You might think that it’ll never happen to you, but one look at the statistics behind accidents at work paints a shocking picture. In a 12-month period during 2011 and 2012, 176 people were killed in the course of their work and over 1.1 million suffered from a work-related illness. Add to that 111,000 reported injuries at work and 27 million working days lost and it’s clear that work-related injuries and illnesses aren’t as uncommon as you might think.
The problem is many employees are reluctant to report accidents or take legal action because they think they’ll get in trouble with management. But, by not taking action, you’re only contributing to the problem. More companies make changes to working practices as a result of compensation claims in order to prevent re-occurrences, so you could be preventing the same injury or accident happening to one of your work colleagues.
Of course, all responsible companies will prioritise the health and safety of their employees. Legally, however, businesses are obliged to ensure that workers can carry out their duties in a safe environment and all employers must have insurance to cover work-related accidents and illnesses in the workplace. Moreover, it is illegal for a company to fire an employee for making a compensation claim as a result of injury or illness caused by their work. So it really is in the interest of both employer and employee that work-related illnesses and accidents are addressed.
All cases are different, however, the more information you can gather to support your claim, then the better your chances of receiving the compensation you’re due. Witness statements are essential, so make sure that you have the co-operation of any witnesses as soon as possible after the incident. Other helpful information includes:
All these can greatly improve your chances of a successful claim. A good personal injury solicitor will handle the rest.
If you’ve experienced an injury or illness as a result of your work, fill in the enquiry form and we will be in touch to let you know your chances of success and how much you may be entitled to. It’s that simple, completely confidential and will cost you nothing.
