In the UK, all businesses and employers are required to have insurance in case anybody is injured while working. Since your claim is covered by your employer’s insurance, you will not be claiming directly against the employer as long as valid insurance is in place.
The following guide will provide answers to many of the questions that you have been searching for. If you would like additional information, don’t hesitate to consult an experienced accident at work solicitor for your free consultation.
Who is entitled to make a claim?
If you have sustained an injury in a work-related accident, you are entitled to claim compensation. If you are over 18 years, you can file the claim yourself with an experienced solicitor. Solicitors can also handle claims for persons under 18 years, but in such cases, a litigation friend has to be appointed who is usually a close friend, parent, or family member. The litigation friend deals with the solicitor on the case on behalf of the victim. If the victim died after the injury, the dependants could claim on his or her behalf for the loss of dependency.
How do you file a claim for accident at work compensation?
It is quite simple to make your claim with a professional solicitor. The solicitor deals with all the paperwork and corresponding, including filing the court proceedings if needed. You will usually not be at financial risk since most solicitors have a no-win no fee guarantee.
You can also rely on a professional solicitor’s strict client confidentiality. The primary concern for every professional solicitor is ensuring that you can get back to full fitness, which means recovering the best payout possible from the insurers.
How much compensation are you entitled to receive?
One of the first questions that people have about their claim is the amount of compensation they are entitled to. The solicitor will take all the specific circumstances into consideration as well as the guidelines from the Judicial Studies Board to put a value on your case that can be expected as compensation from the insurers.
The most common injuries in the workplace include back related injuries, trip, fall & slip, or injuries as a result of faulty machinery, equipment or clothing. The accidents can lead to a wide range of injuries of varying severity. The solicitor will give you an indication of the levels of compensation you are entitled to with the amounts depending on the length of symptoms and seriousness of the injury.
When it comes to determining the appropriate amount of compensation for your claim, the solicitor also considers any loss of earning, out of pocket expenses, and medical costs you are likely to incur after the injury. The compensation amount can increase significantly in the more serious cases where lifestyle adaptations are required, or ongoing support is needed.
It is the responsibility of every employer to ensure that each worker is protected at work and the area in which employees work is maintained to a safe condition. If you have suffered an injury at your place of work due to the lack of safety equipment or adequate training from your employer, you most likely have a genuine claim for workplace compensation.
How much time do you have to file the claim?
The sooner you file your claim, the better it will be since the incident will still be fresh in your mind. However, as long as your injury was discovered within the last three years, most solicitors are willing to accept your case and work to get the best payout possible for you from the insurance companies.
All injuries at your place of work should be recorded no matter how small they are. Businesses are required to maintain an accident book for keeping a record of incidents that occur on the property. You should also try finding witnesses to the accident and take pictures of the accident scene since it makes it easier to build a compensation claim.
The bottom line: you should choose the right solicitor to represent you
If you have sustained an injury at your place of work, you should get in touch with an experienced solicitor to help you file your claim and get the compensation you are entitled to. Smith Jones solicitors represent clients on a no-win no-fee basis to ensure that everybody has equal access to justice, which means that you have nothing to lose!
