Accidents At Work

Accidents at work

Accidents at work are commonplace and obviously vary in severity and consequence. The most important thing to be aware of here is that workers in the are well protected by both normal tort (law) of negligence together with national and European legislation. In Britain acts such as the Factories Act 1961 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 put clear obligations on employers and breach of these will result in compensation being awarded in personal injury cases.

Recent European Directives have also strengthened these and nowadays the whole area of employment law can be a bit of a minefield. The good news for workers is that accidents at work are generally easier to claim compensation for than any other type of personal injury. This is because you do not always have to prove negligence; the simple failure to do something may be enough.

The important thing you need to remember is that (as with any other type of personal injury) you need to support your case with evidence. This means that if you injure yourself at work you must report it immediately and make sure it is noted in the accident log. If the injury is serious then get medical help immediately and make sure the doctor/hospital keeps a record of treatment. If you have any expenses then keep a record of them and if you have to take time off work then make a note of this.

If you decide to make a claim then the first place to go is your trade union as they will usually be able to help you. They will often have specialized lawyers available and could assist with costs. If you’re not a member of a Trade Union then you should go a Local Law Centre or the Citizen’s Advice Bureau. If you’re only making a small claim they will help you organise your case for the Small Claims Court but if it is a large claim they will advise you to see a lawyer. The procedure is the same as for a normal personal injury case and could take some time.