Novum Law recognised in prestigious Chambers & Partners Guide 2024
The team at Novum Law are delighted to be once again recognised as one of the best personal injury law firms in the South West by the leading, independent legal...
Unfortunately, accidents at work happen every day, with over 500,000 people injured in the workplace between 2021 and 2022.
Workplace accidents can vary in severity, from more minor incidents like slips and trips to severe injuries due to falls from height, being struck by moving objects or vehicles, becoming trapped by moving machinery or something collapsing or overturning.
Serious injuries caused by work-related accidents include brain injuries, spinal injuries, amputations and limb loss, broken bones and fractures, burns and scalds and eye injuries. Sometimes workplace accidents are fatal. Tragically, in 2021-2022, 123 workers were killed in work-related accidents.
Accidents at work and employers’ responsibilities
Britain has strict health and safety regulations enforced by the Health and Safety Executive. The rules keep workers and members of the public safe and free from harm.
All employers have a legal duty of care to their employees. They are responsible for implementing and maintaining good health and safety practices to keep workers safe. This includes:
- Carrying out regular risk assessments.
- Providing appropriate and up-to-date training and information to employees about how to do their job safely.
- Providing protective equipment where necessary.
- Removing or containing any hazards in the workplace and warning employees about these.
If you have had a workplace accident, it can be difficult to know if your employer is responsible. Our expert personal injury solicitors often speak to workers who needlessly blame themselves for their serious accidents. In fact, we often find that employees should have been given better training, or taken steps to reduce hazards in the workplace, or maintained equipment and machinery better.
Employers can be penalised if they are found to be breaking health and safety regulations. These penalties range from fines to prison sentences, depending on the breach’s severity.
Work accident compensation
If your employer has not taken all reasonable steps to ensure you are protected from unnecessary risks and you are injured, you may be able to make a compensation claim.
It is important you seek specialist legal help as soon as possible by contacting a personal injury solicitor. They will be able to advise you on the next steps to take and help you claim work accident compensation.
If your claim is successful, compensation will cover your pain and suffering. It will also make up for any lost wages (including future loss of earnings), and any expenses you have due to your injuries. These can include travel costs to hospital appointments and any adaptations to your home or car that are needed.
Our expert team of work accident solicitors at Novum Law have many years’ experience supporting people and their loved ones after serious injuries in the workplace. We will work tirelessly to secure you the compensation you deserve.
What should employers do after a workplace accident?
It can be a confusing and upsetting time after an accident at work. If you have been injured in the workplace, you might need help figuring out what to do next.
However, it is your employer’s responsibility to follow the accident at work procedure. They should record the details of your work accident, for example by entering them into an official accident book. If you wish to see a copy of the accident book report, then you are entitled to request this.
In certain cases of serious injury or death, your employer should also report the accident to the government reporting scheme RIDDOR (the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations. They have 10 days in which to do this, or 15 if the injured worker has been incapacitated for over a week.
Under the Employers’ Liability Act 1969 your boss is legally required to have insurance to cover the cost of a claim made against them due to a workplace injury.
Specialist work accident legal advice
Novum Law’s solicitors are experts in work accident compensation claims and can guide you through the claims process from start to finish.
Louise Gardner is a specialist personal injury lawyer from our Swindon team. She says:
“Employers benefit from the hard work of their employees, and it’s not just an act of consideration to provide them with a safe workplace – it’s the law. Strict health and safety regulations have reduced the number of work accidents over the past few decades, but negligent companies are still causing too many avoidable accidents.
“The key message here is if you are injured at work in an accident that wasn’t your fault, you deserve compensation. And you shouldn’t worry about how your work accident claim affects your future relationship with your boss – there’s employment law in place to protect you if your employer treats you unfavourably or terminates your employment because of your accident at work claim.
“We urge anyone who has been injured in an accident at work in the last 3 years to get in touch as soon as they can so that we can help and support you.”
If you believe you or a loved one may have a work accident claim, our specialist work accident solicitors in England and Wales are here for you.
To start a ‘No Win, No Fee’ work accident claim, contact us on Freephone 0800 884 0777, email info@novumlaw.com or complete our short enquiry form and book your free, no-obligation chat with our friendly legal experts.
