How to Make an Accident at Work Claim

How to Make an Accident at Work Claim – As the last bank holiday before Christmas comes and goes, and with it the traditional summer holiday season draws to a close, thoughts inevitably begin to centre on the return to the autumnal norm. Be it back to school for children, or heading back to the office, warehouse, factory or what and wherever your familiar place of work looks like.

Nobody is overly happy to return to work after a summer break, and perhaps because we’re all a little less focussed after our holidays then the potential for work-based accidents arises. After all, that long stretch between the end of the summer and Christmas is certainly a sobering thought.

Workplace Accident

Workplace accidents do happen, and in some instances end in fatalities. The cause of some 142 deaths were accountable to ‘accidents at work’ during 2020/21, and although, thankfully this figure represents a very small percentage of the bigger picture, you can’t ignore the facts.

Of course, a greater number of accidents at work don’t result in death for the victims, yet instead those who suffer can end up in a lot of pain. Either physically or psychologically, both require time and support to recover from.

What To Do If You Find Yourself a Victim of An Accident at Work

If you should find yourself involved in an accident at work then you’ll need to know that help is at hand, and that the process of claiming isn’t as stressful as you might have first imagined. The majority of workplace accidents are avoidable and would not have happened but for negligence on the part of others. Whether that’s down to employer duty of care or malpractice, or lack of responsibility by work colleagues.

Compensation

Compensation may be accessible, providing that the accident at work wasn’t your fault. And that the subsequent injuries or work-related illness was found to be caused by employers, managers or fellow employees who had failed to adhere to health and safety protocols and practices leading up to your accident.

In terms of the types of accidents at work which tend to be recurrent and trigger compensation claims, there are a number which figure prominently. These include substandard risk assessments, preventable spillages, badly maintained equipment, inadequately enforced safety procedures, lack of PPE and what’s generally described as ‘dangerous working practices’.

Highlighting the Most Common Types of Work Injury

Slips, trips and falls remain the most repetitive accident at work claim cause by a country mile, year on year, closely followed by injuries indicative of lifting and handling mishaps. Being struck by falling objects is also another cause for concern, while falling from a height is another which is always mentioned in such lists.

Elsewhere, coming into contact with moving machinery, walking into stationary objects and workplace violence are other reasons habitually cited in accidents at work claims. As are, the inhalation of toxic fumes, industrial deafness brought on by continuous exposure to loud and persistent noise pollution and RSI injuries.

How To Go About Making a Claim for an Accident at Work

Amongst the very first things you should do after being involved in an accident at work is to seek expert advice. Here at DIYPI we are well versed in pursuing accidents at works claims for clients, having almost 20 years’ experience in dealing with this area. And providing guidance and support to those looking to receive compensation from those employers legally responsible for allowing a lapse in duty of care provisions.

Having said that, the process of making a claim for a workplace accident always begins with collecting as much evidence as you can about the series of circumstances which led up to the accident, as well as documenting the immediate aftermath if at all possible at the time. Things you could do to strengthen your case would typically include the following:

• Provide photographic evidence of the scene where the accident at work took place. We all have camera phones these days, so someone will be able to capture what happened
• Gather witness statements to help us build a better picture of your claim
• Make a note of your injury details and log any symptoms which arise and weren’t present before the accident. Completing an ‘injury diary’ will illustrate the pace of recovery
• Record any financial losses incurred as a direct result of your injury at work. Time off work, for example being the key one, plus costs involved in medical consultations, materials or clinical aftercare

What DIYPI Will Do Next

On receipt of this evidence and if necessary, DIYPI will arrange independent medical assessments to validate your injuries – be they physical and/or of a psychological nature – before a report is submitted to support the key evidence.

The procurement of this information is vital to determine if the injuries were caused by the accident at work, which in turn means that your employer is culpable in terms of negligence.

Once the claim is litigated and compensation is settled between all parties involved – notably the victim, the employer, their defence and your solicitor – then the claim process is complete.

For more information and to speak with one of our team of accident at work claims experts, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.