How to claim compensation for an accident at work

Suffering an injury or accident work can be a stressful situation, not only will you likely be financially disadvantaged by missing work but you also have the difficult decision to make about whether you should claim compensation or not. The decision doesn't need to be a difficult one though, all employers and companies must have public liability insurance in place, so claiming shouldn't put them in serious financial difficulty and although you may feel loyalty to your firm a good employer would not want to see you disadvantaged.

Can I get in trouble/Sacked for making a claim?

A good employer should support you through you your claim and not hold it against you in anyway. You may be concerned about getting sacked, but the law protects you from this. Your employee has a duty of care to make reasonable efforts to ensure you are safe in the workplace which includes conducting risk assessments and providing adequate training when things go wrong it is also their duty to ensure you do not suffer due to their negligence.

Who can make a claim?

Any adult can claim on their own behalf, minors will need either a parent or guardian to deal with the solicitor on their behalf. If the victim is deceased, then the claim will need to be completed by a dependant. Common types of claims against employers include:

• Slips and Trips

• Work Equipment Malfunction Injuries

• Manual handling injuries (Heavy lifting)

• Injuries caused by missing safety equipment/PPE

• Head or Brain injuries

• Vibration injuries

• Repetitive strain injuries

• Injuries/hearing loss due to noise levels

• Among others.

How long do you have to make a claim?

In general you should make your claim within three years of the injury/accident occurring, although most solicitors would advice you start the claim process as soon as possible. This will ensure that the details are still fresh in your mind and that any evidence can be preserved. You should ensure you visit a doctor or medical professional as soon after the incident and if you have visible injuries it is also advisable that you get date stamped photographs taken.

How much compensation could I get?

The amount you could receive depends on many factors including the injury site, the severity of the injury, any out of pocket expenses, loss of income (current and future) as well as the long term affects of the injury. Specially trained solicitors will calculate the amount you are entitled to and work to secure an appropriate offer. Weather you have made the decision to make a claim or are still undecided you may want to see how much your claim could be worth. With a compensation claims calculator for accidents at work, enter some details of your injury and see how much you could be entitled to.