Tripped over boxes on a supermarket floor claims

Supermarkets can be like obstacle courses sometimes – what with cages, boxes and staff everywhere you turn! So what happens if one of these obstacles unfortunately causes you to have a nasty fall and consequently injure yourself? The answer – you are entitled to claim for compensation!

I am not going to pretend that these are the easiest cases we deal with here at The Injury Lawyers, as that simply would not be true. These cases come under something called the Occupier’s liability Act which means that the occupier of any premises has to ensure that the area is safe for lawful visitors. Leaving boxes hanging around in the aisles certainly does not appear to adhere to this principle.
Read More

Falling boxes at work compensation claims

This is probably more relevant for anyone working in a warehouse, an industrial site, and even those who work in offices (if boxes of files are being moved for archiving or something similar). Workplace regulations are numerous, and they’re there to protect employees from being injured in the line of duty.

When it comes to boxes, if these need to be stacked, then your employer is responsible to risk assess the process to make sure that any stacked boxes are done in a way that is safe to ensure they don’t fall over or cause anyone harm.

This ranges from what sorts of boxes can be stacked atop another, given weights and sizes, to where boxes should be stacked, and how high to ensure a stack is stable. At the same time, employees must be instructed in the correct procedure for stacking boxes safely.
Read More

No Manual Handling Training! Can I still make a claim?

If you sustained injury at work and it was not your fault, you may be eligible to claim for compensation as your employer is under a duty to keep you safe and free from harm.

Obviously there are a number of measures that should be taken to ensure that you are not injured at work. Employers should make sure that the working environment is as safe as possible – this could be done by reducing the risks.

In an office environment a potential tripping risk may exist, such as by tripping over bags, boxes, wires etc. The employer should put processes/procedures in place to reduce the risk – such as a policy that bags must be kept fully under desks where they do not pose a tripping hazard.
Read More

Manual handling injuries at work when working off-site

Rules and regulations that employers have to abide by when it comes to manual handling activities in the course of your employment are strict and numerous. There’s a very good and rather obvious reasons for this; manual handling injuries tend to affect the back. Your back is of course one of the most important parts of the body, so injuring it can be considerably debilitating.

Whilst manual handling comes in to almost everybody’s role in some way, it applies to others far more in certain occupations. It applies minimally for me as I’m an office worker, lifting only boxes of paper or files on the odd occasion.

But a plumber, or a mechanic, or anyone on a constructions site or in a warehouse, are going to be doing a lot of lifting as part of their role. As such, proper manual handling training and risk assessments should be done by your employer to comply with the law!
Read More

Volunteering accidents – can you still claim?

In this tough economic climate, many people have opted to volunteer at workplaces, perhaps with the hope that later down the line a job may become available for them. Others may volunteer as a personal choice as they may have retired and although are not interested in a wage paying job, still wish to go to work in the morning.

Unfortunately, just because you are volunteering does not exclude you from the possibility of sustaining an injury in the workplace. However, many may think that as you’re “just volunteering” you’re not entitled to make a claim – however this isn’t the case…
Read More

What procedure would you follow when dealing with an accident?

Being involved in an accident can be a stressful and confusing time and therefore many people often are left at a loss as to what to do next in relation to making a claim for compensation. This should not be the case as the Civil Procedure Rules (the legal rules that govern civil claims) are in place to ensure making a claim is as simple as possible.
Read More

Selective deafness could be industrial deafness in disguise!

It’s likely most people have all heard of selective deafness. Our wives, husbands, partners etc seem to be experts in the field, especially when football or the soaps are on TV! But have you ever considered that it may in fact be a case of industrial deafness rather than selective deafness?

Say, for example, that your husband constantly mishears or ignores what you have said to him. While you may believe it is a case of selective deafness, consider whether your husband has ever worked in a noisy environment, consider if your husband could be suffering from industrial deafness. The sufferer often does not realise that anything is wrong.

It is often a wife, partner or other family member or perhaps a friend that notices a hearing deficit. Industrial deafness does not mean complete deafness; it covers partial and sometimes relatively minor hearing deficiencies.
Read More

Ladder accidents and injury claims advice

For some people, using a ladder can be a pretty scary thing – fear of heights is a pretty common phobia. For others, working up ladders is your bread and butter; builders, window cleaners, roofers, etc. In reality, we are all probably aware that working up a ladder comes with its inherent dangers. That’s the reason why there is important legalisation in place that is designed to ensure that accidents from ladders do not occur.

According to the HSE, there were around 3,350 major incidents at work that were caused by falls from height; of further concern, there were 46 fatal incidents…
Read More

Accident at work compensation calculator

So you’ve had an accident at work and you want to know how much your claim could be worth. Then you should check out our Accident at Work Compensation Calculator found under the FREE INSTANT VALUATION tab on this page. Just select your injury, answer a few questions and the calculator will text your free valuation intsantly to your mobile or landline mumber. Its as simple as that!
Read More

Personal Protective Equipment

Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE as it is more commonly known, is equipment which can be used or worn to protect you from risks to your health and safety. PPE can come in all shapes and sizes, and so can be anything from safety boots, to ear defenders, to anti vibration gloves.

It is the duty of your employer to provide the necessary PPE, and to cover the full costs of the equipment. Once you are provided with the PPE you should also be trained in its use, your employer should be able to evidence this training with documentation.

Employers must also ensure that the PPE itself does not cause a risk to health and safety, For example, there should be no risk of the PPE getting trapped in machinery or the user overheating due to it.
Read More