Accidents at work – posted 17/2/2012

If you have been injured in an accident at work then it may be possible to make a claim for injury and any financial loss which has been incurred as a result of the accident.

Accidents at work can take place in many different environments and can be as a result of:-

• Inadequate training or protective equipment
• Slips or trips on debris or dangerous surfaces
• Injuries involving lifting or manual handling
• Defective machinery or dangerous machinery
• Exposure to harmful and dangerous substances
• Assaults from customers or patients in the working environment

Duty of your Employer

Your employer has a duty to provide you with a safe working environment. In order to do so they must undertake risk assessments in order to identify any possible risks or hazards and then take all reasonable steps in which to minimise these risks. So for example if you are employed to work with machinery your employer must provide you with training to work with the machinery and provide you with the relevant protective clothing and equipment.

In order to pursue a successful claim against your employer we must establish that your employer has failed in their statutory duty to provide you with a safe work place and as a direct result of this breach or failure to do so that you have suffered injury and financial loss.

Should I claim against my employer?

We appreciate that many people may be reluctant to pursue their employer following an accident at work as they fear that they may lose their employment. However, your employer has a duty to ensure that you are safe whilst you are at work and accidents at work can result long term effects from injury and significant financial loss and employers should have insurance in place to cover accidents which arise at work.

We would therefore recommend that even if you are unsure whether to claim that you contact us in order that we may discuss the claim with you and you are able to make an informed decision.

We also have an Employment Law specialist should you be experiencing other issues with your employer that you wish to seek advice on.

If you would like further legal advice on making a claim then please contact Karen Fleming at Ascot Lawyers on 01344 852847 or email on karenf@ascotlawyers.co.uk. Please be advised that we are able to offer a No Win No Fee basis to the majority of our clients.