When we refer to an accident at work, most people think only of a severe incident which has resulted in broken bones or worse – but accidents do not have to be as major as this and can also be psychological as well as physical. If you have had an injury at work, it should be reported to a manager or senior within the company as soon as possible.
It is the responsibility of your employer to ensure that all staff know the health and safety rules within the workplace, and what the procedure is in the event that an accident occurs.
There should be a qualified first aider within the work place who attends to the injury, and unless the business is a very small concern, there should also be an accident book where all injuries occurring within the work place are recorded. Employers are also responsible for reporting certain accidents/injuries to the Health & Safety Officer, and you as the employee have the right to receive sick pay if you are entitled to it.
In the event that you have had to have time off work due to an accident or injury sustained in the work place, your employer may have a company sick scheme which will be set out in your contract of employment. However, if this is not the case, you will be entitled to statutory sick pay providing you have been off work for at least four or more days in a row. If you are putting in a personal injury claim against your employer as a result of the accident or injury, your injury lawyer will look at claiming your loss of earnings back as part of your compensation. Usually this is pretty easy to do, and we can try and get you some money early as an interim payment if you are financially suffering from being off work.
Many of us worry that if we claim against our employer, this will be damaging to our working relationship, and we fear losing our jobs. By law, employers must be insured to cover any incidents such as this and a certificate to this affect is usually visible within the workplace. There is nothing your employer can do to adversely affect your employment for claiming.
Why would you want to put in a claim against your employer?
If you have suffered injury and losses as a result of your employer’s negligence, you are entitled to claim back compensation for the damages to put you back in the position you would be in had the incident not happened. Afteral, they have insurance to claim from, and it’s there to utilise.
What you should do if you have an accident or are injured at work
- Seek attention from a first aider
- Ensure that if there is an accident book that a record of the incident has been logged
- Check your contract for information about sick pay entitlement
- Seek advice from an injury lawyer most firms provide free, no obligation advice
Remember you have three years to submit a claim for suffering and losses – this is called THE LIMITATION PERIOD. But you are better doing it sooner rather than later.
