It is almost impossible not to experience an injury in your lifetime. Injuries and accidents happen every day. Even in places where you may deem to be safe, such as the workplace, you are still at risk of an accident or injury. Beacon Law are a specialist work accident injury claims Solicitors who can assist you in making a personal injury compensation claim if you have been involved in an accident at work and were injured because of it.

 The workplace should be a safe environment where employees should feel safe. Your employer’s main duty is to prevent an accident or injury at work from occurring, to 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.

If you have been injured at work as the result of someone else’s negligence, contact us today.

Common Causes Of Work Accident Injuries 

There are so many different types of accidents that can happen if there is a lack of safety measures put in place. Employees should be adequately trained and should always be warned of any potential risks involved with carrying out their duties. There are many accidents that can occur in the workplace, which could lead to a range of different injuries, varying from minor to severe.

Below are some of the most common types of accidents that our clients have sustained in work:

·  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 are renowned for causing 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 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 in your hands, arms or fingers. As part of your employer’s duty, they should minimise these injuries by allowing more breaks or allowing employees to swap job roles, so they don’t get cramp or injure themselves through strain.

·  Falls From Heights- Falling from a height can lead to several types of severe injuries, including shoulder or arm injuries. Your employers must minimise your risks when you are required to work at height. Common causes of accidents when working at height include defective ladders of 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, adequate 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- Accidents and injuries are a regular occurrence on building sites 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, which may lead 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.

These accidents can all cause injuries and can cause you to struggle with your day-to-day activities. If you are struggling to do simple daily tasks because of your employer’s negligence, call Beacon Law today to make an accident at work compensation claim.

Common Types of Work Accident Injury

Work injuries can affect any part of your body.

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

• Minor Injuries- such as cuts or scrapes
• Brain and Head Injuries
• Back Muscle, Spinal and Spinal Cord Injuries
• Loss of vision
• Burn and Scald Injuries
• Sprain and Strains
• Amputations
• Broken/fractured bones
• Lacerations and scarring
• Fatal Injuries

If you are suffering from any of these injuries, you can make an injury at work compensation claim.

Can I Claim Against My Employer?

Employers, by law, should follow health and safety regulations and they should also carry ‘Employers Liability Insurance’.

There are often concerns associated with claiming against an employer. Many will be worried that the result will be negative and that the injured person making the claim may be dismissed or mistreated. 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. If you file a claim against them, they will not suffer personal financial loss, as the compensation will be paid out by the employers liability insurance.

What Should I Do If I Suffer An Injury At Work?

Most of the time, the injuries at work are due to the negligence of your employer. In the event you are unfortunate enough to have suffered an injury at work, we would recommend that you do the following:-

·   If you suffered an injury whilst at work, you should immediately report the accident to a supervisor or manager and ensure that the incident has been logged in an accident book. Make sure all details of the accident have been reported correctly before signing.

• You should seek appropriate medical attention for your work injuries from a GP or hospital soon after the accident. If your injury is severe, you should seek urgent attention at a hospital.
• We would advise that you keep receipts for any medical treatment you have had to pay to recover the expenses when making a claim.
• If you would like to make an injury at work claim for compensation, or if you would like to discuss the claims process with an injury at work solicitor, contact Beacon Law today to speak to a specialist accident at work solicitor using the contact forms on our website, or call us on 0330 1332 857.
• You should be aware that there is a strict time limit of 3 years from the accident date for making a personal injury claim. This period may be extended in special circumstances; however, we would advise that you start your injury at work claim as early as possible to avoid your claim becoming statute-barred.

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

The compensation amount awarded for your injuries in the workplace 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 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

Why Choose Beacon Law Work Accident Injury Solicitors?

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

 We work on a no win no fee basis. The only requirement we ask is that you co-operate with our no win no fee agreement.

We work closely with all clients, following their instructions whilst 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 to claim for an accident at work claim, please contact 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.