A work accident injury can be traumatic for anyone. When you go to any sort of on-site workplace, you expect your employer to always have your safety in mind. You have certain duties that you need to fulfil every day, but these should be carried out with your safety in mind. Of course, the type of injuries you have will depend on the type of profession you are in, as work environments can differ massively. For instance, injuries on a construction site are going to be very different to a retail store. Either way, if you have got hurt due to the negligence of your employer, there is a chance that you could claim compensation even if you have only suffered from small injuries.
In our interview with our operations manager, Elaine, we discussed how big a work accident injury needs to be for someone to claim compensation. Read on if you want to learn more! You can also visit our work accidents page to start you compensation journey with a trained solicitor in Manchester.
Does my work accident injury need to be bad?
One of the most important things you need to remember about work accident claims is that you can only claim compensation if you can prove that it is not your fault. In other words, you need to show that you were not the one who was responsible for your accident. In more formal terms, this means that you suffered your injuries due to the negligence of your employer. It does not matter how big your injury is. If your employer has failed to provide adequate safety procedures to help you carry out your daily tasks, you could be owed compensation. It does not matter what sort of accident at work injury it was. What matters is that you got hurt. This means that your employer has breached their duty of care.
How can I tell if my employer has been negligent?
For any work accident injury claim to be successful, it is imperative that you prove that you were not at fault for your own injuries. Your employer is expected to not put you in harm’s way. Instead, they should demonstrate a genuine care of their workers’ physical and mental health. Here are some examples of how your employers can demonstrate that they are fulfilling their duty of care:
- Defining job duties
- Writing up risk assessments
- Providing a safe work environment
- Protecting staff against bullying or harassment
- Creating on-site areas for rest and breaks
- Avoiding pushing staff in to excessive work hours
- Protecting employees from discrimination
- Asking workers for feedback
An employer has failed in their duty of care if they have not done everything in their power to ensure that an employee is kept safe whilst they are fulfilling their duties.
How big does my work accident injury need to be?
If you have been injured at work due to the negligence of your employee, you can claim compensation for it! However, if you do want to get legal representation to get a pay-out, your injury must be serious enough that damages will be worth the case time and expenditure. Therefore, it is up to you to consider whether or not you think it might be worth it to pursue a claim. For instance, if you cut your hand whilst carrying boxes to your office, is this really worth getting compensation for? You may not get a large pay-out for it. Act sensibly and ask for compensation for injuries that have made you suffer some sort of loss. Here are some examples of what these losses may be:
Small Injuries
These may include cuts, sprains, bruises, falls, slips, trips or being hit by a light falling object. These may have been caused due to the negligence of your co-workers or a lack of training.
Medium Injuries
Example of medium injuries may include broken bones or teeth, repetitive strains, muscle injuries, injuries whilst handling heavy objects, injuries due to faulty machines or inhaling dangerous fumes.
Severe Injuries
These are life changing injuries that could result in disabilities or could even shorten the claimant’s life. They could include collisions, severe lacerations, lost limbs, electric shocks, exposure to loud noise, third-degree burns or injuries to the neck and the head.
How much does my injury need to be worth to get representation?
If you are interested in pursuing a claim, your injury should be worth around £1,000 in its pay-out. This should equate to around an injury of about two weeks. It may be difficult to find legal representation if you have an injury that is present for less than two weeks. Should you be struggling to estimate how much your injury is worth, you can get free advice from solicitors about a potential estimate. Once you know then you can consider whether or not you want to pursue with your claim. After all, the costs you are after may end up being something that you never recover. So, try and consider what sort of injuries would be worth claiming for.
You need to prove that you suffered losses due to your injuries and the outcome of the accident. The more evidence you have about these losses, the more likely it is that you will get a pay-out from your company’s insurance policy.
What should I do if I have a valid work accident injury compensation claim?
The first thing you should do is alert your colleagues and ask for your work injury to be written down in your company’s work accident book. You are legally allowed to have a copy of the incident to help back up your case. You can also ask for the CCTV footage to show that you were hurt during work-hours. If you have been hurt then you should also seek out medical assistance. However, you should also consider collecting evidence to back up your case. This may include:
- Photos and Videos of your injury and the environment you got hurt
- Witness statements
- Police Reports
- Medical Records
- Receipts of financial losses
- Diary Entries
- Communications with insurance companies
- Letters of grievance
The more evidence you have the better! This evidence can prove your losses and can show that you are fully entitled to a compensation pay-out. Make sure to show your lawyer your evidence so it can be organized efficiently and made ready for your court case.
Gowing Law Solicitors can help you with your work accident injury
Here at Gowing Law Solicitors, we understand that work accident injuries can be extremely stressful and traumatic to deal with. Not only are you trying to recover from your injuries, but trying to handle a court case can be difficult if you do not have legal experience. That is why you should get in contact with Gowing Law as quickly as possible. We can help you with your case! Our solicitors in Manchester can offer you free advice and consultations to help discuss your accident. These can all be done remotely to ensure that you can follow social-distancing regulations against Covid-19. This includes communication through video or phone calls, as well as sending your documents electronically.
If you want to work with our trained solicitors, our services can be given on a “no win-no fee” basis. That means that there is no risk to your claim. Should we not win your case, you will not have to pay any fees. Therefore you will always come out on top. So, what is stopping you from making a claim?
Contact Gowing Law Solicitors now by calling 0800 041 8350, emailing info@gowinglaw.co.uk or by visiting our to use our direct messenger. One of our team members will be free to help you with your inquiry. Feel free to let them know if you have any questions.
Want to learn more about our work accidents interview?
Whether you are an work-accidents experts or just want to learn about the basics, why not check out the rest of our interview series about work accident injuries with our operations director, Elaine? Check out our latest blogs below:
- What sort of accident at work compensation claims are there?
- How can I be sure that I have an accident at work claim?
- Work Accident Claims: Your Questions Answered!
- The basics of accident at work claims: Explained by Gowing Law Solicitors
We update our blog every week with the latest content about public injuries, accident at work claims, RTA compensation, criminal injuries and financial mis-selling. That way we can help you with your claim before you even meet up with your solicitor. If you want us to cover a certain topic, why not get in contact with us? You can email info@gowinglaw.co.uk and we will write about it! Let us know if you would also like to be signed up to our weekly newsletter and we will keep you updated.
Gowing Law wishes you the best of luck with your claim and looks forward to working with you in the future.
