objects can cause severe injuries that can cause you to have time off work and have a massive impact on your daily life,

 

There are many accidents that you can suffer from due to an injury at work. Here are a few of the most common injuries:

 

• Brain and Head Injuries
• Back Muscle, Spinal and Spinal Cord Injuries
• Loss of vision
• Amputations
• Burn and Scald Injuries
• Fatal Injuries
• Fractures
• Soft tissue injuries

 

Accident at Work Solicitors UK:  Can I Claim For An Accident At Work

 

 Employers and business owners are legally responsible for their employees’ welfare and safety and anyone who visits their premises. By law, all businesses must hold ‘Employers Liability Insurance’, under health and safety regulations and employment law.

 

If you feel unsafe at work due to your employer’s failure to meet their responsibilities, and their negligence has led to you being injured in an accident at work, you can make an accident at work claim.

 

In certain circumstances, even if you were partly at fault for your injury at work, you may still be able to make a work compensation claim, but only if your employer was the main initiator of your damage.

 

There are often concerns associated with claiming against an employer as many will be worried that the result will be negative and that they may be dismissed or treated negatively. We can assure you that your employer will not be legally allowed to terminate your employment or treat you negatively just because you are filing a claim against them.

 

Your employer should have appropriate insurance in place to cover instances of any of their employees being injured due to their negligence or breach of statutory duty. Your employer will not suffer any direct, personal financial loss if they have adequate insurance in place.

 

 How Much Would I Receive From An Accident At Work Compensation Claim?

 

The amount of compensation awarded for your injuries will be based on the level of pain and suffering and loss of amenity resulting from the injury (general damages). It is challenging to value a claim without knowing all the details of the injury. As many injuries are complex, especially those that are ongoing, it may be necessary to obtain a medical evaluation of your injuries before estimating the value. There are many online compensation calculators which may give you a general estimation of how much your claim could be worth; however, these will not always be accurate.

 

You will also be entitled to claim any additional financial losses incurred due to the accident (special damages), such as past and future loss of earnings, medical expenses and travel costs.

 

Compensation will vary depending on which part of the body is injured because of the accident and how severe the injury was. Here are the values of compensation based on the ‘Judicial College Guidelines’:

 

• Brain Damage: From £12,210 to £322,060
• Deafness or tinnitus: Up to £36,310
• Epilepsy: From £8,480 to £119,650
• Facial Injuries: From £870 to £36,310 depending on the type of injury
• Changes to taste and smell: From £15,300 to £31,220
• Eye and sight injuries: From £1,760 to £322,060
• PTSD: From £3,150 to £80,250
• Psychiatric Illnesses: From £1,220 to £92,240
• Back Injury: Up to £128,320
• Neck Injury: Up to £118,240
• Whiplash: From £300 to £6,290
• Shoulder Injuries: Up to £38,280
• Arm amputation: From £76,650 to £239,140
• Hand Injury: Up to £160,600
• Elbow Injury: Up to £43,710
• Fractures and nerve damage to the arms: From £5,280 to £104,370
• Hand-arm vibration syndrome and vibration white finger: From £2,390 to £25,220
• Upper limb disorders caused by work: From £1,760 to £18,440
• Wrist Injuries: Up to £47,720
• Injuries to the hips and pelvis: Up to £104,370 depending on the seriousness of the injury
• Injuries to the Achilles tendon: From £5,800 to £30,630 depending on the severity of the injury
• Ankle Injuries: Up to £55,560
• Foot Injuries: Up to £160,600, more severe injuries, such as amputation of both feet, will be at the higher end of the spectrum.
• Knee Injuries: Up to £76,690 for the most severe knee injuries. Those which recover completely or have minimal long term symptoms will be worth up to £10,960
• Leg Injuries: Up to £224,800 for severe injuries, such as amputation of both legs. Less severe injuries such as fractures or soft tissue injuries leaving no permanent issues will be worth up to £11,220
• Toe Injuries: Up to £7,650 for toe injuries leaving no long term problems. Severe injuries and loss of toes will be worth between £7,650 and £44,710
• Most minor injuries will be worth between £550 and £1,950. Minor damage is fully recovered from within three months of when the accident occurred.
• Chronic pain disorders, such as complex regional pain syndrome, will be valued between £16,800 and £66,970.
• Injuries involving paralysis may be valued between £39,330 and £322,060
• Digestive System Injuries: Between £730 for minor symptoms and £49,350 for severe damage to the digestive system and toxicosis.
• Kidney injuries: Up to £167,690. The injuries calculation for more severe damage or loss of both kidneys will be at the higher end of the spectrum.
• Bladder injuries: Up to £146,840
• Chest Injuries: Up to £119,650 for the most severe injuries to the chest, such as severe heart or lung damage. Muscle injuries and fractured ribs will be worth up to £3,150. Injuries from the inhalation of smoke or toxic fumes will be worth between £4,240 and £10,040
• Spleen Injuries: Between £3,470 and £20,950
• Lung diseases: Between £1,760 and £108,370
• Hernia Injuries: Between £2,710 and £19,260
• Female reproductive organs: Between £2,700 and £135,030
• Male reproductive organs: Between £5,280 and £112,100
• Disease caused by asbestos: Between £12,020 and £100,350
• Asthma: Up to £52,390
• Scarring and burns: From £1,890 to £83,550

 

Accident at Work Solicitors UK: No Win No Fee Claims

 

We will fund your case under a ‘no win, no fee’ basis (‘Conditional Fee Agreement’). This means that if your claim is unsuccessful, you will not be liable to this firm for our fees. However, if your claim is successful, we will deduct our fees from your compensation when your claim has been settled.

 

 Why Choose Beacon Law, Accident at Work Solicitors UK? 

 

 Beacon Law is a leading personal injury law firm, offering a range of personal injury claim services to our clients, including accident at work damage compensation. We provide a high level of service to all our clients and work hard to ensure they receive the appropriate treatment and highest level of compensation for their injuries.

 

We work closely with all clients, following their instructions whilst providing specialist legal advice on each case. We aim to support all our clients throughout a time that is already difficult and provide the best case management possible throughout all legal proceedings.

 

If you require advice for an accident at work claim or a workplace injury claim, please get in touch with us on 0330 1332 857. Alternatively, please complete our online form, and a Personal Injury expert will contact you to help you start your claim.

 

Beacon Law are a Solicitors registered in England and Wales, with our registered office based in Manchester. We are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

We offer a nationwide service and assist claimants in London, Manchester, Coventry and beyond.