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Being injured in an accident at work can have devastating consequences. We find that the vast majority of our clients simply want to recover as quickly as possible so that things can be back to normal. Unfortunately it is not always as simple as that but in the majority of cases, if the accident was not entirely your fault, it will be possible to recover compensation for you so that you will be in the same position financially as you would have been if the accident had not happened. Your employer must have insurance to cover such claims.
On this page we describe some of the ways in which claims can arise. The list is not intended to be complete and the statements we make are inevitably of a general nature. We can advise on how these rules and situations might apply to you if you suffer an injury at work.
Your employer must make your workplace as safe as it can reasonably be. This means that there should be access to it that is free from obstructions or things that could cause you to slip or trip. The workplace itself must be suitable and in general terms this means that it must be a safe place for you to work.
Many injuries are caused as a result of this. The expression is more than just lifting and includes pretty much anything that involves the use of physical force. If it might cause injury then it should be avoided altogether where it can be and if not it should be reduced to the lowest level reasonably possible. Your employer is expected to carry out a full risk assessment of the risk of injury.
This covers anything used in connection with your job. This must be suitable for the purpose for which it is being used, must be properly maintained and, in the case of many types of machinery, must be properly guarded. In the case of defective machinery or equipment your employer is liable if it causes you an injury even if he could not possibly have known of the defect.
There are rules to protect you from injury when using such equipment and to protect others from being injured by such equipment.
Where appropriate your employer must provide you with such protection in the form of such things as gloves, eye protection or special clothing as is reasonably necessary to protect you from injury whilst at work.
There are special rules to protect you from injury caused by any kind of dangerous substance whilst at work.
There are special rules to protect you from injury if working in a building development of some kind or where substantial alterations are being made to an existing building.
Your employer must carry out a proper risk assessment to ensure that work at height is avoided where possible if it carries a significant risk of injury. If it cannot be avoided then there are strict rules to minimise the risk of injury and the risk of others being injured by objects falling from above.
If you are injured as a result of negligence by another employee your employer is liable for that negligence even if he could not reasonably have been able to do anything about it.
Disclaimer
The above statements are inevitably a simplified version of the law and are intended for guidance only. Ringrose Law accepts no responsibility for any action taken in reliance on these general statements.
